Overdue update

Jesse continues to improve, and sounds good on the phone. I haven't been able to catch up to him in person lately, but hope to soon. He'll be starting formal training to get his driving restriction lifted soon if he hasn't already, and hopes to start back to work part time before long.

I really want to see him in person because he's now wearing glasses, and I just can't imagine him with specs.

On the mend!

Well Jesse is home and going through several days of therapy a week
so this is a good thing! He is getting bored and tired of his knee being in pain
but still manages to keep his spirits up for the most part. Thankyou so much
for this page not only is it great for Jesse to read but also for me when he was in the
hospital due to I did not feel up to talking to all of the people he knows and loves.
I will try to get Jesse to post something a bit later it is difficult for him to see the computer and
the keyboard because his vision has really been affected from the injury but the doctors tell
us what does'nt come back can be fixed with glasses or sugery.

Thanks again for all of the continued support.

Stephanie

Looking good, feeling restless

Stopped over and visited with Jesse today. Great to see him, and in my opinion he looks great (yeah, that's relative...) Amazing that for all he went through, the biggest clue is the brace on his leg. To see him, you'd think he'd just screwed up the knee.

He's getting impatient just sitting around and not being able to be productive, and is anxious to have everything working perfect (same as he is with his car, or his sled...)

I'm going to be extending author privledges to him on this blog, so hopefully we'll get that figured out so he can post himself.

Better every day

I talked with Jesse again today, and he pretty much sounded just like he did a month and a half ago. Rehab continues several days a week, and is progressing well. He says he's doing a little better every day.

Cheers,

Matt

Lordy Breaks out!

He's out! Jesse checked out of the hospital Saturday, and is at his mom's house now. He'll be going through a bunch of rehabilitation therapy, but he's very much on the mend. I'm sure his patience will be tried over the next few months, as he's chomping at the bit to get to work, and do his own thing. Keep him in your thoughts and prayers. I'll be pointing him to this site, so if you feel like saying anything, feel free to post a comment.

April 2nd

I called Jesse today, and he sounds very well. They're going to release him on Saturday, and sounds like he's in a rehabilitative therapy program in TC where he'll attend 3-5 days a week. He's already talking about going back to work, and about looking for a new project/hobby to replace snowmobiling. He feels very fortunate for how everything has worked out. Said he'd figured stuff out, and talked about the fact that they totalled the sled, etc.

He really sounded pretty good, so I thought I'd test him out and ask him his opinion on a trade deal- my old crappy boat for a(nother) snowmobile. He not only was spot on with his advice on the trade, but suggested we go look the sled over together, and volunteered his friends who specialized in that make of sled. He's coming back!

He kept saying how lucky he is, and I let him know that everybody who cares about him feels pretty damned lucky!

I'd been feeling frustrated that I hadn't been able break free long enough to get up and see him lately, so I'm thrilled he'll be back around TC soon, and hope I can catch up to him early next week.

Thanks Eric for keeping the gaps filled in!

Thanks everybody who's been praying and encouraging Jesse!

To Stephanie and Nancy, I know he's your boy, but he's our boy too, and we are all thankful for your love and support!

March 31, 2008

I did not make it up this weekend, but did have a couple unexpected conversations with Jesse over the phone. I got woke up on Saturday morning by my cell phone ringing and “lord cell” on the id screen. I just stared at the phone for a few seconds not sure if I was still sleeping, then it went to voice mail. I was surprised to hear a very normal sounding Lordy on the message. I quickly returned the call and had lengthy conversation with a clear headed Jesse. He talked about Will and Craig coming to visit; we discussed the details of his rehab and even discussed the accident a little. In typical Lordy fashion, he was very apologetic and was thankful that nobody else got hurt.

I got another call on Sunday and he said that he has talked with his employer and he will have a job as soon as he is ready to return. We also talked about his scheduled release date and started making plans for the summer. The Hospital is saying that his scheduled release date is April 9th, and then he will be going to Nancy and Jack’s for a while to continue the full-time rehab program. As soon as Steph and his parents are ready, there will be a welcome gathering and the details will be posted here.

Eric

Weekend Update

Tate, Cheryl and I made the journey up to Petoskey again last weekend. This time the trip left me feeling like things were going in the right direction. When we showed up on Saturday afternoon Jesse had just finished 3 hours of therapy and was sleeping. When he started to wake up he was very groggy and had trouble focusing (like me after too much Captain Morgan according to Matt), but physically, with the exception of the cast you would never guess what he had been through.

When the nurse brought his dinner, we took the opportunity to take a break and get something to eat and drink. Upon returning we were greeted with a very jovial and talkative Jesse. It was good to finally see the glimpses of the old Jesse that his family kept referring to. He tires quickly, but you get the feeling that with time he can make a full recovery.

He is able to do far more day to day activities on his own and he has been given a wheelchair get around on his own when he gets tired of laying in bed. I wanted to suggest getting another chair and re-creating the hospital scene from Days of Thunder, but was outvoted by everyone ……even Mr. Treacy. Sorry Lordy, I tried.

The best news of the weekend was right before we left on Sunday when we found out that if he continues to progress at this rate, he could be going home in as little as two weeks (previous estimate was 3-4 weeks). Keep sending him letters through the link Matt attached below, it the quickest way to communicate with him.

Eric

Catching up on updates

I've gotten behind in my update, partly because I hit a wrong key before posting an update Wednesday night from my mobile and didn't have the patience to start over.



Wednesday night I got a call from a cheery Stephanie with updates- Jesse had a really good day. His mom brought in a "memory book" of photos from childhood on, and he did very well at remembering who was in the photos and what was happening at the time. He was awake a lot that day as well.



MRI's of his head/shoulder/spine show things in good shape. No damage to nerves going to the shoulder, head looks good with the spot where it was bleeding shrinking and the swelling beginning to abate.



Thursday was evidence of how things vary day to day. I ran up between meetings in TC to visit. When I got there at about 11:00 he had just woken up, having been restless all night. He was still groggy, but knew my name without prompting. We talked about a few things, and after I mentioned Dave Roe, he kind of stuck on Dave and California, and actually was recalling that Dave was about an hour from his office, and that they'd moved out there in the past year. We looked at some pictures I'd printed out and he remembered some of the people, but was tired and didn't feel like looking at it. Whether it's dryness or meds, he's itchy too, and was distracted by that as well. They kicked us out after a few minutes so he could do physical therapy, getting out of the bed and sitting in a chair.

He looks exceptionally well, other than being in bad need of a shave, and a little googly eyed. He's got a cast on his leg as opposed to the brace he originally had, as he was taking the brace off. I think he'd tear the cast off just for something to do, and to get at itches if he could.

When I came back in after his Physical Therapy he was sleeping, but I gave him a squeeze on the arm and told him "Hey big man, I'm taking off. I'll see you later" and he replied "OK Matt" without really waking up. That to me was a great sign, that his brain could process who I was by voice without having to work at it.


They've got an excellent Acute Recovery center there, and Nancy says it's really nice, good people, a gym, comfortable setting and room for family to stay over. In the next couple of days they'll evaluate him for admission to that program based on how much therapy he can handle in a given day. He'll get speach, occupational, and physical therapy there.

Basically, they're about done doctoring to him, and are ready to turn him over to rehabiliation and healing. The Neurologist said essentially that. His work is done, and Jesse's brain doesn't need anything but time and practice. The prognosis remains that he'll make a full recovery, but it could get frustrating for him along the way. The great news is that he's got excellent medical and disability insurance, and lots of family and friends to support him.

As usual, I'll post more updates when I get them or get another chance to go visit. Keep the prayers and well wishes coming. He enjoys getting cards and thinking about the people who sent them, and you can go to HERE TO SEND A CARD and they'll print it out and deliver it to him.

Tuesday, March 18th

Spoke with Lordy on the phone today! Sounds pretty good, considering where he was a week ago. Very much understandable, maybe not full of personality, but he started out with hey Matt, what's up? and it was great to hear his voice.

They didn't do the Shoulder MRI yesterday because they wanted to switch his leg to a fixed cast as opposed to a brace. Evidently he's tried taking the brace off a couple of times. They'll do the MRI today or tomorrow and are actually going to check his head as well. Sounds like they're making up for all of us that should have had our heads examined.

I've had several questions as to if there is something folks can do besides pray. I did come up with one thing last night. Stephanie is running back and forth from TC to Petoskey (about 60 miles each way) and the gas cost has got to be killing her. She hasn't complained, and wouldn't ask, but if you're looking for a way to support Lordy, send Steph a gas card. You can buy them online, and there are a fair number of Shell, BP, Mobil and Marathon stations up here. Email me if you need Steph's address- I'm not going to post it here.

Weekend Recap

I know several people went up to visit Lordy over the weekend, and I'll welcome them to comment with their thoughts. I talked with Stephanie last night, and she said Saturday wasn't his best day, and he ended up quite worn out and gave them a bit of a scare when he suddenly kind of shut down and his face slumped. They did some additional checks on his noggin at the end of the day, found no problems, and are still confident that he'll see a full recovery.

Sunday was a better day, though tiring for Jesse, as they moved him from ICU to Level 2. They're a little more strict on visitor time on Level 2, as at this point they're focused on maximizing recovery. I believe hours are 9-9, but staff and family will be strictly limiting both the number of visitors and time spent.

He's eating real food (turkey and mashed potatoes, etc.) with minimal assistance. His left arm isn't cooperating, so their doing an MRI today to determine whether that's his brain still waking up or if there is nerve or rotator cuff damage. He also starts physical therapy on the knee today.

March 16th update on the weekend visits.

Tate, Jen, Jay, Chipper, Cheryl and myself made the trip up to Petoskey over the weekend. He has come a long way in the past week. Jesse was able to recoginize each of us and communicate in small bursts. It was the first time Tate or I had heard him speak since right before the accident and was a huge relief. He was able to smile and interact with visitors and looks amazing compared to last weekend. The knee brace and some light swelling are the only physical indicators that anything happened when he is sleeping.

When awake, the left eye is red but he has sight in it, his right arm does not have much strength, but he has full control and the knee cap is repaired and will get stronger in time. We all want him to make a full recovery and all the signs are there to make it a strong possibility.

The hospital staff has limited his visitors to try to control the amount of stimulation he gets and we soon found out why. Late in the afternoon he was getting ready for a milkshake and started getting restless and groggy. When the nurse brought the shake he was unable to grab the cup, he was disorientated and the left side of his face began to droop. The staff quickly got him in for a cat scan in fear that he was having a stroke. He is fine (too much activity), but it was a grim reminder of how delicate the situation is and far he has to go.

I know the family is very thankfull for all the support they have received and want us to continue. We all just need to remember that his body is healing and it will take some time. We all want things to go quickly, but mother nature has a timeline for our friend and we have to let him recover at is own pace.

God bless,
Eric

Saturday 3/15

Talked with Steph last night. Jesse ate some jello and some ice cream yesterday, and ate a shake on his own. He's starting to get show more of his personality. Yesterday the Optometrist came and checked his vision, asked him how many fingers he was holding up, etc. Seems the doc was annoying him, because when he turned his back, Jesse muttered something about what about this finger and flipped him off. His aunt was in the room and about lost it.

Sounds like Jay and Chipper got up last night, Eric and Tate are both coming up today. They're going to continue to strictly limit the number of people in the room to two and the time spent to about 10 minutes, as he's moving along quickly and the don't want to shock, confuse or frustrate him into regressing.

Sounds like he'll begin physical therapy on Monday if all goes as planned.

Friday the 14th Update

Talked with Steph this morning. Big news for this update is that when asked where he worked, he said "Brown Motors." When the told him yes, he used to work there, what about after that- what do you do now he told them insurance.

Quick Update Thurs March 13th

Steph says Jesse is making improvement every time he wakes up. As I said in my comment on my last post, he recognizes her and knows she's his girlfriend. I guess he got pretty rowdy last night around midnight, and the staff indicated that was likely because he was starting to realize where he was. As seeing family and loved ones there but not helping him get out of the bed can be stressful, Steph went home and got some sleep. Smart girl!

When asked where he is, he says "hospital", and when asked why, he says "accident." At this point it doesn't appear he knows what kind of accident, and that's fine. He doesn't need ot be gettng worked up over the details and remembering the trauma right now.

They're letting him get lots of rest, and are limiting visitors to two at a time. Once he's moved off of ICU they'll allow more visitors. First step toward that move is getting him to chew and swallow ice chips. Once he can swallow, they'll remove the feeding tube which is running through his nose.

I'll not be going up today, as I wouldn't be able to get there much before they go into cleaning and service lockdown for the floor at 7:00 pm.

Steph is very upbeat, which is great. Our thoughts and prayers are being answered, and we'll keep sending those along until he's healed.

Wednesday March 12th Update- a good one!

I couldn't stand it at work any more, so I went up to the hospital expecting to spend some time with Jesse's mom, Nancy and support her and whatever family was there. I met her in the waiting room and got brought up to speed. The morning CAT scan was good, and he tried to pull out his breathing tube this morning, so he was responding to discomfort.

Not long after I got here they came to get us saying he was waking up and wasn't happy. He was trying to get comfortable, and kicked the nurse in the process, and was grabbing at the tube. When I got in there his eyes were open. His mom talked to him and then told him I was here and asked if he wanted to see me. He nodded his head! We had to hold on to him a few times- he was moving around pretty good. He squeezed my hand a bunch of times, and looked around quite a bit. They had given him a drug to counteract the morphine, etc he had been on, and that seemed to do the trick. He really looks pretty good- when they mended his face they made an incision from the inside of his eyelid, and another in the roof of his mouth, so he has no scars on the outside of his face.

Nancy and I spent the next half hour or so talking with him and encouraging him to work on breathing. Then the nurse asked us to try being quiet and see if he would stay awake. By this time the drug had worn off, and he settled into a restless sleep. Good thing was he continued his breathing rate even while he was sleeping.

After he slept for a half hour or so, they checked his blood oxygen level and asked us to leave so they could pull the tube. Even half concious, I didn't want to be the one holding him down when they did that. I came back into the room after Nancy and Jesse's Aunt, and when they asked him who I was he croaked out "Matt." I've never been happier to hear my name! He also recognized an uncle who came in shortly thereafter, and was answering questions, like how many fingers were being held up, etc. He thought the date was December of 1997, but hey, it's a start.

In a classic Jesse moment, when the nurse asked him if his leg hurt, he said "no" through half open eyes. She asked him if his head hurt... "no" She asked him if his throat hurt..."no." Each time, I swear he was ready to stick out his lips like he does and say "no dude, I'm fine." I said something about him being strong, and he said "stronger than" something... Repeated it several times, but we couldn't make it out, and the nurse said he needed to rest his vocal chords. I hope he remembers what he was saying, because I'd love to know.

He's got great people taking care of him, and a room with a view of Little Traverse Bay. I talked with Nancy a bit about visits, and she's holding off on that call for now. She and the docs aren't certain that a constant stream is wisest yet, as he needs rest and probably that's tough with new people coming in and out. We'll get the word out when the receiving line opens. I did ask him if he wanted me to come back tomorrow, and he said yes, so I expect to go back up late tomorrow afternoon. I'll take some photos along, and will read him messages as well. Post up!

Housekeeping note- you can comment by clicking on the #comments below, or by clicking on the hyperlinked title to this post. I believe you can also subscribe to this blog and be notified via email any time a new post or comment is made. Not sure how to instruct on doing that.

Jesse Lord- the background post

This post is to tell folks a little more about an amazing guy named Jesse Lord. Jesse's in the hospital fighting his way back from a head trauma, and there are a lot of people who love him and are praying for him and sending him their positive energy. Jesse and his snowmobile hit a tree on Saturday March 8th while riding with some of his XAM brothers whom he has remained close with since college. He's the most capable rider I've ever seen (especially off trail, in powder, and climbing hills) and NO he had not been drinking.


Jesse is the guy you want next to you when something breaks. He's the guy you want there when you fall down, because he'll catch you before you hit the ground. He's the guy that loosens spark plugs with his bare hands, but wouldn't harm a soul. He's the guy who knows when it's time to quit. He's the guy you'd want to rescue you from quicksand, because he'd lift you out, brush you off, and then insist that you walked out on your own.

He is the worlds greatest co-pilot and wingman.

Update- March 11, 7:45 p.m.

I just talked with Stephanie, and visitation is on hold until further notice. Jesse is still at the stage of acknowledging with his eyes when his name is spoken (loudly) and will squeeze a hand or shake a foot when shaken and commanded to do so. So far, his brain isn't ready to come out of suspended animation.

They've put his breathing and drainage tube back because of concerns over fluid in the lungs. He'll have a Cat again tomorrow. They've got concerns about the hemotoma in his leg clotting, but can't put him on blood thinners, so have parts of him packed in ice.

While Steph and Jesse's Mom weren't sure if they were going to want people up there encouraging him, the staff have determined that limited access, and minimal disturbances are best at this point. They are going to let the pros handle the stimulation for now.

Visitation is on hold until Friday at least. I'll email/post updates as soon as I get them. Steph will be updating either Eric or I whenever there's something to update. I might go up and sit with Jesse's mom for a while tomorrow, as Steph has to run back to TC and handle a few things at work at the very least.

Please direct anyone who knows Jesse to the blog to get information and so that they can leave comments.

Jesse Lord Recovery Blog

This is the Jesse Lord Recovery Blog. Feel free to comment with updates, well wishes, happy thoughts, prayers and reflections here.

Also, if you're planning on visiting Jesse, include when you'll be doing that. Please include your name, as I'm not yet sure if that info will come through otherwise.

Hopefully this won't have to stay up long!