We got a really sad e-mail from one of our long-time readers and commenters yesterday. Our dear Vermonstermom has been through a lot in the last couple of years, including the loss of her father after a battle with Alzheimer's, and the fact that she can still form coherent sentences is amazing. Another tragedy has struck her family and she gave us permission to post her story below. I'm inserting part of the background from her husband's Caringbridge site. Click that little link-y right there for more info and to stay up to date on his progress.
Her story really touched us. We are a crazy, drunk, dysfunctional, strange non traditional family here and if something happens to one of us, it feels like it happens to all of us. If you'd like to jump on the sparkly Twitarded bandwagon to help financially while her family's sole breadwinner is in the hospital, her PayPal address is vermonstermom@gmail.com. You can use the same e-mail address to send thoughts, prayers and hopes for a quick recovery.
First of all, thanks to all of you who have offered your prayers and thoughts and help to me, MJ and the girls. It is the support and love of my friends, family and various communities that will get us through this I know.
The Story: MJ took the girls to the West River in Dummerston VT to go swimming on Wednesday afternoon (8/22). I was supposed to go but didn't (insert guilty feelings here). Apparently MJ got into deep water with Abbi (our youngest daughter, 5) and must have found himself in distress somehow, maybe he swallowed some water, I have no idea really what happened. It is my thought that he was trying to hold her above the water and found himself drowning. Alice my 9 year old was trying frantically to get the attention of people on shore to help. Miracle number one: that there were other adults there to help as often you are alone at these swimming holes. A woman came to Abbi's aid first and got her on to her shoulders, and was yelling for others to come and help MJ. He was brought out of the water with no pulse, no heartbeat, not breathing, eyes open, and blue. Second miracle: someone there knew CPR (here's a plug for everyone to learn it). He had never practiced it before, but it worked. They brought him back and worked on him till the rescue and police arrived. Someone had to run about 1/4 mile to get a cell signal to call 911.
MJ was taken to our local hospital, Brattleboro Memorial, where they immediately decided he needed more care than they were capable of providing neurologically. So he was lifeflighted to UMass Worcester, about 2 hours drive from our house. He is in ICU, on a respirator but he is currently (it's Friday afternoon now) initiating breathing on his own and the machine 'helps' him get a full breath. Miracle 3: they are not concerned about severe neurological damage at this time. He is responding to requests to squeeze hands, wiggle toes, and can answer basic yes and no questions by non verbal means. He can't speak due to the intibation tube down his throat. He is pretty heavily sedated in order to tolerate that tube.
The main concern right now is his lung function. His right lung has water/fluid in it and the xrays are "yucky" (didn't know that was a medical term, learn something new every day). Medical team is waiting for the deterioration of the lung to stop, or to start getting better, before removing the intibation tube. They don't want to have to take it out only to put it back in, running the risk of further infection. He is bound to have pneumonia to some degree I expect. He is on preventative antibiotics, is running a slight low-grade fever and that is being treated appropriately.
We are in a waiting game, which is not the one I want to play. I want the "he sits up in bed and is ready to come home" game. Not gonna get that. This will happen in God's time, not mine. I have had many voices speak supportive and encouraging words, have many friends, family and others praying and hoping for the best possible outcome for MJ. I am optimistic that he will make a full recovery, this is my deepest prayer and wish. I am beyond praying, I am begging God for this to happen. I need my husband and my daughters need their father.
The Story: MJ took the girls to the West River in Dummerston VT to go swimming on Wednesday afternoon (8/22). I was supposed to go but didn't (insert guilty feelings here). Apparently MJ got into deep water with Abbi (our youngest daughter, 5) and must have found himself in distress somehow, maybe he swallowed some water, I have no idea really what happened. It is my thought that he was trying to hold her above the water and found himself drowning. Alice my 9 year old was trying frantically to get the attention of people on shore to help. Miracle number one: that there were other adults there to help as often you are alone at these swimming holes. A woman came to Abbi's aid first and got her on to her shoulders, and was yelling for others to come and help MJ. He was brought out of the water with no pulse, no heartbeat, not breathing, eyes open, and blue. Second miracle: someone there knew CPR (here's a plug for everyone to learn it). He had never practiced it before, but it worked. They brought him back and worked on him till the rescue and police arrived. Someone had to run about 1/4 mile to get a cell signal to call 911.
MJ was taken to our local hospital, Brattleboro Memorial, where they immediately decided he needed more care than they were capable of providing neurologically. So he was lifeflighted to UMass Worcester, about 2 hours drive from our house. He is in ICU, on a respirator but he is currently (it's Friday afternoon now) initiating breathing on his own and the machine 'helps' him get a full breath. Miracle 3: they are not concerned about severe neurological damage at this time. He is responding to requests to squeeze hands, wiggle toes, and can answer basic yes and no questions by non verbal means. He can't speak due to the intibation tube down his throat. He is pretty heavily sedated in order to tolerate that tube.
The main concern right now is his lung function. His right lung has water/fluid in it and the xrays are "yucky" (didn't know that was a medical term, learn something new every day). Medical team is waiting for the deterioration of the lung to stop, or to start getting better, before removing the intibation tube. They don't want to have to take it out only to put it back in, running the risk of further infection. He is bound to have pneumonia to some degree I expect. He is on preventative antibiotics, is running a slight low-grade fever and that is being treated appropriately.
We are in a waiting game, which is not the one I want to play. I want the "he sits up in bed and is ready to come home" game. Not gonna get that. This will happen in God's time, not mine. I have had many voices speak supportive and encouraging words, have many friends, family and others praying and hoping for the best possible outcome for MJ. I am optimistic that he will make a full recovery, this is my deepest prayer and wish. I am beyond praying, I am begging God for this to happen. I need my husband and my daughters need their father.
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