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Any updates, USMC?
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Ask and ye shall recive. I just got back.
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Dear Friends and Family
As many of you know, my Dad was injured at work on Thursday. Mari asked me to send out an E-mail to everyone to keep you updated on his condition. This will also keep her from having to keep up with what she has said to whom. I will send updates every couple of days at least. Please forward these updates to anyone who knows Jim or Mari, and send me their e-mail addresses so I can include them.
My information about the accident is third hand, so there may be some errors. I will try to keep it as short and simple as possible.
At about 11:30 Thursday, Jim was troubleshooting a problem in one of the units at the refinery. He was looking into an inspection hole in a vessel, when for unknown reasons something ignited inside. He received 2nd degree burns to his face, shoulders, and upper chest. He also was hit in the face by small pellets of catalyst that was in the vessel at the time. He was alone at the time, but was discovered by some other workers within moments of the accident. He was conscious, and could talk to the people who responded to the accident. He was flown to the hospital in Galveston who handles all burn cases for this part of the state. Before he was loaded in the helicopter he told his coworkers to go get Mari and drive her to Galveston. She called me and let me know what had happened.
Thursday afternoon he was treated in the hospital for his burns. He was given a breathing tube to protect his windpipe. The doctors spent several hours picking out the pellets out of his skin and eyes. Mari finally got to see him that evening.
Sarah, baby Clint and I drove to Galveston Friday morning. Sarah and I got to see Jim several times, and made sure Mari was well taken care of. Between the people from the refinery and Calvary (their church) she has had lots of support. Mari is handleing this well. She definately appreciates your continued prayers, phone calls, and visits. Sarah and I want to especially thank all the people that have made the trip to Galvastin to visit them.
Jim is in realitively good shape, all things considered. His face is swollen up from the burns. He has red, blistered skin on his face and chest. His hair is shaved. He has pockmarks from the pellets. His eyes are swollen shut. His airway has swollen some, and the doctors put a tube in his throat to keep it open. Because he has a tube down his throat he is sedated. He also has feeding tubes, I.V.s and other tubes.
Despite all that, there are several good signs. While we were there they decreased the sedation, and decreased the amount of work the machine did to help him breath so his is doing more of the breathing himself. They adjusted the bed so he was sitting up, and he recoginizes when people are talking to him, and can respond by moveing his hands or nodding his head. He can open his left eye briefly and can see people in the room, however this seems to require some effort and he mostly keeps both eyes closed.
Naturally we want to know what permanate damage was done to his eyes (especially the right one), how bad his skin will scar, how long he will be in the hospital, when he will return to work, and many others. The answer to all of these is “we have to wait and see”.
Steven plans to travel to Beaumont soon, probably after Jim is released from the hospital. We ask that you all keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
Scott Beadle
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