Jimmy’s Story

Site created on June 27, 2018

Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.
Who is Jimmy Nelson? Loving husband, attentive father and homemaker. Friend, son, brother. Guitar player, kitten lover...feel free to add what you know of him.
June 15th Jimmy and his eldest daughter Meghan were in a car accident. Horrific. See attached photos. Meghan, with her lifeguard training, climbed out the window and began instructing the many good samaritans in how to help and what not to do. Meghan was treated at the ER, scanned and xrayed and released several hours later with minor injuries. (Again, see photo of vehicle. She is our miracle all over again)
Jimmy was cut from the car and taken to ER where it was learned that he had a significant amount of bleeding between his brain and skull. Surgery was a must. After removing a flap of skull and dealing with the bleeding, 22 staples were placed in Jimmy's head. If you thought this man had a big head before, that was nothing compared to the swelling over the next several days.
Jimmy spent so much energy fighting thru pain, even heavily sedated and medicated, that his lungs just couldn't keep up when he began to get fluid in them. His team of doctors decided to intubate and placed him on a ventilator 3 days after his accident. 
It has now been 15 days. Jimmy has gone back and forth with his lungs. The infection is fighting his body hard. He no longer has the breathing tube, but a trachial tube has taken it's place. Every day is a mystery as to what's in store for him medically. Today he tried to speak to me. I explained again where he is and what is happening to him. It's hard to say if he is retaining it. Sometimes he wakes completely confused. Sometimes I'm convinced he thinks I'm another nurse until he recognizes me. His whole face lights up when he discovers I'm here beside him!
Jimmy is kind to his nursing staff. They all like treating him. His doctors are happy with his possibilities for recovery, but assure me it will be a long road.
The goal for Jimmy is to clear out the lung infection and start daily occupational therapy. I will post updates with significant changes, and sometimes tiny ones, as often as I can. Please leave your well wishes and thoughts here for Jimmy to read as he gets better. Even a simple hi, thinking of you today will mean so much to him throughout recovery.
God bless each of you. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
Misty

Newest Update

Journal entry by Misty Nelson

It's been a full week since Jimmy came home. For my part I am rather content having my pillow next to his each night knowing I will see his face in the morning!
The kids are happy to help him settle in as if nothing has changed. Its nice to have all of our family under one roof. This is potentially our last year for that, making it extra special to be complete again.
Jimmy is so ready to just pick up where he left off. It's hard to convince him his body still needs to rest! What a remarkable difference from even just 2 weeks ago.
He will continue with out patient therapy 2 to 3 days per week for the next 2 months. He sees his neurosurgeon at the end of this month. This week he saw his primary care dr and the therapy team doctor, who will continue to monitor his progress. I like that there is a team approach on this even now. Each one has their speciality, so they confer on all the notes and have different focuses, helping him recover from all angles.
Currently doctor's orders are plenty of rest and full time supervision. Have any of you known this man to follow orders? Can you imagine him allowing supervision? We just follow him around trying to make sure he doesn't get too tired. 😂  It can be quite funny when he decides he's gonna "break the rules". He tried to cut the grass this week and ended up with Meg & I both fussing at him. How many kids live here?


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