TGIF!

So you find me this evening sitting out on the portico with most of my kids and several grand kids around--soaking up what almost feels like an early Autumn evening. The work this week consisted of small accomplishments built upon small accomplishments. Each therapy session is structured to reinforce skills introduced and or practiced in a previous session. I spent some time on a couple of new strength training machines which will be incorporated into my every day routine. Transfers from chair to bed, bed to chair-- are a a part of every day skills/ training. While it's taxing, it leaves me with a real sense of accomplishment as I look back over the week. I've had the occasion over the past few days to visit with several old friends and neighbors. Several treats including chocolate covered donuts and homemade cookies have been carefully smuggled in past the ever vigilant guards. I, of course, have been most discreet in sneaking the occasional taste of said treats... : ) On the home front, Barb has been cleaning out, reorganizing, and preparing the house to be wheelchair friendly. She drafted her sister, Carolyn, and Madison to assist in those ventures. Chris tells me that renovations to the bathroom/laundry room will begin on Monday.
Well, enough for now. Hope all of you are doing well and enjoying this gorgeous summer! Until next time, hugs to all! Jim

Yup, it's me again!

So...it is Tuesday and I just took a call from ToriBelle who has been in Boston since Friday attending an OXFAM Summit with 50 other college students (chosen from some 12,000 students recommended by their various colleges)... thus the lack of Blog entries...who called to check on Grandpa and to remind me to post an entry to the Blog. It was a marvelous weekend with lots of visitors both family and old friends and I am pleased to report little in the way of workouts! after a little more than two weeks of OT & PT therapy I can already see much improvement in both skill level & strength giving me confidence that I can achieve a great deal of independence by the time they show me to the door in a few weeks. On the home front, the planning for renovations has moved forward and work may begin before the week is out! The garage (thanks to Patti's leadership and the hard work of several of the kids) is as empty as can be. Well time to sign off for the evening...
Hugs to you all!!
Jim

Oops..Jim here sorry but the above post had been typed by my granddaughter Amaliya, not Tori. Love y'all!!
Jim <3

:) Livin' the good life :)

Whoever said that women were the weaker sex, they must have never worked with these lovely ladies around here. They lift and do a great deal of work that I can no longer do, like moving my skinny butt from the bed to my wheelchair. It's a real workout and takes a lot of upper body strength, which I have not yet developed. These young ladies have the strength to lift me up, supporting me with their shoulders, as if I was a 5 pound sack of sugar. They are truly amazing women which I have come to greatly appreciate what they do for me. Life remains focused on developing the skills leading to independent living. I've had scads of visitors from my various blocks of life including neighbors, church members, co workers, friends, and family. In fact, the clan has developed such a reputation for clammer and noise that most afternoons we hold court on the patio. My granddaughter Amaliya and Barbie are here with me today and we walked/rolled to the healing garden built by the order of the nuns in 1935 when they used to run the hospital. As we sat out on the portico I can see the Dunkin Donuts across 4 busy lanes of traffic. I feel the tug in the direction but haven't yet worked up to the skill level or the nerve to try and slip away from my minors, however I have heard tales of a guy who did try that, whose power scooter broke down in the middle of the road causing quiet a stir in both the eyes of the motorists and nurses alike. Well enough for today, all is swell!!!
Xoxo to y'all,
Jim <3

Wheelie Jim

(This one is for you Paul)

Just getting all my gear together to conquer those bugs.

All is well - "held court" outside today with all the visitors that stopped by and FINALLY got myself a Chili Dog from Al's. (Thanks again Tony)

More to come soon. Love to you all.

-The Bug Slayer

July 17, 2012  Tuesday

Once again for those who are still keeping tabs on my summer activities here at Camp Fanny Allen Rehab Center, here's Jimmy.

I am sitting here in my sweat shirt, tennis shorts and sneakers grateful that I don't have to pull another PT  session today. I think I have already told you what a outstanding group of physical therapists/trainers I have been working with. I probably told you that they come at you with high expectations and acknowledge every success no matter how small to immediately be followed the introduction of a new objective/goal.

Barb and I continue to be thankful for all the blessings and prayers coming our way.

Jim

New Week

                    Working Out!!!!!

Another great day at the gym. As you can see the work has a way of following you back to your cave. The most fun has involved balancing skills and Barb who joined me in session and I spent several minutes tossing a large workout ball back and forth while trying to maintain balance.

We received a tentative discharge date of August 22!!! As a result Barb the kids and I have spent several hours discussing the needed physical changes to the house to accomodate a wheelchair. Looks as if we will be remodeling the downstairs bathroom over the next few weeeks and then tackle the larger job of installing a lift. I suspect that this project will require another project forman as I have another assignment each day of mastering the living skills needed to get my discharge certificate.  Chris has thus taken the lead for the family on these projects.  Looks like I am due for another therapy. So off I go.

Love, Jim




Sunday, July 14th and Monday, July 15, 2012   

We had one day off from PT and OT.  It was a wonderful day on Sunday. President Weeks and Brother Blades administered the sacrament.

Today Jim's wheelchair was exchanged for a smaller and lighter model. Jim will probably go home with a smaller wheelchair and will use that until his customized wheelchair arrives at the rehab center. Jim spent some down time finalizing a layout for the downstairs bathroom that needs remodeling to accommodate a wheelchair. OT took us around to check various bathroom configurations. It was very helpful. PT was its usual vigorous training( bed/chair transfers, balance, and muscle strengthening).

We continue to feel your well wishes and prayers. Appreciate all your support.

Love, Jim and Barb

Well... here's Jimmy once again... broadcasting from summer camp Fanny Allen in downtown Colchester, Vermont. Wednesday was day 2 in the occupation/physical therapy programs and was a
demanding as previously billed.  I can report that the "camp counselors"  are some of the most talented/skilled people I have worked with - they set high expectations and work for results-I finished the day with some protesting back and stomach muscles but it was a great day with an opportunity to sit  in the wheelchair on the portico and visit with some old friends and family including Andy Bessette and Paco Aumand.

"Summer Camp" schedules its activities beginning at 6:00 am and through supper at about 6 pm for me- often their is a break in my personal schedule between 3:00 - 5:30 pm . Barb, my number one nurse, and I have taken to sitting out underneath the portico enjoying the great afternoons- that's where Andy and Paco found us when they dropped by.

Whoops... gotta to run for now, will send another note in a day or so. We do feel your prayers and best wishes and count on them. Hugs to all.

Love, Jim and Barb

Here's Jimmy!

So... Hereeee’s  Jimmy!

The highlight of my day is sitting out under the portico looking at a beautiful Carolina blue sky, fluffy clouds, holding hands with a gorgeous blonde, my wife.

To catch you up I was transferred from the hospital setting to the Fanny Allen Rehab Center a few hundred feet from Old Camp Johnson.

As you know it has been an experience-filled week of my life.  In addition to the accident (perhaps I will tell you in more detail later on) I have received a tremendous outpouring of love and support and met so many caring and professional people.

You’d think the man who broke his back just a week ago yesterday deserves a little more R & R before he has to jump into the rigorous helter skelter world of rehabilitation with occupational, physical, emotional therapy, etc. But not that’s how it is in real life! This morning by 8 a.m. I was already into my first round of occupational therapy to be followed by series of other therapies.  The result culminated in the pictorial moment described above.

Just want you all to know that we are spiritually, emotionally and physically in great shape and we welcome, from the bottom of our hearts, your continued prayers and good wishes.

Love to all,

Jim

P.S. I've already got Chris looking for some slick modified rides for the future.

Fair to middlin'

A quick thought from Lisa:

"How ya doin', Pop?", Chris and I asked as we entered Dad's hospital room this afternoon. "Fair to middlin' for a man of my age and condition," he replied.

Now, for those of you who've spoken with Dad in the past year or so-- You'll recognize this as being Dad's standard response to the aforementioned question. What gave me pause today, however, was the thought that even though Dad's "condition" has gone through a rather (shall we say?) sizable change this past week-- His response to the question hasn't changed a bit. Dad's sense of humor and his ability to focus on the good rather than the not-so-good still remain intact.

So...Fair to middlin', Dad?

Nah!

I think most would agree that you're doing pretty darn remarkable. And we love you all the more (and thank God) for it!

An update from Jim's daughters (out of the hospital!)

Hello all of our wonderful Friends and Family Members!!

I wanted to update everyone to let y'all know that Dad (aka Jim) was transferred from Fletcher Allen Hospital over to the Fanny Allen Campus in Winooski on Monday afternoon  (for those not familiar with the area Winooski is just a bit north of Burlington).

This is another great step in Dad's road to recovery. Fanny Allen Rehab Center has a fantastic rehabilitation program (it was ranked 2nd in the country last year!). He will be starting some intense Physical and Occupational Therapy this morning (Tuesday, 7/10) so there is no rest for the weary  (or Dad in this case).

Although Dad would LOVE to see and visit with everyone, he has asked that he have another week or two to focus on his workouts and rest before people come to visit (ya'll know Dad-- he loves to talk and entertain everyone around him which wears him down a bit). As such, we'll pass along a 'thumbs-up' once he is ready for visitors! But until then, please feel free to use the address below to continue sending those wonderful cards and letters (no need for flowers as Dad tends to feel like a funeral is being held if too many flowers are around!)! :  

Asa James Walton - Room #1039

c/o Fanny Allen Hospital  

790 College Parkway

Colchester, VT, 05446

On behalf of the whole family, I do want to extend to everyone our sincerest and heartfelt "Thank You!". The outpouring of love, thoughts and prayers has truly been felt by all and has sustained us through these days. We have been blessed to have the Lord's hand guiding the doctors and nurses throughout this week and I know that there are angels still keeping an eye on Dad!

Thank you all so very much!

With much Love!
Patty (aka Cissy)

PS-- Dad intends to start blogging soon himself-- so stay tuned.....That oughtta be fun! ; )

An update from the man himself (via Tori)

Hello all,

Below is an update from Jim I meant t put up yesterday night and forgot -- apologies to all.

-Taylor

-----

Update from Grandpa:

It's evening in Room 385 and all is well. Grandpa had a quieter day today and is doing well. His appetite seems to be growing and improving more towards normal. 

He's chatting away on the phone: calling his brother and touching base with extended family. 

Being Sunday, the Bishop (appropriately) visited and brought some blessings and buckets of prayers. Thank you again to all who contributed. We're so grateful for the support we've felt thus far and have seen the tremendous impact of prayer.

Love,

The Waltons

A letter from Jim’s granddaughter:

Hello everyone,

I first want to extend a warm and sincere thank you for reading, for your thoughts, prayers and continued support for my family.  We feel it everyday and I know it’s exactly what my family needs to keep the positivity up and moving forward.

An update for everyone – I stopped by the hospital after work, where I very quickly was told about grandpa's nurse Bob, who has been taking care of grandpa these past two days. Bob seems to be an amazingly intelligent and supportive nurse, and we're sad to say goodbye as Bob is finished working for the week. However, it’s good news for us! Grandpa is expected to move into an orthopedic ward within in the next couple of days – and from there he will move on to rehab.

Grandpa was in good spirits when I stopped by, greeting me with the familiar “hey, hey, hey sugah.” He promptly informed Bob that today was the day he would be having some Ice Cream, which Bob ordered up for him. He was cracking jokes with us – and trying to make the best of the situation. He is remaining ever positive and hopeful for the future – a shining example for all of us.

Although it hasn’t always been easy, I’m so incredibly proud of the strength that my grandfather has shown and, even in his struggles, given us.  We are all pulling together and moving forward with life, as papa has taken to saying recently.

Thank you all again for all of the support, extra notes, hugs and prayers. We’ll take ‘em all.  XO

-Tori

Up and at 'em (sort of)

Good news from Fletcher Allen this afternoon -- Jim is awake and cracking a few jokes. They've taken the tube out of his throat so – while he's still groggy – he is seeing his wife and kids and able to talk with them a little bit. Some of the swelling from surgery has gone down, and Jim is taking naps between seeing family. Everyone agrees he's doing much better, and we're all thrilled he's doing so well but he is still mostly in the immediate recovery mode. We have to keep the visits short and to a minimum for now while he rests up, but we'll be able to get longer visits in a few weeks as his body recovers from surgery.

The road to recovery starts from here, and we thank you all for your continued thoughts and prayers. The team here is doing a great job taking care of Jim and we're hopeful that things continue to improve.

Some get well cards

We got a visit from Lawrence's brother Tim yesterday, who was kind enough to bring by some cards his daughters drew for Jim. His little girls seemed to perfectly capture our sentiments.

Thanks Tim and family!

Here's Jim's son Chris with Tim and Tom and Jim's daughter Lisa checking out the cards.

 And here's a shot of one of the cards.

Post-op news

Jim came out of surgery late this afternoon and is now recovering in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU). He is intubated (meaning he is breathing through a tube for now) for the night, and his team will remove the tube tomorrow morning. In the meantime, he'll be unconscious as his body recovers.
We had an informative talk with his surgeon, Dr. Robert Monsey after he came out of surgery.
Some of the highlights of the conversation with the surgeon are:

–The surgery was successful- in that they were able to stabilize the injured areas of his spine using screws and rods.

–The surgeon discovered that some of Jim's ribs were broken in the accident, which creates a risk for some lung problems such as pneumonia. The chances of this are higher than we'd like and could set back his progress so this is a big area for prayers and will be a big focus over the next few days.

–While Jim can work on his strength and mobility starting in a few weeks, it will take six months for the strength of the bones in his spine to reach 80 percent strength and 12 months to get to 100 percent. He'll be getting periodic X-rays to monitor the hardness of the bone.


The hopeful scenario at this point, and what everyone here is praying and working to accomplish, is that Jim will remain in the SICU for about three more days, and then be transferred to Orthopedics, where he will recover for three to five days. If Jim shows the signs of strength and recovery necessary then Jim would then be transfered to the Fanny Allen rehab facility, where they specialize in rehabilitating spinal injuries like Jim's. He may be there for weeks or perhaps longer.

(If for any reason the recovery in Orthopedics doesn't go according to plan, the medical team said Jim would be transferred to a "sub-acute" trauma center, where they'll work to get Jim's strength up to prepare for Fanny Allen (the doctor said about 20 percent of people Jim's age can't go straight to Fanny Allen).)

As Jim begins his journey toward recovery, his team will include his surgeon, the SICU team as well as his rehab doctor from the Fanny Allen rehab facility. These folks will be looking after him to ensure the recover goes well through all of the stages of his recovery. (We cannot even begin to share our sincere and deep appreciation for the wonderful individuals and teams who have helped Jim get this far!)

The family has asked that I share their deepest appreciation and love for all of the well wishes, love and prayers that have been sent our way. We know that our Heavenly Father hears and is answering those prayers every moment of the day.

Mid-surgery update

We just heard from the surgical nurse, who said things are going well so far. The surgical team has completed work on Jim's neck area and are now working on his lower back. The nurse said there is probably an hour to an hour and a half left in surgery, then we'll likely hear more from the doctors.

Thank you all for your continued support, thoughts, and prayers.

Heading in to surgery

Barb stayed in with Jim all night and says he slept well between 3:30 and 6:30 this morning. The traction went well, and they began taking weight early this morning.

We just got an update from the doctors, and apparently a spot opened up in the surgeon's schedule earlier in the day than they initially thought, so Jim is being prepped for surgery right now and will head in around 9 a.m.

As we said yesterday, the surgery can take between three and 10 hours, so he should be out of that by around 7 tonight. We'll do our best to update you as soon as we know more.

Monday Night Update

A quick update before the night's end:

Jim's surgery is estimated to happen tomorrow afternoon; the doctor performing the surgery wants to allow time for the swelling to go down.

The surgeon plans to fuse two sets of vertebrae: T9 to L2 and C2 to C9 (here is a spinal diagram for reference) -- this will prevent motion in those areas of the spine, but stabilize the injured areas. We hear the surgery can take anywhere from three to 10 hours.

Tonight, Jim is undergoing traction to help realign his neck. After that, they plan to move him to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit in the McLure building here at Fletcher Allen for the night, where he will remain until tomorrow's surgery.

Updates on Jim's waltz with the lawnmower

At around 3:45 p.m. Monday, July 2, James Walton suffered a spinal injury when the lawn tractor he was using rolled on a hill. He was taken by ambulance to the Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin, Vt. where doctors performed tests and a CAT scan. He was stabilized and transferred to Fletcher Allen Medical Center in Burlington, Vt.

He is alert and conversational, despite his injuries.

We know his many family and friends will want to know how he's doing, so we'll do our best to update you here.

So far, we've learned that James' T11 vertebra was shattered in the accident and both his T12 and C7 vertebrae sustained fractures as well. He's in the Emergency Room at Fletcher Allen, where doctors are performing some tests and determining how to best proceed -- as far as we know at this time, he will be going into surgery later this evening.

His wife and four children are all visiting with him, and he led them in a prayer before he was transported to Fletcher Allen. He's been awake all along, and though he's in pain, his spirits are high as he jokes with the nurses.

Please stay tuned for more updates as we know more, and feel free to leave a comment and we'll try to pass on what we can to James as he recovers.