Jason Update 1

Hello, all! Some of you know already, and as I do not have a personal blog and facebook is blocked at the Hospital, I wanted to put up some updates on Jason.

Sunday evening I was at home tidying the house after Jason's friends from Oklahoma had visited, and was waiting on their return from the Texans/Chiefs game when I got a call from Kacey (the wife of one of the said friends) that they had been in an accident. Luckily they had left with them and were traveling only a few cars behind and were able to help and contact me literally as it happenend. Jason was driving on 59N and realized his lane was ending and needed to get over last minute. He saw a small window of opportunity before a bus traveling alongside him, and thought he could merge and then gun-it and be in sync. He slid in and the car did not respond, and the bus tried to stop and miss him but could not and clipped his car and pushed him sideways into the barricade. When he hit it, it sent his car spinning and it flipped two to three times before landing facing oncoming traffic. Miraculously, Grant (front passenger) and Zach (back passenger) both we able to crawl out as soon as they landed. They were all wearing seatbelts, and the driver side of the car definitely took the brunt of the impact. Kacey and Tyler were able to run over as soon as they could pull their car over and Tyler kept Jason talking and still until the first responders could arrive. I left my house and headed north the second Kacey called. I phoned my family and tried Jason's dad as well, who was already in Houston at another hospital with Jason's cousin who was having an emergency appenedctomy. Jason was conscious but obviously injured and very bloody. They had to cut open his door, and then finally also the roof to extract him. Me, the ambulances, and Meghan & Ken who came right over to park my car and handle that so I could run in with paramedics, all miraculously arrived at the same time to Memorial Hermann. Praise GOD that no one else was injured, that Jason's organs and vitals were "Rock Solid" the entire time according to our overnight ER doc, that Kacey was right behind and able to call me instantly, and that he is in such great care here. The parademics on the scene that had to use the 'jaws of life' to even dislodge Jason could not believe Grant and Zach crawled out and were even in that car!


We spent the next thirteen hours in the Trauma Center and are eternally grateful to the staff there, but also our dear friend Sarah, who after working a whole shift as an ER doctor at another hospital, came straight over and was Jason's personal advocate and physician. Grant and Zach were checked out and cleared by 2am and my dad delivered them to their beds for the night. So, after three CT scans, Xrays, lots of tests and stabilizing, here's the run-down. Lots of scrapes and bruises, only a couple needing special care or stitches, a broken nose, a broken wrist, and a broken neck. We;ve discussed backwards and forwards if its better to start with the biggie, or work up to it? I don't know!

Well, as Cara and I decided, he's the "winner of the losers!" Yes, he has a broken neck, but it is a pretty "good break."... as far as a broken neck goes. It broke outwards away from the spinal cord and body, so he does not have any paralysis or brain damage or vessel pinching. Praise God! His only physical limitation right now is his whole left shoulder and arm, which are very beaten up and then casted from his elbow to hand.

Yesterday was a brutal waiting game. A few of our very sweet friends all came by, some bearing 'essentials' bags for me, treats, stuffed animals or even the BEST Pappasitos ever, but we knew very little until we could get the MRI, which took nearly 24 hours to get in to once it had been ordered. We just found out at 3 today that he will have to have surgery to stabilize the vertebra. He broke the C5 if you are one of our Medical-dork friends (you know who you are!)and wanting specifics I may-or-may not be able to provide. They will operate in the morning and will be here a few more days in recovery after that. The surgery is at 7am tomorrow, and will rod and fuse the C5 to the C4 above and the C6 beneath. Please pray for Jason's body to be responsive and for the doctors hands and minds to be steady and clear. Any surgery has its risks, but obviously neck/spine surgery has special concern.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. Jason is in good spirits and is constantly cracking me up with his dry wit. He loves visitors and is at Memorial Hermann Med Center, but tomorrow am will be in the OR. If you would like to come tomorrow, check back and I'll update when he can accept visitors post op.

Love, Hayley