Thank You!

I have been meaning for some time to post a thank you to everyone who has supported Jacob and the rest of us through this last month. I have to say it really seems like it has been a much longer process than it has, but the love and support we've received from everyone has eased the way immensely. This is long overdue, but I wanted to recognize everyone in a single post to try to convey some idea of the overwhelming level of support we've received. The problem has been that the list of contributors won't stop growing.

So here goes, thanks to...

Friends and Neighbors

Lori Matley drove us to the high school graduation ceremony and saved us a huge parking headache.

Brian, Tina, Kayla and Will for the get well wishes and welcome home banner awaiting Jake on his return from the hospital.

Becky and Rick from next door for the Jamba Juice gift card. Being a pharmacist, Rick is Denise's go to person for any prescription related Q&A.

Susan from across the street who served us a delicious chicken and pasta dinner.

Bev and Gary Voechting, another Jamba Juice gift card and the plant potted in a bicycle helmet was too funny.

Gina and Giovanna for the beautiful company and fabulous barbacoa.

Laura and Jerry for the visit and well wishes. Laura turned us on to Muscle Milk and went out of her way to deliver a batch. (We have since been able to pass that favor along to a neighbor whose brother-in-law is on a liquid diet while recovering from Guillain-Barré Syndrome.)

Mike, Jane and Michael for lunch at the Yardhouse, Jake's first venture out into public after the hospital.

Everyone who's posted well wishes to the blog especially to Lia and family for their international get well wishes.

Nick's friend Amanda for visiting and helping to entertain Jacob, including providing his first opportunity to get back behind the wheel after leaving the hospital.

Jake's buddies Pendar, Brandon, Giovanna, Ryan, JD, Keith, Mike for keeping him company and providing entertainment in the form of video games, trips to the movies, getting him out of the house and everything else they've done.

Larry and Alma Pim for everything from babysitting Leo, driving Nick to the airport, keeping an eye on our house, the occasional (OK, frequent) offering of beverage, housecleaning before Jake's return from the hospital, shopping trips, pit barbecued pork ribs and probably a dozen other things. (Of course, they owed me for surgery performed on Guns, but I think they overdid it. I probably should keep quiet about that, I could get in trouble for practicing veterinary medicine without a license!) Oh, for those who have not met him, Guns is the short one in the following picture. That's Jake on the right, his brother Nick and Nick's friend Alex prior to the Prom in 2006.

And thanks to Donovan Pim for the loaning Jake his sippy cup.

Jake's School

Jake's high school counselor, Debbie Searl, for her kind words and the entire Chaparral High School Class of 2009 for their recognition of Jacob at the graduation ceremony.

Jerry Lance and the Grad Night team for remembering Jake at the After Party, the get well card and gifts.

Our Co-Workers

All my friends and co-workers at The Toro Company both in Riverside and Minnesota and everyone who contributed to the flowers and the care package; cloths, magazines, games, snack foods, medical supplies, general anesthetic (scotch and wine), t-shirts, and Visa gift cards!

Linda and her husband Chris for a fabulous homemade Italian dinner complete right down to the bottle of red.

Barb and Jeff and Clint and Cris and Melinda and Phil and the entire GM team and everyone else who has expressed their concern and offered assistance.

Special thanks to Bill and Donna for the great support that they've given throughout this thing.

My staff, Richard and Michael, and my boss Tim for carrying the load while I have been slacking off.

Denise's co-workers at the Visiting Nurses of Inland Counties for their much appreciated gift and for their support and understanding. She is grateful as well to her patients who have all been so concerned and understanding in her absence having been through their own life altering illnesses and traumas. A big thanks to Suzanne for being her go-to nurse for all her questions about feeding syringes, narcotics, rashes and supporting her in her inevitable "melt-down."

Honorable Mention

The distillers of Glenfiddich scotch, Maker's Mark bourbon, Cazadores tequila and the Stone Brewing Company (makers of Ruination IPA) all of whom contributed an occasional opportunity to unwind. Stone in particular, brewing just down the road in Escondido, CA, allowed me to "Think Globally but Drink Locally."

Medical Staff

I tend to bitch about my little pet peeves surrounding the medical establishment, but the care that Jake receives is really excellent. Everyone has been fantastic; the doctors, nurses, technicians, aides, et al of the Loma Linda Medical Center, especially those in Neurosurgery and Trauma, intermediate care- Unit 8200. I don't know how they felt about Denise, Nick and I being around 24/7, but if we were an irritant to them they never let on.

Family

Leo for unabashed affection and the occasional comic relief.

Jake's Grandma (my Mom) for the love and support and the stuffed bear (which actually turned out to be a pretty good makeshift neck brace).

Denise's sister Pam for the visit and care package.

Nick, for being the good boy that he is, helping with shifts at the hospital, shuttling Denise and me all over the place and being there to receive my occasional email rant venting all my frustrations.

My sisters Terry, Linda, Jean, Kathy and Jackie, for the Ghost Busters video game and everything else. They have helped with everything from words of support to visiting with Jake at home and the hospital, sitting with us through the surgery, cleaning our house, caring for the garden, feeding us, keeping Mom up to date on the blog (she's not online) and staying with Jake so that Denise and I could get back to work. Terry even contacted people in her network from her career at SDSU to get us help in managing Jake's admission to Humboldt State, should it become necessary to defer his enrollment.

Special Recognition

Ryan, Brandt, Chase for getting Jake the help he needed to survive the crash.

I cannot begin to express how much all the support has been appreciated.

Thank You All So Much!

We have had so much help from so many people that I may have inadvertently missed someone and, if so, I sincerely apologize. Please feel free to remind me.

I hope you will understand when I say that my greatest wish for all of you is that I will never have the opportunity to return this particular favor.