Juan Alderete in a coma

[Chankgeez]

Tom Cram just posted this link on TGP:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/fundraiser-j ... hare-sheet

[adamajah]

"i know, i know, it's serious."

I hear this song every time I see this thread....hah

What a tragedy. I hope Juan recovers man

[dubkitty]

i try to use humor as a counter to darkness. i didn't mean to make light of such a dreadful situation. i do hope he recovers.

[Paul_C]

Good to see that he's recovering well.

Latest update from his wife on the gofundme page:

"Juan continues to make amazing progress - he is now talking a lot, recognizes all of his family and friends, has regained movement in his left side (which wasn't moving spontaneously at all up until one week ago), got his neck brace removed (he HATED it) and his trach removed so he's starting to eat very soft food and drink water (and is asking about yakitori and sushi!)!
His long term memory is really good; his short term memory is something that will require work and - most importantly - time.
His friend Ronnie bought a Jamaaladeen Tacuma @tacumasong record and showed Juan the album art, and Juan identified it immediately (this is a pic of him and Jamaaladeen Tacuma from last year).
He can stand up with assistance and will start the road to walking again; he's doing so well we are all just so hopeful he'll be doing that sooner than later.
I'm hoping he'll get to a point in the next few weeks where he can post these updates himself, if he feels up to it.
As always, the love and support you've all shared is VITAL to his recovery so thank you for being such a huge part of it as he continues on this journey. Thank you! "

[Achtane]

Wow!

[friendship]

That's fantastic news

[ognoy]

Best news in weeks!

[Dandolin]

[$harkToootth]

I've been out of the loop. This made my day! A glimmer of light!

[Paul_C]

Latest update:

"Hi all. Anne here, apologies for the lack of updates! I've been trying to post via my account @tunatoast since Juan has started to use his phone, so this will likely be the last one I post here. I think it will be a while but you'll be hearing from him when he is ready. He is working on walking and is using a walker and some assistance, eating totally regular food all the time, doing three hours of therapies (OT, ST, PT) a day and making such great progress.
We took this photo today! In fact, he is sitting right next to me as I type this. I've asked him some questions to share with you:
Favorite food at the rehab hospital: Enchiladas and burritos
The thing you're working hardest on now: Walking without any assistance and left hand movement
Thing you miss the most: The freedom to do what I want, when I want. I also miss my cats!
Music you want to play: Loop bass lines; also can't wait to play fretless
Biggest realization during this process: Always be grateful for the people who put everything down for you. It's taught me that you always have to be there for people and people will be there for you.
Message to you all: Thanks so much for all of your concern -IT GIVES ME POWER! Thank you SO MUCH for ALL of your SUPPORT! [he asked me to use caps in this way to communicate his emotions to you!]"

[retinal orbita]

That's awesome news! Really nice to hear he's making progress.

[D-Rainger]

I just love hearing this good news!!!

[Paul_C]

Latest:

"Hi. Thought I should post an update since it's been a while!

Juan continues to make really great progress. He can now walk on his own with just a single stick cane (not four-pronged), his balance is improving and he is also self-correcting if he starts to feel himself tripping or falling. That instinct to catch yourself before you fall is so important, and his therapists are very happy to see he is consistently doing this.

He still has vision issues in his left eye, but we all suspect it has improved because his text messages have become much more accurate. He also pointed out several items in the background when I was FaceTiming with him. He has a neuro-optometry appointment on Friday so we will know for sure just how much it has improved. His appetite is increasing and he still really enjoys his weekly Japanese bento which I pick up from Tonchinkan in Arcadia; when I visit with him after he is done eating he always talks about how delicious it was and how much he loves it. I'm sure he is getting a bit tired of the food at the facility. While it is made fresh and there's pretty good variety, there is no Japanese food and he frequently eats pasta, breakfast burritos and salads with chicken. I'm sure he is looking forward to eating more of his favorite foods once he gets home.

He is a few weeks away from coming home, but we're getting closer every day and to say we are both excited is a major understatement. He misses the cats so much, and since i can only visit him outdoors through an iron gate with zero contact, it will be pretty amazing to just be able to hug him which I haven't done in 2 months . He is keeping his spirits up and working super hard at all of his therapies; he is also perusing Instagram a bit here and there and has dipped his toe into looking at email but because of his vision he finds it a bit overwhelming. We know many of you have sent him messages and he and I decided we will tackle them together when he gets home.

He's gotten quite philosophical, and discussed with friends how he feels his "old self" is gone, and that he wants to "be better" and focus on what's important in life. He is super grateful for all of the support you've all given him, and sometimes will ask me about the accident and the 2 - 3 months that followed. When I tell him about all of the support via this site, his Instagram, Facebook and other sites, he is just totally mind-boggled. "Wow. I didn't know it was that bad" referring to the accident. He just can't believe how so many people care and then starts to feel badly that he caused everyone to worry so I reassure him that none of this was his fault and people wanted to be there for him. I think it will take a long time for him to process all that happened.

In a nutshell: He's doing really well, and while he's homesick, he is very determined to keep progressing! He is so SO grateful for all of your support. Thank you.

Check out Juan practicing walking the stairs and killing it here -

xoxo,
Anne"

[Velcro Bottom]

Nice.

[Paul_C]

Most recent update:

"195 days, 2 hospitals, 1 care facility, 1 acute rehab hospital and 1 transitional rehab facility later, my beloved husband Juan Alderete finally came home to me and the kitties, Sophie and Gigi, last Saturday, July 25th.
To think he hadn't sat on this sofa since January 13th is pretty nuts; even crazier is the world to which he has returned. It's been a week of joyful celebration tempered with a daily practice of adapting, because both COVID19 and TBI changed life in ways we could have never imagined.
Each day brings new learnings, and the challenges Juan faces in his long road to recovery will - with each day - seem smaller and less foreign. A lot of people assume once someone is home, everything just goes back to normal.
But when the harddrive of a computer is damaged, each process that becomes inactive because of that damage needs to come back on with a lot of careful coaxing, one by one.
Some functions come back relatively quickly, while others are more stubborn and require repetitive training, day after day, week after week and sometimes for months on end. It shouldn't be surprising because something as complex and essential to life as your brain requires a level of care, maintenance and repair worthy of its intricate and awesome abilities, but as humans it's normal to want everything good to happen quickly.
We will both learn to be more patient through this process, and ask for yours as well as we navigate the long and winding road together. That all said - HE IS HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!"