Jon Update

My brother Jon was released yesterday and drove himself home from the rehab center!

Jon Update

I had a long talk with Jon tonight. He has been moved to a rehab center in Yakima.
He was yakking up a storm! He sounded like his old happy self! He walked 70 feet
today, with a walker. He is eating like a horse.... Had a big cheeseburger today!
He expects to be released before too long. The physical therapists are really impressed with his drive and desire to get moving.

Jon lost 60 lbs during his month in the hospital. He is down to 200 lbs now.

It was so great to hear him laughing!

Thank you all again for your good thoughts and wishes. We are blessed.

Jon Update

Well, yesterday I spoke to Jon for the first time in a couple of months. He was moved out of ICU on Thursday and at first was very forgetful and somewhat incoherent. He is too weak to even lift his arms. He's undergoing physical therapy and yesterday he sat up for the first time. A couple of other family members called to talk to him, but I told Judy I'd wait until he asked for me.

Then yesterday he did! "Can you hear me?" he said. "I'm still alive, and kickin'!"

He started telling me he wanted to get a couple of horses and go trail riding with me up in the hills!

It was very emotional talking to him, but it was so great to hear his voice. He's pretty frustrated with being bedridden, but the physical therapists report that he's doing great.

Boy, what a good day yesterday was.

Thanks everyone for the positive thoughts. I am so grateful for everything.

Travel to Seattle

The reason I've been so quiet over the past two weeks is that I've just survived a rather harrowing trip back to Seattle. My brother Jon has been in intensive care for two weeks due to a mysterious illness that had caused him to bleed into his lungs. Boy, it was touch and go for a few days there. Thanks in part to his own particular brand of fortitude, he seems to be recovering. I had to fly back on Thursday but I learned today that they have removed the tube and Jon is now breathing on his own and waking up.

Here's a website the family created for updates on him:
www.caringbridge.org/visit/jonbailey

Nearly the whole family was out there for several days last week. Despite the stressful premise of the journey, we did manage to get some quality time together. In particular, there was one evening at a harbor with brother Dan and sister Raechel and Jon's sons Blaine and Erik. We ate seafood and had a spectacular view of the Seattle skyline including the space needle.

And, during one of my many trips shuttling sis in law Judy from her home in Ellensburg to the hospital in Seattle, Dan rode along and we stopped at the lovely Snoqualmie falls. The drive through the Cascade Mountains is spectacular!

There are reasons for everything, and traveling for this reason is never the most ideal situation. But with the love and support of family, times can be easier and good memories can be shared. And with a brother as tough as Jon, things can actually turn out okay in the end.