BellaOnline Forums Travel and Culture Alaska Update from Alaska ...

Alaska can be unforgiving of mistakes and help can sometimes be too far away. You can fell 1,000 trees without a mishap. Watch out for tree 1,001. The seven weeks since that beautiful, nearly fatal fall day in late September have passed in a blur of terror and late nights spent alternating between praying and pleading in a hospital room. "Life altering" events are sure given that title for good reason. MY life turned upside down the day my husband was felling what should have been the last of our firewood for the comin winter. The tree turned the tables on Jerry and put him in the hospital, fighting for his life. FINDING him near the felled tree, covered in blood, confused and barely conscious was a nightmare I repeated in my dreams for weeks - when I slept. Now, seven weeks later it is mid-November. The punctured lung, broken ribs, broken ankle and foot are healing well. The gashes, bruises and abrasions have faded. Yes, Jerry (my beloved "Frosty") did live, although it was touch and go for a few days. He did't even begin to regain consciousness for over a week and wasn't able to speak clearly or sit up in bed for over a month. It was a LONG, scary month for me, but he is gaining ground daily now. He continues to struggle to recover from the worst of the injuries ... a severe traumatic brain injury that could have been much worse (we are counting our blessings that it isn't) and will have lasting affects for him, and for us. Still and all ... I have my Frosty back and he IS going to be OK. It's going to be a long road back to what will hopefully be a full or nearly full recovery, but a road we will face together. I would like to thank my friends - including my BellaOnline friends - for their support and encouragement. I am sorry to have let my Alaska Site slip during this crisis and was SO grateful to see it was even still here when I was finally able to at least check! I DO intend to get up and running again very soon. Jerry is currently in In-patient Rehab at Alaska Regional Hospital in Anchorage and working towards coming home to complete his recovery on an out-patient basis within the next couple of weeks. This means *I* will hopefully finally have some time to sit and rest - more time to sit and write. Life will be different now, but life will - as always - go on. I have kept a journal during this horrific time and hope to tell BellaOnline readers all about it at a future date. For now, please know that I plan to be back writing articles about this lovely state of ours and catching up with my Alaska Forum soon. Thanks again, everyone. -Deb-ALASKA

Deb, thanks for the update.
That is some excellent news. My thoughts & prayers continue for his recovery and go along with ensuring your strength & endurance for the paths to come.

Hey, nice to "see" you again, Bettlemess.

I hope to have my site bak on its feet again soon - how soon will depend a bit on Jerry's rehab schedule, but we are finally moving forward at a steady rate (for now, anyway) and things are looking up. I *should* have time (and energy) to devote to this soon. I sure do miss it.

On the advise of a friend, I am attempting to learn to "tolerate hope". Interesting wordage, isn't it? But so apt. I have been afraid to hope. Afraid of being disappointed if my hope of a full recovery for Jerry falls short.

I need to learn to tolerate hope and allow it to bloom in my heart.

I've always pictured hope as a ray of light, Deb.

Sometimes the light is just a pinpoint in the darkness and sometimes it is a full sunbeam.

When everything has been dark for a while - your eyes can only tolerate the pinpoint to begin with, but soon more and more light can come in.

As your husband progresses, you'll learn to accept and hope for more.

{hugs}