More Prayers & vibes said & sent...

Rob is home! (Larry does awkward 250 pound guy happy dance)

Yay! This is great news! Continued prayers & vibes...

This is gret news. Keep going Rob. Next step - next semester College.
Love and Peace
Brigitte

Woo-hoo! Fantastic news!

S'marvelous!! Heal!!

Ya can't keep a good Blunderhead down! Keepin' the positives aimed atchya, Rob!

good on ya rb!!!

Too cool!

WOW this has been a long time coming. Reactivating my password took me an hr. So please bear with me. ntm: I read this entire thread for the very first time this afternoon. I'd say I was surprized, but I've come to know ya'll better than that to be said.

* As you know, I've been home ( in my house home ) for 10 days now. I have a whole ton of cards I need to get out in the mail, as you were all so kind, to shower me with beautifull get well cards, and words of encouragement in my darkest hour. I do wanna start with mentioning names. They'll be short, as I want not to leave anyone out. You ALL mean the world to me, and even the meekest of 'ra ra' get better RB will forever be remembered.

* But I have to mention Regina Claeys. Reg we've always been friends. Sue and I were always more than happy to see you at the church, share hugs, catch up on where our kids had grown. Exchanging Xmas cards and the lot. But what you did for my family ( being a center piece of communication, for my friends and fellow blunderites), expecially Sue. You helped Sue keep her sanity at a time, like no other. You and John have always been very dear to us, but acts of kindness of such magnitude will never be forgotten. & I thank you dear, from the bottom of my heart. As I'm sure does Sue.

In reading this thru, I realized how Sue and I were going thru our little sign language, and interpertations weren't always mutual, yet sincere. After all I was on a ventalator for 42 days. ( minus the inept attemts to get me off it ) meaning = I couldn't speak. I was on a feeding tube for 42 days ( call it coinsodence ) and on kidney dialysis for over a mnt. ( that's some scary stuff, but being on a ventalator is very traumtatizing. Each day I'd beg Drs. to take me off it. Days I could remeber)

So this isn't in exact order, but it might help you understand the extent of my injurys.

9/2 get in car crash. Went to Heburn Hospital, and Drs. said, call ALL family members, this guy aint gonna make it. I remember them asking me, " Mr Brown, have you ever flown in a helicopter. I says nope. Dr. tells me, looks like that might change. Then I remember all my immediate family members coming into the E/R. ( funny I remember this part, but not the accident or anything much for the next 23 days) They had me on this stretcher, and a vascular surgeon, ran out, yelling, cancell the medivac, his test show he's got a tear in his aorta, and it'll certainly rupture do to the flight... ( I was dissapointed I wanted fly!

cocktail of drugs.

Yes Sue has some of her times and places ascue. But that's okay. If she only knew. The first wk. all I did was hallucenate. These drugs of the 60's have nothing of the drugs of late. Call it the drugs, or the extreme trauma, but for two wks all I did was hallucenate. Every once in a while, a Dr. a Nurse, social worker, would get in my face, and say, Mr Brown. Do you know where you are? Did you know you were in a terrible car accident. And even tho I said, yeah, it was news to me.

Around the 5th wk there, I started to come back to reality. I started piecing together, that yes, I was indeed in a hospital, and I had had a bad car accident. Remembering nothing, exept some small details, I have no idea why I remembered.

Things seemed to get better fast. Altho I was in horrendous pain, 42 days had past. I got off the ventaltor, off the feeding tube. A few days past, I was shipped off from ICU.... Within a wk I was told I was going to a Physical Therapy Cnt> of my choosing. My hometown, has an unparrallelled Physical Therapy Unit, so that was a no brainer. Getting to Hepburn Hospital was like going home. ( just 5 miles from my house) I'd of never believed it, but within a wk. they had me up and walking. 3 wks later, I was disscharged, and sent home.... I was walking with a walker at first, but today I graduated to a cain...

I start out-patient physical therapy next wk... 5 days a wk... 2 hrs a day. I'm still in allot of pain, but nuthing like say a mnth ago. ntm: I have meds, to buffer the pain, which helps me with my physical therapy.

So tommorro I'm gonna start working on those cards. I'll never underestimate the power of prayer. All you great friends, helped me pull though this. I don't don't dought for a minute. I'll never forget you all, long as I live....


Heartfelt story: With the trauma, the experience of being on a ventalator, kidney dialysis, and a feeding tube my care givers knew enough to abide by my wishes. As did Sue. e.p. I NEVER watched tv. , never listened to my C.D's, read a magazine, or read my mail. Each day Sue would come in to visit. You have some new cards she's say. Would you like to open and read a few. And I'd slowly lip to her, NO, not today. Maybe tommorro. It went on like that for a couple wks. Sue respected my wishes. When I noticed she had a shoe box full of cards folks had sent, one day I agreed. Yeah we can read a few cards.

cont:

It wasn't till that moment in time, I hadn't realized I hadn't taken anytime to feel anything for myself. Only maybe that 'this isn't real. sooner or later I'll wake up from a dream.'

I think I got thru two maybe three of the cards. From some very dear freinds that mean the world to me. I cried uncontrollably for the better part of 20 minutes. All Sue could do was hold me, and ask what's wrong baby? I explained to her, that I was supposed to be seeing allot of these folks in a few wks. and I had let them down. Then Sue dumped the entire box of cards on my hospital bed, and told me, 'Rob all these friends of yours expect is for you to get better'!


I suppose I knew it, but I actually had never realized just how many friends I have. Friends with such big hearts, they'll give you the shirt right off they're back.

For that I thank you all!

I'll never forget you. Never

All my love / Rob

Love ya' Rob