Hey everyone…. John here.

Well, it’s been over 6 months now since I found myself on the hood of a semi-truck going down the highway at 60 mph north of Reno, NV. I have learned a lot through this experience, but most of all I was reminded of how important family and friends are.  So I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you for your generous support and provide an update as you have been critical in walking out this journey with Stacy and me.

I have tried to maintain a good attitude in hopes that it will speed recovery and so when my patience with life and recovery fades, I simply blame the head injury. The doctors and specialists have tried to warn me that my body will never return to ‘normal,’ but as you might imagine, I somehow think they are simply mistaken. So some days I feel like I am getting stronger and will soon be back to normal and other days I wake up feeling like I just aged 10 years.

It is hard not to lose hope in the slowness of recovery but I try to stay focused on the process as an educational experience.  I recognize that all of us are on a journey that is filled with a variety of struggles.  It is these types of events that fill in the story of our lives and many people are facing struggles much greater than mine.  How blessed I was to escape with manageable injuries while others are not so fortunate.  I can appreciate the pain that others are experiencing in a deeper way and have a new level of empathy for others that I never would have had without the accident.  So while some days can be difficult for me personally, they do have meaning and there is a purpose to this.

I’ve always wondered what it would feel like to play in the NFL.  And so now that I have a sore neck, weak shoulder, and forgetful brain, I am glad I stuck to basketball.  As for a quick update on the body… My teeth and facial bones are still sore.  My ribs are feeling much better, although I still attend regular therapy to unlock the scar tissue in the intercostal muscles and to disconnect the lung membrane which remains somewhat fused to my rib cage and heart lining. Every evening I do an hour of stretching and rubber band work to strengthen my shoulder.  I have worked my way up to lifting a 2 lbs dumb bell (wow).  The nerve impingement under the clavicle is slowing subsiding and being released in my forearm.  My biggest hassle is the damage to the discs of my neck.  The whiplash was significant enough to stack the vertebrae in the wrong direction so it remains difficult to turn my head and as a result, I can be somewhat dangerous when driving, especially navigating a parking lot.  I still see a physical therapist who specializes in nerve damage as well as a CranioSacral acupuncturist to alleviate the pain. I also continue to see my chiropractor and an athletic therapist on a weekly basis. Your generous gifts and GoFundMe Campaign have allowed me to keep booking these critical appointments as we are unable to pursue legal action due to a lack of witnesses. So, Stacy and I really wanted to THANK YOU again for your support.