Any Updates on Kahuna's Wife

[Keith A]

I wanted to see if anyone had any update on Kahuna's wife. His family has really been on my mind and in my prayers. I love my wife dearly and can't imagine what it would be like to have to deal with such a serious health issue. I do hope that her condition improves -- but if this is not to be, then I hope and pray that Gary and his family can some how find the silver lining.

[alancw3]

i am sure kahuna has alot on his mind, but i am sure he will update us when he can. hopefully it will be good news.

[Keith A]

i am sure kahuna has alot on his mind, but i am sure he will update us when he can. hopefully it will be good news.I wasn't expecting Gary to provide the update himself, but thought there might be someone here that has more direct contact with him.

[CalfeeFly]

Without going into a great deal of detail...she is in a rehab hospital that they are much more pleased with. Her leg isn't working but she used a walker to get out into the fresh air and sunshine. Her bowel and bladder problems are continuing. One hypothesis is her nerves are in "stun mode" where they are alive but not communicating yet. That is the last I've heard.

[Keith A]

Thanks for the update! Please do let us know if you hear anything else.

[Ken Robb]

re: stun mode. An old motorcycling pal got hit by a car from behind while he was stopped for cross traffic and bingo he was a quadraplegic. The good news is after wonderful treatment at the VA Hospital in La Jolla he gradually has been regaining use/control over his body. His hands and legs started coming back quicker than bowel/bladder so I very hopeful in this case as well.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . is to send as much positive mental energy as we can their way, any way we can. So that's what I'm doing!

BBD

[Needs Help]

I've been thinking a lot about Kahuna's wife, too. Her situation is just so frightening. I hope she has some good docs that are able to work their magic on her. Get well soon, Mrs. Kahuna.

[Keith A]

I see that Kahuna just replied to his original post and am taking the liberty of sharing his update on this message thread as well...

A quick update from Kahuna

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Once again I'd like to say thanks to everyone who sent us their kind thoughts and prayers. The past couple of weeks have been hectic for me shuttling back and forth between hospitals and home (via air). However no matter how bad I feel, it doesn't compare to what my brave wife went through. Here's a brief update on her condition starting with the good news.

On Saturday she was discharged from a second hostpital that specializes in spinal cord injuries (SCIs). She's home now and remarkably mobile for someone who is supposed to be neurologically impaired. She can walk short distances with a cane and longer distances with a walker. She's being weaned off sterioids and getting a bit more sleep. This after nearly 8 days of having zero sleep. Also, finally being close to our 3 year old daughter has really helped lift her spirits.

As for her neurological symptoms, they're for the most part the same as I described in my original post, but we do see more movement in her foot which is good. It's slight, but it's a sign that she's moving in the right direction. As well most of the docs we've seen are telling us to remain optimistic. No one can give us any guarantees but we understand that people with worse SCIs than my wife's have recovered. It just can take a long time. We're talking weeks to months. So, we're doing just that - remaining optimistic even under difficult circumstances and once again, everyone's kind thoughts and words have been a terrific source of inspiration. Even in this online space, there's real folks behind those keyboards and to me you're all great friends.

Warmest regards,

Kahuna

[csm]

we'll all continue to pray for your family.

[Kahuna]

Again the response and support from all of you is just amazing. I do feel the positive vibes flowing and just so you know my wife has been a real storm trooper throughout this whole ordeal. After 2 weeks of hospital hell she's home and really trying her utmost to stay postive and optimistic. The back doctor she was seeing before her surgery just returned from vacation and finally had a chance to see her. He made a house call as a mater of fact (how many docs do you know make house calls? :) It turns out he and his family are close friends of ours and he's also a good cycling pal. Well he's got a whole team of people in our local area (PTs, urologists, neurologists) all lined up and ready to help out. She is in good hands, good spirits, and again we're looking forward to better days.

There's something else we learned from this experience; That was the extent of my wife's injury before the operation. The neurosurgeon said he was surprised to find her spinal stenosis much more advanced than her pre-op MRI revealed. No one can say for sure, but there was a possibility that without surgery, she could have taken a simple fall or got into a minor fender bender at a stop light and became one of those rare tragic statistics where a simple accident produced catastrophic results (i.e. parapalegia).

Again we're looking at the bright side. We're doing the necessary rehab and hoping that things clear up in time. Of course I'll keep everyone here posted.

On another note, I've not been totally out of the cycling mindset. I watched Paris Roubaix on Sunday and was as shocked as everyone to see GH's awful dismount. I find it amazing that somehow, without handlebars, he still managed to direct his fall away from the cobbles. And they said Lance was a good bike handler?

I've been off the bike for a few weeks but started a new job that will allow me to train at lunch. Can't wait to start.

Take care all!

-Kahuna

[Keith A]

Kahuna,

Thanks so much for taking time to provide an update. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with you and your family and we are all glad to hear that there has been improvement. I'm also happy to hear that you have a good support team of docs, PT, etc. This can indeed make a big difference.

I know from personal experience that recovery from major surgery can take quite some time. I had ACL reconstruction several years ago and at first it seemed liked things would never be the same again. For me, it took more than a year before I felt really good again and was able to participate in the activities that I enjoy. I will say that my knee is not the same as it was before and don't expect that it will ever be -- but this has not decreased my quality of life and it is just something that I have to deal with now.

Take care my friend.