Day One - August 24, 2015

Julee has most graciously agreed to use her gift of writing to document our dads journey.  I will be posting her writings on this blog for family & friends.  At this time, we still do not have all the information. There are a few things that us kids are unsure of because we all have a "different story".  However, as we get updates from my mom and grandma we will have them read these posts and tell us if changes are needed.

Thank you for your support and prayers!

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August 24, 2015 is a day that changed our lives forever. While it can be difficult to express the depth of our emotions with words, we will sure try. The purpose of this blog is to keep family, friends, and other loved ones updated on the condition of our dad, Jeff Page. We write this with heavy hearts and with hope that the Lord has a plan for our dad and our family and we will come out of this trial stronger than ever before.

Day One

Ryan and his family were eating dinner when he got a call. Annette explained that Jeff had been in an accident on his bike. He was life flighted to a hospital in Denver and all she knew was that he couldn't feel his legs and he was in a lot of pain, like pins and needles everywhere. She then told Ryan to call and tell Brandi and Cherie and asked us to get together for a family prayer. 

Jeff and Annette were on a trip to Colorado and thankfully a family friend was with him when he wrecked. This friend was driving Annette to the hospital, two hours away from their current location.

Several phone calls later we learned that Jay and Peggy just happened to be about an hour away from the hospital that Jeff had been taken to and they were on their way. Annette lost phone service as she travelled through the mountains to get to the hospital.

The confusion and waiting was agony for everyone. Information was limited and fear overwhelming.

We met at Brandi's house and knelt in family prayer. Brandi opened it by thanking our Father for our eternal family and the knowledge that we will always be together. She prayed for strength and guidance to know how to help Jeff, Annette, and each other. She prayed that Jeff's body might be healed and that we could learn from this and move on. The prayer was filled with love and the spirit was strong in that moment.

The next hour was spent calling other family and Jeff's mountain biking friends. It was difficult to explain what was happening when our information was so limited, but we all agreed that we needed the extra prayers.

We then learned through Jay and Peggy, who called the hospital for an update, that Jeff was in critical condition and paralyzed from the chest down. He was getting ready for an emergency spinal surgery.

We waited anxiously for Annette to get back into an area with phone service. It was only Jay and Peggy's good advice for us to hang tight that kept us planted in Utah and waiting for more information.

We hoped that Jay would arrive in time to give Jeff a blessing before the surgery, but knew that he could always give one after if needed. At this point in time all we had to depend on was faith because the fear we all felt left little room for anything else.

As time passed we were fed little bits of information as they were available. Annette made it to the hospital safely and joined Jay and Peggy. Jeff was able to talk, but wasn't completely himself. He couldn't use his arms, but was able to breathe on his own.

Back home in Utah we were all given blessings with the help of elders in our area. We needed strength, faith, and hope. We needed patience and we needed to remember the many miracles that our family has witnessed over the years.

Finally Ryan got the call we had all been waiting for. Annette, exhausted and emotionally spent, handed the phone to Peggy who was better able to explain everything up to that point. Julee discussed the situation with Peggy because she knew what questions to ask and would understand the medical side of things better.

In a nutshell:

Jeff broke his 7^th cervical vertebra, a bone in his neck. While it didn't pierce the spinal cord, it severely bruised it. The vertebra was in several pieces and the plan was to operate to stabilize the broken bones, and those above and below, with rods. They hope that the broken pieces will then heal together like any broken bone does. A complication they discussed was the possibility that they would need to operate from the front as well as the back if they weren't able to reach the area properly.

They were doing an 8 hour comprehensive neurological exam. While he doesn't have any damage to his brain he has swelling in his neck that limits the blood flow. His vessels are seriously bruised, but thankfully intact. They have to closely monitor his blood pressures to prevent complications.

Because he can't feel anything from his chest down he is unable to empty his bladder when it is full. This causes spikes in the blood pressure and could cause serious complications. This is a concern that will be addressed during recovery.

He has damage to one of his knees and since he is unable to feel anything and tell them where it hurts or how badly, an orthopedic specialist is going to do a thorough exam to figure out what needs to be done with it, if anything.

There is not internal bleeding, but serious bruising through his neck and abdomen from the trauma of the wreck.

And then the biggest problem, Jeff is paralyzed at this time. The doctors are hopeful that after surgery he will be able to regain the use of his arms. They say the chances of him ever walking again are 1 in 200,000.    

The next few days will be spent trying to keep Jeff breathing deeply and avoiding pneumonia as they make a recovery plan. Rehab will be started right away and will be aggressive. If everything goes smoothly Jeff will remain in Colorado for 1-2 weeks. If complications arise it could be as long as 2 months before they will transfer him to a neurological rehab center closer to home.

We go to bed humbled and hurting. The pain of this life can be so overwhelming. We are also full of gratitude for the Lord's mercy in sparing our dad's life. While we don't know why this has happened to him, we are doing our best to trust in the Lord's plan. Every trial has its purpose.

Please pray for Jeff and our family. We need all the help we can get to make it through this nightmare. We love our dad and anyone who knows him will know how difficult this is for him. We are asking for your prayers, encouragement, and support. Please let him know you care and are thinking of him.