David and I returned from Sydney last night. The weekend of seminars was much appreciated by everyone, and it was so good to have Dave there to assist and provide comic relief! We went from the airport straight to the hospital last night, and although he was half asleep, Ronin has made a lot of progress these past 48 hours. He is speaking, and will be kicked out of the intensive care unit today - into a normal ward. That will help a lot as there is not a lot of good sleeping to be had in ICu - with all the lights, beeps, and sounds going on 24/7.
So far, so good. The word is that he will most likely make a full recovery. He has a colostomy bag attacked to his stomach right now - as we have to wait a few months for a full recovery, before they go back in, yet again, and reconnect his intestines. The more important thing right now is the heart and lungs. His brain seems to be intact - as he has commented that several of the nurses are 'hot'.
Today, almost unbelievably to me, the plan is to get him upright and walking so the bottom part of his lungs can get moving - important to stave off the onset of pneumonia. he will have to live very deliberately over these next few months - with special diet, exercise, rehab, etc. Not a bad thing for a 22 year old who was clearly hanging with the wrong crowd and not embracing life the way it should be embraced. Enough said.
Dave is getting back on a plane this morning; heading back home to San Fransisco. What a great friend. I think of Dave and I think of the latin credo - acta non verba - actions not words. I first met him when he walked into the MAchado mat in Los Angeles around 20 years ago - I was a purple belt at the time and was taking the class that evening. I taught him his first BJJ class - and we have been the best of friends ever since.
I've gotta go - but with only small reservation (because I have heard it before) - it seems that Ronin is 'out of the woods'. Let's see where his feet will carry him now ...
Huge thanks everyone for your amazing support. I shall take the laptop in today - and see if he canmake sesne of what has happened to him and read him all of your comments.
JBW
