October 7, 2008 (Day 24)

Just a quick up date, I hate going home it seems that ever time I go home he does something that is just amazing. I got a picture from Julia today that I want to share with everyone. I left and the update that I sent yesterday just seemed like glom and doom but look at the picture I got today. I talked to Adam today and he says that he is going to walk with a walker tomorrow. The Lord is a great Lord he took Adam bones and mended them back together and gives him the strength to push himself to make it through this.

I talked to Julia tonight and se says that in the next few days he going to get a special cast for his wrist that has wires and bands on it so that it will keep his wrist in the right position and let the nerves heal so that he will be able to use his wrist again and that the nerves will heal correctly. There are some more things that they will be doing this week to help him Julia is going to send me a list of every thing that they are going to do this week. When I get the list I will pass it on. I am just so happy to see him standing and walking even if it with the help of the bars. Last weekend was so hard on me having to pick him up to move him to the bathroom.

Some day I hope this makes a great testimony of how power God is and the power of prey.

We still don’t know what the out come of all this will be if he will be able to stay in the Marines or if he gets to come home to do rehabilitation here at a local VA or if they will allow him to go to Wounded Worrier Battalion in California, I just want what Adam wants. I know he loves the Marines and that is where he wants to be.

All your cards and letter I giving him happiness and gives him something to look forward each day.

October 6, 2008 (Day 23)

Well it’s been a long weekend it was good to see Adam again. He is approving by leaps and bounds if you compare to three weeks ago and it really does seem like a long time ago. He is doing PT in the morning and OT in the afternoon and then more PT in the afternoon.

I have to explain the reason for the delays it has been really hard to deal with Adam injuries if you knew how much energy and full of life Adam is its hard to see him in this shape his PT in the morning is to raise his left and right leg about 10 inches off the table which he struggles with and needs help with his right leg. It takes him about one hour to do three reps of ten. Then it takes one hour for him to do OT in which he has to lay flat on his back and with his arm on a skate like device he has to move his arm to a 90 degree with his shoulder it is so hard on him to do this. In the afternoon PT they have only been able to get him to stand up once for a short time on Sunday.

They took the track out of his neck on Saturday morning, took the wires out of his mouth on Sunday and put rubber bands back in his mouth. He is only able to open his mouth sixteenth to an eighth of an inches. He only able to eat puréed food if any one has been in a hospital and had to eat hospital food just image eating it after its been smashed to baby food yum.

The hardest thing for me is that seeing him surfer like he is I just want to scope him up and hold him and tell him that it is going to be ok and that I will take care of everything but I cant he has to do it all on his own and there is nothing that anyone can do but him.

After he finishes his PT and OT by the end of the day he is so exhausted he is virtually unable to do any thing on his own. I took him out side a couple of times while I was there just getting him in the wheel chair is an ordeal not to mention going to the bath room taking a bath and all the other things that we take for granted.

He is getting better and its going to take a long time for him to get better I am scared for him. He still wants to be a marine and to go back and I hope for him that he does.

This weekend he kept telling me that he love me and his mom and thank you for being there.

Talking about Julia she got some well deserved rest I think after I got her back to the hotel on early Friday morning she slept 12 hours at the hotel while I stayed with Adam. On the Friday night I went back and stayed at the hotel with her and got up early and stayed with Adam on Saturday while Julia slept some more. I just think with Julia health and all the stress she was just exhausted and by Sunday she was felling a lot better.

The updates will be along Adam progress as I learn of his progress each day. They have a meeting once a week where all the doctors and PT get together and have a discussion about his progress I am going to see if they can conference me in on the meetings to see what is going on.

Tuesday September 30, 2008 (Day 17)

On Monday night Adam got moved to the seventh floor out of CCU now that he off the respirator, today he got moved to the ninth floor, to acute rehab where he learns how to walk talk eat all the stuff that we take for granted in our day to day lives. He gets three hours a day of rehab. I got a phone call from him today Adam was talking through his teeth it was great. To here him it just like him I leave and he starts to wake up I leave the next time and he starts to talk. You can only image how happy I am, the first day I saw him I did not know if he was his out come was going to be. Now he talking and they got him setting up in a wheel chair I could not believe that this was the same kid 17 days ago.

He is going to stay in California at Palomar Medical Center for his acute rehab he hopes that he gets to Wounded Warrior Battalion West at Camp Pendleton, California to complete his therapy and after he is fully recovered he wants to go back to his training in the Marine he is working hard on complete this goal.
Julia is having to stay in California to help Adam I sure all of this is hard on her to be the only one there and to have to be there with Adam for the hard times and to keep his sprits up and to keep him motivated. (Way to go Julia you the best I love you).
I was not there when they got him in the wheel chair and setting up for the first time. I would think that it was not an easy task to complete and took several people helping him. Look at the picture he’s a pink belt.
I don’t know how much usage of his arm if any and leg that he has know he says he can move them a little, and has no strength in them yet. They have put in a smaller trach in with a one way type valve it allows him to breathe in but it does not allow him to breathe out. With the valve and smaller trach it allows more air over his vocal cords allowing him to talk through his teeth.
I said baby steps and everyday he approves it seems by leaps and bounds. Adam has always impressed me when he sets his mind to something he does not let any thing stop him.
If you don’t believe in the power of prayer just ask me I will tell you how great it is. God is a great God.
I have to think that God has some special purpose for Adam. Let’s keep in prayers that God looks over Adam and Julia during the difficult times of rehab and give them the strength to make it through this. I thank God for all that he has done to help Adam. I know if it was not for all us praying that he would not be recovering this fast.

Adam new room is 911B here is the address again.

Palomar Medical Center555 E. Valley Pkwy RM 911BEscondido CA 92025

Monday September 29, 2008 (Day 16)

I have to say I am sorry that I have not sent out any post. I am sure that everyone understands I have been non stop since Thursday night and I just now have got ten minutes to my self before I have to start work.


So a quick up date, I will give a full update later tonight. Thursday he breathed on his own for 15 minutes, Friday two hours, Saturday he started on his own at 9:00 AM and hasn’t stopped. He did about two hours of therapy on his leg Friday, and seven hours on Saturday. His therapy on his leg is a machine that moves it to a 45 degree angle and then down about 5 degrees and back up 5 degree. I spent the night with him at the hospital Saturday night he complained that his leg hurt all night. Did I mention he’s awake now? It was a big surprise to me when I got to the hospital.

Well when I left on Sunday they were going to move him to a new room. They but a valve on his tracheotomy he can now make sounds his mouth is still wired shut though.

I will give a more in depth update later tonight when I get home from work. Keep the praying that he has an easy time with Physical Therapy and a full recovery.

Sunday September 28, 2008 (Day 15)

See that he off the respirator and did seven hours of therapy they did not have him do any more Addison and Awna got to hang out with him all day his room. I went back to the hotel to get a little sleep before leaving. After backing all the bags I went back up to the hospital to say good by. While we were say good by we found out that he was going to get to be moved to another room out of ICU. I got a page early Monday morning that he finely got moved to another room. On the 7 floor I thank not sure they may be moving him soon to another floor for acute therapy unit I thank is what it called on the ninth floor.


Well its good news and hopefully they will have him up a bit and moving around soon. Its wonderful the power of God. I hope you are all felling they same wonderful feeling that I am feeling.

Wednesday September 24, 2008 (Day 11)

Last night did not start out good after the surgery on his face, hip, and pelvic. I know that the last update said that all went well. It did but after the drugs started to ware off from the surgery his blood pressure started going up and he was in bad pain the nurses gave him more morphine to control his pain. Julia called me about two in the morning letting me know that they got his pain under control. He slept the rest of the night with Julia by his side all night. He was in surgery from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Central Time. He had little blood loss I do not thank that they gave him any blood during this surgery and if they have no one has told me so. They had to restrain his hands so that he would touch his had or pull out his tracheotomy until they got his pain under control. When he was better they undid the restrains. He now has signs on his room door hanging above his head and on his chest not to touch his face, because they went and set more bones in place in his face, while he was out for his hip and pelvic.

Later in the morning he woke up and they allowed him to sit up now that his hip has been plated and pined not sure of what they exactly did I have not seen the x-rays. He is getting frustrated at trying to communicate to Julia. So she went to Big Lots, yes they are in California too. She bought a magnetic white board with magnetic letters that we all played with when we were kids on the refrigerator he is able to push them around with his left hand and spell words or point to letters. He is still unable to write with his left hand but he is trying and he is doing better. I talked to the respiratory therapist today, they told me that he was doing better. They told me that if he keeps this up that by this weekend the respirator machine will only be breathing for him if he fails to take a x amount of breath a minutes. If we can keep a 100% blood oxygen level, they will take him off of it completely soon. He will need to learn how to breath through the tracheotomy until his jaw becomes unwired just incase they will to tube him again for some reason. He can’t move his right leg and he can only lift his right arm a bit. But it this time I will take what ever improvements I can get how every how small because each little improvements are going to add up to big ones. Julia and I know that he is there and we thank that he has a positive attitude about all this and that gives Julia a positive attitude about this. They still have his hand and arm in a plastic cast like cast that they have him ware for about two hours at a time with about an hour break between treatments. They are trying to keep his hand and arm from curling up until the nerves repair them self. The doctor told us that his nerves would repair them selves but it on heals about one millimeter a day. From what I understand that the nerves were damager at his humerus (upper arm bone) and the nerves go all the way to the hand. What I don’t understand is if the nerves have to repair all the way to the hand or just where they were damaged at the humerus. I would image that it just at the humerus it’s a good question to ask the doctor next time I talk to him.

Once Adam is off the respirator completely I thank they are going to start him on physical therapy trying to get him using his right hand and leg not sure what all this is going to acquire I really haven’t talked to any of the doctors about this. Julia and I were only worried about if we were going to have the Adam that we all knew and love.

Let’s talk about work a bit Julia has but here massage business on hold so that she can take care of Adam. So if anyone need a massage I’m sorry you will have to wait till she gets back. I have been asked by several people why I’m not able take time off from work under the FMLA well I took a new job in December of last year and under the FMLA you have to be employed for twelve months before you are permitted to take the FMLA time off. The company that I am work for has been understanding about the condition of my son and how I fell, they allowed me to take off a week and a half with out asking any questions. They are also allowing me to work 10 hour days and take four day weekends every other weekend. I am excited about this weekend I am driving Julia’s car to California this weekend I am taking Awna and Addison with me. We are dropping off Julia’s car to here so that she will have her car and we can return the rent car. It will not save us a lot of money but it will help. Julia told Adam that I was bringing Awna and Addison to California, Julia told me that he started to cry when he heard that I hope that means that he is happy that we are coming out to see him. I am taking Awna and Addison out of school Friday and we are leaving Thursday night so when you pray for Adam say some for me that we are safe. Addison is excited to but I thank that’s because he will get to drive some. So I will not being blogging, updating, or my own personal therapy tomorrow and maybe even Friday.

I not sure what is to follow and I have not really talked about the rest of Adam recovery this is what I understand so far however. If he recovers well and can walk, use his arm, hands, tie his shoes, and feed him self that he will properly stay in California for rehabilitation. If he can not do these things he will more then likely be coming home for rehabilitation until he can do theses things again then go back to California. I going to leave it like this because I do not want to acknowledge to any other thing other then he will get better maybe not 100% but close to 100% and we will cross this bridge when we get to it baby steps for now.

The power of prayer has given my Adam a speedy recovery from surgery most of the doctors and nurses are amazed at how well he is doing. Let’s not stop now he still has a long way to go and he is going to need the strength that only God can give to get through what’s to follow.

Again I can't tell every one how wonderful it is to have friends and family like you all.

David Abshire

Richard and Linda

I have thought about this quite a bit and even talked to Julia about this and called Robert Lawler about this, it’s more of a prided thing with me.

After talking to Julia and that she is not working while in California it has shorted our income. The military is reimbursing some of our expenses but not all of them and really not enough for what it cost for Julia to stay in California. Plus with Julia not working I have had to tighten up the shoe strings a bit. They do give us an allowance every 10 days or so but it really not enough. After talking to Linda about advantage miles I now understand these are not just mile for mile and it takes a long time to save up these miles.

This has become some what of a unplanned financial burden on Julia and my self and we are asking our self what we are going to do. We would not be able to do what we have done if it was not for friends all ready and so many people have all ready helped us so mush and given us so mush I just hate to ask for help like this.

If some people are compelled to send money into my account I not going to say that I want use it or even give it to Adam if he should need something to help him manage with any disability he may have later in life. It would be greatly appreciated I can not my self ask for this help because of my pride and the reasonability of being able to take care of your family. I ask myself if I am doing something wrong, it almost feels like an old country song if it was not for bad luck I would not have any luck at all.

Thanks for your understanding and help.

David Abshire

Tuesday September 23, 2008 (Day 10)

Well I am back in Dallas and I am sitting by the phone waiting on the phone call I talked to Julia this morning. It was great she was in the room with Adam and he could grunt I LOVE YOU he did to me over the phone and I got a call later from my mother that he said it to her too. He is aware of where he is at and what is going on around him. From what I understand he is still having some problems with communicating bit, getting better. I hope that today’s surgery does not set him back and have to start over again.
They now have his right hand in a plastic brace to keep his fingers and arm from curling up. There are other parts that are hurting him but I want talk about them just incase he reads this one day. A prayer blanket came today thank you very much for the blanket. He not moving his right leg very much, anytime anyone moves his leg he’s not a happy about it. Still have to remind him each time he wakes up what happen but I thank he starting to remember more and more. He went into surgery about 10 o’clock Central Time Zone I have not heard a lot back yet I keep calling Julia and asking how she is doing and if the doctors have called and told her anything yet. I now feel like you all waiting on an update. The surgery is going to run about 6 to 10 hours and I image that it will be late, I will try to send out a quick email when I find out how it all went and how he is doing. I just about to send this email when I got a phone call from Julia. Adam did fine during surgery he lost little blood. He will be sleeping for a while for a while Julia is leaving the hotel and on her way to the hospital now. I will give a short update when I know more.

It’s amazing to me the way that people come together and help each other out I owe you all so much for support and praying for Adam and my family. I am in a constant state of prayer. I was told by some in a prayer group that God made red lights to pray I know what they meant by that know.

God Bless all of you