Bunk’s Status

From my brief conversations with Mom, it seems Monday was a rather slow day and void of his usual therapies for some reason. It’s not always easy to glean every, or even a few as today would have it, detail about Bunk’s day: not that he would want that anyway. As the relatively quiet day would have it, his good friend Cheri stopped by for a nice, long visit which was perfect for such a day. They visited throughout the late afternoon and well into the evening, conversation being interrupted only by the Olympics, of course. After Cheri said goodnight, Bunk was helped by Israel with his evening routine and transfer, who also worked on some range of motion therapies with him once he was back in bed. Bunk continues to feel well, eat well, sleep - well, not so much - but his attitude stays the course and speaks volumes of his wellspring of inner strength.

A quiet morning greeted Bunk on Sunday, along with an early visit from the Eucharistic Minister. Early as the visit was, Bunk managed to beat him to the punch and was dressed, ready and transferred into his chair prior to his arrival. It’s quite a big deal to get everything done in order to complete the transfer - and to have it all done that early in the morning is remarkable in that is speaksof the increasing tolerance and patience Bunk has forall the manhandling it requires, and also of the absolute commitment anddevotion Mom puts into helping Bunk get on with his day in a more normal manner - day in and day out. Bunk, Mom and Reuben are making strides in streamlining the painstaking and laboriousroutine, which is helping to make it more tolerable for everyone involved. Surely, once they get in down to a science they will begin the process all over again with Bunk’s move into his new home - which means everything will change since he will be able to take a shower every morning! A bit later in the afternoon, Bunk decided to head back up to the Tipsy, just to make certain the lift was indeed working. It was, and, after spending some time up there sussing out the plans for the almighty television(s), he focused his attention on specific instructions for pruning the olive trees which surround the property and whose tops block some of the views. Bountiful opinionshave formedon a more regular basis now that he has access to his new home-in-progress. It is a wonderful for Bunk to be able to focus on such a positive step in his new life. Otherwise, of course, the Olympic Games continue to grab his attention, so much so that he even missed the Dodger game in theexciting commotionof it all. That’s saying something.

Saturday brought the day of departure for Evelyn, William, Helen and I, and hopefully some peace for Bunk, Mom and Dad. It took us the better part of the day to get packed and ready to go, so, seeing as there wasn’t much a rush anymore, Bunk asked if we could go outside and come up with some plans for a path around the house and a bit more of the yard. His goal is to be able to get around the property and enjoy the gardens, views and great weather: at the moment, his path - which is fantastic - gets him from the front door to the driveway and garage where his van is parked. He veers off the path on the bumpy dirt and rubble and over plywood boards that we lay down for him in order to get to the lower patios and lower lawn areas. Access to the whole yard has been a goal for some time, and one we are closing in on with the help of McCarthy Construction. Thanks to the kind and hardworking people at McCarthy for patiently trying to work with our family! Bunk had therapy with Stephanie Djang after we left, and apparently part of today’s therapy included putting Dad in the standing frame rather than Bunk. My guess would be that Dad is only slightly shorter than Bunk - a few inches at least - and his presence helped to calibrate the rather involved contraption, thereby saving Bunk the discomfort of getting in and out of his chair repeatedly in order to help get the settings right. A nice telephone conversation with his good friend Eric Fischer followed in the afternoon, after which he decided to head back indoors. He loves to hear from all of his friends and see them as often as possible: many, many thanks to all of you for keeping this form of loving support strong and stable. No night nurses on the weekend make them very long and exhausting for Mom and Dad, and sinceso muchawaits them in the evening with Bunk, they tried to get some rest - they take shifts - prior to the trials that can often be Bunk’s evenings.

For those of you who might read these updates, and use them as your main source of informationfor Bunk and his progress, I’ll try desperately these next few days to get caught up - so sorry for the continued delays. We appreciate very much that you continue to read them and keep him in your prayers.
Friday was a nice, calmly busy day asthe kids and Iare all still in town - one day to go to reach peace and quiet! It was a warm, sunny day and Bunk went outside again to check his lift - I think he doesn’t quite believe that it might actually work. I’m very excited for my brother and the new life and independence that is nearly upon him as he contemplates moving out of Mom and Dad’s house and into his very own place - even though it is roughly 75 feet from their door to his. When Dr. Xi arrived at 1:00 for his therapy, he was rather tired but managed very well, but when his friend Brian Trujillo came by to check on the work for his apartment, he perked right up. The generosity, patience and skill Brian has offered Bunk and our parents in order to get the place finally completed have been just amazing. Many thanks to Brian. When we settled in for dinner and the evenings Olympic events, his loyal friend Dave Baxter came by to keep him company and watch the Olympic action with Bunk and the rest of us. Again, Bunk is dreading the end of the Olympic Games! He is enjoying their high stakes nature and the unwavering commitment of the athletes to their sport and to their goals. They remind me of Bunk.He continues to do well, but still the nagging times remain when uncertainty sets in and causes us to worry about tomorrow. Thanks for your continued prayers and positive thoughts for Bunk.

A busy day was Thursday: many friends and events filled it with distraction, hilarious conversation, and just great fun. He felt good, too. Bunk’s good friend Brian Wolf stopped by with his wife Amanda and their two kids Sean and McKinney (Bunk’s godchild - or perhaps I should now say one of his godchildren.) It was Brian’s birthday and as part of his special day, he wanted to stop by to visit his good friend Bunk. It meant a great deal to Bunk, and although he didn’t say it, he didn’t need to, either. His reaction was enough, and it was a wonderful way to begin his day. When Amanda took the kids out to get some lunch and run a few errands, Bunk immediately asked Brian if he wanted to have a look at the Tipsy - by way of the new working elevator! Dad had managed to finally get it squared away and appropriately adjusted for the weight of Bunk and his posse (his wheelchair, the vent, and either a nurse, Mom or Dad). This was no easy task on Dad’s part, and it has taken the greater part of a year to get to this point. Unbelievable. In any case, Bunk was excited to take Brian up to see his new home, and happy that things are now all working and that the possibility ofmoving into his own, accessible, comfortable home is now one large step closer to becoming a reality. Once Brian, Amanda and the kids said goodbye, the home health nurse arrived to change the wound dressings again, which I seem to recall Mom doing just a few days ago. In any case, it was done again. In the early afternoon, many of my best girlfriends from Rosary High School and their children arrived for an afternoon get together since I am in town for a short while. Since Bunk is also good friends with Mary, Jill, Michelle and Wendy, and they are all positive and chipper as can be, it made for a very nice afternoon for him (indeed, for all us.) This social event segued into yet another: his No Bad Days softball team was having a game at 7:10 and he was intent on being there. He roped Mom into taking him and driving with him in the van -just the two of them for the first time. Previously, Momhad been abit nervous at the thought of it, but all went well and there wasn’t even a remote need to pull over and deal with a wayward alarm or an uncomfortable Bunk. Since Bunk seemed to be on a roll, he decided to attend the party at the bar following the game with all of his teammates, and, naturally, when Bunk is in a bar with good friends he is bound to have a good time. He enjoyed himself and the company of his friends, and wasn’t about to turn in. That is, until Mom said she just couldn’t keep herself awake enough to drive any longer. Fortunately, they didn’t have far to go, but this just highlighted for Bunk the need to train his friends on driving and working the rather involved van. If a friend could help him get securely in the van and drive it, he figures, he would then only need a nurse to come with him to his social outings. He’s working on it, which is a very positive thing. Thanks to all of you for continuing to make visits to Bunk, including him in your social calendar, and for holding him up as a big part of your lives. We have said it time and time again, but it bears repeating—it makes all the difference in his life. Thank you again, and please keep him and our parents in your daily prayers.

It was a sleepy morning, and since the kids and were gone for the day it allowed Bunk some prime afternoon napping time right in the middle of the living room. He had endured a long, late morning of suctioning and the very unfortunate suctioning side effect of hyper secretions and intense post nasal drip. This always runs him into the ground; today’s episode fortunately only lasted a little over an hour, but recovery is always much longer. Mom changed the dressings on his elbow and heel wounds, and dear Mr. Honikel stopped by to bring Holy Communion to Bunk. Otherwise, it was a day for the Olympics, and when I returned around 10:00 p.m. we tuned into together until well into the wee hours of the morning. I enjoy this time with Bunk very much, and never tire of his running -often witty- commentary.

A day Bunk thought might never happen actually did: he navigated his wheelchair into the elevator and we sent him up to see his apartment -or the shell of it - for the very first time. It didn’t stop midway, it was smooth ride, and, above all, he was over the moon to see his new home for the very first time. A man of firm opinions, Bunk certainly let us know what he thought ought to be done to the apartment in order to make it livable and comfortable for him. There is simply no underestimating his desire to take a shower. Can you even imagine? No shower for two years”¦ he is looking forward to it, along with time on his new balcony to enjoy the lovely view (”Now, the trees all need to be topped so I can actually see this incredible view”¦”)! Naturally, he had many opinions (all of which differed from mine) on where to hang the artwork we are making and other pieces of his that we are having framed. But what would Bunk’s life be without a final, unbelievable irony? When we tried to get him down in the lift, we couldn’t get the lift platform to return up to the 2nd storey to retrieve him: once we finally managed to get him up to his new home, there he would have to stay. Bunk thought we were joking. Dad called the elevator company, and about 2 ½ hours later we heard back from them with instructions on how to get the lift up to retrieve Bunk, and how to safely bring him back down. In the meantime, Bunk’s therapist Stephanie arrived for the 1:30 session, which they held in his unfinished place, so the afternoon wasn’t a total loss! Dad eventually got him safely down, and we were promised that the lift would indeed work and have the capability of hauling the weight of Bunk, his massive wheelchair and ventilator combination, and another person. If he had a breath to take, Bunk wasn’t about to hold it. After the drama, Dad and the grandchildren spent the remainder of the afternoon building the nascent stages of a very ambitiously planned three storey tree house - not unlike the tree house we had as (lucky) kids. They were so excited that they spent quite a bit of the afternoon discussing all tree house possibilities and options with Uncle Bunk, especially the pulley system -”Can we pull you up in it?”. Maybe a pulley system is the answer to the elevator problems. As the day wound down, Bunk again looked forward to the evening Olympic games; he has commented time and again how much he enjoys watching them. From 9:00 p.m until approximately midnight or thereafter, he stays up in his wheelchair in the living room (bed transfer is usually closer to 9 or 10) and we watch it all. Then Israel transfers him back to bed where we watch a few more hours, generally shutting down around 2:00 a.m. The games and the athletes are fresh, energetic, committed and hopeful. Certainly so very many of ushold this same opinion of him. Mostly, he just really enjoys incredible live sporting events. He mentioned to Mom that the Games “help fill my day and the nighttime, and I’ll miss them when they’re over.” Please keep your prayers forever strong, firm, and positive for Bunk’s recovery, health, breathing, and wellbeing.

Monday, August 11, 2008
Hoping this week might bring him a break from his heavy social schedule of the past three days, Bunk enjoyed a relatively calm morning, as did we all. Dad continued to work hard all day in preparation for the new lift’s maiden run - which was to be today, with Bunk in it. Will and Evelyn were beside themselves with excitement and actually took the first turn in the lift: all was working well, and, although the lift is incredibly slow, the minute it hit the ground, in a fit of excitement, they raced into the house to let Bunk know his time had finally come! They went with him down the path, William in front and Evelyn behind Uncle Bunk, as they made their way to the west side of his building to call the elevator back down (Will’s job as he won the coin toss.) The rest of us went upstairs to meet him when he landed on the new deck that Dad had rebuilt; but, alas - his seemingly permanent quest to make it to the second storey apartment over the garage was not to be. The carriage never even left the ground. Aside from the palpable disappointment we all felt, our hearts really went out to Bunk as he sat, yet again, stuck in his left. He managed to easily and quickly get out of the lift, but decided to immediately head upstairs into Mom and Dad’s house. “No worries,” he said, “it just needs some adjusting.” Dad immediately called the elevator company in order to schedule to get them to come back as quickly as possible. It appears the lift needed further adjustments in order to lift his full weight: with his wheelchair, it nears about 700 pounds. Dad seemed to be on the phone forever, so we all went with Bunk to his physical therapy appointment at St Jude, were he successfully worked on the standing frame while simultaneously attempting his breathing exercises, which lasted about fifteen to twenty minutes. He did well in spite of his exhaustion because of the late nights we’ve been pulling in order to catch the Olympics. With Mom changing the dressing on the pressure wounds on his arms, Bunk rounded out his day with a fine dinner and a late night with me as we stayed up late to take in some of the best reality TV there ever was - the Olympics. Bunk just loves watching all of it, taking in the full expanse and understanding what it means to be a true athlete and good sport.

Since we arrived on Thursday, Bunk has been a bit of a machine managing an onslaught of social events, therapies as well as the rigors of his normal daily routine. Sunday was no exception as I managed to secure a date to have Helen baptized on this very day here in Orange County, naturally with Bunk as Helen’s godfather and our good friend Vera Cresson as her godmother. It meant a great deal toeach of us to be present with Bunk actually there as the godfather, as opposed to having Helen baptized in San Francisco with a proxy godfather filling in for him as was recommended to us many times over. The day was very warm and parking was non existent at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Newport Beach, so, while Bunk, Mom and Dad were up and out early, an almost unreasonable amount of patience was required of them as they remained in the van, double parked and waiting for a handicap accessible parking spot to become available in order to get church for Mass and the ceremony. It all came to pass eventually (sixty minutes later), with Helen being her usual delightfulself and her Uncle Bunk cutting quite the inspirational figure. It was a truly beautiful day, one filled with happiness and so much hope. Bunk’s friend Tim Mullahey and his wife Kim had their son T.J. baptized as well, and we enjoyed a lovely afternoon at their home on the water, made lovelier by virtue of its access for Bunk. Sitting front and center on the patio overlooking the harbor, Bunk looked how I often remember him looking before his accident: smiling, confident, calm, handsome, and enjoying himself - only now sitting down and immobile.

Saturday, August 9, 2008
While the days of Bunk’s big fundraising events are usually met with quite a bit of rushed activity and a good measure of stress, this morning proved a little calmer than others. Even Dad decided to take advantage of being able to get some work done and, having an extra pair of hands around, he and Eric got to work on installing some large support beams which were removed in order to get the new frame of Bunk’s lift in. The warmth and the sunlight welcomed Bunk to the beach, where, courtesy of Dawn and Jess Bingaman and the entire Swanson family, he enjoyed a very full, happy day of friends, family and fundraising. Kids seemed to be coming out of the woodwork, which always makes for some extra fun, and toward the end of the afternoon Bunk’s good rugby mate, Dave Baxter, must have decided to take someone up on a dare when he suddenly stood up and beautifully belted out an operatic tune in the middle of the restaurant. It was all lots of fun, and Bunk held on until about 8:00, good spirits all the while. Dawn, Jess and the Swansons presented our family with 100% of their proceeds from the day, which was roughly $6,500.00! What an incredible gesture of kindness and generosity from all of them to Bunk. Thank you!