On Saturday, March 9, Steve was riding in the East Bay on Mine's
road with friends and got off the high side. He was air lifted
to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose where he is under
treatment for multiple spinal fractures, several cracked ribs
and a broken collar bone. Despite his disposition, he had a good
attitude and was even wisecracking between the morphine-induced
delirium. There are no bone fragments in, or severance of, his
spinal cord, but cord trauma at Thoracic 4 and 5 vertebrae are
currently prohibiting the use and feeling of his legs. There is
no prognosis at this time, it is a waiting game. Steve is healthy,
has a VERY strong will and has the potential to heal.
There are no bone fragments in, or severance of, his spinal cord,
but cord trauma at Thoracic 4 and 5 vertebrae are currently prohibiting
the use and feeling of his legs. There is no prognosis at
this time, it is a waiting game. Steve is healthy, has a
VERY strong will and has the potential to heal.
Tuesday morning he will undergo surgery to fuse T4 and 5 with
hardware as well as a bone transplant fro the hip in order to
expedite the recovery and therapy process. The surgery is
strictly for structure and has no effect on the spinal cord trauma.
If your blood type is 0+ donations in his name are appreciated
should the need for a transfusion arise.
Right now all support is appreciated. Steve is at:
Steve Dalton
Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
Trauma Rehab Center #2
Room 2K120
751 South Bascom Avenue
San Jose, CA 95128
Please note that flowers are NOT permitted in his room.
(Balloons and other non-pollinated things are fine).
March 12, 2002
Steve is in for surgery Tuesday morning bright and early. His spirits are good and we are seeing improvements in his condition.
In order for blood donations to benefit Steve, they would have to have been made before Saturday. There is no credit system in place for blood donations and there is a 4 to 5 day turn around time on blood. But thanks for asking and offering to help.
I sent the first email before checking my email. Bad idea. There was a ton of email with everyone running to the blood bank. All this support prompted me to write a more detailed explanation as to the situation. There used to be a credit system for giving blood. That is, you could give any type of blood and the person for whom you are donating would get credit. You could give during a certain time period around the surgery in order for the person to get credit. That system has been eliminated, for quite sometime.
Now, if you donate blood you're blood is given to the person that you donated for. Pint for pint. The blood bank still has to process your blood before giving it to the recipient and that process takes 4 to 5 days depending on the bank you use. So in Steve's case, since his surgery is 3 days after the incident, we would have to have given blood on the Friday before.
I also learned that there is no financial relief for donating blood in someone's name. The blood bank still has to process the blood just as if it was a community donation, therefore, they charge for it. The only benefit to donating for someone is that some people have peace of mind getting blood from people they know instead of from the community. That's it.
So again, thanks, but you can keep your sleeves rolled down and I hope this makes sense, I'm really tired.
Brad
Thanks for all the calls and emails. Steve had surgery today to fuse the T4 and T5 vertebra and everything went fine. The surgery was purely for structural purposes and did nothing to help or hurt the spinal cord trauma. He is in recovery for a couple of days. And should be starting therapy soon. Yesterday before surgery, he had increased sensation in his left foot in the pad beneath his big toe. It's a good sign, but he is far from the woods edge.
He has REALLY appreciated al the visits. It definitely helps him stay positive. If you all can keep coming by once in a while it would really help the mind set and his recovery. You're good people and it shows.
I'll be back in touch shortly.
Brad
To Recap: Steve Dalton, good friend and one of the AFM turnworkers, was injured in a street accident Saturday March 9th. He made a mistake while riding on a twisty mountain road. The result was eight broken vertebrae, along with several ribs and a collarbone, and a helicopter ride to San Jose. The back is of course the biggest problem. Although there is no obvious soft tissue spinal injury, he still has no motion and only a bit of feeling in his legs. Structural repairs to the back on March 12th went well, fusing T2 through T7, but he still has a long way to go, and will probably have to learn to walk again in a good scenario. The personal support is the most important. Steve is looking at 6-8 weeks in the hospital initially. We're making sure he has several visitors in addition to immediate family every day. Everyone is taking good care of Steve's wife Tracy, as this is a tough time for her too. There will be a card or two down at Start finish at Buttonwillow. Please come down and sign your support. Steve really appreciates company. Visiting Hours are from Noon to 8:00pm, but the nurses are not very strict so almost anytime would be a good time. Steve Dalton Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Trauma Rehab Center #2 Room 2K120 751 South Bascom Avenue San Jose, CA 95128 Assistance efforts for Steve Tracy are being organized. An account will be set up with a local bank to accept donations. That information will be made available as soon as possible. Donations from individuals and organizations would of course be greatly appreciated. Thoughts and prayers are always appreciated. Thanks to all for your support. I can be contacted directly at sfkatana@pacbell.net Brad AFM 11W
Hello All,
Steve is doing well and has high spirits, largely in part to all the visitors and support he's been getting. Thank you very much. His surgery went well and since my last posting, the drainage tubes from his back have been removed. His cervical fracture looks good and the doctors have allowed him to shed his ridged cervical collar in bed and only wears a soft collar when he is up and in therapy. This is great news because it looks as if Steve will not be going back under the knife for his neck. His days are long with therapy, working on upper body strengthening and balance as well as the task of getting from bed to chair to exercise floor to chair and back to bed. There has been no improvement in his lower body sensation and is currently classified as a T4 incomplete, but it is still early on to tell what the final outcome will be. We all have a positive attitude towards recovery and Steve is feeling good about his therapy and the way things are going.
This may be old news for many of you because of the massive visits everyone has been making, seeing the progress first hand. Steve and Tracy both appreciate your concern and support and it truly has, and continues to help Steve along during these difficult times. But along with the emotional strain of this situation, comes a financial strain as well. To that effect I have set up a benefit fund for Steve. If you are so inclined, donations can be made payable to:
"For the benefit of Steve Dalton" or simply "F.B.O. Steve Dalton"
Attn: Nicole Barletta
Washington Mutual
301 Clement Street
San Francisco, CA 94118
Be sure to put the account number on the check: 440-092421-6Steve Dalton
Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
One Center
Room 23C
751 South Bascom Avenue
San Jose, CA 95128Thanks again for all your support.
Brad
It's been a while since my last update. The news is good. Steve is out of the cervical collar and is set to be released April 25th. He can't wait to get a full 6 hours of sleep! Steve has been going strong in therapy, working on upper body strength and participating in exercises such as riding the bus and learning how to go from his wheelchair to the bed or into a car (these are known as transfers). Another therapy, occupational therapy, includes daily routines like dressing, getting around and general maintenance in regards to taking care of himself from a wheelchair. There is still some difficulty in daily tasks because he must wear a molded plastic body brace. This is to ensure his spin doesn't receive torque while healing. In 6 weeks he will shed the brace and regain much more freedom and flexibility.
Steve's overall attitude is good. He is working with what he has but is always striving to do better. He has always been a person of strong will and continues to be so. A lot of people have been super supportive, visiting frequently and helping Steve and his wife Tracy through this emotional time. Again, many, many thanks to you all. Visits and calls are always welcome.
Hopefully, Steve will be coming out to the AMA event at Sear's. I know he wants to and there's not much stopping him once he gets his mind set.
If anyone has any questions or comments, you may ask or forward them to me.
Brad
Editors Note: Steve visited us at the track durning the AMA on May 5th. It was great having him back at the track again.