So here we are almost 10 years later, refreshing Scooter's Adventure Blog.  Karis thought it would be fun to dig around in the archives of the "interweb" and she found my blog.  I just finished reading about my fried Dan Barker who fell while hiking near in the Camp Verde area.  Life is an adventure and my friend Jim Smith gave me the nickname "Scooter".

I am not sure what all will go in this blog, nor do I know if it will be worth reading, but I do like how it keeps track of life as well as thoughts I have regarding my faith.  I have some good faith updates - at least they are exciting for me to process. 
klm

Home Sweet Home

Dano is coming home today and I think everyone is pretty excited. I am sure Dan is looking forward to being back on camp after 4 1/2 weeks of being in the hospital. I will be sure and get some pictures of him this afternoon and post them for you all. For those of you who have given to Dan a huge THANK YOU! It doesn't seem like it is enough, but thank you! I am also going to see if I can get some picts from his Mom when he was in ICU so you can see where we have come from in such a short time.
Our local newspaper is doing an article on Dan's accident which is kind of exciting. At some point I plan on taking Dan over to the Rim Rock Fire Department so he can meet them. They asked for updates and for them I am sure that seeing Dan walking and talking would be encouraging.
Have a great Day and I will post more on the homecoming tonight!
K

Good Talk Dan

I had a great time today with Dan just hanging out and talking. I was there from about 3 pm to 6 pm, even had me a $3 meal. It was good to just sit and talk about what is going on and where he is going to go from here. Dan still needs our prayers, I think a big prayer request would be for patience. In his words "I am just done with all this" referring to the casts, the pain in his head and face, his wound vac, the time in the hospital. I know that all of you who know Danny know that what he is going through now is a big challenge for him. To not be able to get out and do things is a bit tough on him.
Another thing that he has talked about with several people and we talked about it quite a bit today is "if God let me live he must have plans for me...i just don't know what they are". Dan realizes that it is by the grace of God that he is even alive. He believes there is a purpose for his life and he is really seeking God to know what that purpose is. Toward the end of our conversation I asked him what specifically to ask for prayer for and this was it. (I brought up the patience one and he agreed.) This is what Dan is processing and what he asked prayer for. He and I have talked about the fact that working in maintenance at UCYC is not his lifetime career. While he is good at it, really we have seen that he is gifted at working with the kids here at camp. He is also thinking about the medical field. He recently did very well in an EMT class and has thought about becoming a paramedic. Regardless he is searching for God's purpose and would really appreciate the prayers.
As far as how long Dan is going to be there, we still don't know for sure, but the Physical Therapist that was in the room this evening said 3 to 4 days. I questioned her further and she only said they have been talking about Dan and he is doing very well. I am not one go get my (or yours for that matter) hopes up, but he is doing well and I don't think he will be there for 3 weeks as was initially planned.
Keep praying and thank you to those who have given to the Dan Barker Medical Fund...to the rest of you thanks for the prayers and if you can give I know it would be appreciated beyond words.
Thanks,
Kris

Awesome Phone Call

DAN CALLED ME TODAY!!! Actually his mom called me, but he was the one who answered. Steve said that last night he had some crazy dreams about aliens, which isn't a surprise to me as he has told me and Jim Smith some of his dreams and they are crazy. Anyway when his parents came in he was relieved. He told them he thought they had deserted him, so he was a little disoriented when he woke up. In the night he worked the wires off that hold his jaws together so I guess they won't take those off Monday after all. He had some pureed food last night through a straw and today they were going to feed him some solid food. Anyway he asked his parents if they had Greg (my brother) or my phone number and asked them to call me. He still has the trach so he is figuring out how to talk with that in by covering it up. He wanted to know what happened. I told him, but the nurse came in to give him some medicine so we didn't talk too much, but he said he would call me back. When I told him I met the guy who saved his life by going for help he thought that was pretty cool and I think he will look forward to meeting Cory. I am looking forward to the next call I get from Dan. I honestly don't know how to explain how fast he is recovering except for the grace of God. Three weeks ago I didn't know if he would live, now he is likely to be moved to a rehab hospital early next week. Isn't God amazing!
K

Dan and Memorial for Kenny Bailey in Prescott

Talked to Linda this evening and she said they have had a good day. They removed all the tubes except for the feeding tube, wound vac and trach. Dan is scheduled to have his jaw unwired Monday so I would expect then to pull the trach fairly soon too. He has also been moved from the step-down unit (a little lower form of ICU) to his own private room today so that was good. Dan is starting to talk, a therapist showed him how to cover the trach so he could get air past his vocal cords, but Dan has figured out someway of doing it without that. Leave it to Dan to find his own way of doing things. Overall good news and a good day.

There is going to be a memorial service for Kenny Bailey at PCC here in Prescott on Wednesday at 11 am. I am looking forward to it and look forward to seeing Polly tomorrow.

Life is good and it is good to be home. Have a great night.
K

Lots of Good News

After we left Dan this afternoon they did another x-ray on his jaw and after that they went ahead and took off his neck collar. That was really good for him. They also have removed the other chest tube and took out his catheter. He was up twice today walking around and they took him outside in a wheelchair. I am sure he loved being outside, but the air made him cough quite a bit. Hope to hear from the Dr. soon on unwiring his jaw, which was part of the jaw x-ray. He was making some sounds after the collar was off so he is starting to try and use his vocal cords. Pray they unwire his jaw soon so they can start to feed him and can remove the trach. Pray that tomorrow is as productive as today. We want Dan closer to home so we can see him more often, selfish I know but it is also a sign he is making good progress. He has lost a lot of weight and is pretty thin maybe lifting will be part of his rehab I am sure he will gain the weight and muscle as soon as he can. Can't wait to have him over for pancakes on a Saturday morning to fatten him up.
Kris

Just Saw Dan

WoW!  Dan has made a lot of progress in the last 10 days since I last saw him.  He recognized us and was moving his arms.  He showed me that he could move all of his finges and was trying to communicate with me.  He did write down who came to see him this morning.  I could tell it was frustrating to not be able to talk and he could couldn't have any water and he wantd some pretty bad.  The hospital in Flag was saying he would be in PV Tueday but a lot still has to happen before that transition can happen.  They did xrays on his neck and those results were good they are going to xray his jaw and if that comes back good they will remove the neck collar.  They can unwire his jaw anytime and that has to happen as well as removing the trach so he can eat.  The chest tube on his right lung is out and the one on the left can go anytime and they also need to remove the stomach tube.  All of that needs to happen before the move so we will have to see if it actually happens by Tuesday or not.  He still has the wound vac and a catheter I believe.  Overall he looks good and seems to be doing very well.  He has been off of pain medication for several days and has only had a little sedative at night once in the past 4 days.  I should have more news later from Steve regarding the jaw xray.  Be praying for everything to happen quickly and smoothly so he can get to PV and start on the therapy.   His parents are doing well and it was very encouraging to see him.
Keep praying and I will post another update later today and of course as things happen.
K

FW: Dan

This is the latest e-mail I received from Dan's mom Linda.

---

Date: Thu, 9 Jul 2009 23:31:26 +0000
From: lbarker547@comcast.net
To: kris_mengarelli@msn.com
Subject: Dan

Hi Kris,
 
Overall, it has been a good day.  We saw the doctor this morning and he seemed to be pleased with Danny's progress.  The decision has been made that when he leaves here, he will go to Mountain Valley Rehab in Prescott Valley.  The question now is as to when.  He has a "baby sitter" with him at all times to make sure that he doesn't pull out any of the tubes or try to get out of bed on his own - or do anything else that he shouldn't.  He has been writing some things on paper, some of which we can read and a lot that we can't.  They are planning on an x-ray of his neck to see if things in that area are such that the neck brace can be removed.  That hasn't happened as of yet today.
 
The speech theraphist spent some time with him today and I think was surprised at how well he did.  It is my personal opinion that Dan is going to surprise them all and be out of rehab and back to doing what he loves a great deal sooner than anybody thinks possible! :)
 
The best for last - they got him up this morning and took him for a walk down a bit past the nurses station.  The nurse and PT people kept trying to get him to spread his legs a bit so he would be a bit steadier.  The nurse told him to walk like a cowboy - without any hesitation, he bowed his legs and walked like a cowboy!  I don't think that was quite what John, the nurse, had in mind but it gave all concerned a big laugh!
 
Have a safe trip home.
 
Linda

Dan Update

I talked to Steve today as well as received an e-mail from Linda.  Dan was more relaxed today.  When responding to commands his response time is getting shorter.  He now has a cast on his left hand and Steve was working with Dan on being able to write.  Yesterday he was trying to write with his hand in the air so he is trying to communicate.  They removed the chest tube from his right lung and Steve thought they could remove the left chest tube and the trach soon.  Once they did that even with his jaws wired shut,  the speech therapist would start working with him.  It also looks like they may move him somewhat soon (late this week or early next week) he may be moved to a rehab hospital.  We hope in Prescott Valley but Steve hasn't heard anything for sure.  We are heading home tomorrow and should be back by Friday and hope to stop in Flag to see Dan.  Keep praying for Dan to fully recover, and thanks for your prayers this far.  Also be sure to let people know about the Dan Barker Medical Fund.
Kris

Dan's News

Sorry I haven't updated lately.  Dan didn't have a good day on Sunday.  Physically he didn't go back or forward, but he was very agitated, frustrated or restless so they had to give him some sedation.  Yesterday was a good day he was back to responding to questions and his stomach was doing better with the food they were putting in his stomach.  Overall I would expect okay days and better days, continue to pray.
As if we didn't know it was a miracle, Amy's brother-in-law investigates accidents and researches them for the government mine safety inspection organization.  He said he knows of only one other person who has ever survied a 40 foot fall and he fell on his side.  For Dan to have taken that fall and landed the way he did and be doing as well as he is let alone just being alive is nothing short of a miracle.  Continue to pray, but take a moment to praise God for what he has done and what he is going to continue to do with Dan.
K

Dan's Update

Dan is doing well, the ggod news is that they are talking about moving him to the rehab hospital in Prescott Valley in a week or so pending any setbacks.  Seems like the Dr.s are very impressed with how Dan is progressing.  They did wire his jaws back together and his right lung was starting to collapse so they did surgery to put a tube in on that side to keep it inflated.  I guess it was collapsing because of the pneumonia.  Steve sounded like they weren't too surprised.  His O2 level was still very good.  Katie said he was frustrated, but did try to say good morning to her this morning.  I will post her status from fb on my wall so you can see what she had to say.  Jeni and Mike got to visit him today and were glad to see him.  He was trying to get up out of his chair and get to his bed.  As far as visiting goes it is okay as long as there aren't a bunch of people at once mid-week would be a good time.  Continue to pray, there is a lot to be thankful for, life being one thing for sure.  My brother-in-law investigates mining accidents and said thet he doesn't know of anyone who has survied a 40 foot fall especially landing the way we think he did.  Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers and don't forget that we are raising money to help cover what insurance doesn't.
Send checks to:
UCYC
Dan Barker Medical Fund
1400 Paradise Valley Rd
Prescott, AZ 86303
KM

On The Move

Wow!  Where to start.  Dan is being moved out of ICU today.  He will be in room 235 bed 2.  He stood up and turned to sit in his chair, stuck his tongue out at his sister (she asked for...literally) and has smiled as best he could.  He is on very little sedation if any.  He is recognizing people and doing very well.  Steve and I both agree that we didn't know if he would make it a week ago let alone be moved to a room already.  There is still a ways to go including rehab, but he is doing well.  Continue to pray for good progress and a complete recovery.
K

Sleepy Day

Talked to Linda (Dan's mom) and Dan has had a lazy day. He was sedated some last night, but no sedation today. He has slept most of the day part of that sitting in his chair. We aren't sure how to interpret that, but it seems like after all he has been through natural sleep as opposed to induced sleep is probably good for him. So at this point, no news is good news.

I am ready to fly to Tulsa to spend the night with my friend Ky and meet Kally. I will hug her for all of you who have been praying and try to take a few pictures for you as well. I can't wait to see my family and enjoy a little down time. Pray for an easy week in facilities here at camp as we will be down to just one facilities stud...Jim Smith. I will continue to be in touch.
Kris

"I'm sorry"

So today they put in the wound vac and that went well and they decided they were going to have him sit in a chair for an hour. Two and a half hours later he was ready to go back to bed I guess. Evidently the "food" they are putting in his stomach made him sick so after they put him to bed he threw up all over the nurse and himself. After that he looked at the nurse and mouthed "I'm sorry." His mom looked at the nurse and asked if she saw that and she said yes he just mouthed "I'm sorry." Great news!

The touching story of the day:
Dan's mom: "Dan, are you in any pain?"
Dan: nods his head "NO"

Dan's mom: "Does your tummy still hurt?"
Dan: nods his head "NO"

Dan's mom: "Do you know that I love you very much?"
Dan: nods his head "YES"

I guess this confirms that he is recognizing people and he is trying to talk. His mom also said that compared to earlier he is not flailing about as before rather it is more like he is trying to stretch. In other words his movements are different. Overall it was a good day for Dano and his mom Linda. Keep praying for a full recovery.
K

Dan Saw Me Today

I was going to write that I got to see Dan today, but he got to see me and Jim Smith today as well. Dan is off of the ventilator breathing on his own through the trach and is still on oxygen. They took him off of the IV sedation and now just give him some through an IV when he needs it. While we were there he looked at both of us with his right eye as his left is still swollen but looking a lot better. We believe that he probably recognized us as we was looking back and forth between us, his eye was tracking very smooth and there was good light behind his eyes. In many ways it was very encouraging to see him because he looks so much better. He followed commands this morning and was able to nod his head "no" when the nurse asked if he was in pain. He is moving a lot and in past posts I have said that they keep him sedated because he is agitated. I am sure he is, but a lot of the movement seemed to me like he was just restless. It seemed like he was moving to try and get comfortable or to stretch, with someone so active I am sure his body wants to move around just for the sake of moving. His fever is kind of up and down which could be coming from the pneumonia and/or an infection. Yesterday they opened up the incision in his abdomen to let it drain and today they are going to put a wound vac in that incision to help keep it cleaned out and draining. I think there is some infection in that area. Pray that the antibiotics and Dan's body fight off and get past the infection so he can continue on in the healing process. Jim and I also think he wants to talk but with the trach and his jaw wired shut it is impossible and that could be a little frustrating. Sometime last night or this morning he worked the wires loose on his jaw and will have to have it wired back again today. The nurse did say they were going to try to keep the visits down today and I think that will be the case until he calms down a little more. I also understand that in order for him to be moved to a regular room he will need to be off the vent and off of sedation...one down one to go. Pray that he would understand more and where he is and the need to be calm and rest as he comes off of the sedation. I know it is tough for him to relax, but that is what he needs to do.

Looking at my report I gave some "I Thinks", those aren't from the Dr. and are my opinion based on the information I have so be careful with those as I don't want to spread false information and I don't want those who read this to either.

Thanks for the prayers and support Dan's dad and sister will likely come out tomorrow and then on Sunday his mom and sister will fly back and his mom is driving on Monday to come back to Flagstaff. Pray they have safe travel. I am bummed that I won't get to meet his sister in person although I am sure we will get to sometime. Even though I am leaving to go on vacation with my family I will be staying up to date and will continue to update my blog with information. There will likely be less to report as he continues to progress steadily, but I will keep you posted daily or so depending on what there is to report. If I don't update it, "no news is good news."

Thanks again for your concern and prayers...things are looking better every day.
In His Grace,
Kris

PS - Don't forget the medical fund for Dan and Michelle pointed out in a comment that it will probably be more legit if checks are sent to the camp as opposed to my home address although either will work.
Make checks to:
Dan Barker Medical Fund
UCYC
1400 Paradise Valley Rd
Prescott, AZ 86303

The Latest

We are into slow and steady it seems for Dan. Today though there was a bright spot. The physical therapist had Dan sit on the edge of the bed! Dan was still partially sedated, but the medical staff was really pleased with how he did. They were on either side of him making sure he stayed balanced, but with help they sat him up so that is some good news. He is completely off of the ventilator, just taking some oxygen. His fever has been staying down around 99 degrees, so they still don't know what caused it to spike. The Dr. did remove some of the staples in his abdomen as it is pretty red and swollen so there may be some infection there that they will need to keep an eye on. His mom seems to be doing okay and it looks like Steve and his sister Katie will be back here Thursday. Jim Smith and I are going up to visit tomorrow morning early, so I should have some more news in the morning. Continue to pray for his healing he has a long way to go.

Don't forget, and tell your friends about the Dan Barker Medical fund. You can walk into any National Bank of Arizona and donate or send a check to me made out to Dan Barker Medical Fund.
Kris Mengarelli
1533 Paradise Valley Rd
Prescott, AZ 86303

The funeral for Kenny Bailey is going to be held on Friday at Hansens Mortuary 8314 . 7th St in Phoenix. There will be a 10 am visitation and an 11 am funeral. Polly seems to be holding up okay although she said she hasn't had her big cry yet. I can't imagine how hard it would be to lose my wife of 15 years, so I know losing your soul mate of 65 years must be extremely difficult. Please pray for Polly to be able to handle the decisions she faces and for her strength in the difficult time. If you have a story about Kenny send it to Jason Price at jason@prescottchristian.com. He is the pastor at Prescott Christian Church and wanted some for the service I believe. If you don't know Jason you are missing out. He is a good man and I appreciate how he has walked through this with Polly and Kenny. He ministers not because it is his job but because of who he is and Who he follows.

Dan Update and Financial Help

Papa Papa
I don't know if I mentioned this here, but the first 24 hrs Dan was known as Papa Papa. I kind of like his new nickname. The mediflight or EMS crews had given the name so ICU used it until his name and data got into the computer. The good news of the day is that Dan spent most of the day off of the ventilator breathing on his own. They still have him on some oxygen, but he is off the vent. He may go on tonight if he has trouble breathing tonight, but then tomorrow they would try to take him off. Earlier today they found 80 ml of fluid outside of his left lung between it and his ribs putting pressure on that lung making it hard to breathe. After removing that he was breathing better. They haven't found the cause of the fever he had yesterday, but CT scans of his head and abdomen didn't show any signs of infection and the spinal tap test for meningitis came back negative as well. He did respond to one command, but otherwise has not. He also has had his right eye open and tracks people across the room although his eye movement is somewhat jerky.

FINANCIAL AID
We have opened an account at National Bank of Arizona called the Dan Barker Medical Fund. As you can imagine the medical bill for this is going to be astronomical. Dan has insurance but is going to need to meet his deductible and I would guess his max out of pocket expense. To contribute all you need to do is walk into any National Bank and let them know you want to donate to the Dan Barker Medical Fund. They should be able to help you. Or you can send a check to me made out to Dan Barker Medical Fund. We have already had the missions committee from a church express interest in donating and an 8 year old girl gave $50 to the fund so if you have been wondering what more you can do besides pray here is your chance. If we raise more than the max out of pocket I am sure there will be some physical or occupational therapy that the money could go toward or if he is unable to work with his hands possibly training or education.

Kenny and Polly
As I mentioned in my facebook status Kenny went to be with Jesus early this morning at 2:50. He was resting peacefully at the time and Polly told us she had prayed that God would take him home as he really didn't have any kind of quality of life. I don't know whether Polly is going to stay here at camp, or move down with one of her children. I also don't have any info on when services will be held for Kenny. I do know we need to keep Polly in our prayers, 65 years together is a long time and I believe those two have truly become one so this is going to be difficult for Polly.

Vacation
My family left for Missouri to visit Amy's family last Friday and I am going to go join them this Thursday evening I am going to fly out. I will then drive back with them around the 8th or 9th of July. I am looking forward to some down time. I will continue to check in with Dan's parents and post updates here. Things seem to be more stable and a little slower as far as Dan is concerned so keep praying for slow steady progress.

Dano

So the spinal tap was negative so that is good news as far as having meningitis goes. Still looking for the infection though. They were to do a CT scan to look for infection in the area of his face where they did the surgery. They were also going to check his abdomen to see if there may be an infection there. Don't have a lot to report, just keep them in your prayers.
K

Ups and Downs

Dan had a good morning when I was there yesterday, his surgery went well etc, but in the afternoon he developed a very high fever and had tremors. They did a spinal tap to check for menengitis and haven't gotten the results back from that yet. Doesn't seem like this is "normal" for this type of serious injuries from what I am getting so we need to pray that the Dr. can figure out what is going on. This morning his fever was back down.

His dad has gone back to Colorado and will return with his sister this week, when will depend on Dan's condition. Please continue to pray for them, especially pray for his mom as it can be difficult being here by herself. I know that it is easier to stay positive when you have someone with you so you can lean on one another.


Kenny Bailey
No new news this morning on Kenny. Please pray for the family. At this point they are simply making him comfortable. It is very touching to watch Kenny and Polly interact with one another even in this time. Their faith is amazin.

Dano

Dan is out of surgery.  He has a trach and a feeding tube that goes in through his side into his stomach.  He looks better, has better color in his face and it is nice to see without the tubes taped to his nose and mouth.  He has pneumonia in his right lung (not the one that was bruised), but is still doing okay and has been initiating breaths on his own just using the vent for the O2.  Part of the purpose of the trach and feeding tube is to clear things off his face and hopefully reduce his agitation when they wake him.  The way I understand it removing the tubes from his nose and getting him a clear breathing passage should help know more about brain damage.  He looks more comfortable than ever.  Continue that there is no permanent brain damage.

His parents seem to be doing quite well.  His dad is going back home to take care of some business and will return with his sister Katie.

K