The day we would think differently about a climber!

This blog currently is being written by Jen: I want to start off saying Thank You for all the love and support we have had the past few days. It has meant so much to Dave and myself. My goal right now for this blog is to keep people posted on Dave. We have had so many texts, emails, phone calls, facebook messages and gifts/food I can not thank everyone enough. I also have had so many people wanting an update that I haven't been able to reach everyone. As much as I wish I could my phone dies before I have a chance or I'm busy catering to Dave, doing my homework and doing all the house work. I know many people are wondering what happened and how Dave is doing so I figured this would be a good way for me to try and keep everyone updated!!! Please forgive me for any spelling, punctuation and grammar errors. I try to read over it but I'm sure there are many errors that are missed!
  

Traverse City

  To start it off what a great start to last weekend! My family came over Friday night and we went to a haunted house and had pizza and hung out.  On Saturday we made the trip up to Traverse City to celebrate Steph's 30th. There was a group of about 15-20 people and all where huge State fans minus Dave and myself! Pretty pumped that Blue pulled off the win! It was a great group of people and we had a blast!





The Day Everything Happened...


Dave took this picture when lying in the woods.

 Early Sunday evening Dave and Eric decided to go hunting. They headed out around 5 pm and it sounded like they had a good evening and saw some deer. They were wrapping up the evening (around 7:30) and going to meet at there gathering spot to head in. Dave was getting down from his tree climber (not sure how to describe what it is) and had a little slip and it looks the rope broke that keeps the climber together (there is a more in depth story on what happened but doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me). One little error sent Dave and the device plummeting to the ground from about 14'. Dave was awake and aware but shook up after the fall. He found his phone and called Eric. This is a reason why you should always have a buddy system and for someone to know where you are. Eric went running over there and saw he was awake, talking and moving but ran back to the house (just under a mile) to get his truck and me. On our way back there I was asking Eric if we should call 911. When we got out there we all decided that was the best thing to do. That was my first 911 call ever and I knew to remain calm but it was very scary. Eric went to the front of the driveway to guide them back on our property and I stayed with Dave. The whole time he was very calm but very pale (meaning he would give Casper a run for his money) and he also had a good gash above his eye. I was very concerned but had to remain calm so he didn't see me worry since Dave has a weak stomach and I knew if he saw me panic he would start to panic too. As we were there I kept him talking to me and had him lay flat on his back.

Waiting in ER

  Within a matter of minutes we had firefighters, volunteer firefighters and ambulance on the scene. If you have seen the boon-dock place we live in it is comforting to know how quickly they can get here. On scene we had about 25 people and they all had a job. It was pretty dark so they had lights set up, people cutting and clearing out a path. It was crazy watching everything but I knew Dave was in good hands. I'm not a person to cry when something like this happens but at one point after everyone was there I had to sit down for a minute and catch my breath since I felt I was going to pass out or get sick. That went away quickly but I think it finally hit me at that time what was happening and I was concerned what the outcome would be.

 

In ER and a pic of his black and blue eye with 2 stitches

Sunday night after being release thinking he was fine

We (Eric and myself) arrived at the hospital and they brought us back the ER room. Dave was still very pale but talking to us and still himself and had his sense of humor. When they were moving him on the board he flipped Eric and I off and smiled about that. Nice, real nice but for some reason I think we both found comfort in that. Weird, I know! Not long after Eric and I got to the hospital Dave's mom, sister and step dad were soon to follow. We were at the hospital for about 4 hours and after many x-rays and a few stitches along with scratches and bruises along his arm, hands and head Dave was released saying he would feel very sore for weeks and he will feel like he was hit by a bus. Eric, Dave and myself headed home around 12:30am Monday morning. Dave was very sore and we had to help him sit and lay. We went to bed that night and he didn't sleep well and I was up with him all night. He finally went to sleep around 6 am. Not long after that we were woke up from the phone ringing around 8:30 am from the hospital. They said to come in since they noticed some swelling around soft tissues. We asked if it was an emergency and they said no but we should get there immediately. Dave then dressed himself and did his normal routine but very slowly. We also let the dog out, got gas and made a stop for coffee since we didn't feel we were in that big of a rush. They said to go in through the ER and not long after that he was submit to a ER room where we hung out for about 3 hours until they scheduled an MRI. Dave was in for the MRI from 12-1pm and was wheeled back into the room. Around 1:45pm we were told the news...BROKEN NECK! About 5 seconds after that the room filled with a nurses and they put a neck brace on Dave. At that moment Dave went into shock and shut down and I felt anger and rage throughout my body knowing they sent us home the night before. The ER doctor couldn't answer our questions since he doesn't know much about neck injuries and wanted us to talk to the neurosurgeon but he was in surgery for a few more hours. The waiting game continued and that was the worst. They ordered up a CT scan so they could see everything better. Everything about that day was a roller coaster since we were told good news and then bad news.

 He had a stress fracture and cracked vertebra on his C5 and C6.  If you look at the back of a vertebra there is a little tail that slips over the next vertebra and that broke off. (We were worried that the piece that broke off would move and go under or between the vertebra when they were doing traction and the doctor said he wasn't concerned about that at all. He said it would just dissolve.) In addition to the broken piece, the vertebra shifted to one side so it was out of alignment. So there were 2 possible treatments. One was to go in surgically and move it into place and fuse the vertebra to the next one. Two was to do traction and try and to manipulate it back into place.  Rose, thought that they would do option one because this would have been the best out come for the hospital. After missing it the lst day, this treatment would assure them that the problem was taken care of. Good thing for Dave, the Neurosurgeon was incredible. Every decision he made was based on what was good for Dave. He felt that if they fused the vertebra together, it would limited his range of motion, both up and down and side to side. So he wanted to try the traction first. If he couldn't get it back in place then he would have to do surgery. Let me just tell you, that Dr. Bromblay was the best doctor, that we have had the pleasure to deal with.

 

  I will place the pictures of the devise that they placed on Dave's head. It was held in place by pressure (It did cut the skin on the right side and he has a scab there) and there was a string tied to the middle. At the bottom of the string was a hook that they placed weights on. They took and x-ray and then added 10lbs to the hook, took another x-ray, added 10 lbs to the hook and took another x-ray. At this point Dr. Bromblay thought he could manipulate it so he held the halo and turned Dave's head to the left, very slowly. They took another x-ray. It didn't work so he added another 10 lbs, took an x-ray and then turned the head again. As you all know it worked. ( The weights were to make a space between the vertebra so that he could move the one back into place.) He then waited about 10 minutes and took another x-ray. He was happy with the results so he slowly removed the weights. Took another x-ray and then removed the halo. Then another x-ray. Rose, Dave's step mom,  was talking to Dave at this point and the doctor yelled at Rose to come look at the x-ray. He was so excited. It was a great sign! The next day they took another x-ray and that showed that the vertebra were beginning to move back to their original spots. I know the pictures looked painful but Dave said he was not in pain at all. 

Traction device

So why is he in a neck brace. When they do the traction they not only move the spine but all the muscles and ligaments that are attached to the spine. The ligament that was by the vertebra shifted. So if you think about pulling a rubber band until it almost breaks and then release it, it goes back into shape. Well the muscles and ligaments need to go back into shape but takes a lot longer to go back into place. Those muscles and ligaments need to be nice and snug with the spine to keep the vertebra in place and aligned. So the neck brace keeps him (unless he does something stupid like bending forward) from moving those muscles and ligaments so they can heal and get nice and snug. So the OT told him that he couldn't BLT (not the sandwich) No bending, no lifting/leaning (nothing over the weight of a gal of milk) and no twisting. (I bet you know he broke at least two of the rules before he left the hospital) He is suppose to pretend that he has a book on his head.

This is his neck brace and very drugged up.

He will be in the brace for at least 6 weeks. At that time they will take more x-rays to determine if the spine is stable. (They will have him bend his neck forward, backward and side to side as they take the x-ray.) If he has been a good boy and the muscles and ligaments have healed, the vertebra that was broken, should remain in place. If it doesn't then he will have to go to option number one and have it fused. So the next 6 weeks are crucial for a great recovery and no surgery.

 

He will be on pain meds and muscle relaxers for at least the next two weeks. He can walk some, take a shower and sleep. He shouldn't do much more than that for these two weeks.