Last week Thursday, Jordan had a follow-up appointment with the neurologist in New Westminster.  We received good news.  The doctor was pleased with his progress, and seemed surprised that Jordan did not have headaches anymore and that he was not taking any Tylenol.  He gave Jordan the go ahead to start his classes but warned him that if 5 courses was too much, he should drop one or two.  Since Jordan has not had any seizures (a possible side effect of brain trauma/injury), he was given permission to drive again, provided he take a fit to drive test with his family doctor.  This was the best news for Jordan!  Relying on taxi service when he does not have a driver is not the same as having your own set of wheels!

Jordan does have a constant annoying ringing in his head - Dr. Chan said this may go away with time, or it may be permament damage. He cannot hear that well out of his left ear but that may be due to his broken eardrum.
Dr. Chan also told Jordan that any contact sport (hockey and snow boarding) would be out for the season as the risk of further injury is too great.  He will not be allowed to do any physical work for atleast 3-4 months and no strenuous work out program.  He will be able to start a rehabilitation excercise program in a couple of weeks with a physical therapist. 

The next thing to look forward to - when his wires will be cut!  Eleven more days...  Jordan is already fantasizing biting into a juicy Big Mac!  For now, he will have to be content just dreaming about it.  After this, he may need some dental work done since some teeth may have been cracked or damaged (minor stuff when you look at the whole picture).

 All in all, Jordan has come a long way since Dec. 21, the day of  the accident.  It was God's providence that not one of the five people was killed in the accident.  We do not deserve His mercies.
When we look back at the last four weeks, we can see the remarkable hand of God - from the helicopter transfer to Royal Columbia Hospital, to the balancing of drugs to keep Jordan in a coma, to his amazing recovery after coming out of a coma with no brain damage, his early discharge, and further recovery at home.   This will be the final post to the blog.

Thankyou for your support and prayers.  It was overwhelming to see how many people were walking through this trial with us and praying for his recovery.  We have a clearer insight what it means "to bear one another's burdens".  Praise God Who is in control of all things:
             O give thanks unto the Lord: for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever.(Ps. 136:1)

Jan.7^th,  2013

It’s hard to believe that it has already been just over a week that Jordan was discharged from RC.  Each day we have seen an improvement in strength and endurance.  When he first came home, he would take several naps throughout the day.  Now, he sometimes needs to take one nap but usually does without and goes to bed early instead.  He has progressed from taking a walk to the mailbox to going to Winners with us to buy him some new runners (as his only pair was lost in the accident) to going bowling last Friday night!  I had my reservations about this but Jordan is extremely bored and the kids wanted to do a family night.  The first game his balance was a “little off” but by the second game, he scored three strikes in a row and did a turkey strut!  We never imagined that three weeks ago we would be witnessing this.  On Sunday Jordan was able to go to church with us in the morning and the evening – God is so faithful.

The community occupational therapist came last week to do a home assessment (risk factors) and to pace out expectations for Jordan.  He was surprised at how well Jordan was doing but advised him to keep a daily log of his activities that he could build upon.  He will be coming weekly, then taper off to every two weeks.

Today we took Jordan to Delta for a follow up appointment with Dr. Bahi, the oral surgeon.  The x-ray showed that the jaw is healing, but needs to be wired for three more weeks.   Sorry, Jordan … it’s going to be pureed liquefied meals, Ensure, Boost and smoothies for a while yet!  What would we do without our blender?  Since he has no space between his teeth for a straw, he has to slowly drink his “food” along the inside of his cheek until it can go down the small opening at the back of the jaw and down his throat.  He has this down to an art but can’t wait to taste real food!  He has lost weight and will continue to lose weight on a liquid only diet, much to his dismay.  The doctor assured him that he will gain it all back within four weeks once the wires are cut.  He will be looking forward to Jan. 28^th when Dr. Bahi will remove the screws and cut the wires.

This Thursday, we have a follow up appointment with Dr. Chan, the neurosurgeon.  He will be able to tell us what we can expect Jordan will be allowed to do, given his brain injury.  Jordan is very hopeful that he will be able to do this semester and perhaps drop a course or two.  He has a medical leave for the first two weeks, but we need to first get the go ahead from Dr. Chan.  He will not be allowed to return to his part time job in construction for quite a while and he claims that he will go crazy if he does nothing.  Of course, we need to be cautious and realistic as studying takes much concentration, focus, and memorization.  It would be ideal if he would be allowed to take 1 or 2 courses.  Since he is not allowed to drive yet, rides need to be arranged but he assures us that his friends will take care of that.

On the outside, it does not even look like he was involved in such a horrific accident.  His facial abrasions have healed well, his wired jaw is not visible from the outside, and his skull fractures do not show.  Since he did not have any bodily injuries from the head down, he looks good.  We know that it could have turned out so differently but God had different plans.  We cannot even begin to count our blessings.  We pray that this trial may bring honor and glory to our heavenly Father who counts the very hairs on our heads.  Nothing transpires without His will and for that we are thankful.  Please continue to pray for further healing and much patience.