Friday, April 30, 2004

   Two minutes round an oval and two guys. What is it with twos?
Yeah I live in southern IN very close to Louisville (Lou-a-voul not Louie-ville). And Louisville is in KY so think real hard about that. Kentucky, 1st Saturday in May, horses. For those of you that havent picked up on it. The Kentucky Derby is tomorrow. And I don't get it. People spend thousands of dollars to sit on a waiting list for 12 years just to get nosebleed seats for two minutes. Maybe its just me but I find that just a tad bit stupid.I say let's turn em all into glue! Yeah bah humbug. And to top things off I am being dragged (literally) to a Derby party tomorrow. Hopefully my mom will let me bring my backpack. [crosses fingers]

Blah now the reason that I feel like I'm doing belly flops. Males. Two inparticlar. James and Chase. Those two have the topics of tons of my posts ever since March. [faint smile] Both of them have played major roles in the play of my life. And the current act isn't over yet boys and girls. The climax isnt even here yet. Well maybe not. It might be happening right now. [smirk] I am currently sorting thru a mass amount of my mental and emotional problems. And by the end of June I might have a boyfriend. [shock, awe and gasps] Yesh me. The reason I don't have one right now is that I have to sort things out with James before I can let anyone into my life relationship wise. I've been talking to Chase about these such issuses for ohh the past hour. [laughs] So that aside I'd like to put a news article about one of my friends in here.

--Not (c) to me. I no won so you no sue.--

Teen takes sudden illness in stride

[David Hawpe]

A blood vessel tore in Gabe Jones' back. A large clot formed and compressed his spinal cord.

Why?

Gabe does not walk or grip well with his hands. He will sit through his upcoming eighth-grade dance ? and he may miss other future life milestones. Yet I know teenagers who are more pitiful when told to clean their rooms.

Why?

This 14-year-old Jeffersonville boy does not answer that question with any more certainty than his doctor can the first one.

The illness is as unusual as Gabe's response to it is encouraging. He realizes the folly of focusing on whys instead of on why nots. Let the grown-ups worry. He'll work.

"It's going to come back," Gabe said of the mobility that was snatched from him.

Gabe woke up about 2 a.m. on March 8 because his back was sore. His father, Keith Jones, was concerned in part because his boy never was one to complain. He had gone years in school with perfect attendance.

The pain only intensified, however, and by about 4:30 a.m. Gabe was in the emergency room of Clark Memorial Hospital. His head hurt horribly, too, and then feeling flowed out of his legs and torso.

"He told us he was pretty scared," said Tammy Ferguson, Gabe's mother.

Doctors ran tests, and initially thought he had a viral infection. He was transferred to Kosair Children's Hospital in Louisville. The blood clot was discovered. Emergency surgery was necessary.

"There was very much a sense of urgency," Ferguson said.

Bleeding took two hours to stop. Though the clot has been released and the tear has been repaired, Gabe's spine remains traumatized as if he had been in a nasty car wreck or had fallen down steps.

He is in his second month at Frazier Rehab Institute in Louisville, his fourth-floor room absolutely papered in greetings. Patients of Ethel Larosa, Gabe's rehab doctor, usually can trace their ordeals. In Gabe's case, though, "there's no way of knowing," Larosa said. "There's no way of finding out what caused it. It's that rare."

Gabe is a first for Larosa, who has worked in medicine for a decade. A more-senior partner in Larosa's practice has cared for only one similar case. Gabe has grown at least eight inches ? to an even 6 feet ? since last summer. Is that arguably a factor? He suffered from a cold or flu not long before his tragedy. Did it contribute?

Larosa figures only that the wound occurred spontaneously, but Larosa is looking ahead rather than back. Putting Gabe through daily, aggressive therapy, Larosa reports no resistance and painstaking progress.

"The harder you work, the quicker you get out," Gabe said.

He now can contract muscles in his stomach area, and some fingers flex increasingly.

"He's young and he's motivated," Larosa said. "And he's got a super family."

Gabe splits time with his parents, who are divorced. Both homes are being modified to accommodate a wheelchair. In the meantime, both mom and dad try to take emotional cues from their son, admittedly with mixed results. If he can fend off bitterness, though, so must they.

"I've told him before he's my hero," Jones said.

"People ask me how he's doing," Ferguson said. "He's the same old kid. He just has wheels."

Gabe should be released from Frazier within days, but will return for routine outpatient therapy. He has been tutored while hospitalized ? math is his favorite subject ? and he will graduate with his class from River Valley Middle School.

Concerned classmates keep close tabs, as do friends from both churches Gabe attends, First Baptist in Jeffersonville and Northside Christian in New Albany.

"He's on everybody's prayer lists," Jones said.

An Internet devotee, Gabe looks forward to resuming computer games of euchre and billiards with foes near and far.

"I played against somebody from Australia, once," said Gabe, who also plans to decorate his wheelchair with flame decals and maybe a flag.

His prospects physically should be pretty clear in a year, according to Larosa. In the meantime, his story will become old news. The attention some pay him now understandably will fade. This child understands his status, however. Gabe copes with lingering uncertainty like he advances with one of his X Box video games.

"I've got plenty of time," he said.

"They have not said, `No, you will never ....'" Ferguson said.

You can reach Dale Moss at (812) 949-4026 or by e-mail at dmoss@courier-journal.com. You can also read his columns at www.courier-journal.com.
http://www.courierjournal.com/localnews/2004/04/30in/B5-moss0430-6641.html
( the link to the article ^)
----
Gabe was in my 2nd period Science class and my 3rd period math class. He called yesterday during math. Twas spiffy. We've all missed him and I'm really hoping to see him at 8th grade grad. He's coming home Monday but he won't be back in classes this year. Gabe wasn't one of mah close buddies. But he was a friend and about two years ago I had a crush on him.

My AIM has became Grand Central Station and dealing my fucked up issues and helping K with her depresso-ness and dealling with 5 Im windows while trying to keep my stomach from flopping. So I'm gointo end this here.


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