Kevin2109 please keep him in your thoughts and prayers

[Lil_Green_Demon]

Ah, man, I tend to avoid this sub-forum of Ninjette because I hate seeing fellow riders go down, even if it is something that might help me learn from others' mistakes. I had no idea this happened.
I saw this thread and decided I had to pop in to see what happened and how Kevin is doing.

He and I had a falling out of sorts almost 2 years back. It was over something so trivial that I just feel like it shouldn't have happened, especially since the person who initially caused the problem stopped being our mutual friend beforehand.
Last year, Kevin and I patched things up via PM. I don't know if he was all that into it, but I felt we saw one another eye-to-eye for the first time.
I'm glad we patched things up. I can't imagine how terrible I'd feel if I had seen this thread knowing he & I were still "feuding" (if you even want to call it that).

Kevin, if you ever read this post, just know that I'm genuinely glad you're alive and capable of being 100% healthy again. I don't know what your future plans are or if you'll even be riding ever again, but whatever you do, I bet it'll be the right decision that'll make not only you happy but also your friends and (most importantly) family happy, too.

Have a full recovery. Take care of yourself. If I were praying man, I'd be praying for you, but you probably don't need it. If I were a betting man, I'd bet you'll make it out better and stronger than before.

[KawiKid860]

This is awesome news! Thank God! Go Kevin!!!

[jokesonyou24]

Originally Posted by kevin2109dad

For some reason I am really exhausted. Unusually so.

Don't forget to look after YOURSELF...I know you wanna be there for Kevin, but it's not going to do him OR YOU any good if you run yourself down. You have to allow yourself some time to rest, eat, etc. Not to mention the mental and emotional strain from something like this, which doesn't always hit you right away. Accidents don't just affect the victim.

Sorry if I got all preachy for a minute, but I've spent my fair share of time with family and friends in hospitals, and I know how it is...

[Firehorse]

So good to hear the progress, someone hug him for me. Tell him the Canadian Crazy Woman is thinking about him every day. Stuck his poster on my desk so I can send him a good vibe every morning :-)
As for communication, I'm dealing with that with my Mom right now. Sometimes one pencil tap is Yes, scribble us no, otherwise a keyboard helps. Old fashioned one so it's easy to feel.
I know him as a fellow science- head so I know he's got this one. Brain plasticity, it's absolutely wonderful how things can and will reroute functions. Keep giving his weak side simple tasks, doesn't matter that he can't do them, his nerves and brain will be busy trying to knit together new routes to achieve the task. And one of the best things for concussion, low light and rest so don't be upset when he gets tired, it's all good. His brain knows better than our hearts.
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[psych0hans]

I'm so glad he's on his way to recovery!!!

[tuckerk]

I'm not really an active member on this forum and never got to ride with Kevin but knew him growing up. I was best friends with him through elementary and high school while he was still in Oregon. Went to message him on Facebook today and saw this thread. Needless to say I had to skip class to catch up on his progress.

Reading this thread brought me to tears a couple times but also had me laughing remembering Kevin. Granted my time with him was years ago, even back then Kevin was a tough kid. He put up with some tough issues in school for a ten year old and helped me get through a lot. As serious as his situation is I feel that Kevin is more likely than anyone to fight through this.

I miss you and you're in my prayers buddy.

-Tucker

[alex.s]

Originally Posted by Motofool

Has anyone tried handing him a notepad or clipboard and a pen?
I believe that even scribbling something illegible could help him feel better and more capable.

It must be important for him to communicate with others, especially now that he may be frustrated by his recent understanding of his general situation combined with his limitations in communication and physical pains.

he tries. when i was there on sunday he could draw symbols sequentially like he was trying to write a word, but none of the symbols looked like they were what he was going for. his dexterity on his right hand is pretty high for the situation though. he even managed to give me our standard overly-elaborate handshake greeting correctly and gave chrissy a wave when he saw her.

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by alex.s

he tries. when i was there on sunday he could draw symbols sequentially like he was trying to write a word, but none of the symbols looked like they were what he was going for. his dexterity on his right hand is pretty high for the situation though............

[kevin2109dad]

On to the next difficult task and progressing further! I love when I tell people that I want to try to get him to do or envision him doing some hard task and they look at me with worry, then he does it.

For senior he wrote the sentence "please help me get up" because he wanted to go to the bathroom.

Last night we got a call from a nurse late at night. It's because Kevin wrote down mom's phone number. He had to remember that and pull it out of his memory. So she called.

Until I have some actual concrete data to show me otherwise, Kevin is and will always be thought of as a very capable young adult that has a promising future ahead of him if he applies himself. He is applying himself like crazy right now. This accident has the possibility of just being a blip in his life. I actually focus more on his life more than his recovery as my positive attitude feels he WILL recover so not everything has to focus on that. Recovery will happen from what I have seen!

However, we also understand that there is a long way to go and there are many issues to overcome. Kevin loves to beat the odds and he has an opportunity to do that in a way that can be so beneficial to him in his life. He is so capable.

[JohnnyBravo]

Story kinda reminds me of smokey an the bandit " a long way to go and a short time to get there... Seems as if he is fighting hard and recovering faster than most. Great news

[JBizzle]

Originally Posted by kevin2109dad

For some reason I am really exhausted. Unusually so. Because of this I am forgetting things. Important things.

I forgot to mention why I feel like he will be ok and the most telling reason I feel this way. It was the strongest moment last night for me.

We were talking about something and I made a joke. Right before, he was frustrated (if not pissed off) because I can't understand him and he is trying so hard to communicate. I make this joke that referenced something in the past (I forgot what it was) and my jokes are usually sarcastic and not obvious. Even though he was frustrated, he laughed for a second at my joke. To understand this joke, he had to remember the incident I referenced that went back years (I really wish I remembered the joke, but I got so caught up in his reaction) and then he had to understand the sarcasm. I feel this was a complicated cognitive process.

Then there is the whole pleasure of just seeing him laugh.

Incredible, wouldn't you say? Can't believe I left this out of my original update.

Link to original page on YouTube.

[alex.s]

Originally Posted by kevin2109dad

he wrote the sentence "please help me get up" because he wanted to go to the bathroom.

Last night we got a call from a nurse late at night. It's because Kevin wrote down mom's phone number. He had to remember that and pull it out of his memory. So she called.

frederick you just made my day!!!

[kevin2109dad]

Originally Posted by alex.s

frederick you just made my day!!!

Oh, I will one up this already.....

Like so many things, its not even worth talking about the basic sentence stuff anymore. It would be like me writing right now how he held two fingers up. You guys would be like "What?!"

Conversations are going on between Kevin and others. Sometimes he writes, sometimes he makes a sound through the breathing tube (I TOLD EVERYONE I DIDN't IMAGINE THAT ha ha)

Today, he pointed to the candle I made for him. The one with Mary on it to watch over him. He pointed to the window and he was asked "the angel" (as there is an ornament there" he said "no", then "the turkey?" as there is a toy and he said "no" and then "the candle" and he said "yes". Andrea explained that I made it and he said it was nice and that he was "sorry". He also told Senior he was "sorry today"

That is a LOT of cognitive skill and recollection.

He is going into a colonoscopy (sp?) to try and remove the wire they left in that he swallowed from his jaw surgery. Its in the building across the street (100 feet or 200 feet). They have to take him in an ambulance. I find that so funny and so "big dealing it". We told them to have the siren on the whole time for those 200 feet or so.

It's nice to be able to make fun of situations associated with this. Didn't know if that day would ever come at times.

[LNasty]

I applaud your family and how you have all handled this horrible time. Shows the good that is still left in this world

[kevin2109dad]

Originally Posted by LNasty

I applaud your family and how you have all handled this horrible time. Shows the good that is still left in this world

Nope, I dont think it will be or is us, I think Kevin is going to show you the good left in this world with the things he is going to do with his life going forward, right?

[LNasty]

Yes he will!

[LNasty]

It has just been the support I have seen from his family & friends that makes me see that you are good people and I haven't even met you. I have a job where I only see the **** in society day in and day out, it has left me a little bitter about our world today.

[Trailerboy531]

And being the wonderful friends that we are we will remind Kevin of his early escapades in colonoscopies ad infinitum.

[Havok]

I went and saw kevin today and OMG what a difference. I didn't stay long as he has not slept well last night or today but man is he coming around.he recognized me and mouthed my name. I told him what max said about my jacket and he cracked a smile at it. He was using the remote control to adjust his bed and the volume on the tv. The nurse told him to push the number 3 on the remote to choose his movie and not even having to look he as able to do it. His progress from three weeks ago till now is truly amazing, though I woukd expect nothing less from kevin.

[ally99]

Yay! I can't wait to see him next week!!!!!!!!!!!!

[00NissanNinja]

That's great to hear he is making some great progress!

[chef]

Yea Baby
Great news,keep it up!

[ninjabrewer]

I just found this post, and have spent the last half hour reading it. I am so glad the he is recovering and getting better. Keep it up Kevin,

nb

[JohnnyBravo]

Sweet!!!

[coolbreeze]

This is great news. I had been following this on the zx6r board and forgot to come here for the latest updates. Keep On Keeping On!

[c-dog]

Excellent to hear the news! I am glad he is doing better!

[jmgrande]

Get better Kevin! Glad to hear he's doing better!

[Trailerboy531]

So to give a little update guys.

Kevin has woken up from his coma; if that wasn't entirely clear before. He recognizes his friends and family, remembers things we've done in the past, and still has great manners! Just as exciting - he is also able to speak now. He recognized me the moment I walked in to the room and we had a nice chat, it was probably one of the coolest moments of my life.

He doesn't remember his accident at all, can't move his left arm still but does feel a large amount of pain his forearm. So much so that he seems to shut down and stop talking or reacting much when the pain kicks in.

What's exciting to me is he still has a lot of little mannerisms that only those close with him would recognize. His personality is definitely still there, he speaks like he used to with the same verbage, etc. albeit at a much slower pace for now.

Kevin still has a very long road ahead of him but just to see him at this point was enough to make my entire week. Please continue to keep him in your thoughts.

[OCMagnum]

Awesome news; thanks for sharing Max!!

Go Kevin!

[csmith12]

[Singh2jz]

Keep the updates coming! Glad to hear he's doing better and better..hang in there Kevin!

[ninjabrewer]

That is great news.

nb

[greenaero]

Great news!! Thanks for the update Max. We'll the prayers coming .

[KawiKid860]

Thanks for this update! Sooo glad to see this! Hope he continues to make this epic progress, what a lucky guy and what luck for everyone close to him and even all of us here on the site.

[tazz]

Just went through this entire thread.
Hang in there buddy.
Warm wishes from half a world away.

[THE BIG SITT]

Can we get an update?!

[massacremasses]

He is coherent. Im sure he will be on before too long.

[Trailerboy531]

I just spent the other day chatting with Kevin and a bunch of his friends. He's doing well in therapy and has a potential release date in mid-December. He still can't move his left arm and has no feeling in it except for continuous pain on varying levels.

I think the pain is good, some sort of sensation is better than nothing. He suffered a large amount of nerve damage in that arm from the trauma.

His memory seems to be functioning quite well. He's bored all day in the hospital and ready to get on with life. Hopefully he will be able to update on here himself soon!

[hirubhaiambani]

I'm happy that the updates about Kevin continue to get better and better

[ally99]

I was amazed by how great he looked and sounded! I had a wonderful time visiting with him!