{Karlton Bontrager}

This was the day that Louis and I were to fly to California to spend 10 days with Jennifer, Alec, Alexa, and Brian. How quickly those plans changed. How quickly all of our lives changed. I did see Jenn, Alec, & Alexa briefly at LAX between my flights from Boston and to New Zealand. Louis remained behind in Providence, but we talk daily by telephone.

For Karlton, the losses are more than inconveniences and changed plans. He’s had to go through three surgeries, and at least one more to align the vision of both eyes may lie ahead. He’s lost the use of his left side, and he struggles daily to regain that. Most of all, it’s the pain he has had to endure. He has lost the ability to go through a day without experiencing more than mere aches and minor pains. That too, we’re hopeful, will come to an end.

So many of Karlton’s age peers have written cards and email messages of encouragement. Many of them remark about his lust for life, how he lived life to the fullest. In his own way, I suppose he is doing that right now as well.

Yesterday the PTs had Karlton walk twice the distance of the day before. While he was sitting in the “half-way chair”, they put his left foot on a skateboard and asked him to move it. As before, he was not able to pull his foot toward him. But he did move it away from him. This time he pushed it about 10 inches. Was the increased distance a function of increased muscle strength and control? Or was it merely a function of having the wheels of a skateboard under him? We ARE comparing apples and oranges if we try to equate yesterday’s accomplishment with that of the day before. Yet we do remain hopeful.

A services coordinator has called a meeting for today to discuss Karlton’s case. I’m under the impression that doctors will be there as well. I’m really looking forward to the meeting, hoping to get some answers about his prognosis or at least projections about his rehabilitation and his ability to return to the States. Choy-Lang and I need to be informed too about New Zealand’s ACC, the law that covers medical and rehabilitation concerns for accident victims in this country. If we don’t get answers about that today, we are hopeful that we can at least get pointed in the right direction for having our questions answered.