Showing posts with label JACKSON. Show all posts
Showing posts with label JACKSON. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

July 1, 2012

Since Jack died on a military installation there had to be an investigation. I had to answer many questions about the day before he died and explain in detail what happened that morning.

One month after he died we had to go in and give a statement. I thought this would be more questions but they actually made me type up what happened the morning that he died.
For some reason I thought that it would be a good idea to type it on here. I did and it has been sitting in draft status for almost two years. I just didn't know the right time to let everyone know what happened.
We really don't know what exactly caused his death. An autopsy was preformed but I will never look at it. His death certificate states that his cause of death was "Seizure Disorder". Doesn't really tell me much because he had such horrible seizures.
 
This is what I remember of the day Jack died. Some parts are very clear and some are not. I kind of just stop at the end because that's really all I remembered. Shock set in and I really wasn't all there. 
 
 
He woke up at 3:30 am.  I went to get him out of bed and he was pretty upset so I sat on my bed and held him.  He calmed down quickly then I laid him down on his stomach and he had a tonic seizure.  I decided that it wasn't a good idea to leave him like that since he turns his head during those seizures.  I got him comfy on his side and he fell back to sleep.  I laid back down and then made sure his circulation wasn't getting cut off by laying on his arm.  He was calm and asleep.  I fell asleep.

I woke up at 5:30 am and checked on him.  He had rolled to his stomach and his face was down against the bed.  I turned his head and put his drool cloth under him.  Then I realized that there was no resistance when I turned his head.   I felt for his back moving up and down for breathing.  Then felt his arms and legs.  They were cool.  I felt his torso and it was warm.  I jumped up and turned on the light and flipped him over. 

He had pressure lines on his face.  My thought was... oh my god, he's, no.  Then complete panic hit.  Oh my god.  I dialed 911 and got the Radcliff dispatcher.  When I told them my address they transferred me to the Fort Knox dispatcher.  During the transfer, which felt like 10 minutes but was about 30 seconds, I started CPR on Jack.  Once Fort Knox got on the phone they asked if I was doing CPR.  I told them yes but I couldn't remember how many compressions and how many breaths.  30 compressions and two breaths.
 
The ambulance arrived.  The paramedic took one look at Jack, scooped him up and carried him to the ambulance.  I ran behind them telling them he had epilepsy and took a lot of medications.  I had to let them take him because I was home alone and had to get Sarah.2 breaths then check for breathing and pulse. 
 

I put shoes on while the police held Sarah.  We rushed to the hospital and the police escorted me in.  I was greeted by a nurse who immediately asked for my ID card.  I just looked at her and shook my head.  Then another nurse came up and took Sarah from me so I could go be with Jack.  I got to the end of the hall where I could see them doing CPR on him.  I collapsed.  I few people sat down with me.

Someone came and asked me to go in to the room.  I stood up and saw that they were still working on him and couldn't move.  The nurse kind of pushed me to the room.  I stood and watched.  I was given a chair to sit in.  I sat.  I felt like I wasn't even in the room.  My head was spinning and I couldn't hear anything. 

They asked me to come up and be beside Jack.  I stood there and held his hand.  I felt like I was in the way.  I knelt down and kept talking to him.  I touched his hair. 

The doctor came up to me and said that they had been working on him for 40 minutes.  That if he was to come back that he would have an apoxic brain injury.  I told him that he has a brain injury from birth.  He then asked if they could stop life saving efforts.  I told them yes. 

The room was empty almost immediately.  I was alone with Jack.  I kept telling him I was sorry. 

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Jack's Poem

Tracy Collier Durrum wrote this poem for me a day after Jack passed (7/2/12).  She told me that it just came to her and she had to write it out as soon as she could.  She posted it on my Facebook wall and then later read it at Jack's funeral.  It now hangs in the hallway of my house on blue cloud paper.  Thank you Trace for writing this.
 
 
BEAUTIFUL BOY FULL OF HEART
FROM THIS WORLD YOU HAD TO PART
WE MAY NOT KNOW WHAT'S IN STORE
BUT I BELIEVE IT'S SO MUCH MORE
WHEN YOU WERE HERE YOU WERE BOUND
BY THE PHYSICAL THINGS THAT HELD YOU DOWN
NOW YOU'RE FREE AND IN HIS CARE
IN A PLACE VOID OF FEAR
YOU WILL SURELY NOT BE FORGOTTEN
AND DEFINITELY MISSED
BUT TO WANT YOU HERE INSTEAD OF WHERE
YOU ARE NOW, IS FROM SELFISHNESS
THE NEED OF SEEING YOUR CONTAGIOUS SMILE
YOUR HEART AND WARMTH MADE IT ALL WORTH WHILE
SO AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT WILL BE
WE KNOW AT LEAST YOU HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED
KEEP SMILING FROM HEAVEN TO REMIND US ALL
OF THE BLESSING YOU WERE BEFORE YOU WERE CALLED...
HOME TO BE WITH GOD!!
 

Tracy and Jack Summer 2010
Thanks for helping me give him a bath that day!
 

Friday, November 1, 2013

Deborah

Most have already seen my post of Deborah's pictures.  If you would like to look at it again click HERE.  It really is worth your while, she takes beautiful pictures.  I after I posted that blog, I looked at Deborah's Blog and realized that she wrote about us.  About Jack pictures. 
 
Recently, while I was cleaning up the blog a little, I came across my post "Capturing the Moment".  Just to look at those pictures makes my heart hurt.  I then went to her blog again and knew that I must share it on here.  If you would like to see what Deborah wrote about us, click HERE. 
I will leave you with one more photo that she took.  She does such wonderful work.  Thank you so much Deborah!!
 
 
 

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

9 years...

Happy Anniversary, John!  You are my best friend and my rock. 
 
Here are a few pictures of us over the years:
 
The day we got married - 10/29/04
With Rusty - 2006
In the NICU with Jack - 5/4/09
At Mike and Julie's wedding - 2009
Jack's 1st birthday - 2010
The day we brought Sarah home - 6/22/11
Christmas 2011
 
Downtown San Antonio - 4/8/12

Jack's 3rd birthday - 4/25/2012

Celebrating Sarah's 1st birthday - 6/23/2012
Jack's visitation 7/5/12
Immersed in Ink Tattoo Festival - April 2013
Photo courtesy of Lexington Herald Leader
Myrtle Beach 7/8/13
 

Friday, October 25, 2013

Camp Nelson

I take pictures every time we visit Jack.  Here is what I have so far. 
I started taking pictures at this angle and I love how they turned out.

 
 
 
  
 
 

 
 
Yes, she always plays with the flowers.


 
 
 
 
Memorial Day


 
 

Friday, October 11, 2013

Bittersweet

I have been going through all of my old blog posts and getting them ready for "Memory Monday".  It's so bittersweet.  I am reliving these moments with Jack.  I get to go through all the pictures and look at them closely.  It really is comforting and also so heartbreaking.  I don't get those moments again.  I am so glad that I saved all of the posts.  SO GLAD!!  Not that I would have deleted the blog without doing that but I guess I am really happy to be putting them on here again.  It keeps Jack alive to me. 
 
Missing that little face so much!

 

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Half Marathon

Rock n Roll Half Marathon April 27, 2013 
 
My goal was just to finish in under 3 hours and my time was 2:55:35.  I am super proud of that because it was about 50 degrees and rained the entire time.  Our plans were to run by ourselves.  But right before the race I asked John to stay with me.  I'm so glad that he did.  It made the run so much more enjoyable. 
 
We were about a half mile in and we saw a young guy using a walker and walking in front of his wheelchair.  It brought tears to my eyes.  I didn't even know him but I was so proud that he got out of his wheelchair and walked.  He looked so happy to be doing that.  
 
There are not too many pictures of the race because of the rain.  I really wish we could have gotten everyone's picture before the race.  Mike, Julie and Megan started at a different corral than us and it was just too cold after to take pictures. 
 
 
Wearing our shirts for Jack.
Lori, Saby, Me, Rocio, Rachel and John right before the race.

Betty, Lori, John, Me, Freddie, Frances, Saby
Rachel and Rocio at Joe's Crabshack for
dinner after the race.

Rachel and Rocio

Betty and Lori

Freddie, Frances (baby) and Saby 


We just happened to see the building for Antique Archaeology. 

 
 
In front of Mike and Frank's building.  Mike was going to
be there the next day signing books but it was going to
be during the race :(
I just want to thank everyone that ran for Jack.  It really meant a lot to me and John to see his shirts that day. 

Friday, October 4, 2013

Jack's Plaque

His plaque was put in around the middle of July this year.  We absolutely love it.  Thank you so much to all who donated.  If anyone wants to see it, let me know and I can tell you where it is located at the Arboretum.



Tuesday, September 24, 2013

It's been a long time

I've really wanted to blog.  I think of it almost everyday.  I felt like I had to do it and that made it stressful.  So what did I do?  Take about 5 months off.  I still posted a few of the Memory Monday blogs but just didn't feel like I could form a thought that would sound good enough to write here. 
So what has been happening with me?  I started grief counseling (again).  This is the fourth person that I have seen since Jack died.  This time it clicked, I really like her.  She said that when I was ready, the teacher would appear.  I was definitely ready.  I got through his birthday with ease.  To me that was to celebrate Jack and it wasn't a day that was hard to get through.  But then came July 1st.  I dreaded that day.  I dreaded it so much.  How could a year have already gone by?  That is when I realized that I needed help.  To get things off my chest and attempt to feel normal again.  If that was even possible.  My normal now is just different.  I still get up everyday, take care of Sarah, clean, go to work.  But it's different.  Jack isn't here, so I'm always missing a part of me.
It's so hard to describe the feeling of grief.  It sucks the breath right out of me sometimes and other moments are easy to get through.  The other day at the park I was watching Sarah interact with the other kids and I felt it.  Something off and then I realized that I was missing Jack.  He would have loved to spend time at the park with Sarah, enjoy the wind and sun.  I found myself gazing off, thinking of him.  Then Sarah said mommy and that snapped me back in the moment with her.  It was a nice to be able to come back to reality so smoothly (with the help of Sarah).
In the past 5 months so much has happened that I would love to catch up but I just don't know if it will happen.  I will post more often.  I have many things that I have talked about with the grief counselor and we both agree that I should put these thoughts on here.  It may help someone else going through a similar situation. 

I got to touch him

I had this dream in September of this year:
 
I was in my work clothes running a 5k.  I ran into a friend and she told me that she was pregnant but no one knew and not to put it on Facebook.  I told her that I had gotten off Facebook for a while but I wouldn't tell anyone.  I completed my run and started looking for my hotel.  John and I were both staying in the hotel but had different rooms because he was there for work.  I found John's room and went in.  John and Jack were laying in bed.  Jack looked just like he did when he was alive except his hair was a little shorter.  I went to Jack's side of the bed and noticed that all the sheets were white.  I bent down to touch his face.  I told him that he was beautiful, more beautiful than I remembered.  He looked at me and kind of smiled.  One of his half smiles.
 
When I woke up I smiled and felt at peace.  I haven't remembered many of my dreams since Jack died.  It was so nice to get to see and touch him.  Even if it was only a dream and very brief.


This was taken in November 2010. 
I remembered taking this after I had my dream.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Happy Birthday Sweet Angel, Jack


One year ago today.  Happy birthday in heaven, Jack!
I thought today would be a day that I wouldn't want to get out of bed.  But that wasn't the case.  Since this past weekend I have had a wonderful feeling.  Getting the tattoo and then getting Jackson's story in the Lexington Herald Leader just seemed like icing on Jackson's birthday cake. 
Jackson would have turned 4 today.  I should have been planning a birthday but instead I will be making a trip to the cemetary with John and Sarah.  I will take bright yellow flowers and a balloon or two.  One to release for Jack and the other so Sarah doesn't get upset when we let the balloon go.
Click here for the article from the Herald Leader in case anyone didn't see it on Facebook.   And here is the photo gallery from the Immersed in Ink tattoo festival.  We met some wonderful people down there.  Here are our tattoos.
Courtesy of Lexington Herald Leader

Exactly what I wanted. Simple.
Today was a day for mail.  First, a banner that a friend of John's made for us.  We will have it at the marathon this weekend. 
Then I received flowers from Nicole for Jackson's birthday.  I love the colors that she chose.  He loved yellow and (we think) his favorite color was blue. 
There is  a long story to go along with the last package.  I saw a blanket that I friend received on facebook that Join the Love made.  It was so pretty so I went to their page to see what Join the Love was about.  They crochet memory blankets for parents that have lost children.  I emailed them requesting one for Jack back in October.  They had so many that it took quite a few months for completion.  I received an email in February telling me that the box had been delivered and wanted to know if I got the blanket.  Uh oh, I hadn't.  I forgot to tell them that we moved to Lexington, it went to Ft. Knox.  I called the office at Ft. Knox, she called the new tenants and they said that they took it back to Fedex to return to sender.  I think that all that happened just so I could get it on Jack's birthday.  I told John earlier today that wouldn't it be neat if we got it today and we did!
With Join the Love, all the granny squares are made by different people all over the US then assembled by one person.  They asked his interest and favorite color.  I don't know if you can see Sponge Bob but he's there too!  It fits perfect in "Jack's room".   It was absolutly a pleasure to get this.  I immediatly stretched out the blanket on the and took pictures of it. 
Then Sarah woke up so I thought I would show her.  I think she likes it.
Happy birthday, little man!!!!  You seemed to have made this day perfect for me.  We love and miss you so much!