Saunders Excellent Adventures: Alaska January 2013

Jon had the opportunity to go to Alaska for a visit with "the brothers". He was between work contracts, and we were happy it was going to get to go visit for a week. He flew to Anchorage, early on Monday, January 14th. He stayed with Roger, Kristy and Chelsea.

Jon didn't have to work, but everyone else did -- but they switched up their schedules and made time to play and spend time doing fun, winter, guy-stuff.

Roger on the ATV ond the river bank.

Roger and Kristy live in a community that has a gate down to the river, so riding the ATV's was definitely on the agenda!

Beautiful

Scenes.....gorgeous!

Is that a happy man or what?

Jon

They went down on the river bank several times....

On Wednesday, January 16th, Jon, Roger and Craig went down to the river to shoot the guns. They rode the ATV's a couple of miles in and set up some targets.

First they shot the assault rifle.

This is what the back of the tree looked like after they shot the assault rifle.

This is where they were on the river. When they were finished shooting the rifle, they were going to switch to pistols. They were coming back from checking the targets -- Those of you who were there, please correct me if I get the details wrong -- cause I wasn't there....

It was snowing. Jon said, "maybe an inch of snow had fallen. I saw Roger slip, and he went down on to one knee. I decided to go around the patch he was on.....because I didn't want to slip. But the patch of ice under the snow was bigger than I thought, and I slipped, as I tired to catch myself, my foot jammed into a frozen rut in the mud, and I heard my ankle snap."

As he was laying there on the ice....he called me. It was about 5:30 in the afternoon, here in Seattle, and I answered the phone and heard, "I just broke my ankle."

"You DID NOT!" I said.

"Yes, I did, I slipped on the ice and hit a frozen mud rut and my ankle is broken. Craig and Roger are trying to figure out how to get me off the ice and off the river bank. I gotta go. Love you."

When Roger didn't answer, and neither did Craig, I called Chelsea, and she told me that they were figuring how to get him to the trailhead and Kristy was going to meet them at the gate and take Jon to the hospital. I asked her to keep me posted and be sure to take pictures!

After the fact -- I learned that there was some debate about how to get him off the river. They were about two miles in, and it was snowing harder.....so they didn't think a helicopter could get there, so they were going to call search and rescue for a sled....Jon, of course, said, "No."

Jon crawled off the ice patch so that Roger and Craig wouldn't slip too. Craig took off his snow pants and wrapped Jon's foot, and they tied it with rope. Then they tried to put Jon on the ATV and sit behind him, but he's too tall. Then they tried with him sitting backwards with his feet hanging off the back, but it was flopping too much and hurting. In the end, Jon turned around and put his foot in the foot well, and with Craig sitting on the back, drove himself to the trail head, where he was loaded in Roger's car and Kristy drove him to the hospital.

In the back of the X-terra

The "wrap job" what's interesting about this photo, is that his knee is straight, but his ankle is completely flopped over.

In the ambulance garage

Might I pause here to say -- THANK YOU!

It was not the first choice of Roger and Craig to take photo's for me -- too embarrassing! But they did it, because I needed to see what was going on. They kept in touch by texting me photo's and funny comments, mingled with phone calls. Chelsea took photo's too. What a great family to take pictures, be there and keep his spirits up!

Out of the vehicle and onto a gurney....

For those who are squeamish -- don't view the following photos....I'd hate for you to puke! I found it fascinating though....

X-rays showed -- dislocated and broken

Oh the adventure....waiting to know what they're gonna do --

Chelsea! Shorts in the winter? You, Derek and Kyle -- crazy all!

Jon -- pointing at the ceiling

I'm sure that's what he's doing -- although others may disagree....

Roger said, "I think he's used a year's worth of swear words in the past hour."

They did a conscious sedation and set his ankle and put the dislocation back in place....then they wrapped him in tons of cotton, splinted and wrapped that baby!

Leaving the hospital in paper pants!

He wouldn't let them cut his jeans off, because they were new.

Then he went to Roger's house. Roger and Craig got him up the stairs where he took up residence until he could change his flight home.

Roger, Kristy and Chelsea waited on him hand and (dare I say it) foot.....from Wednesday until Saturday.

At the airport on the way home....

Roger, Craig, Clark and Jon

Those Saunders boys -- they all point with their middle finger....what's up with that?

We were ready for Jon to be home -- while we were waiting, I got him and appointment with Dr. David Badger for Monday morning.

Kyle was so glad to see Daddy! He was worried, because he saw the pictures of Jon's foot all wrapped up. He kept saying, "Daddy doctor owie."

Jon's scooter -- soon to be his best friend!

We saw Dr. Badger on Monday, January 21st.....he scheduled surgery for Wednesday, January 23rd.

Jon in pre-op -- doesn't he look happy? NOT! He was in so much pain. His nurse gouged his hand trying to put in the IV....and there was a puddle of blood on the floor....It was a mess.

Proof that he was still breathing! His oxygen sats were 97....

The anesthesiologist came in and said, "I can see you are in pain, I will get something for that." She left, and he was talking to the OR nurse and Dr. Badger's assistant, when she came back and gave him some fentanyl in his IV. I said, "Are you feeling better?" because he had visibly relaxed.

He said, "I feel kinda weird."

I told him that she'd put some meds in his IV, and he giggled and said, "I didn't even see her!"

Then they took him away......I waited for about 2 hours, and then Dr. Badger came out to talk to me.

He said, "He did a GOOD job on that ankle. I used one plate and 8 screws to put it back together, and it came together perfectly. He's going to be fine."

They kept him in the hospital over night to manage pain and see how he did.

In his room -- before the nerve block wore off -- and sporting a much smaller, sleeker splint.

Kyle sequestered behind the curtain and eating his bread....

Oh Daddy!

The morning view from Jon's hospital room....Mt. Rainier

The evening view from the same window....rush hour traffic.

Jon ended up staying two nights in the hospital to manage his pain and until he passed the requirements of physical therapy.

Moved Kyle's bed to the living room, so Jon would have a bed....and so much easier to get him up and down 5 steps than ten....we did end up moving the bed over where the scooter is and it's much more aesthetically pleasing! Jon said that it looks more like a living room -- I told him you still couldn't disguise a queen size bed!

Monday, January 28th

Yes! I took pictures -- this is when the smaller splint came off

he was bruised all around his leg....knee to his foot.

Incision with 12 staples -- looks pretty good.

More bruises.

Ahhhh -- a removable boot! But still non-weight bearing for 6 to 8 weeks.

Kyle showing how to pull a face while using the crutches.

It is kind of funny to watch Jon "pace" on his scooter.....he just cruises in a circle....living room, office, kitchen, living room, office, kitchen.....you get the picture....and yes! He paces!

Monday, February 4th