Look Ma~No Hands!

Gabe was able to be released from the University Hospital in SLC yesterday. We made the long drive back to Boise, and he did awesome. The nurses loaded him up on his pain medication before we left which helped him to sleep through most of the trip. He started squirming and and getting uncomfortable the last hour and when we arrived in Boise he was done. We made it to the Rehab facility just in time for them to get something into his feeding tube and get him some more pain medication before he got too sick. Because his jaw is wired shut we have to avoid any nauseousness to prevent vomiting.

As soon as Gabe got all settled into his bed, he told us that he was so happy to be in back Boise, that he wanted to do somersaults. I'm pretty sure that by the end of his stay in rehab he will be able to do just that.

It sounds like he is going to be hard at work in rehab for a while. This morning he has already done interviews with therapists to see how capable he is of doing various things, and he is going to have a physical therapy test this morning as well. The goal is to get him up to doing 3 hours of physical therapy/day. He just told me that they have all sorts of classes for him to attend and this morning he gets to take a class on sleeping and meditation. It sounds like they will be doing a lot of cool things within his stay at rehab. I'm thinking I might have to go join in on some of the fun. ; )

The picture above is of one of Gabe's first walks around the floor he was on in Salt Lake taken just a few days ago. He did an awesome job! His mom took this picture and he was showing her he could walk with no hands. I on the other hand was still a little scared, so I kept on holding on. ; ) I suppose now I'm going to have to learn to let go so that he can do the work that he needs to do to heal.

I have purposely refrained from posting any pictures of him until this point out of respect and to protect Gabe's privacy. Now that he is going to be taking so many strides in his recovery I found it appropriate to share his victories with all of you. I know that having a great support system, and having people involved in his recovery, will help him heal and encourage him to work towards his goals. When he has healed more and completed his surgeries, and with Gabe's approval of course, we will show pictures we have taken along the way to show how much he has progressed. It is truly amazing what the doctors have done with what they had to work with initially. We have been so blessed to have the great team of doctors that have been working and will continue to work in Gabe's behalf.

Because Gabe is in a rehab facility his days are going to be pretty full. They have limited his visiting hours to 6-9:00 PM. Gabe would love to have visitors and the extra encouragement and support would do him well. Until he gets his strength up however they ask that you limit your visits to about 15 minutes. The length of visits will all depend on how Gabe is doing that particular day. For those of you that would like to visit, he is at the Elks Rehab Facility in Boise, and his room # is 208. I know he would be grateful to see all of you that have been so supportive along the way.

Thank you and much Love to you always~

The Chapeks

Hey-ya, Hey-ya, My husband's back!

Today was a day I have been praying for ever since Gabe's accident. Last night when I left the hospital to go to my hotel, I was feeling very discouraged. Gabe hadn't really acknowledged me the last few days, and I was starting to fear that maybe through the surgery he had forgotten who I was. All of those fears melted away when I walked into his room this morning. He was surrounded by 3 nurses who were teaching him to talk through his trache. As I came in the room they asked who I was. When I replied that I was his wife, my dear husbands arms flew wide open and pulled me into him in the biggest hug I've had from him in quite a while. As I straightened back up to look at him he covered his trachea and in a voice similar to that of Darth Vader's, he said "I love you." I could have done cartwheels right then and there (if I knew how to do a cart wheel). ; )

I ended up sitting/standing by his bed all day long holding his hand. When I would try to lay his hand back down so that he could sleep, he would promptly wake up and put my hand back in his. At one point today I was cleaning his face and he looked at me with some sort of new understanding in his eyes as he smiled up at me. It was the first time I'd seen him smile in weeks, and it felt like the smile I saw the first time we met. I don't know what he has been dreaming about the last few days, or even if he dreams. But I do know that the look in his eyes is new. It's filled with love and admiration and a newness that excites me and leaves me feeling optimistic about his and my future. I know this experience has changed/is changing Gabe, and I have a good feeling that something good is bound to come from it.

The doctors are wanting to move Gabe onto the rehabilitation floor after the weekend to see how ready he is. I have a feeling he's going to be running circles around those doctors in no time. Today someone came in from physical therapy, and as soon as they introduced themselves Gabe sat straight up in bed to show him that he was ready to work.

The girls called tonight and I was able to put them on speaker phone so they could talk to their daddy. He was so happy to hear from them. He uses some of the little bit of sign language we taught Tori when she was a baby. He says thank you and I love you, and tonight when our little TT got on the phone he continuously blew her kisses into the phone over and over again...to which Tori exuberantly replied...MMMMUUUUAAAHHH!!

I am so blessed to have my mom and sisters taking time out of their already busy lives to care for my girls. I told one of my sisters the other night that I can tell how much they love me because of the way they show love to my daughters. I know that without them it wouldn't be possible for me to be here to help support Gabe. I am so appreciative of their unselfish sacrifices that they make for our family. They have been such a strength for me and I thank them for helping make this time a little more bearable.

Every day I am humbled at the sweet Christ-like gestures people show to my family. They have been such examples to me in my life. Everyone has helped us out in their own unique ways...from bringing Popsicles and books to the girls, to helping mow our lawn, to bringing my family dinners, to making a quilt for Gabe, to buoying me up with positivity and prayer. I have learned that there is so much healing power involved in the friendship that others offer. I'm so appreciative of the friends and family that we have who share their talents and love with us in our time of need. We love you all and are forever indebted to your kindness and generosity. Thank you!!

Thank you for the updates. There has not been a minute when all of you have not been on my thoughts and prayers. I am so pleased with Gabe's progress and the wonderful work doctors can do these days. Another nephew had similar facial injuries about 6 weeks ago. Saw him at a BBQ this weekend and you would never know anything ever happened to him. AMAZING!
I know all the updates must be exhausting for you Nakel, but thank you for being so diligent in keeping us all informed about Gabe's progress and your love for each other. It is truly inspiring and brought tears to my eyes.
I love you.
Trina

Our Champ

Today Gabe is resting semi-comfortably in bed recovering from his 13+ hour surgery. It was an exhausting day for my dad and I waiting without knowing what was going on, for the surgeons who refused to rest even for a lunch break, but especially for Gabe, whose vitals remained as solid as a rock while enduring the equivalent of a 13 hour boxing match.

His wonderful surgeons were able to reconstruct most of his face using hundreds of screws and plates in order to piece it all back together again. The head surgeon said that it was the most difficult and intense facial reconstruction that he's ever had to do. Gabe will still have to have more surgeries in the future mostly for cosmetic purposes concentrating on his nose, but the surgeons were successful in protecting his brain, and building up a nice support for his future surgeries.

Gabe has been asking me through his notes to take pictures so that he will be able to see the results and the progress he has made. His doctor from Boise e-mailed me the picture of him today taken the day of his accident. It was amazing to see how much improvement has already taken place with the wonderful doctors here. I know this is the best place for Gabe to be and I'm so appreciative of the doctors in Boise who were able to admit that they weren't able to handle the surgery as well as the doctors here in SLC could, and then getting him here as soon as possible.

Gabe's face is starting to swell up again and has been sleeping all day. When the doctors moved him back down to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit this morning, Gabe became very agitated and slightly "combative"--surely a combination of the anesthesia wearing off and an indication of the amount of pain he is having to endure. It took 5 people to contain him and they ended up having to restrain his arms and ankles so he doesn't keep trying to run or pull out any of the tubes. He has also been heavily sedated so we haven't been able to communicate at all with him today. However, just previous to this fiasco, he squeezed my hand and rubbed my fingers. Hopefully he will continue to get some good rest today.

The surgeons and the opthamologists were concerned about his left eye since they had to do so much surgery around the orbital sockets. However, when they came back to check it today he responded to the light. As for his right eye, it appears that it is still unresponsive.

Overall, Gabe has shown that he is a fighter and can endure just about anything. He is going to get through this and be stronger than he ever was before...I'm sure of it. That which doesn't kill you can only make you stronger.

Still waiting

For those of you wondering the outcome of the surgery, it is still in progress. It started at 7:30A.M. and should be finished in the next few hours. Nakel is holding up well and reports from the operating room have been positive. Thanks for all the love and support. We will keep you posted.

Surgery

Thank you to all who are following Gabe's progress and providing us with love and support. It has been amazing to see everyone come together and unite for my sweet Gabe. As one of my sister's so poignantly stated recently, "Sometimes good things fall apart, so better things can fall together!!!" I am so appreciative for the opportunity this situation has brought for me to fall into the strong and supportive arms of my friends and family.

Gabe wanted to go for a walk yesterday to take his mind off of his surgery, but was unable to walk because of his pain medicine so we took him for a stroll in the wheelchair instead. He wanted us to take him all over the hospital, and didn't want to go back to his room...except to get the orange, "bronco nation" foam finger. As we walked through the halls, he waved it at all of the doctors and nurses that walked past us. Gabe isn't going to let this university forget their 33-3 loss to our Broncos a couple of years ago. His funny sense of humor is a welcome change to the difficult reality of the situation we're in.

Although he was nervous and quite scared about his surgery on Saturday night, you would have never known it this morning. I found a note he had written to his mom that said he was afraid that his surgery might kill him. It was a somber moment that reminded us of the seriousness of the surgery, and the delicate state that he has found himself in. He has been so close to the spirit lately, and I am certain that he has had guardian angels with him to help him through this trial. He actually wanted to go to church yesterday but was unable because of his condition. My dad and his brother in law Burke, gave Gabe a beautiful blessing yesterday that he was so grateful to have. I read him many messages that people have sent through various sources and he would show his appreciation and his gratitude by squeezing my hand or giving me a thumbs up every time someone would say something encouraging. He told me the letters and messages I read were helping him to take his mind off of the surgery. There were so many encouraging messages, I tried to give him a break but every time I tried, he would motion me to read more. By the end of the evening, he was feeling calm and more sure of the situation.

He stayed very calm this morning as the plastic surgeon was explaining the procedure. He nodded his head to show his agreement that he was ready for this new phase of this challenging recovery process. He will most likely be placed in the neuro intensive care unit post surgery with restrictions on visiting hours just like before. This means no visits from the girls for a few days at least, and no more staying the night with him. After our very eventful and sleepless night last night, I'm ok with that. I have discovered that there isn't really a "goodnight" time in the hospital. It keeps going 24 hours/day. I'm sorry if this post seems a bit scattered, hopefully after a good nap I'll be able to make sense again.

We will keep you updated as to how his surgery and recovery goes. In the meantime, take the time to love and appreciate your loved ones. Hug them a little bit tighter, kiss them a little bit longer, and let yourself love stronger and more deeply than you ever have before.

We love all of you ...

Gabe and Nakel

Gabe is making such progress!! They have moved him out of the ICU because he's doing such a good job breathing on his own through the trachea. A speech pathologist will be meeting with him today to teach him how to talk with it.

Gabe's physical therapy is going well. He has walked down a long hallway and back without getting too light headed, so they are going to start coming in for physical therapy 4 times a day. He definitely has his work cut out for him.

Throughout all of this Gabe has managed to keep his sense of humor. From circling his finger around his ear and pointing at the nurses, to lifting up his hospital gown in front of a fan and curtsying, it is wonderful to know that behind all of the stitches and bruising and broken bones, that the man I adore is still there.

I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to care for him and tenderly show him how much I love him. I try to wipe his face and keep it clean around all of the stitching and the blood so that he can still look like his handsome old self.

Last night the girls and I were able to call him. His mom put the phone up to his ear while Rainee and Kaiya and I told him how much we loved him. His mom told us that whenever we would express our love that he would touch his heart.

This accident has touched the hearts of many. I am amazed each and every day by the love and generosity that is shown by the people in his life. We are constantly being reminded of the love that surrounds all of us if we just open our eyes and our hearts and see it. We are so grateful for the words of encouragement, the prayers, the good vibes, but most of all the love that people have been extending our way. Right now these words of encouragement are the only good news that Gabe hears in the day. Please keep sharing them with us as they truly help to lift his spirit and keep him going. We are so lucky to have you in our lives.

Love Always~
The Chapeks

What wonderful news to hear of Gabe's progress yesterday. He is beautiful no matter what the darn mirror says...
I continue to send all of you the very best positive and healing thoughts.
Love you all.
Trina

Physical therapy and breathing tubes

Gabe continues to improve. When Nakel got to the hospital today he was propped up in bed. He is more and more lucid and able to communicate. There are two levels in the ICU and he has been in the highest level. The doctors think that Gabe should be able to breathe on his own now and will be taking him off the breathing tube. If he is able to, he will be "stepped down" to the lower level of the ICU. This is encouraging news as it means he is that much closer to being able to see his girls.
The physical therapist wants to start therapy with him today which will consist of getting out of bed and standing by the bed. It's a slow start, but such an improvment from where he was on Sunday. Gabe's eyes are still swollen shut so he is limited in what he can do. They don't want him walking into things. Once the swelling goes down in his left eye, he will be able to do more.
Gabe asked the nurse for a mirror today. She gave him one and he was discouraged by it. The good news is it will only get better and he has such support from his father and wife who were right by his side.
Nakel and Gabe received a beautiful basket for some ladies in the ward and were so touched by the kind message. Nakel has been reading Gabe the messages left on facebook or texted to her and he has been so encouraged by them. Tonight the young men in their ward will be mowing their lawn and pulling weeds. What great support they have been shown and it is very much appreciated.
Nakel will be driving home tomorrow and will return to SLC on Sunday. Her girls will be thrilled to see her and there has been an improvement in their moods knowing that they will be with their mom again.

Beds and prayers

I talked to Nakel last night and she told me Gabe has been scribbling messages while his hands are still tied--so he doesn't pull his cords out--and they all got a good laugh, when Gabe started writing one message that said: "THIS BED SUCKS"

I also just received a text from Nakel that Gabe is doing "amazingly well today", as last night they put in a tracheotomy tube(not sure if I've got the term right--but to hear he's doibg so well today is such good news!! More updates will come. Thank you for your prayers, I know they are being heard!
Amy P. (Nakel's sister)

Hi my beautiful niece and wonderful nephew... My thoughts, prayers and all positive energy is going into the heavens for both of you, as well as the doctors that are caring for Gabe, and your three beautiful little girls.
Anything (and I mean anything) you need all you need to do is let me know.
I love you all so much.
Trina

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

This was actually very early this morning...we hope you can get some sleep tonight, Nakel! We can't imagine how difficult this must be for you and your family, but are praying for your strength and comfort and peace in all of this.

Nakel Chapek i feel awkward posting such fragile news on fb but i know many of you are concerned. gabe will be having the first of what will likely be many reconstrictive surgeries on monday. please pray for him that all will go well. prayer works. the dr.s are very concerned with the condition of his right eye though his left eye appears to be functioning properly.
14 hours ago

Monday, July 12, 2010

Here are the postings from Face Book for Monday, July 12, 2010. This is just to get us up to speed on what's been going on. Read from the bottom, up to the top.

Shauna Archibald Rankin The nightly update: Gabe continues to do well. Nakel will come home this weekend to be with her girls and then will return to SLC on Sunday. Gabe is scheduled for an extensive (8hr) surgery on Monday. They plan on him staying at the Hospital in Utah for a week at which time he will be transfered back to Boise. YAY! The... will be putting a trach tube in tomorrow. I do not have any information about his eyes, but know that the opthalmalogist will be involved in the surgery next Monday. Our oldest sister Amy is in the process of starting a blog for Nakel to post information about Gabe's recovery. We will let you know when it is up and running. The girls are missing their Mom and Dad, but doing remarkably well.
18 hours ago

Shauna Archibald Rankin We are getting very positive reports from Salt Lake. Gabe was squeezing Nakel's hand and nodding yes and no. The doctors may start the surgeries as soon as tomorrow. Nakel's dear friend Jen is taking her laptop to her tomorrow so Nakel will be better able to post updates. Thank you to everyone who has called and offered their help and support.
21 hours ago

Shauna Archibald Rankin Everyone made it to SLC safely. Gabe will be taken care of at the University of Utah Hospital. Nakel was unable to see him last night as he was having some stiches put in. He will not have a surgery for a few days until the swelling has a chance to recede. The nurses report that he was calm and cooperative. Nakel will ...be seeing him this morning and will let us know any other info as it comes in. Thanks for your love and support.See More
Yesterday at 11:13am

Nakel Chapek for those who wish to help:please be in touch with my mom or my sis. shauna who can be foundon my page. i'm worried about my girls as i had to leave them within a moments notice yesterday. they are without both parents right now and very concerned for thier daddy.


Yesterday at 8:58am via Mobile Web


Nakel Chapek thank you for all of your love and prayers.gabe will be meeting with an opthamologist today to determine the extent of his injuries to his eyes.

Yesterday at 8:53am via Mobile Web

Gabe flown to SLC

Shauna Archibald Rankin FYI. Gabe has been flown to Salt Lake where they can better care for his injuries. Nakel and my Dad are in the process of driving there. Nakel is being really strong and seems to be handling this well. The girls are doing well and will be alternating staying w/ Grandma Archibald or at their house with one of the aunts.... Please, Please keep them in your prayers. This will be a long process and they appreciate all the support!See More
Sunday at 7:52pm ·

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Shauna Archibald Rankin
Please keep my sister Nakel and her family in your prayers. Gabe was seriously injured this morning and is right now enroute to Salt Lake where they are better able to care for his injuries. Nakel and my dad are driving down tonight. All your love and support is appreciated. Will keep you updated.on Sunday

This Blog

This blog has been created after Gabe was in a serious car accident and suffered severe injuries to his face that has sent him from Boise to Salt Lake City. Nakel is with him now and my sisters, Amanda and Shauna and my mom, Marla are all staying with Rainee, Kaiya and Tori in Boise. These pictures were on my computer, and I thought they would be good reminders for all of us of how much Gabe loves his 4 girls! And how much they love him!

Nakel will be posting updates on this blog for family and friends to read. Please feel free to leave comments. Your love, support and prayers are very much appreciated. We love you all and will keep you updated.

That boy and girl had 3 beautiful girls and they all like to play outside...most of the time...unless they're cooking together....

or taking big bubble baths together.....

Or going to Christmas parties together.....

but, most of the time, they're outside together!

There once was a little boy named Gabe, who loved to play outside....
That little boy grew up and still loves to play outside....

In fact, that little boy met a beautiful girl and they even got married outside!