Out and About

We're are sorry for the quiet period! Jeff has been very busy prepping himself to go home, which he did   the last week of May. Whoop! Whoop!

Things are going well. If you've been following his adventures on Facebook, he has been quite the social butterfly: the boat club, Chili's, a fundraising event, Old Town for Mexican food with mom. There is no slowing this guy down!

Jeff, Amanda and mom are working out a routine at home and things are going pretty smoothly. The new ramp out the back door is great and Jeff can freely go outside to enjoy the yard and patio.
While the transition to home is not without challenges and has had it's ups and downs, they are all determined and focused.

Jeff started his outpatient therapy last week and still has a lot of strength to gain - keep working hard, buddy!

This quiet time has also been a time of mourning and sorrow as both Jaks and Ally passed in the last month. The pain is still very raw and the house too quiet without their beloved pups. Please send your thoughts as Jeff and Amanda work through this tremendous loss.

Celebrating Mom

A lovely Mother's Day celebration in the garden. It was a beautiful day to celebrate a beautiful woman - Joan! She received a stunning bouquet of flowers from Jeff and Amanda. She was also treated to a salon day to get her hair done - it was full and pretty!

A baby was born! A friend stopped walked over from the hospital to announce that he and his wife had just had a lovely baby girl.

And the plan to top off Joan's day - Pizza for dinner!

Sunshine in the Garden

The sun shines a lot in San Diego. But, it shines especially warm and bright on the gardens at Sharp Rehab Center. Jeff spends every free moment sitting in that garden surrounded by the beauty of nature and the love and strength of family and friends.

The garden is full of grasses and succulents. Shades of bright purple and pink seem to go on forever in perfectly spaced rows. Lemon grass plants, saw grass plants fill in the spaces and gently wave with the breeze.

The slate water fountain provides that sense of tranquility that patients and visitors need in such hectic times. The hummingbirds flutter into the splashing water to steal drinks and maybe a little bath once and a while. They are a constant reminder of the miracle of nature.

The spinning vibrant orange and red metal garden wind ornament will capture your attention and take you somewhere far away. Joan is often mesmerized by the two spinning wheels.

Jeff's nurses and therapists often have to make their way out to the garden to find him for medicine or therapy sessions. He watches people come and go, shares a smile or even a few words of encouragement.

Jeff's time in that garden with the warm sun, cool breeze and company of loved ones will prove to have a significant impact on his recovery.

Springing Back

It's been a couple of weeks since Jeff went back to rehabilitation and I had the pleasure of visiting him in person this past weekend. What a difference those couple of weeks have made since we last updated you about his limited abilities?!

While he has a lot of work to go to get back to his condition prior to surgery #2, Jeff is working so hard and it shows. His arms and hands are moving again - Amen! He still needs to build strength and improve motor skills, but it's nice to see him moving. He described recent big wins as being able to: 1. brush his own teeth. 2. Feed himself. 3. Use the iPad and his phone to communicate with all of you!

Another recent win was being able to lift himself to a sitting up position from leaning on his elbow - both sides! He isn't slowing down - Jeff repeatedly requests to have PT 7 days a week - no day of rest for Fun Guy.

Unfortunately, Jeff is still experiencing some strange side effects (burning sensation and pain in his hands) from the recent injury/surgery and he has to take additional meds to reduce the pain and irritation. It seems like the doctors have found the right dose and medication for now - they are hopeful that these symptoms will subside as Jeff heals and makes progress.

He is currently in a power chair that he controls with his hand. Just think how many times over the weekend I heard someone say "Slow down!" He handles that thing just like everything else in life - fast and furious. Amanda and I think they need to put a governor on that thing.

Keep an eye on the blog. I have several more updates for this week - including a special holiday celebration.

An Update and Difficult Times

Jeff is back at the Sharp rehab facility and the week has had its ups and downs. The doctors are working to find a good balance of his medications so he gets relief, but is still alert and progressing.

While he is still experiencing problems with his nerve functionality, early tests show that Jeff's muscle strength is still good in his arms, shoulders, hands, etc. He is struggling with appropriate feelings and full control over his motor skills. 

However, doctors and rehab staff are hopeful that with time and hard work, he'll leave there a second time with the same strength and abilities as the first time. 

Jeff's attitude is positive and strong as he tackles the tasks in physical therapy and occupational therapy. Amanda is by his side and so is Joan. 

Sadly, their dog Jaks is no longer with them. He was an 11-year-old 100lb. Lab, but developed some complications due to a tumor this week and there was just nothing to do. Amanda was with him in his last minutes and she said he was calm and peaceful. 

A death in the family is the last thing they needed right now, but Amanda is focusing on all the good memories and fun times with the "little man." Jaks was a very special dog and will always be with anyone who knew him. 

What a blessing that the dogs got to visit with Jeff at the rehab center yesterday. 

This is NOT Defeat: Jeff Needs Us

Jeff is poised for another very long climb to get back to where he was a couple of weeks ago. He needs this army of support more now than ever!

The surgery went as well as can be expected. However, Jeff's strength and mobility of his arms is going to take a lot of time and effort to recover once he gets back to the rehabilitation center. He is still dealing with significant limitations.

In addition, he is experiencing some complications from the surgery and fighting to get through the healing. He has some blood clots in his legs and they are challenged to keep his blood pressure normal.

This latest trauma to Jeff's spine is like starting over from the first one on January 3. The doctor compared Jeff's spine to Ali's head - "It can only take so many hits and each one is a big blow."

So this is a call out to all of you to bring back that outpouring of love, support, thoughts, and prayers that helped him power through then. He needs to know that this is not defeat - we won't go for that and neither will he if we can help hold him up with our love.

Do what you can: visit if you are local (call Amanda first for the best times), put your posts on this blog, send a card or letter, make a donation, dance a Jeff jig...whatever you can do to send your love and strength! Keep it coming!

Out of Surgery: So Far, So Good

Jeff is OK and out of surgery. He is resting now and we won't know much until Monday when he is awake and further assessment can be made.

The shunt is in place and there are NO signs of permanent nerve damage to his arms and hands.  Raise your hands in the AI-ER!

The doctor said shunts can be a little tricky because they can clog and/or move, but the surgery was as successful as could be and feelings are optimistic.

The glass is half full, people. Get some rest and send Jeff your thoughts and prayers.