Accident News

Please bookmark this page. Please help Bob out

I believe we have worked out the "button failure" issue. It now works in Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 and Mozilla Browsers, like FireFox. I do not know about AOL. If AOL still does not work please let Kathy know.

The new Paypal page is somewhat hard to figure out. You need to enter the amount and then select update and then you can login or enter your information. Otherwise it give a criptic error message. Thank You.

Saturday, Dec. 27, 2008

Bob has been released from the hospital and is at home. If you get a chance stop by and visit, he likes having company and is in good spirits. He is still working at his therapy exercises and still improving.

Saturday, Dec. 20, 2008

Bob is home for the weekend. Since the ramp was not ready, some friends carried him in. He is glad to be home, even if it is just for the weekend. He will be heading back to Metro Sunday at 6:00 PM.

Monday, Dec 15, 2008

Bob had a good time on his "day pass" Saturday. He enjoyed Steven's Eagle Court of Honor. It was intimidating to be around so many people on his first day out. But everyone was thoughful and kind. He said he did not like "going back to jail" afterwards.
He will be coming home on his "weekend pass" this Saturday through Sunday evening, so don't go to Metro then to visit. He will be back at Metro Sunday evening. The doctor who came in today to evaluate Bob, said he was still improving. This is good for Bob, but will come with its own trials. Bob is having more spasisms in his legs.

Bob at the Eagle Court

Bob, Peggy and David at the Eagle Court of Honor Reception

Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2008

Peggy spent the night at Metro, learning how to take care of Bob. He is looking forward to his "Day Pass." He plans to attend Steven Heintel's Eagle Court of Honor, this Saturday. This will be his first day out of the hospital since the accident. So if you plan to visit him this Saturday, Dec. 13th, he will not be there. Please come another day.

Saturday, Nov. 29, 2008

Bob is in very good spirits. They get him out of bed every day and into a motorized wheelchair. He goes to therapy evry day and is working hard at it. He still has not gained any feeling or control below the waist. He is however, working out every chance he gets in the weight room at Metro. Although he has suffered a setback in his fine finger control, but he is working hard at reagaining it. He is getting better at driving the motorized wheelchair. Likewise he is building arm strength, even if it seems trival to us it is a big improvement for Bob.
He really has enjoyed everyone who has come to visit. With the trach out he has regained a voice, although it still does not totally sound like Bob yet. If you call him please be patient, he can not answer the phone by himself, most of the time. If there is not a visitor or nurse in the room he can not pick up the phone. He was thrilled that Peggy drove down by herself on Thanksgiving to spend the day with him and that he had other visitors on Thanksgiving too.

Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008

Sorry for the lack of updates. Bob is in good spirits and on the road to recovery. The road however, is long and often very hard. They reduced the size of his trach Tuesday, so now when he talks and we can understand his words much better. He is still working at getting his fine motor skill back in his hands and building at weight training. He is up to lifting 5 pounds with his arms. Last night he coughed so hard, he coughed his trach out. He is having more tremors which have caused a set back in his use of his hands. He is enjoying having visitors and has been practicing with a motorized wheel chair. Some trips are good some need a lot more work. as can be expected some days are good and some are set backs. We just keep hoping for more good days than bad ones.

Thursday, Nov. 6, 2008

Bob is off of the oxygen. And got a loaner motorized wheelchair, so they are teaching him to drive it himself. His physical therapy is focusing on his small motor skills in his hands. He lost a lot of motor control between the accident and the stay in ICU. He needs the small motor skills to operate a motorized wheelchair.   They scoped his throat, and think he does not need the trach. So they are building up his breathing so they can remove it. His vocal cords are still swollen, so his speech is still affected.

Thursday. Oct. 30, 2008

Bob was very proud he passed his swallowing test. His first meal was jello and gatorade. Bob tells us he is bored and would like some visitors to stop by and keep him company. Visiting hours are 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM. And Bob says that Sunday you can visit anytime, and he has no therapy on Sunday, so he will be real bored. He will be in his room all day waiting.

Bob is in MetroHealth, Room 716, 2500 MetroHealth Drive, Cleveland, OH 44109.
map

Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2008

Bob is settled in at Metro Health in Cleveland. Visiting hours are 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM. A link to Metro Health is here.

Monday, Oct. 27, 2008

Bob made it to Metro in Cleveland today. Metro is reportedly one of the best leading edge spinal rehab facilities in the country.

Friday, Oct. 24, 2008

They put in a stomach tube today, so they can transport Bob to Metro. The plan is to transport him on Monday, sometime. So he should be in Cleveland next week.

Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2008

Bob says he is bored and ready for a few visitors. If you are in the Flint area, please consider stopping in at Hurley Medical Center, especially Kristy Stoutenburg and Eugene (the Good Samaritans) who saved his life. The medical staff are trying to get him in good enough condition to ship to Cleveland, Ohio, for rehab.

Peggy requests that no one discuss the accident or the dogs that were on the trip with him. We would like these to be pleasant and uplifting visits for Bob. We have not told him one of the dogs died yet. Bob still can not talk normally. Visiting hours are from 11:00 to 2:00 and 5:00 to 7:00, in the neuro trauma ICU on the 5th floor.

Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2008

They have Bob sitting in a chair for part of each day. He is getting ansie and wants to check himself out of the Medical Center. We sent him an Ohio State/Michigan State "house divided" flag. It should arrive tomorrow. We figured he could show his colors, but needed to respect those Michigan supporters who saved his life.

Monday, Oct. 20, 2008

Bob was off of the respriator from 11:00 AM when Peggy came for visiting hours until 7:00 PM when she left. He asked to be put back on but the doctor told him he could handle it, so he "tuffed it out." They also changed his trach to one he can eat with, so he was enjoying popsicles. He can still not talk with this trach, though.

Bob was off of the respirator for 5 hours straight yesterday.

Sunday, Oct. 19, 2008

Peggy is reading Bob all of the email cards. She has actually started over since he does not remember the ones read earlier, around the surgeries. Since he is totally off of the anesthetic, he undersaands the messages and acknowledges them when Peggy reads them.

One message concerning NEFLHRC in Jacksonville, was too long for the hospitals system. It ends with "He's been " Bob would appreciate it if you can resend the end, he is curious as to who sent it and how it ends. Thanx.

By the way, the link for the email cards is: http://www.hurleymc.com/?id=432&sid=1

Saturday, Oct. 18, 2008

Inserted Wednesday news below.
Bob is totally off of the anesthetic, resting more or less comfortably. He does not seem to remember the accident. He is working at breathing to get weaned off of the ventilator. The staff does not know how long it will take to clear up the acterial infection. They are again discussing transfering him (now to Metro in Cleveland, because it is one of the top 14/500 "state of the art" spinal cord injury rehab facilities in the country) when they get him totally off of the ventilator.

Thursday, Oct. 16, 2008

The report today, is that the Bob is breathing part time on his own (with the trach.) but without the respirator. Breathing on his own is hard work for Bob. He can not talk because of the trach. And they are treating him for a bacterial infection, which has restricted the possibility of outside visitors.   Hopefully by next week he can have visitors. He is asking questions about the field trial and the accident, but still confused about the accident details. Physical therapy may restart tomorrow.
They took out his staples today, and some of the swelling has gone down. Bob' color is currently still purple, and he is happy that at least it is not blue and gold.

Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2008

Bob got his pacemaker. They say he may never need it but it will eliminate the potential bad outcomes from "critical events." They are weaning him off of the anestethic.

Monday, Oct. 13, 2008

Bob did not get his pacemaker "installed" today. He was scheduled but an emergency surgery came in and bumped him. So the plan is to inplant it tomorrow. Peggy says he is in good spirits and she seems to be too. Hopefully they let him watch the Browns play tonight. He is enjoying watching the football games and even more, teasing his nurse, who is a Michigan fan.

Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008

Bob got his trach as planned and is breathing better. Peggy says he is sitting up and watching football. He can not talk and is being tube fed again, but is on only a low dose of pain releiver. They are letting him breath on his own (without the ventilator) for short periods every day now. The doctors are really worried about the episode earlier this week and want to prevent any others. So Bob is scheduled to get a pacemaker on Monday. They hope this will allow them to totally wean him off of the ventilator and then remove the trach. He is alert and aware of his surroundings and appears to remember events that should be taking place now. Still no comment on the accident though. For this we will have to wait.

Wednesday, Oct, 2008

They have Bob resting comfortably, but since his episode yesterday he is scheduled to get a trach put in tomorrow morning. They want to be ready in case he has another episode and to allow him to breath on his own more of the time without worring about having to intubate him again. Details are sketchy, but where they were talking about moving him out of the NICU yesterday, now they are saying "we have to wait and see."

Tuesday, Oct 7, 2008

Bob has been getting by since Saturday. Yesterday Bob's swallowing was checked and Peggy feed him his first food by mouth since he came in. He is still easily excited but seems to be settling in.

Today, Bob started physical therapy, but later had a serious set back and flat lined. The staff revived him but he is now back on the respirator. We will have to see what tomorrow brings.

Saturday, Oct. 4, 2008

Our first RED LETTER Day. Today they took Bob off of the ventilator, and he is breathing on his own. He has been on the ventilator since being shipped in from the accident sight. He "spoke" to Peggy for about 15 minutes today before visiting hours ended and she had to leave. He thought he was yelling, but with the irritation from the tube, Peggy said she could barely hear him. They also took out the feedeing tube. All of which is good news, breathing on his own is very good news. Bob seems to be realizing he is in Michigan Fan territory and is not happy about that, being an avid Ohio State fan. The stories Kathy and Peggy have heard from individuals in the area about the treatment of back and spinal injuries at Hurley give us great hope for Bob's chances.

Tonight they have Bob sitting up, another first since the accident. They are also weaning him off of the anesthetic, so although he is thinking and talking, he is not yet totally making sense. But he is still breathing without the ventilator.

Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008

Bob's second surgery started on time and is now over. He is back resting in his room. The surgeon says the procedure went as planned. Hopefully now Bob can begin the rest of his recovery. As this next Hunt Test approaches this weekend, Bob and all of us thank everyone who has helped out with keeping the dogs ready for these tests.

Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008

Bob's next surgery is scheduled for tomorrow at 4:00 PM. The doctors have warned us Bob will look a lot worse after this surgery since they will be rolling him over for it.

It is very ironic, Bob has his own electronic collar now. No, not to control him but to stimulate bone growth in his neck. We all knew electronics were a good thing if used properly. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. And we want everyone to drive carefully, real carefully. We don't want anyone else to go through this.

Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2008

They reduced Bob's sedation today, and as most of us would expect he started pulling his tubes out and flogging around. He obviously wanted to get up and leave. The swelling from the accident in his face has subsided and his eyes are open now, he looks much more normal. The doctors are suggesting his next surgery will be Thursday or Friday. Peggy is holding up well and says to thank everyone for their cards and prayers.

Please be patient with the Paypal account, while we are providing varification to Paypal.

Monday, Sept. 29, 2008

Bob is still sedated and resting. The doctors are planning to do the other surgery Wednesday or Thursday. This will place another plate in the back of his neck to further stabilize the neck. He is reported to have a mild case of pneumonia, probably due to inactivity from being imobilized. Kathy will be back in Flint tomorrow.

Saturday, Sept.27, 2008

Last night starting after 5:00 PM, Bob had the reconstructive surgery, they put two plates in his neck to stabilize the spine. The surgery went as expected, and he is resting confortably.   At this point all we can do is wait and see. In a few days we should know more as he begins to recover. There is still the possibility of another surgery from the back to further stabilize the spine. All of the dogs are doing fine, no serious side effects.

The email cards keep coming in and the Hurley Medical Center folks keep printing them out and hanging them up for Bob. It is very thoughtful and overwelming the vast number of people who are thinking of him. Aso thank you for your kind donations. These will truely make a huge difference in his recovery, we will carefully manage them and make sure that every dollar received is spent directly supporting on this cause, all management and administration is strictly volunteer.

In case you haven't seen it there is a forum at Retrievertraining.net, wishing Bob well. It is located at: http://www.retrievertraining.net/forums/showthread.php?t=30647.
Thanx, to Retreiver Training for supporting this forum.

Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008

Bob has finally been cleared for surgery, as soon as the two surgeons can arrange it they will be putting 2 plates in his neck to stabilize the neck.

We have gotten a Paypal account for donations, as well as creating a non-profic corporation, if you can help Bob with a donation, please do. Every little bit will really help. Our next step is filing for a 501(c)(3) tax exempt status.

Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008

In order to check the latest news better, we are changing the format too a sequential listing by date, newest first.
We found the newspaper article online is is located here: http://www.countypress.com/stories/092108/loc_20080919101.shtml (thanx Sally)

Bob did break his neck, the reconstructive surgery planned is to put plates in to stablize around the break. He is resting easier at this time. They are trying to disolve a blood clot before they will perform the surgery. His condition is still Critical but stable. Keeping Bob still is proving to be a challenge to Peggy and the medical staff. The staff at Hurley is one of the best we have ever seen, they are taking great care of Bob.

There will be a collection at the Buckeye Retriever Club Hunt Test this weekend, and we are planning a larger fund raiser in the near future.

Two very incorrect reports we have seen are that "the dog trailer was torn in half," it was not. Two of the doors were ripped off, and one inside panel was apparently cut to get a dog out since they were locked in the tailer. We are planning to fix the trailer for Bob to use when he gets back to training. The Blazer did not do so well, it now looks like a minivan. The second is that the blonde who travels with Bob died in the crash, she is my wife Kathy and was not in the truck at the time, Bob was alone. The night of the crash, I spoke with Bob at 10:15 PM and Peggy talked to Bob at 10:30 PM, the crash was found at 10:35 PM according to the newspaper.

Monday, Sept. 22, 2008 (notes incorporated below)
First, please Bookmark this page as we will provide updates as they are available.

Second, Owners, for the safety of your dogs, the Kennel is currently under LOCK DOWN until further notice. Those individuals handling security are not authorized to release dogs or equipment under ANY condition. All transfers will be through the Kennel Manager ONLY. The obedience dogs and the Hunt Test dogs are still in training with the associates and the upcoming hunt test entries will continue as planned. We have already begun contacting Owners personally. Please DO NOT bother the kennel help or security until you have been contacted. We do have arrangements for those dogs which had planned to go south to do so with an associated trainer, until Bob is back to training.

Third, as much as we all appreciate your concern, the Hurley Medical Center has requested that all of Bob's many friends, fellow handlers and trainers please STOP calling the Medical Center. They can not respond to all of the calls.

Fourth, we, his associates ask, that instead of sending flowers, please wait and donate to his recuperation fund. We will be providing what ever opportunities we can for you to help him as he recuperates.

Bob's Condition

Although, Bob was seriously injured, his only concern, when we got to the medical center was the safety of the dogs. Bob is in serious but stable condition. Due to the trauma he suffered in the crash, the medical staff is working to improve his condition to allow reconstructive surgery to take place later this week. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. Today, Bob's vital signs have become more stable.

The Accident
September 18th, as most of you have heard, on his way to the Wolverine Field Trial, Bob was involved in every professional handler's worst nightmare, a vehicle accident on the way to an event. Bob was seriously injured. All of the field trial dogs with him survived the crash almost totally unscathed. Unfortunately due to accident damage to the truck and dog trailer a few of the dogs got loose and one was hit by a passing vehicle and subsequently died. The owner of the deceased dog has been notified. Immediately following being notified by the Michigan State Police, Bob's contingency plans were put into motion. The associates began recovery and retrieval of the dogs, based on these plans. An inspection of the accident site reveals very little real information. It appears to be a single vehicle accident with Bob's truck rolling over on the right berm of the highway. the trailer is in very good condition considering the damage to the truck. Although we do not know exactly what happened, there are many deer tracks at the accident site and an obvious deer bedding area on the top of the right berm. There is also a large hole in the highway fence near the site where the deer have been recently moving onto the highway right -of-way.

All of the dogs have been retrieved from Michigan and are back with their owners or at the Kennel, being cared for by the staff, as Bob had arranged. We are caring for all of the dogs as if they were our own.

Peggy (Bob's wife) and Kathy Heintel are currently with him at the Medical Center. Although Bob can not have visitors at this time please check back, because when he can have visitors, we are sure it would help his recovery, if you can stop by then.

Due to the nature of Bob's injuries, Bob will have an intensive and probably expensive recuperation. We will be arranging a fund to assist in this matter. If you can afford to make a contribution to this cause, please do so.

We wish to thank all of the wonderful people who are helping us or have helped us so far:

Kristy Stoutenburg and Eugene (the Good Samaritans)
The Michigan State Police,

Lapeer Fire and Rescue,

Lapeer Animal Control,

Wolverine Kennel club and their contestants,

Denise Burbary-Muston, DVM
Hunters Creek Hunt Club,

E & L Service and their staff,

all the other wonderful people of Lapeer,

and the Medical and Support Staff at Hurley Medical Center in Flint.

Bob's training seminar in Hartgrove, OH