well i'm pretty bad at keeping up.  sorry!!!  I am now on my 3rd neck brace the good part is it is only on the neck, not down to my belly button and all around.  I go to see how my leg is coming along on Oct 15th, and my MRI on my throat and eye is Nov 1st.  My INR count is up over 2 so we r going in the right direction.  It is unbelievable to me how much support all of you have given me during this time.  I know its a major part of keeping me strong emotionally;   I thank all of you for being you!!!! 

hey today was the day for xray on neck again   guess what!!!!   I'm halo free!!!  no more screws.  the new neck brace is no more comfy but its removable if resting lying down.

Mom left for home today.  She needed to get home for a much deserved rest>  I am a very needy patient and she was my energizer bunny!!!!!!  

Donna has just arrived for 10 days lets see if she can keep up!!!!

thx again to all for your prayers and cards, letters, phone calls, visits etc. etc. etc. I am aVERY blessed person.

love u 

jess 

Well here I am   I'm at home for good.  except followup appts.  Yea!!!!!  thanks to all of you who have been keeping me in our thoughts and praying for me.  

My mom came on the weekend and is here until sept 15th to help me in my everyday stuff and then donna will be coming  for a week and a bit when mom leaves me so this gives kirby a bit of his life back.  boy has he been a trooper.   still have bad eyes so this is all I can write for now but will update again.   love ALLL you guys.

  boy did God ever place the right people in my life. 

Weekend Pass

Hello, Mom's recovery is back on track since the other weekend, sorry we haven't given an update lately. On Tuesday, September 1, she had x-rays done on both her neck and leg, to see if the halo and leg brace could come off early. Unfortunately, in both cases they have to stay on for a couple more weeks, but that's still earlier than the doctors initially thought.

Great news though, this long weekend she will be going home for a visit. So if you are planning to go see her don't go to the hospital, go to her house she would love to see you. She leaves the hospital today, Friday at 5:00 pm and will go back on Tuesday morning. Have a great long weekend!!

As promised, here are some pictures of the Polynesian Princess! Thanks Heidi.

Challenging Weekend

Unfortunately this past weekend, Jess experience a minor complication - a blood clot in her lung. Good news is they caught in quickly and were able to treat the clot immediately. Heparin (a blood thinner) is being administered via IV to ensure this does not happen again. Blood clots are a complication of prolonged bed rest as well as surgery. The Doctors figure the clot developed in her right leg (which she had operated on after the accident) and traveled up to her lung. An ultrasound was performed on her right leg yesterday to check for more clots, however I have not heard the results of that test.

Despite this bump in the road, Jess continues her rehab with daily physiotherapy sessions. She is getting very good at getting herself up in bed and into her wheelchair. Her right leg is still non-weight bearing so walking in still out of the question at least for a few more weeks.

Klint and I were able to take the boys for a visit yesterday afternoon, as usual they entertained Gramma and most of all, they made her smile.....it was exactly what the doctors ordered. :)

Birthday celebrations!!!

A little while back mom had a tough day, dealing with bed sores, embarrassment of bodily functions and physical limitations had gotten to her. My heart sunk, especially since she had not spoken of any obstacles until then. I went home praying that somehow she would feel better, not knowing if she would continue to feel discouraged for awhile. The very next day she called to reassure me that she was feeling better....and she was. I do believe that she has been given strength from God to make it through this. It has been amazing to see her finding joy in her situation. Which brings me to her party plans:) On Saturday, August 15th, we celebrated my Dad's birthday in the Brodie Center. Mom does not want Cohen to be exposed to all the ailments in the Hospital, so she found us a place that has very little patients and many medical students for us to party in. Susie, Klint, Karter and Mitch brought the cake, we all met together and watched dad/grandpa open his gifts...this was the first time we had all been together since before the accident. Two days later, we got to do it again to celebrate Klint's birthday. Dad brought the pizza, salad and cake, we were set. Mom won't let one bad day take her down...she fights back with extra cheer to make sure we all come out smiling:)

Next birthdays are in October, it is nice to look ahead and know we will be celebrating those at Mom and Dad's in their cozy living room.

Personal strength

Physically she continues to surprise us as well as the Doctors. The physio therapists have her sitting in different positions in bed as well as her wheel chair. For the past week, my Mom has been learning to sit up in bed on her own using her hands to adjust her position without hurting her neck. They also have her doing leg lifts with a rope around her feet, that wraps around a bar that she pulls on to lift her leg. They were saying, that tomorrow they might try to get her to stand, and with all this quick rehab they may move her to the Rehab Hospital next week, it is in the same hospital just different ward/building. Her voice has been stronger the last couple of days, I believe that's the ribs healing.

She is very thankful for all the friends that keep visiting her, she loves it. A few people from church played a practical joke on here today showing up dressed as pirates. Her and the nurses got a good laugh over it.

She would love to see you and is very thankful for all the thoughts and prayers.

Beautiful Smile

On Saturday morning Mitchell and I (Klint) went in to see Gramma. The smile on her face when she heard Mitchell enter her room was ear to ear. My Mom was in great spirits probably because she is healing so well. The broken bones are mending quickly, but I guess not moving much keeps the bones in the right positions. She also got the staples from her leg surgery taken out yesterday. My Mom is definitely liked by the nurses, 3 of them helped remove the staples to make it as quick as possible (removing staples can be fairly painful), they told her typically only 1 nurse does the job. She was very thankful.

Something the police told her the other day that my Mom wanted to pass on to everyone is that it is illegal to were open back shoes/sandals (flip flops) when driving.....this is something that you can be ticketed for and most of all, it can be very dangerous.

Favorite moments

Today I ( Kristie) got to visit my mom. The first in a couple of days due to my own illnesses...sigh...

Wow! it is so great to see just how far she has come. Let me list a couple of my favorite moments from this evening:

1. Mom's says she getting old because one of her Doctor's is a friend of Klint's!!

2. She now only wears a pain patch, no more button pressing. 

(this shows she is managing her pain better!)

3. Dad's jokes about her seeing double..."Now she can see 2 of me!"

4. Love all the cards and flowers from friends and family.So very encouraging!

5. Mom's new window view

6. Her big smile

7. She brushed her own teeth

8. The Lang's came in for a lovely visit

9. She mentioned that the medical staff has her in and out of bed and moving a wheelchair from time to time during the day!!!

10. Dad's soft heart for Dave the man with the head injury down the hall. ( he says hi and gives him chocolates:)

11. Mom's steadfast faith in God

Well that sums it up for me:) Sending you all love, Kristie

Just wanted to make a clarification from the last post....Jess did get out for a walk the other day, however she was being pushed in her wheelchair. We apologize for the confusion.

Today she met with someone from the rehabilitation unit, they indicated that they expect her to be a very good candidate for the rehab and they look forward to working with her in a few weeks.

She also had some x-rays done late last week, everything looks good, no concerns.

Well this was an interesting weekend for my mom, she got a roommate for 2 days. The roommate was a teenager, and lives in a different style of life then my Mother. So thankfully the living arrangement has come to an end, but the experience was very educational for my mom.

Also, today she got to go outside for the first time and get some fresh air for a nice walk (or push what ever way you wanna look at it).

Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers, my Mom appreciates all the visitors that have stop by, the extra company is greatly appreciated.

Polynesian Princess

Sorry we have not updated the blog in a couple of days, but good news is Jess is doing well and continues to amaze us with her strength and up beat personality. On Wednesday evening, Jess was moved to a regular ward room, she appears to be enjoying her own space and the door is now open to all visitors. Alternatively, if you don't have time for a visit but would like to speak with Jess, she has a phone in her room and can be reached at 787-8888 ext 44074.

The physiotherapist continues to work with Jess on a daily basis and has her sitting in a wheelchair for part of the day. Yesterday she was able to leave her ward and took a tour, I think she really enjoyed the change in scenery.

Today, some of Jessica's friends thought it would be fun to help her 'dress up' her Halo by decorating it with flowers. Karter and Klint showed up for a visit and Karter was very amused by Gramma's new look, she was a Polynesian Princess. I think we may have some pictures to share in the near future.

FIX YOU

So last week, I (Kristie), had told Kyle that the song "fix you" by coldplay reminded me of my mom. I wanted to share the song with her because it so clearly speaks of God "lights will guide you home", the work he is doing in her body "and ignite your bones" and then says what we are all wanting to do,"I will try to fix you"

Lately, I have been wondering what God is up to, and I have been wanting to feel His presence and warmth a little more tangibly. When your world is shaken it is only natural (I think) to want God's comfort. This Sunday at church all these things came together. We had a guest artist leading us in worship and the last song they played was "Fix You".Well the tears streamed down my face.

I have been so clearly reminded that God is with us always and He is listening. As Susie mentioned, mom is looking great, she has come so far in such a short time. The miracle healing is happening because God loves her and He is listening to your prayers for her. Thank you for your continued prayers, they make all the difference in "fixing" her.

"Fix You"

When you try your best, but you don't succeed
When you get what you want, but not what you need
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone, but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

And high up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Tears stream down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down your face
And I...

Tears stream down on your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down your face
And I...

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Wow...

...that pretty much sums up how Jess is doing today. Klint and I (Susie) took the boys to see Gramma again this evening, she is looking amazing. Mitchell noticed that Gramma had fewer cords.....she is not hocked up to any monitors and the doctors are trying a pain patch to eliminate the need for IV pain meds....once the IV is gone, she will be free from all the cords!! A physiotherapist worked with Jessica this morning and had her sitting in a wheelchair....she wasn't able to sit for too long but the physiotherapist was very pleased with her progress. Kirby spoke with a few of her doctors today and they all agreed that she is healing quickly, there is even talk of the Halo being removed sooner than expected (however nothing has been officially confirmed). The dressings have been removed for her right leg and the surgical incisions are looking great.

With every visit, I can see she is another step further in her recovery. God is amazing, and I know that all of your prayers and well wishes have helped Jess get this far. So please keep them coming! Until next time.....

Weekend Update

Klint & I (Susie) were finally able to take Mitchell and Karter to see Gramma on Saturday morning!! It was great, the boys (particularly Mitchell) had been asking to see Gramma since they heard of her accident. In a way I think he needed to see for himself that she was okay. Like any other 4 year old, he had a million questions.....what's that, where does this cord go, why....and the list goes on and on. Karter was fascinated with all the buttons and sounds. Jess was a great sport and let the boys discover the world around her.

Speaking of family visits, Jessica has been reminiscing about a very special family gathering she had in the Toronto area a couple of weeks ago (just before the accident). For the first time in many years Jess had dinner with her parents (Ron & Alice), and her brother (David), sister-in-law (Trish), niece (Colleen) and nephew (John). She is especially thankful that David, Trish and family have moved back to Southern Ontario and she is looking forward to many more visits.

Again, we would like to thank everyone for the love, support and prayers! Caio! :)

Friday AM Girl talk

This morning a couple of my Mom's friends and myself (Kristie) all stood around my mom and chatted about life. It was refreshing to just talk and not focus on the medical end of things. As we gabbed it up, I noticed that mom's hands and feet are becoming smaller. (The swelling made them look like little round pillows)Everyday there are new things that show she is getting better and better. We are all amazed by her strength and her ability to care for others during this time. For example, when I hold her hand, she squeezes to give me reassurance that she is o.k. and not to worry. She is wonderful and we are so thankful that she is still with us. Thank you, mom, for putting up with us chit chatting, it was fun to hang out. In the next couple of weeks she will be up for more little visits. For those of you who would like to visit, the time is coming and she will love to see you. Oh, just a note: She can only have 2 visiters at a time (we sometimes squeeze in 3). Thanks for reading!

Progress

Jess made some significant progress again today. She started eating solid food, mostly soft foods that are easily digested. She wants to let everyone know that she is committed to eating well.....the healthier she is, the easier the recovery. Another HUGE accomplishment she made today was sitting up with her feet on the floor she said it was fairly easy and comfortable, however she did say the Halo brace was heavy and affected her balance. We are all confidant that this is something she will get used too (probably just in time to remove the brace...LOL). A physiotherapist also worked with her today, giving her some exercises to perform (her exercises include moving all her limbs and wiggling her toes mainly to promote circulation).

I think that is everything for today. To be continued....

In the beginning....

On Friday, July 17, 2009, just before noon, Jessica Watson was involved in a very severe car accident. While attempting to avoid a collision with another vehicle that was unexpectedly pulling out of a parking garage she ran into an apartment building. She was immediately rushed to HSC (Health Sciences Centre).

To date she has suffered numerous broken bones (just above the right knee cap, just below her right hip, pelvic bone, many ribs, sternum, collar bone, right big toe and finally two broken vertebrae). The good news is that there was no damage to her spinal column and she avoided any internal bleeding/injuries. On Friday night, Jessica underwent surgery to repair the pelvic bone and upper leg brake (a metal plate and screws were inserted for support). She is conscious and able to move all of her limbs, breath on her own, talk, feel, etc. Presently they have her heavily medicated hence she drops in and out of sleep quite regularly. The broken vertebrae will heal naturally with the assistance of a Halo brace which will likely be on for approx. 12 weeks.

Yesterday, Jessica received what we hope was her last accident related surgery. The bone just above her right knee was repaired by inserting a metal rod. Her improvements already today have been incredible, she is in great spirits and appears to be healing well. A speech pathologist was in to see Jess today to evaluate her ability to eat/drink.

Issues at this point include keeping her lungs clear, avoiding infection and blood clots. So far so good.

Given the sensitivity of her current condition and the unit where she is presently located, visitors are discouraged until later (maybe another week or so....we will keep you updated).

Last but definitely not least, we would like to thank everyone for their support, thoughts and prayers. We will keep you posted! :)