Monday Update on Joseph

I assume after this update on Joseph, I will return to my regular blogging (whatever that is) 

He came home this afternoon. He will have some recovery time, but all in all is doing well considering what he went through the past week. Recap ...

1. Saturday January 16, 2010 around 12:30PM - Joseph (age 19) landed on his right side while doing a back flip on his snowboard. He's been doing flips for about 3 or 4 years - he's a safety conscious kid - always wearing a helmet, wrist guards, etc.
2. He was taken by ambulance to Lehigh Valley Trauma Center
3. We arrived around 3PM and he was in surgery already. 
4. Sometime in the evening, doctor informed us Joseph was in a critical life-threatening situation, due to internal bleeding from his right kidney. It was damaged, but the doc was going to do everything to try to save it.
5. Around 7PM - the doc made the call to remove the kidney. They couldn't stop the bleeding and the cat scan showed severe damage to it. 
6. 9:30PM - Doc came back from surgery, said the kidney was split in two, so removing it was the right call. Upgraded Joseph to stable, but critical. Incision on abdomen was left open due to swelling.
7. Joseph received a total of 13 units of blood on Saturday and Sunday
   
8. Incision was partially closed in surgery on Monday. Joseph stayed on Breathing Machine and was sedated until Thursday, when incision was fully closed in his 4th surgery.
   
9. Moved out of ICU on Saturday - almost exactly a week after entering it.
   
10. No driving or lifting for at least a week - he should recover well and be able to live a full life without side effects of only having one kidney.

He's in fairly good spirits - though annoyed that he received this severe an injury from such an 'easy' trick. As the nurse was giving him discharge instructions - she mentioned that he might need to have us tie his shoes for a week or so. With a grin on his face, he mentioned that he was wondering how he was going to buckle his snowboarding boots. "Will you help me with them too?"

Funny - not!

Physically, he knows snowboarding is out of question for this season and we'll cross the bridge next winter when we get there. I got hurt in a vehicle accident and I drive/ride in vehicles regularly, but vehicles are essential to life (unless you are Amish) and snowboarding is not. He will be 20 years old this May, so I think come next winter, he'll have to make the call whether or not he wants to do flips while snowboarding again.

Right now we are celebrating life and thanking God for healing and that Joe is home again!