Coming Home!

After only one day in the rehab facility, Sam is getting to go home today!  He will receive in-home care and will most likely have surgery on his arm in the next couple of days.  Wahoo!!!

Sam has moved!

Sam moved from Harborview to a rehab place in Redmond yesterday.  He finally got his last chest tube out yesterday morning and was cleared to be transported to the rehab facility.  Here are some pictures from his last few hours at the hospital...

One last dose of pain meds...

One last nap...

Packed and ready to go!

Ready to get outta there!

Waiting for his ride.

This is a write-up my brother Scott did about the accident:

We have had several questions about the details of Sam’s accident and decided to write it up so Sam and Allison don’t have to re-count the story several times over.  Sam isn’t excited to talk about the details so this message will hopefully answer most of the questions.

Sam was participating in the Beaver Lake Triathlon on August 17^th.  After the swim (which he says felt slower than normal) he boarded his bike and headed out through the hills of Sammamish and Issaquah.  There is a large hill that goes down the back side of Issaquah called Duthie Hill road which is where the accident took place.  Coincidentally, Sam rode the same route the week before and was a bit worried about the quality of the rode and winding parts that would be travelled at high speed.  There was only 1 witness to the accident but a few others that provided information that helped re-create the scene. 

Sam was travelling with another contestant down the hill when the accident happened and most of the details come from her account, this woman ended up being the first person to help Sam after accident.  Travelling down the hill at approximately 40 mph Sam’s bike became unstable, the woman didn’t know how but said it looked like he hit a crack or some rocks that caused him to lose some control.  The bike drifted to the right towards a guard rail that keeps cars from going down a long ravine.  Sam gained control briefly only to drift closer to the guard rail where his bike ‘rode along the rail’ for just a few seconds.  He left his bike (surprisingly his bike stayed on the road side of the guard rail) and impacted into one of the 6”x6” posts that holds the guard rail in place.  The post is roughly 3’ off the ground and he seemed to meet the post on his way down off the bike.  This also explains many of his injuries on his right side (arm, shoulder, ribs, etc.) as the woman described the impact as very violent.  Upon impact he flopped down the hill a bit until the woman could secure him and another rider arrived to insure he didn’t slide further into the ravine.  I was able to pick up his bike from the detective that covered the accident and besides having a flat tire, the handle bars slightly tweek’d and a few scratches it is in good shape. 

The woman was able to immediately get a car travelling up the hill to call 911 and get a police officer stationed at the start of the downhill to come to the scene.  The paramedics responded quite fast and he was transported to Harborview Medical center so fast that even the race officials didn’t know much about the accident or his location after the accident.

Based on the speed and how violent the impact was with the post, Sam’s progress is remarkable.  He really only remembers making the turn to head down the large hill.  He does remember travelling with the woman but not much else.  Things are starting to come back but it will take time.  Thanks for all the concern and prayers, the family can really feel the love.

Sam had a better day today.  His pain is finally somewhat under control and they have moved him to a new room where he has a view of the outside world and some peace and quiet.  He's feeling much more optimistic today.  Adam (Neilson) went down and spent some time with Sam today.  I got a text from him saying that we can now call him "Stefan the Stylist" because he successfully trimmed Sam's nose hairs, eyebrows, hair around his ears, and helped him shave.  I just wish we had a picture for documentation. ;)

Sam's new view

Lucy fanning her dad

Lastly, I want to thank everyone for EVERYTHING they have done.  From the donations, to the meals, babysitting, visits, kind words, goodies, prayers, thoughts, and on and on... Everyone has been so incredibly kind and generous.  It's in times like these that I'm reminded just how much good there is in the world.  Thank you!

Update from Allison:  Sam is not doing well.  He's in an incredible amount of pain and we're fighting to get him back to the level of pain meds he should be on.  He's really upset about not being moved.  He is not getting to look out a window or have any fresh air and he's not dealing well with that.  He's not getting very much rest due to noise and people so he's more agitated.  Tonight we talked about relying on prayer to get us through this.  He needs comfort of peace at this time.  He knows how lucky he is, but the reality is hard to deal with at the same time.

Let's start with the positives... Sam might be getting his other chest tube out tomorrow. If so, there's a chance he could be moved to Evergreen on Sunday where he will be closer to his family. 

Sam finally got shaved by his brother and dad. 

And, got Burger Master delivered to him by Burger Master themselves. 

The not so positives... Sam is having a very difficult time sleeping. It sounds like it's a result of a few things- the pain, a noisy neighbor, and thinking about the accident. Although he has made some incredible strides, I know that Sam could use continued prayers and positive thoughts. I think the reality of it all is starting to sink in a bit.

I feel like it wouldn't be right to end a post without expressing our gratitude to everyone that has helped the Eastmans this past week. It's amazing to see just how many people care for and love them.  So, thank you. 

Thursday Update

From Allison:  One of Sam's chest tubes came out today!  One is still bleeding pretty significantly, but he feels so much better with one out.  He doesn't want people to talk about the accident in front of him because thinking about it makes it difficult for him to sleep.  He's anxious to move onto the next goal- getting the other chest tube removed!  Sam's mom, dad and brother Adam came into town today to be with Sam.

Allison posted this on Facebook and I thought it was appropriate to share on the blog...
I can't begin to thank everyone for all they are doing for my family. It actually is too much for me to even process at this time. I'm truly blessed and surrounded by the most amazing people. From food, to watching my kids to angel friends who sit by my side until I fall asleep at the hospital every night. Thank you feels inadequate!! But, thank you!!!!!!!