Hope Your Halloween was Boo-ti-ful!

Saturday at Raider Ranch!

I promise there is a long post coming soon complete with why, how, etc we ended up at Raider Ranch and all the fabulous details about the place.  In the meantime, enjoy these images from today! ;)

Caleb, Alisa and baby Addison came to Lubbock yesterday to spend the weekend with Mom & Dad.  Larkin and Cash stopped by today to have lunch with them as well.  Mom reports that the food downstairs is amazing--not at all what one would expect.  Larkin brought the most delightful edible treats and Dad received a Tech t-shirt, since he is after all, staying at Raider Ranch!  

Dave and Gaye Bennett (Caleb's delightful parents) came to Lubbock from Amarillo with Dexter, the dog, in tow!  Dexter always provides hours of entertainment and laughter.  They had stopped by the Harley store and picked up a cup holder and a Guardian Bell for Dad.  Ever the engineer, Caleb installed both of these on the wheelchair!

Happy Halloween from RaiderLand!

Miracles...

 People often ask what makes one choose to live in a small town.  The reasons are below.  Special thanks to Kirby Campbell for sharing your images with us.  They're awesome!

While Larry Haddock and Danny West were tending to Mom's yard--mowing, edging, trimming and such--Tommy Coleman, Rusty Strickland, Robert Watts, Nicky Watts and their crews created this scene out in the fields...

Gentlemen, a written thank-you on a website will never be enough, but, please know that you are appreciated from the bottom of our hearts.  Thank you all!

Out of the Hospital!

Hooray!  Dan was discharged from UMC yesterday afternoon.  They still are not "home" in Wellington.  However, they are settled into their new, temporary "home" at Raider Ranch in Lubbock and doing great! They will be there at least for the next 8-9 weeks before Rehab begins.  They will either stay at Raider Ranch through rehab, or he will go to Trustpoint in Lubbock for Rehab.  This is all unknown at this point.

I'll post a much longer, detailed post later with the explanation of Raider Ranch, why he must be there, etc. But, for now, since the trusty Blog Administrator is writing this from New Orleans, I just wanted to let everyone know, UMC is a place of the past! ;)

Here's a picture from today at the new casa!

Abbey

Stripping Time & More...

"You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf."

It's cotton stripping time!  Tommy Coleman, Rusty Strickland and their crews are helping with the cotton this week. Thank you so much!

Meanwhile, back at UMC, the doctors spent yesterday trying to keep his blood pressure up, his oxygen up and watching his blood counts.  His H & H started dropping again yesterday, so we are back to drawing blood every 4 hours.  PT didn't come by to get him up, since his H & H were low.

Say what you want about McDonald's-but, Mom managed to get him to eat a McDonald's cheeseburger last night. Trust me friends-this is big progress! Leave the McD's comments out of this! ;)

This morning, after a mild discussion from the red head, PT came and got him out of bed for just a bit.  Mom worked him over and got him "dressed" in a shirt and hat.  They are going to begin two more units of blood and hopefully, return his blood counts to a more normal range once again.

Several of you have asked about donating blood.  This is so sweet and such a generous, heartfelt offer!  Due to the rigorous testing of blood products now, it takes almost a week for donated blood to be cleared so that it can be given to a patient.  All the more reason, to donate blood whenever you are able--so there will be blood ready and on the shelf when a patient needs it.  Happy to report-Dad has always given blood on a pretty regular basis.

Here's a picture of him today in the hospital after his make-over from Mom-up in the chair and waiting for some blood! And to think, 9 days ago, Dr. Marchbanks reconstructed that mandible!

8:00 pm update: We made some strides today!  Totally think McD's cheeseburger and shake along with the make-over from Mom, complete with shave, bright shirt and a good hat helped! His oxygen is up, so they have taken him off of the oxygen and monitoring to see if he can remain off.  His blood pressure is still a bit low, but not as low as it was over the weekend.  PT came by and got him into the chair for the first time in four days.  (See above!) OT came by and worked on his upper body strength, and of course, RT (respiratory) came by for breathing treatments.  He received two units of blood today.  Hopefully, his H&H will go back up into a normal range.  Carrie and Kenneth came to Lubbock and visited and so did Mary and Jaime Johnson.  Good company always does a body good!

Week 2 begins...

Yesterday was still a bit of a rough day.  They are still watching his blood pressure to keep it stabilized.  Nausea has been a common complaint, but yesterday, it was coupled with actual vomiting and some other GI symptoms that we'll not get into here.  Dehydration is a concern as it makes the orthostatic hypotension worse.

PT did not come see him yesterday, so hopefully today, they'll be by.

Dear PT,

Pretty please, for your own sake, make it by room 366 today.  Do not push the red head.  

Please & Thank you in advance.

Dan's Dozen

Respiratory therapy is still coming by for breathing treatments.  Between the trauma, pulmonary contusions, surgery and laying in the same position for much of the day---his lungs are still giving him a bit of trouble.  His oxygen is still borderline, so he remains on the oxygen.  

More to come later,

Dan's Dozen

This, That and Thank-You's...

(The Sunday morning update is posted just below this.  Scroll down if you haven't read this morning's status.)

Alisa is off this morning to coordinate the last two fashion shows for the American Girl Fashion Show, benefitting the Junior League of Plano.  Kelsey and Cameron are involved in the 1:30 pm show this afternoon.  Miss Addison is also attending-because one can never begin fashion sense too early- and I'm sure Caleb is there to keep everyone smiling, laughing and running on time.

Cameron, Kelsey & Addison

Cameron as the American Girl "Elizabeth"

Cash is currently at his apartment boiling peanuts.  Dan is of course on a soft diet, and well, Cash thought boiled peanuts were worth a shot.  We'll keep you posted on that progress.

Here are a few images from last night's "Building a Sweeter Tomorrow!" benefitting The Children's Center in Galveston.

Hayley & Abbey

Hayley, aka "Paper & Invitation Extraordinaire!" was on the Ball Committee for last nights event and I was on the Host Committee.  Hayley's husband, Jason, was in a rollover accident on Sunday, October 17th in Houston.  He was discharged from Hermann yesterday and is resting at home where he is recovering from a broken arm, broken nose and surgery to repair his broken neck.  We are so thankful that his neck injury was the "good kind of break" as far as those things go.

It's been a long week, with a great deal of information floating around.  We've been able to overcome some difficult obstacles this week.  Dan's prognosis, with proper treatment & strict following of doctor's orders, is very good!  This will be a very, long recovery road.  There are many hurdles we must clear, but, it can and will be done.

It's time for some heartfelt "Thank-You's!"  This would be such a different journey if it weren't for all of the supportive friends and family that surround all of us!

Thank-you to: 

Chuck & Maria for their hospitality, their bedrooms, their Butterfingers, late evening "Mexican Train" sessions and counsel.

Joe Baumgardner, Rusty Strickland, Tommy Coleman, Cody Phillips, Randy Langley, Jesse Garza and Santos Viesca for assisting during this time of harvest.

Larry Haddock, Rebecca Owens, Melanie Baumgardner, Dale & Sherri Dunlap, Jeff & Wendy Langford, John & Debbie Scott, Keith Martin, Jeff & Marilyn Camp, Yates Parker, Ann Baggett, Dwight Burns, Vada Wood, Shari Davis, D'Nae Souder, Janelle & MeMa, Tim & Brenda Fielding, Jan & Eddie Chambers, Billie & Bessie Langford, Jerry & Nancy Adair, Raquel & Dena, and Tom Hanson for visiting this week and providing support and much needed company.

Kevin Hamby, Ray Hightower and Kim Martindale for keeping everyone up to date on cotton counter offers.

Dale Dunlap for taking care of Mom's yard.

Tony & Suzanne Maxwell for visiting and taking us to lunch.

Debbie Cox for keeping us company and picking up lunch on Sunday.

Melanie Baumgardner for emptying out Mom's fridge. Bless your heart! (PS. Still no connections for WS tickets! Sorry ;( )

Wendy Langford for feeding and taking care of the goats and Kitty.  P.S.  Kitty will soon be coming to Lubbock. ;)

Aerocare Pilots, Juan & Chris, for the obvious but also for stopping by to visit later this week. Mark Thompson-thanks for teaching those guys to fly!

Vada Wood for your gracious gift cards.  What a clever idea!

First Christian Church, First Baptist Church Ladies Sunday School Class, H.C. & Frankie, Louise Rogers, Ralph & Rebecca Owens, Dan & Shirley Henard, Herb & Barbara Duncan, Sandy & Sharon Covey, Joe & Saunna Blacksher and Richard & Betty Gilbreth for all of your sweet and thoughtful cards that have brightened up a drab hospital room.

Larry & Carroll for the delightful flowers-complete with cotton bolls!

Quail Peanut and Tri-County Coop in Dodson for your thoughtful gifts.

Jessica at Raider Ranch for your understanding and help.

Derwin, Melanie, Randy and Susan for dealing with Mom's suburban.

Hal Rochkind and Dr. Brent Masel for your excellent referrals here in Lubbock.

Erin Dhonau for being the "Housesitter Extraordinaire!"

Thank you for your understanding, flexibility and generous offers: Greg Zimmerer, LifeCell, Roz Thompson, Erin Kearney-Conrad and the Junior League of Galveston.

Sunday morning news...

Yesterday was a rough day.

Dad was very cold, yet profusely sweating.  His vision was very blurry, he struggled with a great deal of nausea and some other troubling symptoms. Without going into further details, he essentially 'passed out' when they attempted to sit him up.  The nurse contacted the trauma team and they immediately pushed a bolus of sodium chloride and increased his oral fluids.  All of these symptoms, are a result of extremely low blood pressure known as orthostatic hypotension.  They continued to push fluids the rest of the day, and by 9 PM last night, they had his blood pressure up to 98 over 52.

Friday afternoon, we noticed that his right ankle was badly swollen and bruised.  It had been causing him pain that still had not gotten any better as the week went on.  They elevated it, applied ice, and by yesterday, there still was no improvement.  Yet another Ortho doctor ordered an x-ray for this morning.  Mom is fascinated by the number of Ortho doctors and residents.

This morning, he was able to eat all of his breakfast.  They are still pushing IV fluids to stabilize his blood pressure.  We are still concerned with his lungs, as we were yesterday.  Ortho confirmed a fractured fibula.

Stay tuned,
Dan's Dozen

Saturday Morning

It's been one week since the accident and since the 'air ride' to UMC in Lubbock.

He is able to sit up for brief periods of time.

Mom and I made tentative plans yesterday for his course of action when he leaves UMC.  Please note the bold, italic and underlined word tentative.  

Despite breathing treatments and the use of the spirometer, the atelectasis of his lungs is becoming a bit more of an issue, and the doctors are becoming increasingly worried about pneumonia.  Atelectasis can be the result of trauma, but, may also develop in patients who aren't able to move a great deal.  If we begin to battle pneumonia, the tentative plans we made yesterday will be postponed.  He told Mom that he feels terrible this morning.  He had a much better day yesterday.  But, hopefully, some rest will be the cure.

I promise you, that as soon as definite plans are made and set into action, we will post them here.  We have been diligent in providing accurate information as soon as we know.

Since apparently it was not clear in the previous posts, I'll once again emphasize that he can not bare weight while he remains in the Ex/Fix.  The Ex/Fix will remain in place for at least 8 weeks.

In other Langford news today:

 "Best Wishes" to Alisa as she co-chairs the Junior League of Plano's American Girl Fashion Show--and "Best of Luck" to Kelsey and Cameron as they narrate and model to be a part of Alisa's big weekend.  *xoxo* to you all!   American Girl Fashion Show

I'll be attending The Children's Center - "Building A Sweeter Tomorrow!" gala tonight.  The Children's Center

Have a great Saturday everyone--get some rest and relaxation in!  We'll keep you posted.

Abbey

A Little Ex/Fix Lesson...

So, this term "Ex/Fix"... what does it really mean?

Ex/Fix is the short term for "External Fixation."  Dad has an external fixation device (Ex/Fix) which was placed during surgery and holds his pelvis in the proper position so that it may heal.  It's a real flashy little thing...all metal, and shiny and protruding from his hips. :) 

There is no set time frame on how long an Ex/Fix stays in place.  They need to stay in place for at least 8 weeks.  However, there are therapists and doctors who have witnessed Ex/Fix's staying in place for months.  This all depends on how long it takes for things to heal and gain the strength to stay in place without an Ex/Fix holding them together.  Those who try to "cheat" the Ex/Fix, or think they can speed things along, or feel it's fine to ignore what they are told-are those who win the lucky prize of maintaining a long-term relationship with their Ex/Fix for months and months.  Again, he will not be allowed to bare weight while he has the Ex/Fix in position. 

More to come,
Dan's Dozen

The Plan...

Dad has settled in to his room on 3 West.  His fever was down this afternoon and he is still struggling with nausea.  He has been trying to eat, but is having difficulty swallowing.  He had a swallow study this afternoon which indicated some swelling, which accounts for the difficulty.  He has moved back to a liquid diet. 

PT came and worked with him again today.  He sat up in a chair for a short bit. 

We are unsure of the next steps.  Understandably, many of you have asked us how long, where to, what next, then what....  And the short answer is, we just do not know yet.  As soon as we have concrete plans, we will post them here.  But, currently there are too many variables and changing factors to know exactly what the next step will be.  Please rest assured that Mom is working diligently with case workers and therapists to make sure he has the best care necessary for optimal recovery.  We know that he will be "in a relationship" with the Ex/Fix for at least eight weeks.  The amount of time beyond that completely depends on how the healing process is going. There is nothing he can do to speed this up.  This is a game of "Wait and See."  He will not be able to bare weight while he maintains his relationship with the Ex/Fix.  Again, there is nothing that can be done to speed this up. 

He has started to receive mail at the hospital, which brightens any white hospital room!  Again, thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers!

More to come later,
Dan's Dozen

P.S. Several of you were around on Monday morning when we learned of another car accident.  One of Abbey's closest friends as well as "Paper & Invitation Extraordinaire," Hayley, had been called to Memorial Hermann in Houston when her husband, Jason, was badly injured in a rollover accident on Sunday night.  Those of you who knew, have also asked about his injuries and progress.  You may follow his recovery here: http://hhdesignhouse.blogspot.com/ 

Thursday morning update...

"This was an event.  Getting over it will be a process."  C.D.

Dad has been struggling with a bit of nausea and hasn't had an appetite.  His nausea is much worse today.  They are trying to get the nausea under control so that he can rest. 

The pin site on his left hip is putting out lots of drainage and he has started running a low grade fever. 

More to come,
Dan's Dozen

Out of the SICU...

Dad moved out of the SICU today and in to a regular room on 3 West. 

PT came to visit him in his new room and worked with him on his upper body strength.  His oxygen levels are a bit lower again, so they've ramped up the oxygen he is receiving.

Overall, he is in good spirits. His pain level is relatively low and he is resting comfortably. 

More to come later,
Dan's Dozen

The Latest Update...

Dad has the most amazing 7p-7a nurse tonight.  Period.  Hands down.  She is precious, wonderful and a wealth of information-which as promised I will deliver to you here. ;)

He is still in ICU.  Did I mention he has a precious, wonderful, fabulous nurse this evening?  I nominate her for "Nurse of the Year."

Good news: His platelet count, which was very low previously, has stabilized.  His spleen has stabilized and he doesn't have any surgeries in the immediate future.  This means: Hooray! Bring on the Lovenox!  While the addition of Lovenox may not sound like great news, it is essential to prevent the formation of a clot-which could completely derail this recovery process.  The fact that his blood counts and internal injuries have stabilized enough that they are able to start the Lovenox is great news.

I mentioned to you earlier that his lungs are "badly bruised."  For those of you interested in playing medical term jeopardy some day, the technical term is "pulmonary contusion."  Imagine a balloon that you've wrapped tightly in string.  When you attempt to inflate the balloon, it just doesn't inflate because it's covered in string.  Pulmonary contusions act as this "string" on the balloon, except in the lung.  The lung is unable to expand properly, which if left untreated, results in a build up of fibrotic tissues in the alveoli.  Translation: pneumonia and intubation.  His lungs were already beginning to sound "junky" yesterday.  He is receiving breathing treatments with an EzPap machine, which will force his lungs to expand and recover.  His lungs have already improved from yesterday and are beginning to sound more clear.  They have been able to reduce his oxygen levels from 5L to 3L.  He does still have some low oxygen levels at times, but this is most likely due to his jaw being wired shut in the back.

They have changed the dressings from his pelvic surgery.  His incisions as well as the insertion sites (where the "Ex/Fix" is inserted) have very little drainage, no significant redness or swelling.  (Ex/Fix=External Fixation Device)

The Ex/Fix is causing him quite a bit of pain.  Many of the positions he must lay in cause the Ex/Fix to lay against some nerves, which as you can imagine, is very uncomfortable.  He has started on Neurontin to combat this nerve pain.

Physical Therapy came by today to assess him and begin working with him.  They were able to get him 'up' on the side of the bed for 17 minutes.  The Ex/Fix makes it extremely difficult to sit because of where it is positioned and again, it touches against the nerves.

Because he is unable to move his pelvis, and there are very few positions he is able to lay in, he is at a very high risk of developing a decubitus ulcer.  Translation: Bed Sore.  Translation: BAD.  They are "turning" him every 2 hours as much as they can to prevent this.

His evening nurse changed his pain medication.  Apparently, he was not wanting to take his pain medicine because A)it was a liquid form and tasted bad and B) he was trying to stay awake.  His new medication is in a more desirable tablet form and is better for bone and muscle pain.  His evening nurse has him resting very comfortably now and out of pain.  Did I mention I think she should be "Nurse of the Year?"  Mom agrees.

There is still a very long and difficult road of recovery ahead.   We are so grateful for each and every small step of progress.  Thank you to all of you who have come by the hospital, called, emailed, texted and most of all, prayed for his recovery.  We love you all!

More to come later,
Dan's Dozen

Hurry Up and Wait

Today begins the test of patience.  It's a "hurry up and wait and see" kind of day.

Please know that we will provide you with up to date and accurate information here as soon as we receive it.

He received two pints of blood yesterday.

There are hematomas around his small intestine.  These will hopefully resolve on their own.

His lungs are badly bruised.  They are monitoring this closely.  In the same way that you would favor a sprained body part by not wanting to use it, the body 'favors' the lungs when they are bruised and hurting.  Therefore, the body doesn't want to breathe as deeply as it should to clear the lungs and avoid pitfalls such as pneumonia.

Regarding this pelvic surgery yesterday and length of recovery time-we are hearing a very different set of time parameters today.  We will continue to hold on to what we were all told yesterday (wheelchair for 4-6 weeks) until Mom is able to confirm differently.

More to come later,
Dan's Dozen

Monday Update Continues...

Dad is out of surgery. 

The surgery went according to plan.

They did have to use "external fixation," which means he has metal hardware on the outside of his body to hold his pelvis in place.  The external fixation device will remain in place for about 6 weeks.  He will be in a wheelchair for a while as he will not be able to put weight on his left side or leg for at least 4 of those weeks.  He is in quite a bit of pain after this surgery.  It is completely understandable that everyone wants to visit and see him right now, but it is best for his comfort and recovery if he can rest and heal at this time.

There have been numerous reports about his teeth, or in some cases, lack thereof.  As we mentioned yesterday, his lower mandible was badly broken.  If you'll visualize your own face--one break would have run vertically about where the corner of your mouth is. The other break began vertically at the other corner, but then ran back toward the ear in a horizontal fashion.  Because of the extent of this break, and how it was broken, the mandible was twisted and just well, barely sitting in there.  His teeth weren't visible, and therefore, it was possible they were gone.  However, after Dr. Marchbanks repositioned the mandible, his lower teeth were in fact, there.  It is likely he has lost a couple of teeth and will need dental work, he does have lower and upper front teeth. 

Dr. Marchbanks did wire his mandible.  He had to remove a gold crown to be able to reach where he needed to position the wire. (Dr. Marchbanks laughed as he handed over the 'saved' gold crown to Mom in a speciman jar.) However, it is wired in the back and he is still able to speak, and will soon be able to tolerate a very soft diet.  This wiring is only temporary, and it is not the scary "Hanibal" type wire that many people think of. 

More to come later,
Dan's Dozen

Monday Morning

Dad has gone into surgery to repair his pelvis.  The family met with the orthopaedic team this morning.  They will insert a pin into the back of the pelvic bone and he will more than likely also have "external fixation" affixed to the front of his pelvis.  This will only be in place for about 6 weeks, but it will further assist in holding the pelvic bones together so that the ligaments are able to heal. 

His hemaglobin and hematocrit levels were low this morning. Therefore, he is receiving blood and platelets.  These levels could be low for a variety of reasons. 

They are still monitoring his spleen via bloodwork. 

He is in great spirits this morning.

We are surrounded by family and friends who have travelled to wait this out with all of us.

Please know that we have established this blog to provide accurate, up to date information as it is received from the physicians and surgeons. We have received reports of a great deal of misinformation circulating.  We are so grateful to have so many people who care and are praying for Dad's healing and for all of us in this ordeal.  We are keeping you updated via this blog as soon as we hear information. 

In addition, we would like to once again, thank everyone back in Wellington, including the Collingsworth County General Hospital.  We are grateful for their care, dedication and services they provided Saturday morning.  We would not be where we are currently had it not been for their expeditious response and care. 

Thank you to everyone who has followed this blog to receive information and pray for Dad at this time. We were amazed by the "stats" that showed how many of you there are...including those in Canada and the U.S. Virgin Islands!

More to come later,
Dan's Dozen

Mandible: Check

Dad is out of surgery and awake.  We have all been in to see him and the mandible reconstruction provided almost instant return of his normal facial features.  Despite his jaw being wired together, he is able to speak much more clearly now after the surgery.  He has made it clearly known that he would like his hat.  He has obviously been successful in his persuasion - as Mom has headed out to the pick-up to get him one. 

Dr. Marchbanks let us know that the reconstruction of his mandible went well.  As we mentioned before, it was broken in two places.  The left side break was a bit more complicated than they had first thought.  It began at the corner of his mouth and stretched back quite a bit.  Four little metal plates and some screws later-and we have a mandible. 

His spleen is still "marginal."  They will draw blood again this evening to determine what needs to happen next. 

This will be "home" for a little while.  If all goes well, according to plan and without complications, he should be here in UMC for the next two weeks.  He will remain in the SICU until they are finished with all of his surgeries and immediate recovery.

MeMa spent the day here waiting with all of us.  She has been back to see Dad and is doing well. Garland and Janelle have taken her back home. 

Thank you to Dale and Sherrie, Debbie Cox, Melanie, Jeff and Wendy, and Chuck and Maria for spending the day with all of us in the SICU waiting room. 

Up next: Tomorrow they will reconstruct a ... pelvis!

More to come later,
Dan's Dozen

Day One Continued...

Dad is resting. 

His blood is still being monitored regularly to assess his spleen.  His bloodwork is "marginal" at this point-which means surgery for his spleen is not completely ruled out yet. 

More to come,
Dan's Dozen

The plan for Day One...

Way to go, Tech Tech Otolaryngology!  We had requested Dr. Cordero, who is the Division Chief of the Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, there at Texas Tech.  However, when Abbey corresponded with Dr. Cordero yesterday, he reassured her that although he was out for the weekend, he would completely trust Dr. Marchbanks with his own health or that of his family.  So, bright and early this morning, Mom met with Dr. Marchbanks to get the plan for today's first surgery. 

Dad's mandible is broken in two spots-imagine two lines-one at each corner of your mouth.  With breaks such as this, it has caused the mandible to be tilted and just kind-of well, barely sitting in there, if you will.  Therefore, Dr. Marchbanks will begin surgery today at 1:00 pm to begin this repair. It will take two metal plates...one on each side to reconstruct the mandible.  He will then wire his jaw shut, but only somewhat temporarily.  Temporarily as opposed to the normal 6-week time frame that many are wired shut.  He will be able to begin a soft diet soon.  While this is not the most severe of the injuries or complicated of the surgeries, it is the one that will provide the most immediate pain relief. 

More to come later,
Dan's Dozen

Thank you...

Randy Langley and Jessie Garza: As you were out working in the field yesterday and watched this unfold, thank you for your fast response and all of your help.

Derwin and Linda, Dale and Sherrie, Debbie Cox, Jan and Eddie: Thank you all for making a special trip to Lubbock when you heard the news. 

To the Wellington Fire Department, Candy Powell, the Emergency Room personnel and all of the dedicated staff at the Collingsworth County General Hospital: Words will never be enough to express our gratitude for all of your help yesterday.  Thank you for the bottom of our hearts!

More to come,
Dan's Dozen

One Small Step....

As mentioned before, Dad's spleen was lacerated.  They had started plasma transfusions and continued to monitor his levels, hoping to avoid emergency surgery to repair his spleen.  Dad made it through the night without going into surgery!  Hooray!

And so with that small step down, today begins day one of the long road to recovery....

More to come later,
Dan's Dozen

The Accident

Around 8(ish) this morning, Dad was headed out to the fields.  He stopped to make a left hand turn into the field.  The pick up travelling behind him stopped as well to allow him to turn.  At this same time, two men were headed down the road and either were not able to stop for the vehicle in front of them or did not want to stop for the vehicle in front of them.  They attempted to pass the stopped vehicle and at that very moment, Dad began his left hand turn into the entrance of the field.  As they passed the stopped vehicle, they collided with Dad-broadsiding him on his driver's side. 

True to their advertising word, OnStar quickly chimed in that the vehicle had been in an accident and an air-bag deployed.  Fortunately, we had something even faster than OnStar.  It was Tommy Coleman that was in the pick-up that had stopped behind Dad.  He witnessed the entire accident and was immediately on the scene.  He was the voice on the other end of the phone that called Mom-who was at home, preparing to head to Lubbock for the Tech game. 

In the whirlwind of actions that followed, due to the extent of his injuries, Dad was airlifted to UMC in Lubbock.

"Team Darter," Cash and Dave and Gaye Bennett were at the hospital when Dad arrived around 11:30(ish) and Melanie Baumgardner safely delivered Mom a bit later.  (please forgive if we've left anyone out)

A long afternoon of  tests, scans and "wait & see" began. 

Mom is doing well.  She was surrounded today by family and many friends who made the trip to Lubbock. 

Dad is currently in the SICU (Surgical ICU) and is trying to rest as he has a long recovery road ahead.  This evening he began receiving plasma - as his spleen is lacerated.  There is a possibility of surgery to repair the spleen, but, hopefully, the plasma will be enough-and surgery will not be warranted.  We will post more on the extent of his other injuries and surgeries that will occur as they are confirmed and scheduled. 

Today, as we counted, we realized that with the recent grand entrance of baby Addison into the world, we are now 'a dozen.'  While we won't be that dozen forever, as of today we are: Dan & Janise, Carrie & Kenneth w/Kelsey & Cameron, Dana, Abbey, Caleb & Alisa with Addison, and last but certainly not least, Cash.  Therefore, we will be signing as "Dan's Dozen."

As this long day comes to a close, thank you to all of you who played a role-big or small-in today.  While we can't name you all by name at this moment, we appreciate each one of you.  Please know that we are so grateful for your thoughts and prayers today and those to come tomorrow. 

We will keep you all posted via this blog.

Until tomorrow...
Dan's Dozen