Day Three - August 26, 2015

Well, here I  am again late at night sending out our daily update, sorry I can't seem to get them out when everyone is still awake!! I am definitely not complaining though as tonight there is a good reason for me being up so late.  My husband Zach and I have some truly wonderful friends who in turn have wonderful parents!  Doug and Kara Latham told Kara's Dad, Jake Lancaster about our dad & his accident.  Jake offered to let Zach and I use his Best Western Rewards points to get a hotel in Denver so that we could go see our dad and be there to support him and our mom.  Before Zach and I could object the reservations were made and the confirmation number was texted to us.  At 9:45pm tonight we made plans to drive to Denver tomorrow to be with our dad.  Thanks, Jake, Kara & Doug!!  I am excited to be able to go visit and to be able to give everyone some "first hand" updates.
We cannot express enough how thankful we are for everyone and their kindness and generosity towards our family these past few days! -Brandi

Now the part you have all been waiting for....today's update (Thanks Julee for putting these together!)

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Day 3



The emotions our family is dealing with today range anywhere from devastation to overwhelming gratitude. We still haven't come to terms with what's happened, but the outpour of love and support from family and friends is absolutely incredible.

Every well wish and promise of prayer through text message, in person, and via social media has truly made a difference to each and every one of us. We love you all and are so grateful to have so many wonderful people in our lives!

Doug McGregor, Jeff's cousin, put his name in every LDS temple in the world! The world!!  Can you believe that?  The Internet is a beautiful thing! We are so grateful Doug gave of his time and resources on Jeff's behalf and know the extra prayers will bring numerous blessings.

In less than 2 days we've raised over $6,000! We cannot express our gratitude for all of those who have contributed. Whether it was $5 or $500 we will be forever grateful for your loving sacrifice for our dad.  Below is a screen shot of the gofundme page as of right now, 11:02pm. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

 

 

Grandma Peggy told us that yesterday Jay gave Jeff a beautiful father's blessing. We all wish we could have been there. The strength the gospel and the priesthood has given us in this time of need is immeasurable.

Annette and Peggy both report that Jeff has been sleeping a lot today. Annette was able to read him a few emails before he fell back asleep.  Peggy says, "Less Valium tomorrow!"

He was seen by a physical therapist today who set 2 main goals. First, that he won't get any bed sores and Second, that his hands and arms will maintain and increase strength. She was very impressed with the strength he has already. No doubt about it, he's in excellent shape!

The anesthesiologist also dropped in to express how well Jeff did during surgery and encouraged him to be patient.

A drain for the cerebral leak was removed today. This gets him one step closer to rehab!

He's experiencing a lot of tingling in his arms and hands. The doctors say the next 2 to 3 days will be the worst, but they are optimistic that it will subside as the swelling goes down. The strength in his arms is very good, his hands  and fingers are not doing as well yet.

No changes with his legs yet, but he keeps feeling as if they are crossed or folded when they aren't. He keeps asking about them. We are guessing it's something similar to phantom pain where the nerves make you feel something even though it's not there.

He isn't too thrilled with the hospital food and being spoon fed is just salt in the wound. Good news is that he's eating a little better despite those things.  Annette tried to feed him his dinner tonight, but before she could even get the first bite on the fork Jeff was asleep again.

 

He wasn't too happy about being so sleepy and told Annette that because he slept all day he was going to be awake all night with no one to talk to.

 

Jeff has had many friends and family who have expressed interest in coming to visit him.  He told Annette that he would rather they wait a few weeks until he is back in Utah and feeling better and less sleepy.  Annette knows that she will need the help of our family and friends to keep our dad entertained while in rehab and when returning home.  We will have to send out a sign-up sheet so that friends and family can come and BS with our dad in order to keep his spirits up and keep him from getting board. :)

Jay left with Josh Lloyd today to take care of important business matters. He expects to return midweek sometime and then Peggy will go home to take care of things. She's planning on returning if it's needed. We are all hoping Jeff will be transferring closer to home not long after and extra trips to Denver won't be necessary.

Our gratitude to Josh for his help in all that's happened is immense. Our family will be eternally grateful to him.

On a lighter note Peggy had a funny story to tell. When Jeff was asked how the helicopter flight went to the hospital he responded, "Well it was very quick but it sucked because I couldn't see anything but the roof. They need to put a GoPro camera on the bottom and a monitor on the roof so the people who are on their backs wrapped up like a cocoon can see the view."

Just to hear that his sense of humor and personality is still intact is a relief to all of us. Our dad is still the same as always and we wouldn't have it any other way.

If you'd like to send Jeff a card or a letter through the mail he is at the Denver Health Medical Center.

The mailing address is:

Denver Health Medical Center

777 Bannock St.
Denver, CO 80204-4507

We ask that if you were planning on sending flowers to consider donating the dollar amount they would cost to Jeff's medical fund instead.  We can just hear him saying.,"Why would you spend that kind of money on something that is just going to die in a few days?" You know Jeff, always practical!  The gofundme link is located at the top right corner of this blog.

 

Thank you again for all your loving support! Each and every one of you has made a difference as we struggle to play the hand the Lord has dealt us.

Day Two - August 25, 2015

Thanks goes out to all of our family & friends!! We really appreciate all of the support, prayers and money donations that you have been sending our way today!

 

Today the six of us held a family fast for our dad and would appreciate if you would join us for another fast this coming Sunday, August 30th.

 

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Day 2

I don't think any of us slept last night!

 

It's hard collecting information when each of us gets a piece here and there, but we will do our best.

Annette, Jay, and Peggy got to their hotel just before 6:00AM this morning. It wasn't long before they went back to the hospital. Annette says that when Jeff woke from surgery last night he sounded like an indian when talking. “Beautiful. Wife.” “Family. Important.” “You. Good. Wife.”  Through the day his speech has improved and it is much easier for him to communicate. He was able to talk to Ryan and Brandi on the phone.

 

Everyone who knows Jeff can only imagine the pain he is going through mentally at the thought of never walking again, getting back on his bike, and enjoying everything else he used to do. Please pray that he will be able to overcome the sadness of his condition and learn how to progress in the areas of his life that are still full. We aren't giving up hope that he will make a full recovery, but it will be slow progress and every encouragement will help!

Jeff is having difficulty swallowing and they are taking it easy with trying to eat. Because he can't feel anything below his chest he doesn't feel hungry. Being the Jeff we know and love he joked, “Don't make me fat!".

His knee seems to be okay, just scraped up. He says he fell once and thinks that is when he hurt his knee, but then got back on his bike. He doesn't remember the second fall, the one that caused all the injuries.  He told Brandi that he knows he was going slow on the trail and that things were easy and then that is the last he remembered.  He can't figure out why he wrecked or what caused his wreck and that has been bothering him a lot.  Unfortunately he didn't have his GoPro on his helmet this time (which we all know he usually delights in having the GoPro record his adventures) so it may just remain a mystery.

 

Annette said that Josh Lloyd stopped on the trail to wait for Jeff and when he didn't come, Josh hiked back up the mountain looking for him.  The first thing Josh found was our dad's bike, but our dad was no where to be found.  Annette said that Jeff regained consciousness just enough to call out for Josh so that he was able to find him. Hopefully Josh will write us "the story" and we can share the details directly from him.

The doctors say Jeff's surgery went well. The vertebra that was broken was only in 2 pieces and was pinching his spinal cord which cut off blood supply. They removed a small portion of bone and then rods and pins were placed to help stabilize the spine. While they were in there they patched up a cerebral spinal fluid leak and expect it to heal without problems.

He currently has a little bit of sensation to one of his thumbs and pointer fingers. When Annette tickles his palm he can feel something. They are confident more will come back as the swelling goes down. At this point in time the doctors are confident that he will regain his strength in his arms, hands, & fingers. The doctors are still thinking that he will not be able to walk again, but we aren't giving up hope! 

Trying to explain things to the grandkids has been interesting. Yesterday Sierra said something along the lines of, “Grandpa Jeff fell off his bike and can't feel his legs.” Last night Kaisalyn decided she wanted to say our family prayers and she simply prayed that "Grandpa Jeff would be able to walk again" and that "Grandma Net would be Happy".  Today Talon asked, “Grandpa Jeff got hurt Rike Biding?”

At least they have the general idea. They miss their grandpa and it will be bitter sweet to be reunited with him.

 

 

We LOVE You Dad/Grandpa!!



 

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.

To keep us ALL connected!

Jeff's Journey will be a place where family and friends can come to get updates on our dad's condition and progress.  We have a long road ahead of us and we hope that this blog can serve not only as a place for updates but also as a journal of strength and remembrance.  We have faith in our Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus Christ and we know that through our faith and perseverance our dad will be healed.  Though we have been told that the chances are slim that our dad will walk again, we will be by his side to help him beat those odds.  Our dad will make it through this challenging trial and we will be there to help him every step of the way!  Love you DAD & GRANDPA!!
Love, Brandi (Zach), Ryan (Julee) & Cherie (Blake)

Our Forever Family