Just dropping in to tell what condition John's condition is in...

With apologies to Kenny Rogers & The First Edition for altering their song... *L*

I woke up this mornin with the sundown shinin in...
I found my mind in a brown paper bag within...
I tripped on a ladder and fell-a eight miles high (actually about 12 feet low)...
I tore my mind on a jagged sky (hurt his back on the ground below)..
I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in...

This picture shows the L2 vertebrae that John fractured in several places (this is NOT a pic of his vertebrae). The surgery on Wed. fused together the L3 and the L1 over the L2, and they inserted 4 screws and titanium rods to help with that.

So, today, John's condition is that he is still at the hospital in Milwaukee and it appears he'll be there for a couple more days.

He is up and walking, but it takes a long time to go a short distance and it is very painful... and it takes a LOT out of him too. He sleeps between each 2 hour therapy session (he has 4 a day so far), where they have him walk down the hall, do arm and leg exercises and practice trying to get in and out of a bathtub, go to the bathroom himself and get in and out of bed. He'll need help with the brace he'll be wearing for the next 4 months or so too because he can not put it on and off himself...maybe that will come later?

He is on pretty strong pain meds, that make him confused and when he is tired his speech slurs some too... the nurse assures us this is normal. He doesn't remember too well the times certain things happen for him during the day, and he has weird dreams as well, a side effect of the stress and the meds.

He is having injections of blood thinner meds (or something similar) but he doesn't have blood clots as they first thought and did tests for.. his oxygen levels were very low. They are doing preventative things so he won't have blood clots we were told.

He has lost a lot of weight, he isn't eating well... just drinking fluids and a few bites of food each meal.

John told me Friday night that he plans on going on his moose hunt still in two months... but I can't see that happening right now.

Thanks again everyone for the cards, prayers, well wishes, phone calls and love you've extended to John and all of us.