the hospital journey

Jimmy spent 8 days in the ICU at Good Samaritan Exempla Hospital in Lafayette, CO, while they monitored his progress following the surgery. Each day brought new challenges and new realizations about the severity of his condition. Typical for hospital stays, many medications were administered to control pain and to elevate blood pressure to promote spinal healing. A decision was made one week following surgery to go back in and replace the screws used in fusing T5 and T6. Normally, large screws are used for a large guy, but they were concerned because of his intense upper back pain and because of the location in the thoracic area. That surgery went well and the next morning, he was transported to Craig Rehabilitation Hospital in Englewood, CO. This was a huge blessing, as Craig has a reputation for the being the leader for spinal cord and brain injury patients in the U.S. The fact that they accepted him with their extremely rigid criteria and that they accepted his insurance is a huge blessing.

Within the first two days of evaluating his condition at Craig, Jimmy was presented with a goal of staying there until January. While this is not the news any of us wanted or had considered, it is what it is. During his time there, he will be working with physical therapists and occupational therapists. This is grueling, exhausting work. But if there's anyone that can persevere, it's Jimmy Baldwin. We continue to pray for his strength and disposition during these coming weeks.