<p>Thank you for the updates. How wonderful that his vision is fine. I hope he gets the help he needs for pain. It is a long road ahead for all of you – it may be that next week will suddenly be harder than you thought as you struggle with anger and depression and your son faces new hurdles in healing. Please post if it helps. Prayers and blessings to you and yours.</p>
<p>JDjaguar, I’m thinking of you and your family now. I’m just sitting here in a hospital waiting room, waiting for my husband’s colonoscopy. Reminded me of you and your family, in another hospital, in much more stressful circumstances. Peace and health to you and your son. Keep posting.</p>
<p>Of course, get some sleeps and post if/when you feel it is helpful. </p>
<p>It doesn;t surprise me that CC parents chimed in to say “keep us posted.” Our children’s triumphs come in many forms – a college acceptance, a college decision among many choices, a horribly wounded college student son coming through surgery alive and with the very worst risks left for the statistics, concerns for his younger brother’s perceptions as he looks forward to starting college soon, too. </p>
<p>Add to that: Dad and Mom’s ability to finally experience a good night’s sleep after days of exhaustion, fear and righteous indignation for their eldest son. </p>
<p>My goodness your entire family has been through the mill, and the road ahead will also be long. Yet in the midst of the worst moments, you thought to wish to others a “Happy Easter” even on your near-impossible day of worry. To me that says a lot about the strength and love you will bring to bear as a dad, to help all (including yourself) get through the coming months of medical and legal activity.</p>
<p>I think a reassuring message to your son would be something like,
you’re doing great; the doctors are giving it their full attention; the family is finding its feet again; the police are on the trail. Everything to leave him free to focus on his own body healing without any worry about others’ roles. Everyone is doing their part tells him he has a team and isn’t alone in that hospital bed. And I guess that’s what this forum can be for you too, perhaps: your team to reassure and be a circle of positive concern to keep YOU strong and positive for him, your wife, your younger son.</p>
<p>Blessings to your recovering son who is now healing. And to his younger brother who must also be breathing much easier today.</p>
<p>A special positive thought for your Dartmouth bound other child. He has the tragedy to his brother and must deal with having the family and his attention on his brother at a time that he might have thought he’d be center stage.</p>
<p>Today is a beautiful day in my neighborhood… I sound like Mr. Rogers, but it is true. I hope it is true for you as well. Nothing like a sunny day to lift the spirits–except for hearing good news about a beloved child’s surgery. And feeling rested and ready to take up burdens again. </p>
<p>I note that your son was only weeks away from graduating. I hope that his college is doing everything to enable him to graduate on time with the rest of his class even if he is not marching. </p>
<p>You must have myriad things to deal with. It is so wonderful of you to keep us posted.</p>
<p>jdjaguar,
Keep posting as long as you need to. We’re here. You have your priorities straight – he’s alive, he can see, you have your S close to you.</p>
<p>jdjaguar, please don’t feel like you can not post! Know that your cc “family” is here for you. Hopeully today will be a little bit better then yesterday.</p>
<p>Just got off the phone w/ S.</p>
<p>He is steadily improving…but the pain remains…docs have understandably
weaned him off the hard stuff and he now relies on percocet.</p>
<p>Good news…his gf has been a real trooper manning the phones…talking to all his profs
and group classmates…S is cleared by 2 profs to graduate…3rd prof said he needed to take a test…but he could skip it and get a B in the class…S is going to take the test when he is able to grab that last A.</p>
<p>GF is out getting his cap and gown.</p>
<p>S fully plans on walking at graduation in 10 days.</p>
<p>Finally, yours truly just finished S taxes for him and S will be getting $$$$ back.</p>
<p>Thats it for now…billion things up in the air.</p>
<p>maybe a few less than a billion after today!</p>
<p>regards to all.</p>
<p>Such great positive news. Having graduation to look forward to I’m sure is lifting his spirits. He is lucky to have such a great support system from family and friends. Here’s hoping for more and more good news.</p>
<p>I can’t imagine the rush of emotions you and your W will feel seeing that wonderful kid walk on graduation day! What a great update, continued best wishes to your family.</p>
<p>My goodness, you were able to handle doing his taxes during this time as well??! That’s why they invented extensions! But how nice it’s all done and he’s getting $$$ back. He should blow it on something frivolous as soon as he’s able!</p>
<p>That is so awesome that he can graduate on time and a very encouraging sign that he wants to take a test–that is a very good sign that he is keeping his energy level high and not giving into depression. Also, congratulations and well done to the GF for taking care of all these things. Is she graduating as well?</p>
<p>Wow walking at graduation in 10 days - what a goal to shoot for. Sounds like that boy of yours is a gutsy kid. I bet there will be lots of tears that day (to add to the ones I am shedding just reading your post today). {{{Hugs}}}</p>
<p>^^^ VERYHAPPY</p>
<p>actually…thats what they invented turbo-tax for!</p>
<p>Trust me, had he owed money I would have filed for an extension!</p>
<p>I just booked a cruise to the Carribean for the whole family in July to give him (and us)something else to look forward to…GF as well.</p>
<p>2 sons graduating…1 from HS…the other college (fingers crossed)</p>
<p>you only live once.</p>
<p>Oh wow! What a trooper your son is to want to grab one last A and march with his class, his head held high. Great GF, too. But if headaches are a continuing issues, I would settle for the B. When my SIL had her brain surgery, I was firmly told not to ask her for help doing cross-word puzzles as trying to concentrate was not good for her. What some profs will do is to make up a special exam for students who need to take it under different circumstances. Your S would not have to take it with the rest of the class and it could be a different format (less stress on memorization, for instance).
Good of you to manage to do the taxes despite all the worries and distractions. S2 did his early and already got a refund from the state.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Believe it, live it!!!</p>
<p>One last update…</p>
<p>On the legal front…</p>
<p>Detectives are due to arrive at S’s house in 10-15 minutes.</p>
<p>retribution phase.</p>
<p>Does the S stand for Suspect?!?!?!</p>
<p>And what a great GF…</p>
<p>It is understandable that you want to walk the streets with a cold eye, but I hope it is not for very long. On that street, in addition to the five who were so merciless, are the ten, the hundred, the thousand, the tens of thousands, who, if they knew your sorrow, would weep with you, and when you shared the triumph, would cheer. </p>
<p>The five are outnumbered, but you are not, for on your side, you have everyone who has shed a tear, everyone whose heart skipped a beat, everyone who cried out like a wounded animal when they read your initial post, everyone who prayed, everyone who paused to hold your son, you, your family, in thought, the doctors who literally held your son’s face in their hands and so carefully and skillfully put it back together, the caregivers who tend to him.</p>
<p>What comes out of tragedy is stronger than tragedy: it is love, care, compassion – it is the best of humanity. That is not to say that tragedy is good; of course it is not. But what is good is our response to it, the capacity to share, to empathize, to weep when that is needed and then to encourage, to cheer, to rejoice, should later events call for it.</p>
<p>Keep your cold eye for the five. Please turn your glad eye toward the rest; there are so many more of them!</p>
<p>(And some of them may look good in bathing suits! Enjoy your cruise!! 
)</p>
<p>I am in awe of your sons spirit. And his girlfriend sounds like a keeper. I hope that the detectives, or hosptial, will provide a victims advocate and/or social worker for S to talk with as well as the detectives.</p>
<p>I am also in awe of your clear thinking of taking your family on a cruise. A safe, secure enviroment with those he loves will surely be healing. </p>
<p>Cheering on you, your son and all who love him from down in Texas.</p>