Willow had an accident near Topeka. Lori needs local assistance

[RainMaker]

Very hard for a man of action to be stuck in a hospital room for 2 weeks.  All long trips look longer at the start than at the finish.  I really believe that the messages that we are sending thru his hospital email are a real key element of his recovery and I am sending at least one per day.  Sometimes, I'm not sure what to say so I write about things going on in my life along with positive words of hope and prayer.  The words are less important than the message itself.

Don't think that anything you write is unimportant - every message is a signal that we care.  So, if you haven't sent a message or haven't sent one in a while, drop Willow a line to let him know you are thinking about him (you are or you would not have clicked on this topic!) and keep Lori and Carl in your prayers.

Thanks!

RainMaker

[old2soon]

Sent another E-mail and prayers continue for Carl and Lori. Be good ya'll and RIDE SAFE.

[Whistler]

Prayers and thoughts for Carl and Lori.....................

[Serk]

Another update from Lori on facebook:

I was a little bit late getting around this morning and didn't make it to the hospital until around 11 this morning. They have already made the arrangements to move him out today. He will be leaving here at 1 and moving to St. Luke's South for rehab. We are heading in the right direction! PTL!

[f6gal]

Update!  Lori just called and requested that I let y'all know that Willow has been successfully transferred to St. Luke's South, room 113.

The link to send an eCard: https://www.saintlukeshealthsystem.org/webform/send-ecard

[R J]

Got-R-Done.

[matt]

sent with well wishes

[Whistler]

I see another record fall soon! Done!

JDW

[doubletee]

Done!   

[HayHauler]

Thanks Connie!!!  You DA WOMAN!!!

Hay 
Jimmyt

[Tailgate Tommy]

Another email message sent! Hope it helps.

[KSDragonRider]

Another card sent.  I truly look forward to next time I get to sit and talk to each of you in person.

I think about Carl every time I throw a leg over.  If it can happen to someone that logs as many miles has he does... Twice... than it could happen to me at any time on, even on my short 10 mile ride to work.

I look at the pics of him in his hospital bed from this wreck and the last one every day at my desk at work... it serves as a reminder to never outrun my guardian angel, and always be mindful. 

[Rams]

.. it serves as a reminder to never outrun my guardian angel, and always be mindful. 

something we should all keep in mind.   

[RainMaker]

This new hospital has an email system that gives the option of different backgrounds for the message.  Selection 1 and 2 are the best

[Big Rig]

What page in this thread is the link for Willow's well wishes?

Can a fella get a bump?

[RainMaker]

Update!  Lori just called and requested that I let y'all know that Willow has been successfully transferred to St. Luke's South, room 113.

The link to send an eCard: https://www.saintlukeshealthsystem.org/webform/send-ecard

This is the link.

https://www.saintlukeshealthsystem.org/webform/send-ecard

You need to select St. Luke's South from the drop down menu.

[old2soon]

And anudder E-mail sent.  RIDE SAFE.

[HayHauler]

nudder one from me too...

Hay 
Jimmyt

[Serk]

Facebook update from Lori after I went to bed last night:

We got Carl all settled in to rehab this afternoon. They will be working on many things while he is there such as his memory, balance, strength and so forth. We are not sure how long he will be there, but it is a step in the right direction. As I have said before, he improves a little more each day. They have a full day lined up for him tomorrow and we will meet with a case worker to see what the plan is for him.

Thank you all for the encouragement, support and prayers!

[WamegoRob]

Lookin' good! 

From Lori @ 11:30am:
He looks a little bit better each day! This is a huge improvement from a week ago!
I am going to give him a haircut later this afternoon and try shaving him some.
Yes, I will leave the 'stache!

[RainMaker]

That is a very good picture to see.  Not so much for the beauty of the subject, but for the state he is in - alive and recovering.

Continued prayers being raised.

RM

[Flrider]

Great picture!

Get well soon Carl  :cooldud

[R J]

Hey Jarhead, you need a haircut.......

Glad to see ya lookin a whole lot better from about day 2 or 3 picture.

Prayers & thoughts still in cyber air coming in daily.

[C908]

Willow I received my Joe Rocket mesh jacket with armor today. It is a perfect fit and I hope to try it out soon as the weather straightens up. I will think about Willow when I put this jacket on. It was his accident and the fact he was wearing a Joe Rocket jacket that made me get off the fence and order one. I would still like to know out of curiosity what kind of helmet Willow was wearing. With the injuries to his face I would be surprised if it was a full face. Keep up the improvements Willow your looking much better.

[WamegoRob]

I would still like to know out of curiosity what kind of helmet Willow was wearing.

Half-helmet... like, but not exactly, this one:

[old2soon]

Lookin' good! 

From Lori @ 11:30am:
He looks a little bit better each day! This is a huge improvement from a week ago!
I am going to give him a haircut later this afternoon and try shaving him some.
Yes, I will leave the 'stache!

   Okey Dokey Carl-nap time over ya gots stuff to do.  Git up and git er done.  Glad to see ya makin progress.  Be safe my friend and TRY to listen and apply what the folks in therapy are tellin ya. 

[RainMaker]

I remember my wife was given one of those plastic thingy-whoppers (the thing with the blue tube on it on the table) after her last vehicular mishap.  I think the original intent is that you blow in it and try to keep a ball at a certain level for as long as you can.  As with all plastic things, they give it to you after your visit and charge the insurance company for the device.  We played with it a while but it ended up in the recycling bin. 

Let's come up with games that Willow can play with it after he's released.

[R J]

Ya suck on it, not blow on it....

Got 2 or 3 of them around the house.

[old2soon]

I KNOW I already have C O P D.  Used something that looked kinda like the blue thingy but was hooked up to some kind of electronic gizmo.  Between that and a treadmill that inclines slowly(one evil device)they determined what I already knew-messed up lungs.  We KNOW Carl will get better every day-just gonna take some time.  He's a tough old bird and he will be back. RIDE SAFE.

[C908]

I would still like to know out of curiosity what kind of helmet Willow was wearing.

Half-helmet... like, but not exactly, this one:


Thanks for answering my question, makes me want to leave my half helmets hanging in the garage.

[HayHauler]

I switched to a Shoei Multitek modular a little over a year ago.  Come to think about it, that thing needs a bath this weekend. 

Hay
Jimmyt

[RainMaker]

From Lori's Facebook page:

When I left Carl tonight at 9, he was already in bed and ready to go to sleep! He had a pretty full day. He has PT twice a day, OT twice a day and speech therapy once a day. Each session is a full 45 minutes, so that is quite a bit of activity for him.

He was surprised by a room full of people this afternoon. Several of our motorcycle riding friends, Teryl & Joe from Topeka showed up (with Jimmy), Rob and Shehanna from Wamego, Larry & Marcia from Wichita, Joe and Marcia from St. Louis, Pam and Dave from Paola, Robert Bowlin from Grain Valley and Nancy and TP from Minnesota all showed up today to visit with him. It was so good to see all of you and I know that Carl really enjoyed the visit! It truly did lift his spirits! Thank you all for taking the time and making the trip! It meant the world to both of us!

Each day Carl improves a little bit more! Praise the Lord! We are so thankful for the support from all of our family and friends. At times, we are overwhelmed by all that you guys do for us! Thank you so much!

Tomorrow will be another day, and more progress will be made. Carl is working very hard and doing his very best to get where he needs to be so that he go home. In time, we know it will happen!

Thanks again to ALL of you!

[T.P.]

It was good to see Carl yesterday, he has come a long way in the last two weeks. He looked pretty good and was cracking lots of one liners. At one point someones cell phone rang a patriotic ring tone,  he stood up at attention to everyone's surprise.

It was good to see everyone else who could make the trip and even got to go out to RJ's BOB-BE-QUE http://rjsbbq.com/ for a brisket sandwich before flying home. T.P.

[wiggydotcom]

Lookin' good! 

From Lori @ 11:30am:
He looks a little bit better each day! This is a huge improvement from a week ago!
I am going to give him a haircut later this afternoon and try shaving him some.
Yes, I will leave the 'stache!

Wow, Carl does look so much better. Now he kind of looks like *the Most Interesting Man in the World" guy. You know, "I dont Always Ride Motorcycles, but When I Do, I ride Valkyries!"

[HayHauler]

Thank you guys and gals for visiting Carl.  Wish I could have made it. 

Praying for you Carl!

Hay
Jimmyt

[R J]

Wishin ya well Buddy,  I'd like to stop in, but my hose only let's me go 40' & then it jerks me back.

Keep up  that PT & OT, that is a lot help to ya.

[stude31]

[R J]

I see T.P., where is Nancy, she get stuck with the picture taking?   Never mind, I found her.

That guy with the bandage on his hand don't look too bad for an ole Jarhead.

Keep a healin everyday till ya all healed up Willow.

[Daniel Meyer]

Does my heart good to see this. Good to see Willow smiling and y'all just plain rock!

[stude31]

The picture went without a comment cause I wanted to keep them separate.

I may break the rules a bit in this post and talk about Jesus, family, and maybe even discuss oil I use in my bike but please know that Willow may not even like what I am sharing with you but I believe you all should know... So here goes..

Willow moved from Topeka to Kansas city a week ago this past wednesday. (10 days ago).  So from Saturday of the accident to that wednesday Carl was able to see a couple of his kids.  Two to be exact. And Lori heard or talked to most of them on the phone I am guessing.  Some of this I will spare the dirty laundry but I get a call from Lori on Monday that Carl was down and was sad that no one was coming to see him.  Our June get together was going to be and still is the third weekend of the month but I couldn't sit back and let that be the next time we planned to see Carl.  I had WamegoRob set up the date for yesterday's surprise get together for a lunch and visit to Carl.  It just so happened that TP and Nance were flying in for that day and then my good buddy from St.Louis JoeValkIS and his lovely bride Macia was driving across the state to be apart of this visit.  

We met in the parking lot



 and we all walked in together one by one we filed in and he was very surprised and taken back by the visit.  We introduced him to a new couple from Wichita who came up for the visit Larry and his bride Marsha (Swede, is his handle),  They were at the lunch that Willow was on his way to when he had his accident.  Willow got choked up when he was talking about riding again and he said "I don't know if I will ride again"  Motomomma chimed in real quick to change the topic cause we all know if we were laid up in a hospital for two weeks we would be thinking the same thing.  For the record if he never throws a leg over his bike he is still Willow and he loves the VRCC family and the machines that brought us together.

We took Motomomma with us to go eat some BBQ in KC:  



We told lots of "true" stories and of course as you can see I am in the corner... Imagine that...  and Lori is five people down and even when she is "whispering" and tattling about me I can still hear her..  I replied to her... "Yes, I can hear you waaaaaaaay down here."

Nonetheless, we all departed from the restaurant in our separate ways and Motomomma, Teryl, Jimmy (our son...  Teryl and my son.. that is) and I on the bike rode back to visit with Willow once more.  

So here comes the part that Willow may not want you to know...  

I want to tell all of you that we planned this trip not for just the ten of us but the hundreds that would have loved to been apart of such a time.  We represented everyone here you are all family to me and Teryl to Willow and Motomomma.  I have a partial tear in my right bicep tendon but I would be cursed if I wasn't going to ride.  I hadn't ridden since I did the injury weeks ago.  It hurt but I was riding for Willow, never was I afraid of wrecking or even if I did I was doing what I love to do and that speaks for many of us.  So I rode and I had a great conversation with my creator and my savior... Lord Jesus Christ.  If you like me or you hate me this is me. I would not be ounce of a man I am today if it wasn't for what Jesus has done with me since I was 20.  That said..  when we got back to the hospital Carl broke and said that he has many children and none of them have come to see him since he has been moved to Kansas City.  Some have called one is out of the country and another is working late nights at a restaurant. I understand that what I am saying is this..  You and me.. Yes all of you ARE the VRCC family and you feel the same way I do about Willow.  He is my brother and right now he needs all of US to pray and continue to encourage him.  He needs that relationship, that comradery we have here.   I told him that we may not be blood but in Christ we are brothers and he is a brother by VRCC standards.    Willow has been dealt a tough blow to his "PTTP" side of him.  I will tell you this we all have a point that we break.  Whether we show it to others or keep it to ourselves we have it.  I share this with you not to show Willow's weakness but to show his strength.  He knows that by the grace of God he is with us and he too is humbled by the fact that he escaped with the injuries he has...  As he told me... "Apparently God isn't done with me".  No Willow he isn't and I'm excited to see what he has in store for you.

As I went to church this morning I was overwhelmed with tears.  Teryl got up with Jimmy cause he was being fussy and here I was sitting shoulder to shoulder with strangers weeping like a baby...  What I was processing is the love that Willow has received by mear strangers at one time and now from this piece of metal that brought so many good people together.  Here it is he has "family" all over the U.S and abroad that continue to take time out of there day to shower him with love and encouragement.  I am so thankful to be apart of such a group.  This topic has reached over 12,600 views and over 400 replies.  I told Willow this and he is not one to get "all" the attention but it speaks of his character and love for the VRCC and it's members.  

So in closing... As tears are in my eyes it is from the center of the U.S I say to all of you on behalf of Willow and Motomomma...   Thank you for your love and support.

by for now,

Joe "stude31" Studebaker