More small steps

I think from here on out there may not be as much to update as frequently as there has been. Obviously, Clare's most exciting updates are yet to come, but from what the doctors and nurses are saying, the brain takes a long time to heal so her progress could continue pretty slowly. She did take another small step today on her long road to recovery-she opened her eyes on her own! The nurse opened her eyes to check her pupils (like they do quite frequently) and after they shut, Clare opened them up wide again. She opened them up 2 more times, then we couldn't get her to do it anymore. Her eyes weren't focused on anything, but at least we know she is reacting to some stimulation even if she's not physically reacting to verbal cues quite yet.

Kris is doing much better. All his tubes are gone...finally! Today was better with managing pain. They found an oral pain pill that seems to work better-now he just needs to remember to take it and keep on top of the pain. He walked a few laps with the physical therapist, and he says walking is getting much easier. As I was leaving Clare for the night, I swung by Kris' room and found out he hadn't seen Clare tonight, so we got him in the wheelchair and wheeled him up there. He visited for a good 30 minutes, gave her a kiss goodnight, and went back to his room.

We are still praying for quick progress, but at the same time we recognize the timing is in the Lord's hands and Clare will wake up when she is ready. Meanwhile, Kris is getting stronger so he can take care of Clare whenever that time comes.

Holding-

Yesterday was a very busy day. Clare finished up her surgeries, had most of her tubes pulled, and is resting comfortably. They are waiting for the brain swelling to go down and for her to decide when it is time to wake up. This is her timetable and has nothing to do with what we want. That is the hard part. We don't know how long it will take her to re-wire the damaged parts of her brain to be healthy enough to wake up. After that it may take even longer to relearn things. We just don't know.

For Kris he is determined to get out of this place. They took most all of his tubes out including the one giving him pain medication. Today will be a test to see if they can get the medications right so that he can tolerate the pain.

This blog was initially set up to get information to you. Now, Kris is able to read (and hopefully Clare will soon) and gain strength from your well wishes. Please join those that have already left comments, and let them know of your love and support for them.

Surgery

So here I am waiting outside the operating room. They took Clare in just after 10:00 this morning. Since then I have spent an hour or so with Kris. He did get his tube out this morning and I think he is trying to outdo his therapists when they do laps round his floor. He reminds me of a 90 year old man trying to run. Just a little hunched over because of pain but very determined to get somewhere. He is trying so hard to get well. I hope he paces himself and doesn't wear himself out. It is not set on when he will get out of the hospital, but it might be by the end of the week. That is just amazing as I think back on where we were a week ago.

The doctor spent time with me this morning reviewing just what he was going to repair on Clare and how. I don't think she is going to like the 2 new studs that will stick out of her pelvis that will be connected together in order to keep the front of her pelvis stable (they call them external fixators). They will stay in place 4 to 6 weeks until the bones are set.

Last week we met a family that came in about the same time as we did. Their daughter also had a serious pelvis injury. Her pelvis was fractured in 16 places. The initial word for her was that she would never walk again. We saw their grief and pain. Today I talked with the mom and learned that the daughter was walking with her pieced together pelvis and external fixators. They do work miracles here.

The doctor came out at 12:15 pm and gave me pictures. The screws they used are longer than any I own. One of them must be 9 inches long. From the picture I should call them bolts. The orthopedic surgeon said that surgery went well.

The Doctor doing her Tracheotomy came out and said it went well and Clare is resting. I will now go and spend time with her. Thank you for all of your prayers and love. I know both Clare and Kris appreciate it more than they will ever be able to express. I know we do.

3:45 pm update. Clare is resting well. Anesthetic takes longer to wear off in people with head injuries and I have a feeling she will sleep comfortably the rest of the day. They are going to take the brain drain out this afternoon. They feel they don't need it any more and it has been in as long as they like to leave them in.

Monday Monday

Clare has the most "stuff" to talk about today. Her vital statistics are slightly better than yesterday. Her heart beat is down and her ICP (Intracranial Pressure) has been moving all over. It used to be quite stable and crept up gradually but now it moves quite a bit. One theory is that she is more aware so her brain responds more to stress and other stimuli. She definitely has the furrowed brow we all know and love. Tomorrow they will fix her pelvis and do a tracheotomy. When they first told us to think about a tracheotomy, it felt like someone punched me in the stomach; I felt sick. But the more I have read about it and talked with the doctors and nurses, we think this is the best thing for her recovery. She is gagging and coughing more today and the tubes down her throat are not helping. The longer the tubes are down her throat the more damage they will do. The only downside to a tracheotomy is the small scar she will have on her throat, but there are many advantages to doing it and it will be more comfortable for her. Surgery is scheduled for 10:00am and should last 2 to 3 hours.

Kris continues to work hard at mending, it's just a slow process. He went through all the pain and preparation to be wheeled down to see Clare today just in time to see her moved out for x-rays. He could not wait for her to come back so he missed his visit with her today. The physical therapy wears him out and he would like to get more sleep, but the noise of the hospital keeps him from getting good rest. He should get his chest tube out tomorrow. He is making great progress.

We are so grateful for so many people that are giving us their love and support. Keep Clare and Kris in all of your prayers.

Moving Day

Annette stayed in Provo last night and I went home to care for things there. She came home for church and after sacrament meeting I left and come back to Provo. We are trying to tag team more keep our bases covered.

When I got to the ICU, the only thing in Kris's room was the cleaning crew. It was bitter sweet thinking that this cute couple was going to be separated now. After checking on Clare, I visited Kris in his new room. I thought leaving the ICU would be an upgrade. Little did I know that the ICU is the Hilton, and regular rooms are more like a Motel 6. He is making great progress and looks so much better than the day before. He still doesn't like his orange jello much. Hopefully he can order what he wants off the menu now that he is out of the ICU. They are having physical therapy work with him to get him up and around. He needs to get his breathing stronger. Ribs take a long time to feel better and there really isn't much they can do. The shoulder will take therapy as well.

Clare is resting better today. The blood clots seem to be causing less stress for her. Her respiratory therapist seemed pleased that she was progressing so fast. Her pulse is lower than yesterday. They are also draining less fluid off her brain. This is good if they can keep the brain pressure where they want it. So far they are pleased with how things are going. We think she is past the swelling phase and we are moving to the healing/shrinking phase. The CT Scan on her head was about the same as it has been.

It looks like her pelvis surgery will be Tuesday and they will remove the brain drain the following day. At least that is the most recent plan. . . until it changes.

Roller Coast Ride

We have been told to expect some good days and some bad days. This has been a good day for Kris, and a not so good day for Clare. Good news first.

Kris has walked around the block a couple of times (that's the ICU block which is about 60 yards), he even stopped in to visit Clare! This is kind-of like dating all over again. He is eating...and trying to keep the food down. Kris is enjoying his visits from loved ones and is in great spirits. He is suffering from headaches, feeling pain from his shoulder, and tires easily. He has one chest tube remaining, but he is making tremendous progress. We are all happy to see him doing so well.

Clare has some blood clots that have moved to her lungs. She has been struggling with tachycardia, her pulse is up around 160 -170 again. The neurosurgeon came in and took a look, was concerned and ordered a scan of her lungs. The results of the scan came back indicating some clots in one of her lungs. As soon as the clots were identified, they prepared the operating room, and had Clare in for a quick procedure to place a Vena Cava Filter. The filter is placed in the main vein from her lower body in order to catch any additional clots that may form and keep them from getting into the lungs. We will have to wait for the existing clots in her lung to dissolve. The process of dissolving clots would go faster if Clare could have blood thinners, but she will not be able to have blood thinners until the swelling in the in her head goes down.

Please keep the prayers coming...

One Week Update- ICU Visitations

Last Saturday night we got the call no one wants to get. So much has happened this past week. I think I can speak for the Olcott's and Mabey's that we are overwhelmed with the outpouring of love and support from all of you. Thank you.

Having such a tremendous support structure for our families is what is helping us get through. A more difficult side to having such great support is that so many want to come and see Kris and Clare right now. The rules for the ICU are in place to help them get well and I have been asked by more than one nurse to keep the visitors to a minimum. The rules for the ICU are immediate family only and then only 2 to 3 at a time. If Kris continues to improve, he will be released from the ICU in a couple of days and moved to another floor where the visitation policy is much more relaxed. Even children can come then. I hope this does not offend any loving family or friends but now is not the time for visitors unless you want to talk with parents in the lobby. They will both need your help when rehab starts.

Today Kris WALKED over to Clare's room. Yes I said he walked. He is one strong willed man and nothing is going to keep him from getting well so he can take care of his wife. He has a very positive attitude and his faith is strong. He is tired and likes to sleep when he can.

We are still waiting on Clare. Everything has pretty much gone as we have been told it would. She sleeps and heals in this comatose state. We keep her room very quiet and sometimes I feel like a centurion posted here to protect her. Kris is wanting to take over this post as soon as he can. Today her heart rate has risen quite a bit and they do not know what is causing this. Guess what. . . we are going to run more tests to make sure this is just a blip and not a trend. So many tests have been false alarms. We are grateful we have such attentive care givers.

Your prayers are still needed as much as they ever have been. We have seen miracles for both Clare and Kris. We are so glad Kris has made much progress in the last couple of days, but he still has a long way to go and he is in a lot of pain. He needs to get well so he can take care of Clare.

This morning the neuro surgeon said they will schedule Clare's pelvis surgery for Monday. The orthopedic doctor then came by and said he does surgeries on Tuesday. I will let them work this out.

Our South Jordan Ward is having a special fast for them both tomorrow.

Another Good Day

I failed to mention that Kris's left ear was torn and needed to be stitched back together. They did that today. The nurses also had several talks with Kris about the reality of the situation and Clare's condition. He handled the news better than we thought. Right now I believe we are all filled with gratitude that Clare is alive and recognize the miracles that have got us this far. Kris is no different. One of the first things that came out of Kris's mouth when he could talk yesterday was "Please give Clare a blessing." I told him that we did give her a blessing as soon as she got here. Kris said to give her another blessing saying "I know that the only way she will get well is through the Priesthood." He instructed me, his dad, Casey and his friend Josh to go give Clare a blessing. We did. We gave them both another blessing.

When the time came this afternoon the nurses put Kris into a wheelchair and wheeled him to Clare's room. It was only Kris, Clare and the 2 nurses. They spent about 10 minutes together holding hands. We don't know what happened, but they were together and Kris is once again the strength we all need to get Clare better. He is truly a rock and I grow to love him more every day.

We have learned that it is very common and even expected for those with brain swelling to experience seizures. The nurses have been expecting them to come and the nurse today said she was a little surprised that Clare has not had them. Today she had her first little seizure followed by another, so they started anti-seizure medicine which should stop any more from happening.

Clare's air tubes are on the "CPAP" setting. This means that she is breathing on her own and is getting the same kind of assistance that many people get at home each night to help them sleep better. Her brain fluid discharge is still going down ever so slightly and has held pretty constant for the last 4 days. The good thing is that it has not increased. We expect and are praying for those fluid levels to decrease and ICP (inner cranial pressure) to remain low. Because Clare's vital signs are all where they want them to be, and because the pelvis injury appears to not be causing any internal bleeding or other complications, the neuro surgeon wants to wait until next week to fix the pelvis. I couldn't agree with him more. Give Clare every moment she can to heal.

It was another good day. We need more.

Kris is talking, and talking, and . . .

They were successful in helping reduce some of Kris's pain and they removed his breathing tube. At first it sounded like a donkey braying when he tried to talk. They told him not to hurt himself and that he didn't need to talk. But Kris had been silent for 5 days and he had ground to make up. At first he was pretty emotional and what we originally feared came to fruition. He wanted Clare and he was not easy to console. It was time for the changing of nurses and we were required to leave for a couple of hours. We told Kris that we would come back later and left. When we got the chance to go back and see him, it was a different Kris. I have only known Kris since last October but he has never been one to talk much. The strong silent type. He now was making up for lost time. It was probably the anesthetic he was coming off of that removed his inhibitions. He was talking and talking and cracking jokes. And he was funny! Several of us said that what ever he was taking we wanted some of it. It was so good to see him laugh, even though it hurt his ribs when he laughed. Today was a good day. I hope we have more good days to come.

Reality & Crash Report

By now you understand that we really don't know what is going on. The next test, scan, or lab work changes the thoughts of those caring for our kids. What I did get from this mornings talks with the doctors is that they are very pleased that all of Clare's pressures and levels that they can measure and attempt to manage are staying in optimal ranges. She is experiencing an excellent environment in which to heal herself. What we do not know is the extent of the damage that is done, and from what the doctors have said, she has serious shearing damage. There is no way of knowing what this means until she wakes up. For now, her neuro surgeon does not want to do anything that might disturb this optimal environment he has created, so no surgery today for Clare... unless they change their mind.

They took one chest tube out of Kris this morning and this afternoon they put in an epidural to block the pain from his chest down. They are waiting for the results of ex rays to make sure everything is in the right place, and before long they hope to be able to remove the breathing tubes. We hope that we will be able to better communicate with Kris, but we need to keep our expectations in line for he is weak and still experiencing a lot of pain. What we do believe is that things for Kris are about to change and we hope it is all for the better.

We got the report from the county rescue team that investigated the accident. We have pictures of the crash site and a video. I will post a couple of the pictures so you can see the type of terrain that they crashed in. Any editorial I give would be part speculation so I will let the pictures speak for themselves. From their estimation, the vehicle was traveling about 35mph when it left the road and flew down the mountainside.

Generous Friends- Account Established

We have no any idea what financial demons these two kids will face. Both being here in the hospital and not able to work for an unknown period of time. We know they have friends who's minds are thinking clearer than ours. Co-workers and friends have set up an account at Zions Bank for those that would like to help. This will help them with house and car payments and other unknown things until they can get on their feet. What a blessed world we live in when we have friends.

For those that would like to contribute you can go to any Zions Bank and ask for the Kristopher Olcott Donation Account.

Holding Steady

Kris looked really good today, he even had a shave. Although he looks much better, he is still in a lot of pain. They let him sleep mostly, but every now and again he will wake up and open those beautiful brown eyes. Once he opens those eyes you can see the pain and a glimpse of reality set in. His first concern is about Clare. Although he cannot say a word, this hands are busy trying to communicate with us. We emphasize that everything is OK and he needs to get well.

They are keeping Kris' shoulder iced to prevent the swelling. Almost all the tubes are gone, except for his breathing tube and chest tubes. He is scheduled to get an epidural to control the pain, then they can cut down the pain meds and let him wake up. It will be bitter sweet to have him awake and alert.

For Clare, today was quiet...almost too quiet for me. Yesterday she was moving a bit, and showing some feistiness, today she was quiet and passive. We had been warned not to expect improvement everyday, and to expect some bad days. I wouldn't consider today a bad day, but a little disconcerting to not have any progress. At one point it was hard to get her cranial pressure down to the desired level, and the nurse became concerned. She immediately called the doctor and asked him to order an immediate CAT scan. Within a few minutes, they were rolling her down for the scan and we had about an hour of intense worrying. The scan came back as unchanged from the previous one. I guess today is just a day to hold steady and to be grateful that it wasn't a bad day. There was one improvement, it looks like the fluid coming off of Clare's brain was slightly reduced today. I guess we will take what we can get.

Clare has a "reservation" for surgery tomorrow. We hope that she is well enough to do it.

I concur with Clark...be specific in your prayers. For Clare, please pray for the swelling in her brain to go down. For Kris, he needs some relief from the pain so that he can start breathing on his own.

We remain hopeful. "Hope is the dream of a soul awake."

Baby Steps

I will start with Clare today. She really has not changed from yesterdays report. 2 days ago they drained 300ml of fluid from her brain. Yesterday they drained 270ml. We are at the window of most risk for swelling so to see that the fluids seem to be decreasing is a positive sign. It is possible that we will maintain this level or it could go up or down. This is a waiting game now. From what we have been told, when the swelling is over the amount of discharge can drop significantly and suddenly. What we need now are specific prayers. We need Clare's brain to heal and the amount of fluid coming off her brain to decrease. Please be specific in your prayers for that is what we need now. If her fluid output can get down to 60ml then they will feel much better about putting her under to do her pelvic surgery.

Because Clare has head injuries they will not give her blood thinners. Because she is immobile and has had bruising all over her body they are concerned about blood clots. Today or tomorrow they will be implanting a filter in a main vein going into the heart to catch any clots that may form in her lower body. After they are no longer concerned about brain swelling and can give her blood thinners, they will remove the filter.

Kris is recovering from his shoulder surgery. They are letting him come out of medication more and more and it is obvious he is in a lot of pain. They tried letting him breath without the ventilator this morning and it was very painful for him. 7 broken ribs that you are laying on must hurt a lot to breath. They asked him if he wanted it turned back on and he shook his head yes. They will try it again in a day or two. Rod and I were standing by him when he had his eyes open and was trying to communicate. He clearly mouths the words "help me" over and over. He tries to write the name Clare in the air and we tell him that Clare is doing great and he needs to get well so they can be together. The doctors and nurses have counseled us not to talk about the other one in the presence of the other one (that did not make sense but I am operating with little sleep and am completely confused. I hope it at least makes these notes more entertaining). I have noticed that if I just say the name Kris around Clare, her monitor will spike and her heart rate increases. Neither of them are very conscious, but on a sub level thay know some of what is going on. We have to step out in the hall when we want to talk about a lot of things.

There should not be much more to tell today. I will update things Thursday unless there is something amazing to tell.

Live righteously, request miracles, claim blessings. We need all of you to work on this for us.

Tuesday Night- 2nd Surgery down one more to go

About 3:30 this afternoon they came and took Kris to have his shoulder fixed. It seemed like he was gone a long time but in reality it was less than 3 hours. The surgeon met with us all in the waiting room and showed us ex rays of how he had repaired Kris's shoulder. He thinks he should be able to have full function of his arm, given time. The next step for Kris is rest and recovery. If things go according to plan, he may be able to have the air tube removed tomorrow afternoon and then it will be possible to communicate with him. We are all very excited and concerned about this next big step. We all want to talk with Kris and love him and do all we can to help. But we all know Kris. If he can talk and is allowed to come out of his medicated state, it is going to be very hard keeping him from trying to get to Clare. Rod said that this is what he fears right now. How do we keep Kris in his bed, recovering when he will be determined to find Clare. And what will it do to him when he sees her in the state she is in. We think it will be therapeutic for them both at some point in time. We just are not sure when that time is.

Clarissa continues to improve. When anyone asks how either of them are doing, the natural answer is that they are doing great. What you must understand is that they are doing great compared to the day before. Everything is relative to the day before. What we feel very blessed for is that we see improvement each day. Today Clare is very restless. Twice she opened one eye and strained to try to see but she just was not conscious enough to do it. She does not like the restraints holding her down. She is going to have one large left bicep when this is all over with the curls she is doing against the restraints holding down her left arm. Her arm is bruised and looks like it hurts, but she won't stop trying to get her arm free. She moves her legs and bends her knee so that it is propped straight up in bed. She is quickly agitated when there are voices in the room and it is apparent that she is not very far under anymore. The goal for her is to keep her quiet for another couple of days so the risk for brain swelling is decreased. Then they can schedule the surgery to repair her shattered pelvis. Today they are not needing to drain as much fluid from her brain as yesterday to maintain the pressure they want. Lets hope this continues.

If you cant see the hand of God in the miraculous things that have happened since the accident, then you don't know the details. So many blessings large and small keep the ball rolling toward recovery. As Kris's mom Char has said several times the past few days, "If God didn't want these kids to recover he would not be making so many things go right. It has got to be his will for them to get better." I believe she is right. Please keep your prayers and faith alive.

Tuesday Morning

Kris had some significant consciousness last night. For about 5 minutes he and Rod (his dad) were able to communicate. Rod said that Kris would write letters in the air trying to get him to understand that he wanted Clare. When Rod would say "You want Clare," then Kris would nod his head. With all the tubes in his mouth and throat all he could do was try to mouth the words "help me." Rod said they kept up this exchange for about 5 minutes. Kris is still on schedule to have his shoulder operated on this afternoon. Every time we talk to someone they give us a different time so we are not sure when it will happen.

Clare's neuro surgeon is suppose to be one of the best in the country. He gave the ok to have her pelvis fixed with conditions. She cannot be put under for more than 2 hours, her head must stay elevated, and need to try to keep her blood pressure up. The orthopedic surgeon thought he could do that if everything went right, but to protect her brain he decided to wait a couple of more days to let her brain heal more. They are currently draining about 300ml of fluid off her brain each day and would like that to decrease significantly to reduce the swelling risk. Now they think the surgery may be Thursday or Friday when they will try to fix her pelvis.

The alarm in the hall went off this morning and startled Clare. She really started thrashing in her bed and chewing on the tubes in her mouth. I looked over her and could see that she was trying to open her eyes. Her left eye was open an 8th of an inch and her eyeball was moving. She really was struggling and moving her head trying to get her eyes open. She responded somewhat to hand squeezes and telling her we were there and we loved her. She eventually calmed down and fell back asleep. They have told us that brain swelling makes you very tired and that is what makes it hard to wake up. The goal right now is to be real quiet and let her sleep and her brain mend during this first 7 to 10 days. Then the swelling risk will be reduced and we can start trying to get her to respond.

Early Morning Update

We came home last night to see our younger kids and to make sure all was well at home. We have been told that this will be a long marathon event and that we need to start pacing ourselves in order to be ready when Clare and Kris will need us. It is hard leaving the hospital, but the care they both are receiving is nothing short of outstanding. We could not be more pleased with everyone that is involved in the care of our two kids.

We have been blessed beyond our wildest expectations with an outpouring of love from every source. The doctors that have been assigned to Kris and Clare are some of the most renown surgeons and specialist in the country.

I called the nurses station at about 4:30am and they said both of them were stable and doing well. The doctors will concur at their rounds this morning to determine if they go ahead with Clare's pelvic surgery this morning. Kris is still scheduled for this afternoon, but there is always the possibility of being bumped if something changes.

We are feeling love from so many sources that I did not expect. Employers and coworkers stepping forward with generous love and support, offers of financial assistance to keep their obligations under control while they can not work, there are people dropping by their home throughout the day to make sure everything is alright there. Annette and I are experiencing what it means to be part of a small town. It really means you are part of it... and it is part of you. In just a few short months these two kids have become part of a much larger family that really does take care of its own. I have been able to keep my emotions pretty well under control until I see the love and concern and action from those I did not expect to receive it from. It is truly humbling. I don't know what more I can say. Thank you and keep those prayers coming. We know we are getting the best medical care possible. All the rest depends on blessings from above and the faith of you who are sticking with us. Pray for and expect miracles. That is what we need.

Family Photo August 1, 2011

Quiet Day

The goal today on Clare's wall is: Quiet Day. With a brain injury the first 3 to 10 days, the brain needs time to stop swelling. It is important to keep her quiet today! The nurse told us that in a week or so, we will need lots of stimulation for Clare. I am hoping that everyone will be willing to take a turn entertaining her then.

Clare's wrist surgery went well. The doctor was very pleased with his work. He said it was like putting together an egg shell, but now there is a stable place for her wrist to heal. He reassured me that she should be able to play the piano and the guitar again...So...Kris, she will have no excuse not to play for you!

Her heart rate is down today, it is staying right around 100. That is a huge improvement! She is showing some good responses. You know, trying to pull her tubes out and swatting us away. She was trying to give us the thumbs when the nurse asks her to. She is still in a coma. Her head injuries are considered "shearing" injuries. She has the small bruises through out the brain. There are a couple of larger bruised areas which had small changes over the last day.

They inserted a feeding tube today. We are hoping to get her some needed nutrients. If everything continues to look good today, they will be doing Clare's pelvic surgery tomorrow. It would be nice to get that out of the way as soon as possible.

Kris had some big improvements last night. He is now off of all his heart medications. They have been allowing Kris to wake up for brief periods. He is answering questions by nodding his head, he is intubated, so he cannot talk with us yet. His surgery to repair his shoulder is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. They will probably let him wake up and take out the airtube after he is stabilized from his surgery. Right now, Clare and Kris are on opposite sides of the ward. The nurse indicated that after Kris is unhooked from all his tubes, they may wheel his bed in to her room. I think that would be good for both of them.

Your prayers are all working. Keep them coming!!

August 20:

Clare and her husband Kris had a bad ATV accident around 6:00 pm in Paiute County. They are both in very serious condition. Please keep them in your prayers.

August 21, 11:00 am:

Hey all. Last night was a long night, but Clare and Kris seem to be holding on. The crash happened due to brake failure on the ATV. They were headed from Marysville toward Kanosh.

There were miracles all along the way. First of all they were with a very capable couple. There is no cell phone coverage in the area and dispatch was surprised that they could call in the emergency.  They received cell service right at the right time and help was able to locate them and have someone on scene in about 30 minutes. They fell about 30-40 feet, and an impact from a tree kept them from the next fall which was 600 feet. 

The Paiute County rescue were able to drive their truck near to them and load them onto backboards and drive them out.  Life Flight met the emergency vehicle in route and brought Kris to Utah Valley Medical Center.  Clare was taken to Richfield hospital and after they intubated her (air tube) they flew her to Utah Valley.  We were at the hospital when the helicopter landed with Clare.

Clare has brain injuries, a broken pelvis and a broken wrist. She has been unconscious since the accident. Kris has chest injuries involving bruising of his lungs and heart and a broken shoulder blade (scapula).  He has been in and out of consciousness. Both are still in VERY Serious condition.

We are feeling the prayers of you all! Keep it up!

August 21, 2:29 pm-Clare is in surgery now

This is the latest update. They decided to operate on Clare's wrist today. It is her right wrist, and it is broken across both bones. She must have taken a pretty hard hit, since there are shattered pieces. They moved up the operation because when they unwrapped the wrist to change the bandage from the initial bandaging, there was a small puncture wound. The doctors are concerned about infection with any type of wound caused from a bone...so thus the surgery. It could take 30 minutes to multiple hours. It will be nice to get one of many procedures out of the way.

Kris' injuries are more than I initially knew. Along with all the bruising he has 7 broken ribs and a broken scapula. That explains the punctured lungs. They put chest tubes to the lung cavities to help the lungs inflate.  He has been medicated to bring his heart rate down and his pressure up. I have never seen so many tubes out of one person... and I hope to never see it again.

I love these kids so much. It will be a tough road for them for a while. If anyone can pull out of this...I know these two can.

Love you all...I appreciate all the thoughts and prayers your sending our way.

August 21, 6:00 pm

Clare came out of surgery.  Have not heard from the doctor because he is in another surgery.  It was a big night for emergencies last night.  More than our kids coming in on Life Flight...

When Clare came out of surgery, her heart rate was down.  It had been 160 - 190.  Now it is about 130.  The nurse thought that maybe the wrist was causing her more pain than we thought.  Clare is a fighter.  I am counting on her stubborn personality to take over.

Kris will have to have a surgery...probably on Tuesday that will fix his broken scapula.  He needs to have that repaired.  His broken ribs are on the back rather than the front.  Kris is sedated.  Anytime that he starts to regain consciousness, he starts moving around a ton.  We want him to stay still for a while longer.

Please...everyone...wear your helmet!! Protective gear would be good too!  I never want to have anyone else go through what we are experiencing.

I am still praying for more miracles.