Medflight to Boston Medical Center

Will - you were flown to BMC Sunday evening and admitted to the Surgical ICU. You have multiple injuries, with the most concerning being your spine and spinal cord. You also have a small head bleed. You have not moved your legs at all and we have been told you will be a paraplegic. You do move both arms well with purposeful movement (you tried to pull your breathing tube out on Wed. while you were on the cat scan table). Your right eye got busted up pretty bad and they had to cut part of the side of it open to relieve the pressure. We have no idea if or what you can see. Mom & Dad drove up to Boston that night and they got to see you around midnight. Brett met Mom & Dad at the hospital and sat with them in the waiting room. Brett also got to see you while Mom & Dad were with you. Fitzy and her roommies also sat with Mom & Dad in the waiting room. It has been so wonderful to be so supported by your friends. Ty & I drove around like crazy people, ran through the Raleigh airport to try and get a flight. No luck on a Sunday night flight. We went to bed at 1 am and got up at 3 am so Ty's folks could drive us to the Fayettville airport.

Monday May 11th 2009: Mom & Dad were back with you after they crashed for a few hours in a hotel across the street. Ty & I flew into Logan and Joyce picked us up and drove us to see you. It was so odd to be back at BMC where I used to work. It was even more odd to go in there and be on "the other side." Before Ty & I got to see you I ran into one of your doc's (Reuben Azocar) in the hallway. I knew him very well when I worked there and I was so relieved to see him. He gave me a big hug and I just sobbed in his arms. Reuben sat with all of us and went over all your injuries. We then got to see you. I won't say much here...except that it was so AWESOME to see you open you beautiful eyes when we hollered at you. You wanted to open them more for Joyce, than you did for me. It figures- she's loud :) We did not stay long and headed down to the Cape. Ty stayed in Boston to do some business (he was scheduled to do work in Boston this week)

Tuesday May 12th 2009: Bethy drove me up to BMC and I stayed with you all day. You had an IVC filter placed and then you gave me a scare as you dropped your oxygen saturation to the 80's. So off for a stat chest CT you go to rule out a PE. They had a hard time getting peripheral IV access on you for the CT, but Reuben was able to finally get an IV in you. Your CT was negative. You have a clot in your right cephalic vein and then you clotted off your left radial a-line. Damn clotting deficiencies. Things are very complicated because they can't anti-coagulate you now and then your INR trended up so you had to have a bunch of plasma to correct it and thicken up your blood so you can have surgery. Big catch 22. I popped my Ipod in your ears and turned on some Coldplay for you to listen to. I have your Ipod but it's not cooperating with me :) I also brought some pictures to hang on your cork board in your room. Ty & I hung out with you and then we went to Quincy to spend the night with my friend.

Wednesday May 13th 2009: Stressful day. You became hypoxic so you had to go for another chest CT to rule a PE again. You also had a repeat head CT to evaluate your head injury. No PE and the head bleed is stable. I washed your face, hands,arms, legs, & toes. I did mouth care on you. Doing some basic care for you has helped me. Bethy came back up to Boston so she could visit and also so she could drive us home. You opened your eyes a bit for her, you also tried to lift up your head, AND you tried to pull out your breathing tube while you were on the cat scan table. I was glad to see this, but I know you are scared. I am glad you are on some medication right now to keep you sedated and to relieve any pain you may be having. I am pretty sure you were able to comprehend it was me there, because you squeezed my hand when I asked you to if you knew it was me. Let me tell you- you squeezed damn hard.

Thursday May 14th 2009: Mom, Dad, & I stayed home today. You went to the OR this morning to have a spinal fusion by Dr.Choo. It was a long day for you...you were in the OR for about 10 hours. My friend Lisa, you know her, she is a nurse on the floor where you will eventually go once you are ready to leave the ICU. She came to check on you last night at about 2 am. Mom, Dad, & I have been doing a lot of research about rehab and we want you to go to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, GA. It is the very best in the US for spinal cord injuries. Tomorrow we meet with the coordinator to talk about how we get you there when it is time.Do you remember Travis Roy? He went to Tabor with me and he was the BU hockey player who was 11 seconds into his shift and he went into the boards. Travis went to Shepherd. I have emailed him and hope to hear back soon. We also have been talking to Ty's old next door neighbors up in Keene. Their daughter, Kelly, had a diving accident and has been at Shepherd and Center IMT. Only wonderful things they had to say about both facilities. Kelly was originally a C4-C5 complete injury and she has regained some function to where she is more like a C7 injury. Very hopeful news! Can't wait to see you tomorrow! We love you! Love, Emi