January 24th, 2011 by MIchelle

When Doctor Gorsuch walked into the waiting room with a smile on his face as he briefed us in how the surgery went, I let out a huge breath of air. This breath felt like I had been holding it since January 3rd. I felt relaxed for the first time since I got here. That weight on my shoulders slowly melted off and evaporated for a temporary feeling of relief. We walked back up to Danny’s room in the ICU and waited for his return. When the bed rolled in and Danny was situated in the room that tenseness came back. Seeing someone your care about in pain and discomfort isn’t easy, but I was still really excited about the success of the procedure.

Danny was in a ton of pain. His head was hot all wrapped up in a bandages. The nurses ended up giving him a morphine button to push every 6 minutes and Ellen sat by his side to remind him to push the button or do it herself. Finally the pain leveled off and Danny was able to relax and fall asleep.

Meanwhile, Conor, Tom, and I were fast asleep at the hotel. After being up for over 24 hours and knowing that the surgery went well, sleep came easy. I managed to read the first ten pages of In An Instant before passing out. This book was written by Lee and Bob Woodruff about Bob Woodruff, the ABC NEWS Anchor that suffered TBI while reporting from Iraq when an explosive device went off near the tank he was riding in. It took me back to January 3rd. I’ll leave you with an excerpt from the first chapter.

“You can’t know how you would behave in a crisis until it drops out of the sky and knocks you down like a bandit: stealing your future, robbing you of your dreams, and mocking anything that resembles certainty. Sudden tragic events and even slow-burning disasters teach us more about ourselves than most of us care to know.” -Lee Woodruff

-Michelle

January 24th, 2011 by Conor

As I sit in another hotel lobby preparing for another trip in the truck I can’t help but wish I was going somewhere else. I’m headed back home to Colorado for x games and you’d think I’d be really excited. I’m not. All of this driving has frustrated me cause all I really want for my birthday would be to spend five minutes with my boy DCT. So stoked Tom made it. I haven’t met you Tom but I’ve heard your name from Danny many times. Pumped on all you have done for him and continue to do. I wake up early for demo days, but this morning I was unable to sleep in. I woke up thinking about Danny right away. Pretty sure I was dreaming about some of our fun times fireside behind the demo center this summer. I know you’re coming back to us Danny because of your strong spirit. Once again, thank you Connor and Michelle for putting a smile on my face everytime I feel like crying. I hope when Danny wakes up today his shred sticks are there to make him smile. One last thanks to everyone that is visiting and contributing to this space. It’s awesome to know that so many people out there think and care about Danny like I do. We’ll be in tahoe in two weeks and I hope while I’m there to hear of DCT triumphant return home. Love you Danny!

Zahlinski

_

January 24th, 2011 by Conor

The surgery was a success! Danny is now recovering back in room 5109. The doctor used 5 plates and a bunch of titanium screws to put the bone flap back in Danny’s head. Danny is rocking a huge white bandage again to cover up the staples and surgical site. The doctor estimates that Danny will be in the ICU for the next 48 hours or so. If the CAT scans suggest that his swelling is going down and his recovery is on an upward trend, they will move him to the Progressive Care Unit (PCU). At the end of the Doctors report he finished by telling us that it is time to celebrate. He had a huge smile on his face and a look of relief . We have made it through the hard part medically. The rest is on Danny! Cheers from Montana!

~Conor

January 24th, 2011 by Conor

My worst fears came to fruition earlier when my mom approach me in the lobby and told me that Teal was working again tonight. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. There must be some other place in this hospital system that she could fit in. I resisted the temptation to go to HR and try to find a new job for her. I pictured her cleaning bathrooms, making photocopies, oh maybe even answering phones. Anywhere, but back in my life!

I’m not sure if it was just a mean joke on me, or if she got kicked out early again, but by the time I made it into the room Teal was not there. YES!!! There is at least an ICU god! Tonight we have “Jackson.” Jackson sets the standard for ICU babysitting. He pays attention to Danny and does his job well- the kind of guy you could imagine taking good care of your kids. I am happy that one of us is here though. There is a sort of creepiness to his demeanor which brought on his name. Jackson was named after pop sensation Michael Jackson (allegedpedophile- ). Jackson is the kind of guy that you sleep with one eye opened around. He looks eager to help Danny in any way he can.

All joking aside he is a nice enough guy who is just trying to do his job. At this point it’s just not as fun when Danny isn’t awake and I am trying to entertain myself.

It’s tough because Tom got here just a little while ago. We were all hanging out for a little bit and then Danny got really tired. All I wanna do is sit around and laugh and have a beer like we usually do. Danny and Tom and I ALWAYS have fun. It’s cool that he came out to be here for Danny and all of us, but it’s hard because it isn’t a usual session of chilling and laughing until we can’t breath. I’m sure those moments will happen plenty while he is here, it just different without Danny’s direct involvement.

Danny is right here in the mix though and has been smiling quite a bit since Tom showed up. He was very happy to see Tom. He raised both hands over his head as if he had just won some major snowboard competition. I think there might have been a fist pump in there too. He had a big smile on his face that was a mixture of elated and confused. It was awesome! Tom had barely even made it in the room before he began to strip down. I wasn’t sure if there was more to this friendship that I didn’t know about. Michelle looked confused but was hoping for the best. Tom wasted no time showing off his body. No, he wasn’t a recent P90X grad looking to show off his guns, he had sold messages on his body as a fundraiser for Danny.

It was awesome watching Dannys face as Tom led him on a grand tour around his tatood body. Jackson looked pretty happy in the corner when Tom pulled down his pants to show Danny one of his greatest pieces. Our friend Zac had drawn a bunny on Tom’s lower back that extended to the top of his butt. I later saw the pictures of how that picture had been created and I couldn’t help but think that Zac might be a great match for Jackson.

Danny started to get a little bit tired so Tom and I settled in on a game of Words and in between turns, I began to write. At some point in the silence Tom asked me why the room wasn’t decorated. I pointed him in the direction of some of the things that hadn’t made it on the wall yet. Within 5 minutes he had made quick work of the room. Danny watched in awe with a level of stoke that you wouldn’t normally see from this kind of activity. Usually he makes these kinds of faces when he is doing something outside or for the first time. NOT TONIGHT. Hanging up unicorn and fantasy themed plastic flags across the room did the trick.

We got kicked out of the room at 4 so that Danny could get some sleep. Somehow Michelle managed to talk the nurses into a night alone with Danny. I am beginning to think that she is paying Cindy off! Surgery in an 45 minutes. Gonna be a long morning to come. Many updates to come!

Good luck Danny!
Love ya Dood!
~Conor

January 24th, 2011 by Conor

January 24th, 2011 by Conor

As I sit here awaiting the first of many plane rides taking me across
the country on my voyage to visit Danny, I feel the knot in my gut
growing and begin to get tight. Maybe it’s the fact that my nerves
have been on end since this whole ordeal began or maybe its just my
stomach informing me that I’ve skipped too many meals today trying to
make these flights work out. I tell myself its the food and go grab a
quick bagel to try and suppress my anxiousness. To my dismay the
discomfort is not from hunger, but from this new adventure about to
unfold in my life. I guess the best place to start is at the beginning
of my travel plans so here we go…

After hours upon hours of dealing with airline receptionists, (who
didn’t speak a lick of english), I wasn’t even sure if this trip was
going to happen. I can remember Danny telling me once that he loved
flying through Southwest Airlines because he enjoyed being able to
choose your own seat on the plane. “It’s great!” he would say, “Just
look for the hottest chick on the plane and she’s stuck with you for
the entire flight!” Unfortunately for me, my Southwest experience has
not been so wonderful this trip. Cramped/overpriced flights after
hours of phone circles with contradicting airline employees and not a
single attractive girl to be seen! So far this has been quite the trip
Danny, I hope you appreciate it!

Luckily this morning at work I received a call from Conor informing me
that Danny had been looking at pictures on Facebook and typed to him
and Michelle a comment about how he wished I were there with them all
at the hospital. After all the hard work I’ve been putting in for him
the past few weeks, and all the airline hassles I’ve been dealing
with, that really helped put my head back into perspective. Conor
informed me that because of Danny’s short term memory problem he might
not remember saying he had wanted me there when I see him. No big deal
for me, just the fact that he mentioned it once right before a
surprise trip to visit him is enough to help me forget about all the
hassles and remember the true purpose of my trip.

I’ve been close friends with Danny and his family for over ten years
now. I realize to some of you that may not seem like a very long time,
but in those years Danny and I have been through a lot of life
experiences together. Classmates, teammates, “pimp mix”
collaborators, high school, and then to college as direct roommates in
what can only be described as a 10′ x 10′ shoe box of a room for two.
It is safe to say that Danny and I have had a very extensive
friendship together, and that over the years I feel like I’ve gotten
to know danny more than he knows himself. Unfortunately, in this
instance, I am afraid that might actually be a reality.

Sometimes in high school I would go to bed earlier than most at a
party, in preparation for a 6am day of work, only to wake up to a body
tagged in obscenities. Early bedtimes at parties always seemed to
spark the artistic side of Danny and many people besides myself would
wake up with a completely different color skin tone,(usually green or
blue), and an array of naked blue women and private parts all over
their bodies. At the time this never went over well with me. Blue
sharpie is very difficult to scrub out of your earlobe at six in the
morning! Now that I look back at this it is hilarious and also gave me
an idea to help cheer up Danny for my visit. Instead of drawings all
over my body FROM Danny, I got people to draw all over me FOR Danny!

Before I left for Montana I had people donate money to use my body as
a human canvas for a get well card to Danny. I sold 4″ x 4″ sections
of my upper body for $10 and tried to get as many people to deface me
as I could before leaving for this trip. The turn out was pretty good
for short notice, and I managed to raise over $200. I apologize on the
record for those of you who wanted to leave your mark my body but
didn’t get the opportunity. You can all thank Southwest Airlines for
keeping me occupied by giving me the run around while I was trying to
show everyones support from back home for Danny.

I also want to take this opportunity to send you all my deepest
regards for the pictures that will probably be posted on this site
soon after this note. I realize these pictures of me wont be the most
flattering of photos and are certainly not for the faint of heart. If
I had known a month ago that I was going to be letting people shave
and write on my body I definitely would have worked out at the gym a
little bit for you all! So I apologize ahead of time, but I could care
less as long as it puts a smile on everyones face when I am unveiled
in Montana finally!

It’s odd for me to think that just a month ago i was hanging out with
Danny and Conor laughing and joking about everything and yet nothing
at all. Now, I’m on my way to hang out with them again, hoping we’ll
be able to do the same just like old times. I’ve come prepared with
all the usual things we like to do while we hang around doing nothing.
My hard drive is loaded with pictures and music that Danny and I have
experienced together throughout the years as well as our, “Ultimate
Movie List Ever,” created in college for those days after a big party
where you want to do nothing but lay in bed and relax. I feel like now
is an appropriate time for these things. This has been one of the most
difficult things that I have ever had to deal with, but I know that I
come bearing the love and support from everyone back home and it helps
to give me strength. I am hoping this trip will be a relief for not
only Danny but his family as well.

That being said, it is finally time to end my ranting. I am about to
land for the fourth time today, this time in Great Falls, Montana.
I’ve finally made it to see you Danny! It’s been a scary month so far
so let’s hope we can both be strong over the next few days and try to
get you back to the DCT we all know and love. I’ve missed you and I’m
glad we can finally reunite. I’ll be seeing you shortly with love from
everyone back home.

Love,
TommyJ

P.S.- This note is dedicated to the little boy kicking the back of my
seat the entire flight from Denver to Great Falls. I never would have
stayed awake long enough to finish this without you kid. Thanks for
the help!

January 24th, 2011 by Conor

Come on everyone we can get more than this!

Send em to:
Donations@dannyisthebomb.com
603-496-6621

January 23rd, 2011 by Conor

January 23rd, 2011 by Conor

Nurse Leah has a few Days off and is en route to somewhere fun. Even when she’s not on the day shift she is still thinking about Danny.

January 23rd, 2011 by Conor

1. Cranmore man hug
2. Classic Danny looking over the top of the tie-dye tee he just made me that day
3. Little Beirut aka beerpong action . Danny not afraid of playing w/ the impaired teammate
4. Nice group pic. Great Danny smile
5. Danny making faces at me instead of the camera
6. Group pic with the DCT centerpiece
7. Lame night but smiles nonetheless
8. Up at the lunch rocks at the base of Tuckerman’s. Classic Danny smile