JOHNS TRAVELS |
THIS IS MY SWEET SON, SEPT. 17, 2001 ICU AT MISSION HOSPITAL MISSION VIEJO, CALIFORNIA HE WAS IN A COMA, IN VERY CRITICAL CONDITION HE WAS NON-RESPONSIVE, UNKNOWN EXTENT OF INJURIES, AS TO BROKEN BONES, AS HIS HEAD TRAUMA WAS THE OVERIDING CONCERN. A PORTION OF HIS SKULL HAD BEEN REMOVED TO DEAL WITH THE HEMATOMA, AND THEN REPLACED. |
HIS GLASGOW COMA SCORE WAS THREE, THE SAME AS A ROCK, AND WE BEGAN TO HEAR THE CONSTANT REFRAIN OF "THE NEXT 24 HOURS ARE CRITICAL". AND THEN THE NEXT, AND THEN THE NEXT. THERE ARE TUBES AND DRAINS IN THE TOP OF HIS HEAD TO DRAIN FLUID, AND MONITOR THE SWELLING. HIS BRAIN CONTINUED TO SWELL, AND EVENTUALLY, THE BONE FLAP (PIECE OF SKULL) WILL BE REMOVED, AND PLACED IN STORAGE. ONE LUNG IS COLLAPSED, AND HE HAS ASPIRATED VOMIT, STARTING AN INFECTION THAT INVOLVED BOTH LUNGS. THE ANTIBIOTICS HAVE CAUSED PROBLEMS WITH HIS BLOOD PRESSURE. |
THE TATTOO ON MY FLIGHT TO CALIFORNIA TO BE WITH MY SON, I KEPT TRYING TO CONVINCE MYSELF THAT THIS WOULD NOT BE MY SON. I HAD HAD A DREAM ABOUT BEING CALLED TO MY SONS DEATHBED, AND IN THAT DREAM, I PLACED MY HAND ON THE BOY'S CHEST, AND SAID "THAT'S NOT MY SON, THERE IS NO TATTOO". WHEN I GOT TO JOHN'S BED, AND PLACED MY HAND ON HIS CHEST, I PLACED MY HAND ON HIS TATTOO, AND KNEW IT WAS MY SON. |
I LOST COUNT AT 20, OF THE MACHINES HE WAS CONNECTED TO, ALL TRYING TO KEEP HIM ASLEEP, AND ALIVE. |
MISSION HOSPITAL OUR NEW HOME FOR TWO MONTHS. THERE IS A BENCH, WAY OVER ON THE LEFT SIDE, WHERE WE LAUGHED, CRIED AND WORRIED. |
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