Jomie continues to improve. She may get to go home the middle of next week. Decision will likely be made on Monday.
Updates and mailing list cleaned up once I sort out computer problem.
If you requested someone be added to the list on Thursday pass the word as they haven't been added yet. I also got some bounced emails and haven't fixed them yet either.
More when I can...
On 12/10/08, Ralph Mawyer <rmawyer@gmail.com> wrote:
*INTRO AND HISTORY STILL REPEATED AS I'M STILL ADDING NEW RECIPIENTS:
Really need to start a password controlled Blog. ;-)*
Hi all, I'm going to try an ongoing summary of Jomie's condition for everyone I have emails for, but forgive me if things are a bit slow, as Internet access is intermittent.
If you are getting your info elsewhere and want to be dropped from the list, just let me know. If you know someone that wants to be added to the list vs just having you forward it, they can email me and I'll try to keep the list updated. For now, I'm blind cc'ing to protect everyone's email.
*ALTERNATE INFO SOURCE:*
http://www.jaltembasol.com/
This website in her hometown is providing an overview of the accident and comments from an unbelievable number of friends. We should all be so lucky. I cannot begin to describe the level of support that occurred from the time of the accident to now. Other than winning the lottery I can't think of anything that could have been done for Jomie's care that wasn't. (Note: Kenny's body was cremated as he wished. Local services will be held on the water once Jomie is up and about and the time is right, earliest would be in April and could be next fall.
*UPDATES:*
Wednesday, 10 Dec
Another great day. Teresa stayed in the room last night, she says the couch there is better than the hotel bed. Tonya and I wandered in this morning and Jomie's sitting up on the side of the bed with both legs hanging over flexing her muscles. The Dr. said she could possible faint, but she convinced him that she's fine. Apparently so, because the next time I got back they had her in a chair and into the restroom. She's been in a wheelchair all day, currently with her legs propped up on the couch. Her cardiac/general care doctor came by and said every time he comes in she is
eating, so appetite is not a problem. :-) Both her doctors are very pleased with her progress. They changed the dressings on both legs and everything looked great. No temperature spikes to suggest any infection issues. We'll run blood work tomorrow to get a better view of her internal progress. Her general care doctor said that they are always concerned about blood clots
for 10-12 days after a bone break, so we're about half-way there.
Lastly, she'll probably kick me out of Mexico for this, but here's a couple of quick grab shots from my iPhone showing how well she's doing.
http://ralphmawyer.smugmug.com/gallery/5541224_k4hLa#434322550_7jJW4
Ok, now back to the room to figure out how to get her back in bed as walking/standing is still not an option. ;-)
NOTE: Dot/Bill, et al, these are not for public release.
Tuesday, 9 Dec*
Luckily not a whole lot to report. We had some friends up from her hometown today and some that live here in Tepic. Probably just the right amount. She's been bending both legs in bed and working through a little cramping...can't imagine why her muscles might not be used to it. ;-)
Guessing, but I think they want to get her on her feet with a few days, for just a bit at least. I showed here the x-ray of the rod in her femur/thigh, pretty impressive. For those that don't know, when a bone breaks and then heals it's actually stronger at the break....add the rod in the thigh and the pins on the other leg and she truly should be in good shape after a bit of rehab.
We hear all kinds of rumors from her hometown, but for folks down there, there's one I want to put to rest. At this point she has not given the slightest hint that she wants to do anything but go home to Guayabitos, get well and be with her friends down here. So no house or garage sales are
planned. ;-) I expect her usual IRS trip back to the states might be delayed a bit, but don't worry she'll get to see everyone back up there this year, and I'm thinking Kansas specifically. Check back in April and we'll see how far and fast she's walking. ;-)
I know my mother wants to send a card, but I told her it might not arrive until Jomie is dancing in April, but if you want to try and mail a note from the states, here is her mailing address. I'd suggest nothing larger than a card/letter for a multitude of reasons, mostly having to do with customs and the postal system here.
Jomie Thompson.
De Los Flamingos #31
Guayabitos, Nayarit, MX
CP63727
Lastly, it looks like Teresa will fly home this coming Sunday to begin working some admin issues in the US....and mail my car keys to my brother to get my car out of hock in the airport parking lot. ;-) Tonya and I are probably here until Dec 26th, as I'm hoping Jomie can be moved home the weekend before Christmas. Still working out rental car return logistics back to Puerto Vallarta, so there's a chance I might miss an update on Saturday. Don't anyone worry, if Tonya and I head to PV, we'll have a couple of her friends holding down the fort while we're gone.
That's really it, but I know some news is better than no news so I'll continue the updates.
As always email if you have a specific question. Preferably a new email, not a reply to this one. Just easier to manage on my end.
Monday, 8 Dec
See latest comments and headlines on http://www.jaltembasol.com/ .
Jomie went into surgery at 8:30am local time. She thought she was awake during the surgery, but the Catholic Sister viewing the surgery said she just came up after they finished the femur/thigh bone repair. She was on a spinal block with a sedative. x-rays are pretty impressive with a long rod through the femur. The other leg had multiple breaks so she has a whole mess of German stainless steel in her leg. Basically they put a pin in four(?) bones, through the skin, and then stabilize them with carbon fiber rods on the outside. Pretty impressive. The Dr. did all this in three hours. This guy is good, he had just finished working with another surgeon earlier in the week to attach a big toe to a one year old's hand...where his thumb had been cut off.
Jomie is doing well, she is moving the leg with the broken femur around a bit to ease some muscle cramping and to exercise the foot a bit. The broken tibia/fibula are a bit more stationary.
She is being kept in the hospital for 10-14 days to provide a continuous feed of antibiotics to combat infection, given the exposed pins, but more importantly to guard against thrombosis, i.e., blood clots breaking loose from the surgery and getting in her system.
She's in good spirits and is resting today and tonight as we expect an influx of visitors on Wed/Thu. We may have to provide tickets for just 10 minute visits each. ;-)
The next two weeks will be pretty mundane, we hope, as she heals and begins to move around a bit more. The hardware on the broken right leg will remain on for 3-4 months, but at least she should be home by Christmas and the tons of help that awaits her there.
Teresa is going back to her family next Sunday. Tonya and I are still wrestling with whether to have one of us go back the same day, with the other to follow in a couple of weeks. In addition to the need/custom of providing non-medical support, i.e., talking, moving pillows, etc., the biggest logistical issue has been the cash-based system here. ATMs are my friend as credit cards, with one exception, aren't of much use. Manageable, but tedious, and requiring a bit of creativity when the numbers get a bit large. ;-)
Tonya and Teresa have been great, while I've been the classic gringo requiring the patient to translate everything.
A bit more tomorrow, hopefully shorter and just saying she's doing fine. If you have any specific questions, just let me know. I might even give out her phone number after the first wave of local visitors tapers off. ;-)
*Sunday, 7 Dec*
Jomie is in Tepic, Mexico, a large city north of her home. She is in stable condition and if she didn't have two broken legs you'd think you were just having a good afternoon with her. Tomorrow, Monday, she will have surgery on her legs to repair the femur/thigh bone in the left leg and the tibia/fibia (Iower bones on the right leg). Due to the multiple breaks in the lower leg she will have external rods and pins to hold the bones in place. Other than the usual risks of surgery, the biggest concern will be in preventing infection via the external pins. Accordingly
she will remain in the hospital for 10-14 days on antibiotics, after the surgery.
So for now, we've tried to reduce the number of visitors so she will rest. I don't think she realizes what having lots of folks around does to her body, because she truly loves to see folks and know what's going on. For the local friends, I expect she'll need more visits beginning the Wednesday
after surgery to reduce the boredom while in the hospital taking antibiotics, but we'll know more Tuesday after she's had a day to recover from surgery.
For those of you in the states I'll mention that the drive from La Pinita/Guayabitos to Tepic is two to three hours on a two lane curvy mountain road, so we don't want to put her friends at risk, no matter how badly they want to visit.
Tonya, Teresa and I all thank you for your prayers and support.
More to come Monday night...
P.S. I can't tell you how happy we are that we visited last March.
http://www.ralphmawyerphotography.com/Travel/476651
--
Ralph@San Antonio
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