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This page was last updated December 15, 2003 10:08 PM
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Jason's Recovery Fund
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Here are links to a short bio of Jason and some FAQs.
Jason, Shannon, Mary Jane, Jennifer, Clark and Elizabeth planned a short vacation
trip to Branson to see the lights and just have a break from work. Jennifer,
Clark and Elizabeth went down after work Friday and Mary Jane rode down with
Jason and Shannon after Shannon's sonogram. Jason left about 7:15 on Saturday
morning (December 7) to meet with a work associate in Springfield. It was cold
and a thick fog had moved in overnight. He apparently was gone about 15 minutes
when he hit an overpass that was covered with black ice. It appears that he
lost control of the vehicle on the overpass. It began to spin, and left the
road just past the end of the bridge. The vehicle then continued to roll down
an embankment and Jason was thrown through the driver's window. Apparently someone
saw him right away and called the emergency services.
They took him to Skaggs Hospital in Branson but he was then transported to St.
John's in Springfield. His blood pressure was very low and his temp was 92 degrees.
He went immediately into surgery to stop bleeding in his abdomen. His back is
broken just below his shoulder blades including his 5th, 6th, 7th & 8th
vertebrate. He has some fractured ribs and a fractured collarbone. He has fluid
in his lungs, which they are currently treating. This seems to be progressing
slowly but surely. They have removed part of his colon. He has some head trauma
and a couple cuts on his head. Other than that, he doesn't have very many cuts
but lots of bruising. He has damaged his spinal cord but it does not appear
severed. We won't know any details until they are able to do an MRI and other
tests. He is responding to touch and noise but is still sedated.
We are now just waiting for his breathing condition to clear up and the swelling
in the brain to subside. Hopefully, this will happen in the next few days and
the doctors will be able to progress with the MRI and other tests to assess
the damage in his back.
December 10, 2002 12:42 PM
Jason's condition is improving very well. He is opening his eyes now but still is not focusing on anything probably due to the swelling in the brain which should subside within the next few days. He also is starting to have a weak cough (which is good). His vent is turned way down and the nurses say he is doing a lot of the breathing on his own. They also say the fluid has mostly cleared out of one of his lungs. The nurses also said they will probably take his sedation off completely today or tomorrow.
December 10, 2002 6:01 PM
More Good News! Jason has been taken off sedation completely this afternoon although he is still unconscious due to the swelling in his brain. His vent is turned down to the lowest setting and he is breathing almost all on his own. He had another weak cough and swallowed a couple of times today. They are still working on the fluid in his right lung and the swelling in his brain. They also switched his diet from basically “sugar water” to a milkshake-like nutritional liquid (kind of like Ensure).
December 10, 2002 9:57 PM
Not much to report tonight. They did turn the vent up just a little bit. They said he was breathing just fine on his own for several hours but they wanted to make it easier on him and let him rest tonight. He is going into surgery to have a Greenfield Filter (not sure if that is exactly right) put in tomorrow afternoon to help prevent any blood clots from getting to his heart and brain.
December 11, 2002 11:53 AM
Jason just got out of surgery and everything went great. It only took about 30 minutes. The Greenfield Filter is permanent but will not affect Jason after he is well. They are getting him settled back in to the ICU right now so we can see him again in an hour or so.
December 11, 2002 7:57 PM
They set his vent to the lowest setting again this afternoon. He will breathe on his own for a little while but they will turn it back up later so he doesn’t get worn out. He has been on a special kinetic bed. It rocks back and forth to help remove the fluid in his lungs. The doctor said it has done all that it will be able to do so Jason will be moved to a regular NTICU (Neuro Trauma Intensive Care Unit) bed. There is also some concern about his blood pressure. It has been running very high but they have been treating it with morphine and blood pressure medicine. The nurses say he is definitely heading in the right direction but we are still taking it one day at a time.
December 12, 2002 10:03 AM
Just a quick update. The nurse said he did really well last night. His vent is back on the lowest setting again and they are going to try keeping it there. His blood pressure is doing much better now as well. That's about it for now.
December 12, 2002 2:24 PM
Another little update this afternoon. He is not digesting his nutrition very well so he will go in and have a tube put into his intestine around 5:00. Hopefully, we will get to see him again before the procedure. He also may have a small infection, but that is very normal according to the doctor. They are going to run some tests to find out where the infection is. Otherwise, he is doing pretty well.
December 12, 2002 9:30 PM
Jason did great during the procedure. They got the tube into his small intestines with no problems. The procedure usually takes an hour but Jason got out in just 30 minutes. Still waiting on the test results on the infection. He is also receiving "percussion treatments" to help get the rest of the fluids. Basically, it's a back massager that vibrates the fluid out. He also is still receiving morphine for pain, but he is resting very well.
December 13, 2002 4:02 PM
Today was a good day for Jason. At the 1 am visit he was alert, but in much pain. The nurse said she noticed he was alert and waited to give him morphine so we could see him. He was very responsive to Shannon, but she always gets his heart rate up (smile). When she asked him questions, he would nod or shake his head in response. This morning the nurse asked Jason to lift two fingers, and he did. Shannon asked him if he could hear her and he nodded his head. He only comes around for a few minutes at a time but we are all so excited to see this progress. Even the nurses are impressed at his rate of improvement.
December 14, 2002 10:37 AM
Just a quick update for today. Jason is running a pretty high fever of 102.9, which they think is from the infection in his lungs. They are doing another culture today to check for more infections. When they get the results they will know what antibiotics to give him, for now they are just giving him Tylenol to control the fever. As far as his head injury, they won’t do another CAT scan unless things get worse. Jason is still responding to Shannon and the nurses but he won’t cooperate with the doctor (imagine that!). Otherwise, he is pretty much staying the same. The doctors say there might not be too much happening for a few days so don’t be alarmed if there’s only one update a day. I (Josh) will keep the updates coming as long as there is news.
December 14, 2002 8:47 PM
Some of Jason’s culture results came back today so now they are giving him the appropriate antibiotics. It must be working because his temperature started to break this afternoon. Hopefully it will be completely gone soon. The doctors said that they probably won’t do back surgery this week. They want to clear up any infections he may have before surgery.
December 15, 2002 6:46 PM
At the 4:30 visit, Jason was alert and communicating. When we came in his eyes
were wide open and he was looking around. He appeared to be fully awake. When
we asked him questions he would shake or nod his head or use his hands to show
the thumbs up, okay, more or no way signs. He is still intubated, so he is unable
to speak, but when we asked him questions he responded. He even puckered his
lips as though he were ready for a kiss. When Shannon asked him if he wanted
a kiss, he shook his head yes, very enthusiastically. He would point or try
to mouth questions. He also furrowed his brows to show when he was confused.
Jason would reach for Shannon’s stomach and appeared to be very concerned,
so Shannon explained that she was fine and that he was the only one in the car.
He gave a “thumbs up” sign for that. Jeremy also told Jason that
he was still giving Clark “hell” and we got another strong thumbs
up sign. At least we can tell Jason is still himself inside.
When Shannon told him the names of everyone who had come to see him, he seemed
pleased and gave many thumbs up signs. He even signaled for her to say more
and keep telling him about his wonderful friends and family.
He also pointed to his stomach and chest and we explained the best we could
that he had two chest tubes in and the doctors were waiting for his infections
to clear up so they could do more surgery. We tried to explain his injuries,
but most of the time he kept the confused look on his face. He doesn’t
seem to remember that he is in Springfield or that he was in an accident, but
he does remember us and especially remembers Shannon!
He does feel pain and when we asked him if he wanted pain medicine he shook
his head, “no.” He seemed very excited to see us and held out for
several minutes until we asked him again if he needed something for the pain.
This time he shook his head, “yes.” The medicine typically knocks
him out, but just like a young child he fought the urge to drift off. We were
amazed he was able to stay awake the whole time we were there. We had to make
ourselves leave, so he could get rest.
December 16, 2002 3:27 PM
The staff at St. John's is amazed at how fast Jason is recovering. We always
knew he was a fighter (smile). Most importantly, though, we know it is
because he has so many people praying for him. We can't express enough how
grateful we are to everyone who was and still is praying and sending
support. We are a lucky family to have such great friends and family. Thank
you!
Today we have all kinds of exciting news. The short list of wonderful things
we found out today is:
Although Jason still has a great deal of healing ahead of him, but we are hopeful
and know that whatever timeframe the doctors give us, he'll be on the shorter
side of it. It's that competitiveness in him (smile).
Since the breathing tube was removed, Jason is able to speak. He can't say much
because his throat is very sore, and he is very tired, but he did tell Shannon
he loved her and when the nurse asked him if she let his hand go, would he pull
out his tubes, he replied, "Typically, not." It appears he is searching
for the right words, but he is definitely communicating and alert.
He can also communicate what hurts and where. At one point he appeared a little
annoyed, so we asked him if he was in pain. He nodded his head yes and said
it was his wrist. Apparently, he was not happy to have those wrists tied down.
He sat for a while with his hand and arm up by his head. We're sure he was happy
to be able to move around a little more freely.
Jason remembered us telling him about all of his friends and family who came
to see him. When we told him who else was coming down, he seemed to remember
and understand what we were saying. We can't thank you all enough and we will
keep you posted as we continue to receive wonderful news.
December 17, 2002 10:27 PM
Sorry for the late update, I’ve been in route from Manhattan to Springfield
this afternoon. Jason is still saying very little (I imagine from the soreness
in his throat) but he has been able to recognize various people. Sometimes it
takes a little while as we tell him some memories. He was talking with his uncle
Ray about four-wheelers to jog his memory. Jason also had an MRI today but the
doctor won’t be in to read them until tomorrow.
He is still on the feeding tube because he did not do as well swallowing as
the nurses would have liked. They said they would try again tomorrow and hopefully
they will remove it. He told us at the 4:30 (actually 5:30) visit that he wanted
some “flavor” and that he was very thirsty. The nurse gave us some
apple juice and a sponge on a stick to let Jason suck the juice off. He was
so excited because this was the first real food or drink Jason has had since
the accident. After we left, Jason told Shannon he needed his Visa card so he
could order some food!
The doctors said they will see how he does tonight and maybe they will move
him to a regular room until his back surgery so we can spend more visiting time
with him! He is tentatively scheduled for the surgery on Friday.
I should be able to update on a timelier basis now since I am back down here
in Springfield. Dang those final exams at K-State!
Also, we received the following e-mail message from a friend of the family that we would like to share:
"Please ask Josh to put in the update that all Jason's friends to please light a candle Christmas Eve at 7pm and lift him up in prayer. A special Christmas time with our LORD, Jason, family, and friends. It came to me last night. It was our Lord's idea. He just shared it with me."
December 18, 2002 1:53 PM
Jason is doing really well today. He was more talkative than he has been because
several of his friends came down today to visit. His responses are still very
short and simple but he really enjoyed seeing all the people. It really wore
him out fast.
Jason is for sure going to be moved to a regular room today! He will be there
until his back surgery and then he will be moved back into the NTICU. Hopefully
the results of his MRI will come back before they move him so they can take
his neck brace off. Jason has made it clear that it is not very comfortable.
December 18, 2002 4:13 PM
Yea! They have Jason in a regular room now. We really like the fact that we can spend more time with him now but it really wears him out fast. We try and leave so he can rest but that is hard to do when you have free access to him! He has had a pretty quiet day so far from all the movement and changes. We have been trying to keep his spirits up the best we can. This should be a lot easier tomorrow when his niece Elizabeth comes down (she was not allowed in the NTICU). He always lights up when he sees her. He also really enjoys hearing about all the people who visited and e-mailed him.
December 18, 2002 7:09 PM
I forgot to mention in the last update that Jason is still running a fever (about 101°F). He can't have back surgery until his temperature completely breaks so let's all pray that it breaks before tomorrow or Friday. As soon as he gets the back surgery, he'll be much more comfortable.
December 19, 2002 1:22 PM
Not much news yet today. Jason’s MRI on his neck came back "OK" so he will get his neck brace taken off today. We have to wait until his neuro doctor comes in this afternoon to actually take it off. He is still running a fever but it has been up and down today. Hopefully this means his temperature is starting to break. Jason is still penciled in for back surgery tomorrow pending his fever.
December 19, 2002 7:38 PM
Well I guess we can’t have all good updates. Jason’s neuro doctor came in this evening and decided that his infection was still too bad to do surgery. They will try again next week after some more antibiotics. Also, the doctor says he can’t take the neck brace off until he can have Jason move his neck around and tell him if it hurts. Jason would not talk to the doctor so the doc says it will have to stay on for now (he had just carried on a phone conversation with Shannon’s sister a few minutes before. Stubborn as a mule!).
December 20, 2002 10:42 AM
Back to good news this morning! Jason’s trauma doctor said it was OK to take the neck brace off. He is sleeping so much better now that he doesn’t have that on. Also his temperature has come down and it seems to be holding. The doctor ordered new cultures because he thinks the infections might be gone. Maybe his neuro doctor will change his mind and do surgery Monday (but this is not likely).
December 21, 2002 1:28 PM
Jason has been resting a lot today. His fever has been staying down since the doctors ordered new antibiotics. The preliminary results of his cultures say that he still has some Pneumonia in his lungs. His blood work showed an elevation of enzymes from his liver so the doctor ordered a CT scan of his abdomen to see if there is anything they might have missed.
December 21, 2002 8:14 PM
Just a real quick update this evening. Jason’s other chest tube was removed this afternoon so he is much more comfortable. He has also been in pretty good spirits today. We are all continuing to pray for his infections to clear up and it seems to be getting better all the time.
December 22, 2002 4:30 PM
The preliminary results on Jason’s culture came back today and showed he has MRSA. This is a form of staph infection in his lungs that is resistant to antibiotics. He has to be isolated and visitors (including us) have to wear masks when we are with him. It is not harmful to healthy people, including kids, but they don’t want it spreading to other immune deficient patients. Also, Jason is becoming more aware every day. He was actually pretty worked up this afternoon saying he wanted to be at work and he had too much to do to lay here in the hospital. His thinking is still pretty foggy and he jumps around to different thoughts a lot, but we do our best to try and reduce his confusion. The neuro doctor is coming in tomorrow to reassess Jason for surgery. Hopefully he will have some good news for us.
December 23, 2002 8:44 PM
We had a pretty exciting day today. Jason was able to have his first solid
food this afternoon. We asked him what he wanted to eat and he said “a
loaded cheeseburger with fries!” It was a hospital cheeseburger but it
probably tasted like a gourmet burger to him. He should have his feeding tube
removed tomorrow, if he can keep his food down.
Jason has also been pretty comical to listen to. His thoughts are still very
disoriented so some of his comments are hysterical. He always saying he needs
to make a plan and he wants to call everybody he works with (especially Wiley,
his friend/business partner). Once he was asking about his and Shannon’s
baby and he wanted to know whose baby it was! Then he thought it was Clark’s
(his brother-in-law’s) and after that he kept saying he had babies coming
from everywhere.
This afternoon we got about 6” of snow in about two hours so traffic was
shut down in Springfield. It took Jeremy and I three hours to come from Wal-mart,
which is just 2 miles from the hospital (hence the late update, sorry).
December 24, 2002 6:46 PM
Jason was very restless all day today. He wanted us to sit him up (which he can’t do until after his back surgery) and he kept asking for his attorney (not really sure why). His lungs are improving all the time and today’s chest x-ray showed that his pneumonia was almost all gone. The also took his oxygen off so the only tube he has now is his feeding tube (which he constantly tries to pull out). The neuro doctor came in and said Jason would still not be ready for surgery until next week because he had a small fever last night.
We decorated Jason’s room with Christmas decorations to help keep his spirits up. He’s not too sure about what Christmas is but we keep reminding him. He’s doing pretty well but gets worked up really easily. He is always worrying about his work and all the “things he needs to do.”
December 26, 2002 12:39 PM
Merry Christmas! Sorry for not getting an update out yesterday but we had a pretty busy day. Not much new with Jason, he is still getting worked up all the time but usually wears himself out and sleeps for a while. He did get to open his presents yesterday but he doesn’t really remember much about it. He keeps trying to pull off his bandages and pull out his IV (which he has done twice already). We really have to keep a close eye on him (we’ve been taking shifts around the clock). He hasn’t had a fever for a couple days so the neuro doctor is still saying surgery will be the first of next week. Hope everyone had a great holiday and we’ll keep you posted with events down here.
December 26, 2002 6:37 PM
Here is a link to a picture of the candle we lit on Chrstmas Eve in the hospital chapel. The flower/candle arrangement was sent by the Powell family, long time friends of our family. The picture is rather large so it might take a minute or two to download.
December 28, 2002 4:18 PM
Jason is still doing fine, he has been keeping his fever down (3 days now). His back surgery is still on schedule for next week. He did manage to pull his IV out again today (3rd time this week) so we are having to keep an extra close eye on him (He's quick too!).
December 31, 2002 1:06 AM
We almost had it...... Jason had a small fever this morning so the surgeon pushed his surgery back until next Monday. He said we need at least four days with no fever in order to operate. So in case I don't get another update out before tomorrow night, have a safe and happy New Year!
January 1, 2003 3:18 PM
Happy New Year! Well, Jason pulled his IV out again today but they said he could leave it out since all it was doing was hydrating him. We just have to make sure he is drinking lots of water. Once we asked him if he wanted a drink and he said he didn’t think the doctors would let him have any alcohol! :) He is still disoriented but definitely shows improvement every day as the swelling goes down.
January 2, 2003 7:58 PM
The infection specialist came in this morning and said he can't find any infection so as long as Jason's tests today come back clean, he's cleared for surgery as far as he is concerned. The neuro doctor also came in today and said that Jason is doing very well. He said that Jason is now on the schedule for back surgery on Tuesday. Finally, we get an actual date to shoot for.
January 3, 2003 9:06 PM
We may have found out the source of Jason’s fevers today. The doctor said he has several blood clots in his legs. He said this is nothing to be alarmed about and that this is why they installed the Greenfield Filter (catches the clots if they break loose). They are treating this with blood thinners and said this should not hold up surgery. Jason is thinking much clearer now and is asking many serious questions. We answer them as best we can but he often inquires about the worst possible scenarios. He really down at these times but it mostly just motivates him to do his various forms of therapy. (He has been given breathing therapies and arm exercises. He also considers these ‘games’ that he uses to pass the time.) The doctors and nurses say these mood swings might be amplified by his pain medication so they are going to try some others. He had a type of scan done yesterday to detect infections and today the results came back clean. So far we are still on track for Tuesday!
January 6, 2003 4:45 PM
Jason's surgery is still on for tomorrow. They have it on the schedule for 2:00pm but the doctor said it will likely be moved up to somewhere between 10:00am and 2:00pm. The surgery is supposed to last approximately 5 hours so I will update whenever we get any news. Let's all pray for a speedy procedure and good news!
January 7, 2003 12:05 PM
Just letting everyone know that Jason went in for surgery about 11:30 so we will keep everyone updated when we find out anything. As far as we know Jason will be coming back to his same room after surgery but we'll let everyone know when we find out for sure.
January 7, 2003 4:54 PM
Jason's surgery went really well and much quicker than expected. The doctors said the hardware went in really easily and his vertebrae fused well. They found no infection and the trauma area cleaned up really well. The doctors also said that his spinal cord is completely severed and it is unlikely that he will walk again unless there is a significant advancement in Neuroscience. He is back in his regular room now (Room 84) and is recovering from the anesthesia. I think (and hope) Jason will rest well tonight. We ask for continued prayers for Jason, as this will be an emotionally tough next few weeks for him. If all goes well, he should be back to KC in a couple of weeks and back home in a couple of months.
January 8, 2003 9:03 AM
Many people have asked how they can contribute to help with expenses not covered by insurance (Shannon's living expenses while in Springfield as well as accomodations to help with Jason's recovery). An account has been set up for this purpose at the Bank of the Prairie in Olathe. Click Here for all the bank information.
January 8, 2003 12:09 AM
Jason is doing really well today. He's in pretty good spirits today and seems to be thinking pretty clear. The surgeon came in this morning and was really impressed with the clarity of his thinking. The are letting him sit up about 30° and they will increase that as he goes along. So far he has had no abnormal temperatures (which means no signs of infection). They will be monitoring this very closely for a couple of weeks.
January 11, 2003 10:51 AM
Sorry for the delay on the updates. Jason is doing really well after his surgery. Yesterday he sat up in bed a couple of times and he will be sitting up again today. The doctor says that as long as he doesn't have any problems with infection he may get to go back to KC this week! But we'll see, things tend to get pushed back a lot. Jason still is pretty disoriented but we are working with this all the time.
January 13, 2002 9:58 PM
Sorry for the delay’s between updates! Josh no longer has his laptop with him and is now sending the updates to me (Julie, Josh’s girlfriend) to put on the Internet. I am posting them as soon as he calls/tells me, but there has not been much update lately as Jason has been recovering. But there is a lot of news to relay today!
Right now, Jason still does not know everything about his injury. The doctor’s say that with his head injury we should wait to tell him that his spinal cord is severed until he is able to think more clearly. So please keep in mind that if you are visiting or if you call Jason not to mention the extent of his spinal cord injury.
On a more positive note, Jason’s incision from his surgery and spinal fusion are healing very well! The doctor’s are very impressed with how fast it is healing and are even planning on taking the 36 staples out of his back Wednesday.
Jason is pretty much on track to be released on Wednesday or Thursday after the staples are removed pending there is a Rehab lined up for him to be transferred to. The family has been researching different facilities. We are all keeping our fingers crossed that there will be an open space available this week.
Hopefully tomorrow there will be a decision made as to where Jason will be going and on which day. I will post an update as soon as I am told!
January 14, 2003 5:19 PM
Good news! Jason is scheduled to be released tomorrow at noon! The doctor still has to look over his X-ray one more time before he gives the final ‘okay,’ but if he is happy with the X-ray Jason will be on his way back to KC tomorrow. He will travel by ambulance (and will be lucky if he gets to leave tomorrow so that there is no snow to worry about on the trip). He is supposed to be going to St. Lukes (by the Plaza?) for Rehab. As soon as I find out exactly where he will be (like his room number) and when he will be there I will be sure to let everyone know!
January 14, 2003 10:08 PM
One more quick update tonight. The doctor came in to see Jason this evening and to look at the X-ray. He liked what he saw and gave the final word for Jason to leave Springfield! There is even an ambulance set up to pick Jason up at noon. Shannon will ride in the ambulance with Jason and the rest of the family will be on their way back as soon as they move out of the hotel. Keep the prayers up for a safe ride home!
January 15, 2002 8:59 PM
Jason has arrived! He left Springfield at about 1:00 PM today. He had a very nice but long ride to Kansas City and is now at St. Luke’s on the Plaza. Jason has settled into his new room, is adjusting well and is in a very good mood. The room is very nice and the people/staff are very helpful and friendly so far. Shannon has had A LOT of paperwork to do. Jason says that the food is much better at St. Luke’s than it was at St. John’s.
Josh mentioned a while back that Jason was in isolation and masks and gloves were supposed to be worn in the room and the door had to be shut at all times. The isolation was lifted yesterday so Jason finally gets to see his niece (Elizabeth) again—a definite positive for Jason!
Jason’s room number: 8410
Direct line to Jason’s room: (816) 932-3049
January 16, 2003 9:31 PM
Jason's first day went really well. He started his therapy this afternoon and he really likes the doctors and therapists at St. Luke's. His staples were bothering him a little so the doctor came in and took them out this afternoon! Jason also had his catheter removed today.
Also, it was mentioned before that donations to the recovery fund are tax deductible. We found out today that this may not be the case so if this is a concern, please check with your tax advisor.
January 19, 2003 12:01 PM
Jason is still doing well. He stays very busy all day and is worn out by the
time evening comes! Here is his therapy schedule:
8:00- Breakfast
8:30-9:30 Occupational Therapy
10:00- 10:30 Speech
10:30-11:30 Physical Therapy
12:00 Lunch Time!
1:30-3:00 OT/PT
3:00- the nurses usually have nursing duties to do in the room with/for Jason
5:45 or 6:00- Dinner
As you can see, he stays very busy. He works very hard and always gives 101% in his therapy sessions. He knows that the harder he works the quicker he will begin to recover and show progress. His progress has already blown the staff away. I guess they just haven’t figured out yet that Jason Cohorst is a hard worker and gives his all in everything that he does! If you wish to try and call him during one of his breaks, keep in mind that they come get him before the scheduled therapy time. For example, they usually come get him at about 1:10 for the 1:30 therapy.
January 23, 2003 9:42 PM
Jason met with his doctors on Tuesday. They rate their rehab patients on a point system according to how they are doing and advancing. They like their patients to try to advance at 10 points a week but Jason has been advancing 15 points because he is working so hard! Jason’s original goal that he set with the doctor was to be out of Rehab by the time the baby was born at the beginning of March. The doctors have now set the date as early as February 12!
He really enjoys when his family comes up and eats with him. He has decided since the first day that the food is terrible. Often when his family comes up to visit, they call first to see what he wants to eat so they can bring him something! Sometimes, if the whole family is up there they will take up a meal that the whole family can eat together.
January 23, 2003 11:45 PM
Here is a picture of Jason holding a KSU helmet signed by Darren Sproles, KSU running back, and a personal letter from Bill Snyder, head football coach. Much thanks to his friend Lou for making these items possible.
February 1, 2003 7:46 PM
Hello! We are sorry it has been so long since the last update. Jason has been doing so well, we all kind of forgot about the updates until people started asking! There is definately a lot to tell though...
Jason is still doing great and is still on target to be going home by February 12! When he gets home he will be going to rehab at Mid-America Rehab (at College Blvd and Nall) 3-5 days a week.
Jason has been progressing remarkably in his rehab sessions. He has been doing so well with his speech therapy (which is for his head trauma) that they are going to be cutting back to 2 days a week. He scored 100% on all of his speech tests this week! He will begin to move on to more advanced testing this coming week such as using the computer. They will start testing him to see if he can still type and check his ability to begin typing letters and entering invoices for his business, Canyon Stone.
He has been working on transferring from his wheelchair into a car. Just this week he has begun to learn how to get into his wheelchair from the floor and will continue to work on this and other tasks more as his physical strength allows and improves. He is able to completely dress himself in bed and will be learning how to do this from his wheelchair this week. He has actually taken a shower and as he gets stronger he will be able to shower more often (this is opposed to the bed baths he has been recieving since his accident).
Right now, the family is working on getting a stair lift installed in Jason’s house so that he will be able to have access to the second floor. The lift will be more reasonable than originally quoted (yea!) and will take about 4 weeks to be customized and installed.
Jason still enjoys having visitors, but the family would like to notify everyone of his upcoming schedule.
Jason is still definitely able to take calls if you are unable to visit! (see the top of this webpage for the number)
February 8, 2003 11:24 AM
Jason is still doing fine and on schedule to leave on Wednesday, February 12th. Last week after Shannon and Jason’s Childbirth Class, Jason got to go home for a while before going back to the hospital. Jason really enjoyed being at his house and seeing his pets, even if it was for just a short time. Jason and his family are going to the Steve Palermo Benefit tonight. There really is not much more to update, but I will definitely post anything as I hear it!
February 11, 2003 4:35 PM
The Palermo Benefit was really cool. I think Jason really enjoyed getting out for an evening and spending it with his family. There were several celebrities at the event including Steve Palermo, Bob Costas, Curt Schilling, Dave Patterson, Michael Badalucco and many more. Bob Costas came to our table and chatted with us for a few minutes. There are several pictures of him on the pictures page. Joe Randa (a Royals player) also stopped by and said hi. All the speakers offered encouraging words throughout the evening, definitely something we were glad to hear. Here is the link to the pictures if anyone is interested. Jason will be leaving St. Lukes on Wednesday and is excited to spend the evening with his family at home.
February 13, 2003 5:13 PM
Jason is home! He is finally home! He is enjoying being back at his house and enjoyed the time with his family on the night of his homecoming. He is beginning to go back to work and will be going to therapy three times a week. Don't forget to check out the link to see the pictures from the Palermo benefit! It really was a very special event to be able to attend.
February 26, 2003 9:13 PM
BABY TIME! Shannon is going in tomorrow morning to have the baby (Aidan)! Jason and Shannon are both very excited. Jason is doing great and getting more independent every day. Check back tomorrow, we will post all the baby details right here on the website!
February 27, 2003 10:41 PM
IT's A BOY! Shannon had Aidan Paul at 12:20 pm today. He is 19" long and weighs 7 lbs. 3 oz. Mom, dad and baby are doing great. Shannon was supposed to be induced this morning at 7:00am but Aidan couldn't wait and she went into labor on her own early this morning. Check out the pictures below!
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March 11, 2003 11:07 PM
IT's A GIRL! Jennifer (Jason's Sister) and her husband Clark had a baby girl Sunday night at 7:47 pm. Gabriella Paige Zeit is 19.5" long and weighs 7 lbs. 8 oz. All are home and doing great! Click here to see a picture on their Family Page!
April 2, 2003 9:25 AM
A new update will be coming soon! It will include the latest happenings with Jason and some pictures of Aidan at his baptism!
April 24, 2003 10:45 PM
Well, it’s been a while since we’ve posted an update,
but everyone has been very busy. We are all working on the upcoming golf benefit
(see next update) and in addition to that, Jason’s mom is working with
Jason every day on his therapy (keep reading and you’ll see why) and spending
quality time with her grandson, Aidan. I must say he gets cuter every day! Click
here for updated pictures.
As if we weren’t all busy enough before, Jason developed a pressure sore
and has been diligently working to get the wound healed. Jason is unable to
do therapy as a result and is extremely disappointed (that’s where his
mom comes in . . . you didn’t think Jason would really be on bed rest,
did you?). This little nuisance has also caused Jason and Shannon to go to the
wound care center every day (including Saturday and Sunday!) and will ultimately
cause Jason to be back in the hospital for surgery again. Without it, the wound
may take up to year to heal.
All this is in addition to Aidan’s appointments, Shannon’s appointments,
Jason’s regular doctor appointments and the appointments with the surgeon
(not to mention, house work, caring for an 8 week old and general self preservation).
Right now, it looks like Jason will be scheduled for surgery on May 5th. He
will probably be in the hospital for a week or two and then on bed rest for
an additional 2-3 weeks. He is supposed to be on bed rest until the surgery,
anyone who knows Jason, knows how well that is going . . . Pray for a good surgery
and a speedy recovery.
April 24, 2003 10:48 PM
Do you play golf? Do you know anyone who plays golf and would like to help out a great person at the same time? Well, if you do, check out Jason’s Golf benefit on Saturday, May 31, 2003 in Gardner, KS. It’s guaranteed to be a great time and good golfing. If you or your company would like to sponsor a hole, or make a donation, we have information about that, too! To check out the course click here! There are some tee times left so for more information contact Kris Leshovsky at (913) 856-0126. Click Here for a PDF of the sign-up sheet or for sponsorship opportunities Click Here and Here.
June 7, 2003 7:09 PM
Sorry for the lack of updates recently. Jason is doing great. He had his surgery on the pressure sore and all went well. He wasn't too happy about being put on bed rest so we had to keep a close eye on him so he didn't try to sneak into work. As of today, he is allowed to be up and around a few hours a day.
Watch out on the roads because Jason is driving now! He completed his driving class so he is free to drive on his own. His vehicles are outfitted with hand controls that allow him to rule the road once again.
The Pasture Golf Tournament for Jason last Saturday went spectacular. We had a great turnout on a beautiful day. A special thanks to all who helped make this happen and all who participated. I am hoping to get some more info posted on the day's events. Be sure to watch www.okillianscreek.com under the Tournaments link for more postings related to the event. I am also working on getting a photo gallery together (which will be posted under the Pictures link on www.okillianscreek.com).
August 7, 2003 11:21 AM
A new update is coming soon! Meanwhile, check out the Special Messages for Shannon section.
October 14, 2003 11:18 AM
It seems like the prayers are working! Jason has
been making great progress in therapy. He is working out on a lightgait
treadmill, which is a treadmill that allows him to "walk" with the
assistance of his therapists. One therapist holds each leg and helps him
to walk as the treadmill rolls forward. Jason is up 22 mintutes
now on the treadmill, it is a great workout and best of all - his therapists
say they can tell he is "helping" them walk his legs! He is also walking
in a walker and has movement in both legs. His therapists are extremely excited
about this and we continue to feel optimistic. I think that our
prayers are being heard - so keep up the faith!
Jason's spirits have been great - despite everything he has faced in the past
10 months, he is optimistic and has a very strong faith. He knows
he is not predicted to walk again, but is choosing to beleive that anything
is possible with his faith in God and his own hard work.
Aidan is doing well also. Aidan is 7 1/2 months old now and still
a fireball! He is a very happy baby, so curious about the world
around him. He is sitting up all by himself, but not crawling yet,
although he sure tries! He is very strong, and loves to spend time
with "dada" - especially in the car! He likes to play
with Daddy's hand controls while Mom runs into the grocery store (when we're
not driving somewhere of course). Now that Shannon is back to work part time,
Grandma is watching him 3 days a week along with his cousins Elizabeth and Gabby.
Aidan goes to therapy with Dad on Mondays and Tuesdays and gets lots of attention
from all the therapists - he is spoiled!
We'll keep you posted on the therapy updates...hopefully there will be more
good news soon. Every step forward is a step they said he'd never
take again, so the entire family is so grateful for the blessings we have recieved
during this difficult time.
Just some fun pictures of Jason tearing around on a 4-wheeler!! Click here for the pics!
Check out the updated FAQs page here.
You can e-mail wishes to Jason and Shannon at getwelljason@cohorst.com
