# Eric Pfalzer



## Courtney Vaughan

Guys, Eric is a fellow racer with us and he was in a motorcycle wreck out at Three Palms last weekend and had to be Life-flighted to the hospital.

He is still unconscious, but the Dr.'s are saying that he has no broken bones or major internal injuries. He is responding by movement of all limbs/eyes/fingers, but again, is basically asleep. They are saying all of his organs are functioning fine on his own, so they expect him to be OK, but had no real estimate as to when he would wake up. There was some blood on his brain as well, but it stopped early on after the accident.

Keep your fingers crossed for him and keep him in your prayers.........


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## killerkustoms

Courtney Vaughan said:


> Keep your fingers crossed for him and keep him in your prayers.........


Terrible news...Good Luck Eric, I'll keep you in my prayers!


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## JustinK

Unsettling. We talked a few times at the track about how many of the offroad rc racers used to race motocross but had some accident that made them stay off their bikes. But it's usually just knee's and such, not this! Eric your in our prayers.


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## Labrat99

Here's hoping for a full and speedy recovery for Eric. I'm sure medical bills are going to be an issue, maybe at some point we can organize a benefit race or maybe just pass the hat around at a HARC event.


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## darrenwilliams

Eric, You are in our prayers


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## cjtamu

Todd was racing at Three Palms this weekend and said it was a bad crash. Prayers are with him.


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## insaneracin2003

your in our prayers eric
speedy recovery bro!!


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## Earl_Sparky

Eric, hang in there, we are thinking of you!


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## hotrodchevy_77

CV, do you have any updates on eric?


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## Gary

Prayers sent.


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## Courtney Vaughan

hotrodchevy_77 said:


> CV, do you have any updates on eric?


I'm headed that way to check on him......will post up tonight or in the morning.


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## Courtney Vaughan

UPDATE:

Eric is making progress. 

He is now responding to many specific commands, and is able to answer a few questions with either squeezing hands or a thumbs up. Dr.'s have cleared his neck/back and have sat him up. He tried to open his eyes briefly yesterday, but began to squirm a lot and indicated by squeezing of his hand that he was in a lot of pain. 

So, the Dr.'s are very pleased with his progress and expect him to come to soon, but are making no guesses as to when he will do so, and what state he will be in once he does.


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## hotrodchevy_77

Thank you, im a rider also and have been posting updates as you post them on houston motocross because there are alot of people asking how he is doing


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## Courtney Vaughan

Just got a text from his girlfriend Katie, and she says his is squirming a lot! He is opening his mouth really wide as if he is trying to talk, and he even yanked his catheder out with the arm/hand that had a clot in it.

Dr's are saying that the motions he's making (particularly the mouth opening wide) are common signs that a person is close to waking up, but still had no time frame.

Does anyone on the motorcross boards have a REAL explanation of what happened? Apparently a lot of people heard about it are telling the story first hand, but I haven't actually talked with anyone who physically saw the accident.


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## Guffinator

CV - is this the Erick that helped me with my nitro?


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## Courtney Vaughan

yep......it's that Eric


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## cjtamu

Todd was at Three Palms when it happened and this is what he e-mailed me:

"The injured rider did not land on top of the other, and the crash was not on top of the table. The contact occurred 10-15 ft past the downside of the finish line table landing. On the 3rd lap of 4, the injured rider landed a few feet behind the other rider. It appeared he tried to avoid hitting the other rider, but this only made it worse when he clipped the rear wheel and his bike went one way and momentum sent him another."

He said it looked like the other bike was down already and Eric tried to miss him on the downside. He also said you're coming into that tabletop at about 50 mph, and Eric just went over the bars and faceplanted.


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## hotrodchevy_77

http://www.houstonmotocross.com/theforum/viewthread?thread=34947


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## PhilGundy

Courtney,

Many thanks for keeping us posted on Eric. What hospital is he in?


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## darrenwilliams

Brain, Thanks for the link to the other forum.
Phill, He is in Memorial Herman - Texas Med Center.
You can send a message to him through the hospital at the following address and they will print and deliver it to his room.
http://www.memorialhermann.org/locations/texasmedicalcenter/default.aspx


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## PhilGundy

Thanks, Darren.


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## Courtney Vaughan

Talked to Katie again again and he steadily straining to open his eyes and trying to mouth words.........neither has come yet though.

That is great progress.


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## dakotanut

WOW! I just got this. I'm sorry to hear it. Been a long time since I was on a bike. ATV's now are another story. Almost every weekend now. I've seen some bad crashes where people walk away and one where they didn't. I hate to hear someone getting hurt so bad by this. I sure hope he gets better quickly. Head injuries suck. My heart goes out to him.


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## Tall1

*Eric*

May the good loard give him the strength for a speedy and complete recovery.


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## darrenwilliams

Sorry I posted the wrong link earlier. Here is the direct link to the greetings
https://secure1.mhhs.org/egreeting/mhe/egreeting_mhe.asp


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## Guffinator

Any update on Eric?


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## Courtney Vaughan

Far as I know, he still in kind of the same state. He is making lots of movement and acknowledging things, but has yet to fully wake up. I'm going to call Katie tonight and see what's going on.


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## jasonwipf

In our prayers here Eric GL and get better!


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## Courtney Vaughan

Here's the message I got from Katie this morning:

"Eric opened his eyes briefly last night, but the meds are keeping him really sleepy. his is getting a trache today. I should actually help him heal faster"

Sounds like he's starting to come around a little, but is still going to be a long road.


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## Courtney Vaughan

Also found this post from Katie on the Houston Motorcross forum as well.

I saw Eric's green eyes this morning around 5 am!! He has opened them twice now, happens when they move him or sit him up tall. He's not doing it on command yet, but it's still a huge step in the right direction! The doctors and nurses are so very pleased with this! It is wonderful news. We have him sitting up more and he looks so great! Now that we know he CAN open his eyes, we will be working with him to do it when we ask. And we're still hoping that breathing tube comes out asap! 

Just wanted to share a bit of good news this morning!

- Katie


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## Courtney Vaughan

Got this message from Katie this weekend:

"We have a very alert, knows who everyone is, and wants to know what everything is that's on him, Eric! Been awake for a few hours! THANK YOU GOD!!!"

This is good news folks! 

Please post up any additional messages you want to share with Eric, and I'm going to print out this thread and take it up to him soon.


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## Guffinator

Excellent news!

Get back soon Eric!


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## Gary

Great news!


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## darrenwilliams

Best news I have received in weeks!!!!!!!!


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## insaneracin2003

That is GREAT news!!! The good lord answers prayers fellas.....let's keep them going!!!


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## rodgedaddy

glad to hear the good news. get well soon eric!


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## justinspeed79

Very happy to hear it! Way to go Eric!


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## jasonwipf

woot woot


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## Earl_Sparky

Great news!
 Eric, we hope to see you out at the "RC" track soon!


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## PD2

insaneracin2003 said:


> That is GREAT news!!! The good lord answers prayers fellas.....let's keep them going!!!


AMEN to that! This is great news! My wife and I have been praying for him and we are definitely glad to hear this!

PD2


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## PhilGundy

Great News!!!


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## darrenwilliams

Here is the latest update I got from Katie.

Hello Everyone!

Eric had such a great first weekend at TIRR. That place is just amazing; all of the people, from the janitors to the Neuro Specialists, are so excited to see Eric and his progress each day. They fully expect to see him walk out of that place sooner rather than later. They've told us what a difference even 2 weeks will do here - we can't wait to see how he progresses. They got him dressed in his gym clothes and up in a wheelchair Friday for the first time. ALL of his muscles are so weak but getting stronger by the day. He can't speak yet because of the trach but Speech therapy will start working with him pretty intensely this week to get a speaking valve in and/or that thing out completely as well as getting him to pass swallowing tests so that he can get the feeding tube out of his stomach. His left side is working pretty much up to par but his right is still much weaker though he is starting to move it a little more each day. All of the therapies really take a lot out of him, but you can just tell by the look in his eyes that when they have him in the rehab room and are making him work he's really pushing himself. They stood him up on Saturday (with much needed assistance). He's working hard at using those neck muscles to hold his head up at all times also. Slowly things will begin to connect and after they work on the weak right side of his body they will get him working on walking soon. Eric is one of the most amazing people I've ever met. His zeal for life has always inspired me and the past 3 weeks have been no different. I know he'll do well at TIRR because they are SO aggressive! He has always pushed the limit and always puts more than 150% into everything he attempts - their philosophy is right up his alley and he will thrive. 

Some of the "little" things he's done that are really big deals (really goes to show how much we take for granted daily tasks):

Helped pull his shirt over his head while getting dressed
Scratched my back when I sat down next to him
Puts chapstick on with no instruction/help
Typed his name in my lap top the other night (shortly followed by him typing "ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ&#8230;" - Guess he was tired) J
These are just a few, but you can see that he is obviously in there, some things just take a little longer to re-learn and/or remember how to do.

Hope you all have a wonderful week and I will be in touch again soon.

Kindly,
Katie


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## dakotanut

That is excellent. Getting better is awesome. If I could just get over the blisters my new Nitro truck gave me trying to get it started.


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## darrenwilliams

get rid of the pull starter and never go back.


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## darrenwilliams

Another update from Katie

Hey Everyone, 

So, WOW, the past few days have been absolutely wonderful - I just had to get another email out. J I'll start off by saying that Eric finally smiled! Liam walked in on Tuesday night and Eric just lit up, it was amazing.  Then, it was like once he figured out he could do it, he tried more and more and yesterday even greeted a lady with a smile when I introduced her. Last night I asked him to stick out his tongue and he did it and he even winked at me! At one point I was standing in front of his wheel-chair changing the channel on the TV. and he proceeded to raise his left leg and kick me in the butt a few times - gotta love it! Wednesday he was even able to help put his shoe on and he threw a ball (been working on that since Saturday). He also wrote his name a couple of times - keep in mind, too, that he's doing this all with his non-dominant hand. PT is working with that right side a lot and got him to put weight on his right foot and push a bar out with both hands yesterday. They've put a cast on his right leg that will come on and off for therapy - this will help support his right ankle enabling him to put more weight on that leg and build those muscles. He organized some Uno cards by color, then by number. The therapist had her papers scattered around and Eric decided she wasn't organized enough so he began placing them in a neat stack for her, one by one, all right side up and perfect - so you see his personality is still there!! J They fitted him for the speaking valve this week which he will wear just in therapy at first. He was able to quietly say the word 5 when counting. He's not getting a very forceful amount of air out to vocalize loudly just yet but this is normal and they will continue to work with him. Yesterday he fed himself real food (ground up) and tolerated it very well as long as he can take a drink of water in between. He will still get tube feedings until they are comfortable the can tolerate the amount of calories he needs. We are just steps away from getting rid of the feeding tube and the trache!

Eric seems to fully comprehend everything that we say, and rest assured, he'll remember you when he sees you. I know that those of you that saw him in ICU before will notice such a huge improvement!! It's wild that he was in ICU just one week ago! Everyone is just so impressed with his progress. 100% recovery, in time, is what all the doctors are telling us!

P.S. Eric is at TIRR, part of Memorial Herman downtown. Here is the website, a map is on here. http://www.memorialhermann.org/locations/tirr/default.aspx

He is in Room 412A. Visiting hours are from 10 am until 9 pm. He will be VERY busy during the week days with Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy - probably not wrapping up until after 4. I would imagine it would be best to visit on the weekends when he's getting a break. Please know, however, that I understand people may have weekend plans and can sometimes only make it one evening during the week to say hello and that's fine. We just are thinking that too many people at one time during the week could be overwhelming as he gets pretty tired after such a busy day. So feel free to give me a call before you come to see what's going on and if/when it's a good time. 

Thank you all for your continued thoughts and prayers! They are working!!!

X's and O's,
Katie
713-817-4138


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## dakotanut

I don't even know this dude and I'm starting to like him. I'm sure glad to hear again that he is gonna make a 100% recovery. That is sooooo awesome. I have the electric start for it but I'm trying to break it in. I just did the idle w/ 1 tank of gas but this isn't the place to talk about that. I'm not a hijacker. Sorry.


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## cjtamu

That is awesome news. Keep it up Eric!


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## darrenwilliams

Latest update from Katie
Another great weekend for Eric! This email doesn't even do it justice! 

A couple of his best friends came back in town to visit and he loved seeing them! They really got him smiling and laughing. A few co-workers came by also and Eric enjoyed their company as well. Eric took 10 steps on Friday in PT, with the aid of a walker/cart on wheels. He initiated steps with both the left and right side. This morning he put himself in his wheel-chair from a PT table!! This week he will also be put on the stationary bike to work on building back those leg muscles; soon they will have him back working with weights and I'm sure he'll be happy about that! Sunday he arm-wrestled a few buddies and really surprised them, LOL! That left arm hasn't lost much, guys! His continues to move his right side more and more each day - no one is worried about any long-term affects. 
He is on a ground food diet and is eating VERY well. He can have thick liquids like nectar or smoothies, which he loves! To get the feeding tube out he has to be eating 50% of his food which he is DEFINITELY now doing, so that tube should be out this week. He wears the speaking valve for his trache all day now and he is working very hard on his speech. (Note: he breathes in thru the valve, and out thru his mouth/nose) I sat quietly with him on Monday and got him working on pushing more air thru and I got some loud whispered responses to questions. He has shown us he's definitely all there; he knows who everyone is, counts, knows names, answers questions and even remembers where he was when he crashed his bike (3 Palms)! (Everyone was ecstatic to hear that he not only remembers this but is aware and understanding of the circumstances going on because of it.) He remembers funny stories from college too! He knows he's in the best rehab place he could be and he promised me this week he was going to push himself even more and really work on conquering the speech thing. This week they will cap the trache so he will be forced to breathe in and out of his mouth/nose and if he tolerates it for a week, the trache will be removed. He continues to impress all of his doctors and therapists with the speed of his recovery! 

Thank you all so much for your prayers and positive thoughts. We feel and see them working everyday! Eric's steady progress really helps us keep our eyes on the future and hopeful for what is still to come! 

Love you all and please forward this to anyone I've left out.

P.S. For those of you that don't know, Eric did move rooms - He is now 406A (could move again this week, keep you posted)

_*Katie Bobo*_


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## Guffinator

Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!


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## PD2

Totally freakin awesome! I know it seems like such small things, been when you have been out that long, its amazing what your body will do to make sure the heart and brain survive over the rest of the body.

Keep up the awesome work Eric!!

PD2


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## darrenwilliams

I just got an email from Katie. They have removed the trache.angelsm


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## darrenwilliams

Another update from Katie. Looks like he is making daily progress now!!!!!

Had a great talk with Eric last night, guys. He's very happy to have his trache out! J The doctors have told us, however, that just because the trache is out, that doesn't mean he can immediately start talking. He still whispers, but they said to give it about 2 days until the hole fully closes up and his vocal cords reconnect (they weren't damaged, just unused, is how they put it.) Right now we are trying to get a picture of where we're at, memory wise. He definitely remembers long term topics. He knew the name of his company and his title without hesitation. He knows his address and phone number, etc. He tried hard to remember what he had for dinner last night. I told him not to think so hard about what it was called but to think about what it looked like, what color it was, what it tasted like. After thinking for a while he answered "I think I had lasagna" - turns out he had that for lunch, but that's not far off! He did know that yesterday was the 9th, but he forgot that a friend came by to see him and that I brought him a smoothie. Minor things, and again, doctors expected this and aren't worried in the least. I told him the story of the day of the accident. He sat and listened, very interested in every detail I mentioned, responding with raised eyebrows and "wow". I mentioned that we met a guy at TIRR that was in a coma for 15 days. Eric raised his eyebrows in shock - I told him "well, you were in a coma for 11 days". He was even more surprised and said "wow, I don't remember that". I just assured him that we knew he wouldn't remember and he doesn't need to anyway. I told him that it wasn't his fault he crashed, it was an accident. That it's okay he has trouble remember things about yesterday and that it's normal for this stage, and that his doctors are telling us he's moving forward much more quickly than the 'norm' for his injury. He said that he understands very much. I explained what's going on with the right side of his body and that the PT's are focusing on getting it up to speed. Told him that the doctors are impressed with his progress and expect even more progress sooner rather than later. Eric just keeps telling me he's working so hard everyday and he can't wait to come home. I think we're going to try and get Rigel (our dog) up to visit with him this weekend too so that should be encouraging for him. 

Hope everyone has a great weekend. Just wanted to update you guys after a great night!


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## jbranham50

I'm not sure I know Eric but I have been keeping up with the updates and this is an amazing story. Good luck to a full recovery Eric and I'm with everyone wishing you back track side asap!

Katie, thanks for keeping everyone informed on how everything is going....we're pulling for Eric!!!


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## Courtney Vaughan

Jason, all you need to know is that he runs an Xray and he stocks more parts than you!!!!

I'm going to see Eric tomorrow and taking him an RC18 to run around and work on his hand/finger skills with his right side. Think he'll be excited to see it!


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## darrenwilliams

Sounds like a great plan


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## jbranham50

Well even better!


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## dakotanut

That is awesome! I bet he loves it. I now I would be.


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## darrenwilliams

today's Katie update:
For the first time in 5 weeks I just got a phone call from Eric - *using HIS voice*, telling me he loves me!!! Shortly followed by him telling me to "Relax" as I was obviously freaking out! LOL J

His voice is back! 

P.S. I have been carrying his phone around so he doesn't have it but I will start leaving it with him or his parents. Keep in mind while his voice is back he is still working on initiating conversation but I wanted to let you all know. We'll start helping him call as the days go on.


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## dakotanut

That is cool. Just a little more time.


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## darrenwilliams

Latest from Katie
Okay, so yesterday was supposed to be the big Dr.'s meeting but unfortunately the doc got tied up elsewhere and didn't get to come meet with us. We don't have too much new info yet. I can tell you that Eric's had a great couple of days! When he's up and awake he acts very much like himself, humor and all. When he's tired, the voice goes back to a whisper and he's pretty mellow. He continues to work hard in his therapy sessions. We're at the 50/50 point now wherein he supports himself 50% and he needs 50% help from others when it comes to walking, standing, transferring from the wheel chair to the bed. This is considered "mod-assist". Soon the plan is to have him at "min-assist" which is more like 75/25. Speech therapy is beginning to help him with typical problem solving issues also. They ask "What do you do if you lock your keys in your car and you need to be at work for an important meeting in 3 hours?" Eric is to offer up possible answers "Call a cab" "Call a locksmith", etc. He's doing well with these questions. Funny enough they asked yesterday "What do you do when you come home to realize that your dog has shed hair all over the house?" She was probably looking for an answer like "Vacuum it up. Brush the dog's hair more often." Instead she got a very "Eric" answer: "I freak out" LOL! What else would you expect Mr. Clean to say? J 

Anyway, when we hear more from the docs we'll pass along a better update. Just know that he's working hard and having full days. 

XOXO,

*Katie Bobo*


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## dakotanut

Since I got to meet every one out at River Race Track tonight, I'm hoping that he gets well even faster so I can meet him out there! Sounds like a guy with a sense of humor. I'm real glad to hear that he is getting better.


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## darrenwilliams

6 week update from Katie

Hey everyone, 

I just wanted to send out another quick update about Eric. He is making leaps and bounds! Both his right leg and right arm are getting stronger and have more range of motion. He is able to lift his right leg up and move it around almost as much as the left. The right arm is coming around just since the weekend and he is so determined to get them both up to speed. It's truly amazing to witness his determination; words just aren't enough to describe it. No matter how hard he has to try to move that right arm he doesn't get frustrated - he says he is "excited because I'm SO close!" This past weekend a friend brought up his remote control car that is just like Eric's. Eric was able to put on all 4 wheels and place the inside parts of the car in their proper place without any help. We've brought up one of his cars so that he can give that right hand some exercise and he enjoys it. He's on a full diet now so we've brought in food and drinks from some of his favorite places - for those Ft. Worth/Dallas friends - he is CRAVING Mama's Pizza! J Believe it or not, he's already at or just past the 75/25 mark for assistance as mentioned in my last email. He doesn't need much help to get from the bed to the chair, just a strong hand for balance. Yesterday he got to go to Target for Occupational Therapy. They gave him a list of items that he had to find by himself and price them. He did excellent! They let him walk up and down the stairs (with assistance) to board the bus and they helped him walk from the bus to the entrance before getting in his wheel chair. (He even picked out 3 shirts and jewelry sets for me as gifts! J And of course, everything matches and is just perfect.) 
They did give us a tentative discharge date of October 8th. This can change either direction depending on his progress over the next few weeks. He will then have several months of out-patient therapy to go thru to get him back to 100%. It will take a lot of time and effort but we have no doubts he'll get there. We tell him everyday how outstanding he's doing and how impressed the whole place is with his progress. The doctors and therapists have to change their plans and goals for him almost daily in order to keep up! We're still working on the memory issues but as I said before, this is not something to worry about, just part of the process. He is able to initiate and have conversations, albeit a bit slowly. He remembers things about his work projects he was working on and specific issues with those projects when they're brought up by co-workers. His expressions and humor are hilarious. Just the other day we were talking to him about planning a vacation for next year with us and his parents. His mom chimed in "How about Alaska?" and he answered, "No, to cold. I want to go somewhere with a bikini bar." Now, is that Eric, or is that Eric? HAHA!! 

Hope this update finds you all well and as happy as we are these days watching our guy progress in true Eric-style. Thank you all so much for the continued prayers and positive thoughts. I'll leave you with a favorite quote of Eric's that I read to him last night: 

"It is not the critic who counts. Not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly. Who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause. Who at best knows achievement and who at worst if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat" -T. Roosevelt

X's and O's,
Katie


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## darrenwilliams

Latest from Katie
Hey everyone,

Eric is doing incredibly well! I knew this week was going to be huge for him because of the new schedule they have him on. They've added pool workouts in addition to his normal physical therapy. He is also assisting the PT at TIRR from 3-5 in a class she's teaching to PT students - so basically an extra 2 hours of work outs. He's also in group classes called "Gains" and "Goals" each day where they have helped with the initiation of the right leg when he walks, among many other things. Yesterday was kind of a breath thru day for him - his short term memory seems to be clicking finally. I would guestimate that he's at about 85-90% right now as far as short term goes, and long term is even better. Yesterday he walked 300 ft without an assistance device (just the PT helping him out) and each day he's been doing a couple of flights of stairs (with help). The stomach tube came out and is pretty much all healed up. Eric is very determined to get that right arm working at 100%. In his free time, he is constantly trying to squeeze the hand-grip exerciser he has, or raise it his arm up. TIRR has extended his discharge date to 10/28 (tentatively). This is a GREAT thing! They are keeping him there because he's progressing so well and so quickly. They all want to see him walk out of that place! 

I do want to suggest that this week, because he's so busy, that we hold off on visitors. And also, because he's feeling more like himself, he wants to put forth his best for his friends and family. Please remember to call one of us before you head up to see him, that way we can ask him if it's okay at that time. He is SO very appreciate of all the thoughts and prayers, and said this weekend he might like to put together a video message for you all. For now, here is a picture from last night; he said this one is good enough to share, lol. J 

Love to all,
*Katie*


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## troytyro

Glad to see he is doing better!


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## PD2

This is fantastic news! Leaps and bounds in getting better! Awesome!

Thanks for updating us continually Darren! We appreciate it!

PD2


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## darrenwilliams

Here is an update from Katie and Eric that was sent out Saturday. Sorry for the delay in posting.
Hello everyone!! Today I got to spend the whole day with Eric and attend all of his therapies - he did amazing! He's working very hard and wants you all to know and see. He stays so busy these days, it's unreal. Since he thinks that most of the visits should wait until he's almost ready to go home, he thought it'd be a great idea to send some video and pictures so that you could all see how he's progressing. I tried to send the video last night but it's too big, so here are some pictures for now and I'll work on the video of him walking.

A message from Eric: Walking has proved to be very hard, but I'm determined to succeed. Speech therapy is going very well! Today we worked on memory a lot. I go to the pool every week day and work on walking, balance and I also did push-ups in the water. I feel a little stronger and more whole every day; it is a slow process - but slow and steady wins the race. 

Hope you all enjoy the pics and video and thank you so much for your continued prayers and support.

Love,
Katie and Eric


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## PD2

Awesome update! You know, I understand that this is about Eric recovering and healing up to be back where he was again, but there is something to be said for Katie. What a wonderful person and woman Eric has that she would be there for all of this as much as is humanly possible and then spend her entire day with him through it all! And let's not forget - they are not even married! Can you image if we all did that or acted like that - out of the love of our hearts - toward our spouses all the time? Aside from Eric recognizing her as his girlfriend and the woman who has been here through it all, I hope that he realizes what a good woman he has found in her - together they can accomplish anything, obviously.

Keep up the awesome work Eric AND Katie!

PD2


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## katjim00

PD2 you hit the nail on the head. She has got to be a fantastic woman to help him through all that. He has come a long way since the accident and still has a ways to go. With her by his side I think all will be well.


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## Courtney Vaughan

Katie goes to work every morning, gets off, and goes straight to the hospital. On Saturday and Sunday mornings, she gets up, runs a few errands, and goes straight to the hospital. I'm pretty sure she hasn't missed a day since the accident. Eric's Mother and Father have been around most of the time as well.


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## darrenwilliams

Hard to beat the support of a good woman......


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## darrenwilliams

This weeks' Eric update:

Hey everyone, just wanted to give you guys another quick (I'll try!) update.

It's been 1 week since I tagged along with Eric for a full day, 1 week since we've been able to walk with him on our free time - I can't describe the improvements he's made in only week with his balance and strength. We barely have to help him at all now; just have to be there in case he needs a helping hand. He loves feeling more independent! He got a check-up CT scan on Monday and everything looks GREAT! I believe the words used were "happy brain", meaning no more air or fluid that shouldn't be there and the bruising is getting better also. We've got 2 more weeks at TIRR - 2 weeks that Eric has promised he'll continue to give 150%. He wants his life back and is hopeful and determined to get it! Memory and cognitive issues are improving daily; every day he wakes up more himself, speaking more clearly and understanding everything - he doesn't miss a beat! He has asked for another week before visitors come in - he's got some personal goals for himself that he'd like to achieve so that he's the best he can be when his friends/family finally see him. We all thank you for bearing with us during this time, trusting us to give you accurate updates and understanding that Eric needs this time. Can't thank you all enough for the prayers and kindness during the past 2+ months!

After TIRR, Eric will move to a post-acute neuro-rehab facility for fine tuning. We toured a place on Thursday and truly believe this will be a very important and fulfilling step for Eric's recovery. The place only takes 16 residents at a time and is very focused on giving everyone their independence and helping them return home and to their job (which Eric is VERY interested in keeping up with and can't wait to be able to get back to). It is not a hospital or a nursing home - it is set up similar to a dorm with private rooms and flat screen t.v. rooms. J There, Eric will continue daily with his Physical, Occupation and Speech therapies along with other individual and group activities. They even have RC car races in the parking lot on occasion!!! (Eric is excited about this!) The average stay here is 1-2 months, but we all know Eric is anything but average - so we'll just continue to keep you updated on his progress and when the BIG homecoming party will be! J 

Well, that wasn't very "quick" but it's hard to edit so much great news into a short email J 
Hope you all have a great weekend - don't forget to cheer for Eric's Longhorns!!! 

XOXO,
Katie


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## Courtney Vaughan

Also wanted to tell you guys that Eric gave me a call yesterday. He sounds like he's made a ton of progress, and everyone from family, to friends, to job are all giving him nothing but support. He said after this second facility he's moving to Memphis TN for a couple of weeks as well to a specialized facility for some final therapy before heading home.

I've seen Eric every 2-3 weeks and can tell you at the rate of progress he's made, I expect to see him back out there racing with us early next year!


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## PD2

Awesome update! Man this guy will have to get out and tell his story of coming back like this! What an encouragement to anyone facing any mountain or uphill battle!

Thanks for giving us updated Darren and Court! We appreciate!

PD2


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## Courtney Vaughan

Ok....need to retract something here....

When I talked to Eric, I think we misunderstood each other.......he's NOT going to Memphis, but a place called "Mentis".......here in Houston.

DOH!!!! I feel like a 'tard!


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## darrenwilliams

We will let you slide on this one Courtney. I was wondering what kind of rehab Memphis had that you could not get any closer to Houston.


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## darrenwilliams

Latest from Katie. It is great to see him outside.

Hey everyone! 

Sorry I didn't send a full update last week - but everything is going well, just busy as always. Eric is looking and feeling more and more like himself each day. He is walking pretty much everywhere now as his balance and strength have improved greatly. Right now they have him walking while holding on to the back of his wheel chair, not for stability but to support his right shoulder which is also rebuilding nicely. (This was the arm that the blood clot was in initially so he was forced to keep it still for many weeks) For a while he called that right arm "dead", (which it wasn't!) but now he tells us "it's coming back" and when it does he says he'll be "golden". J You should see how hard this guy works and how determined he is! It's funny because I know I write that a lot in my e-mails, and you'd think I wouldn't be surprised each passing week, but the guy seriously takes my breath away sometimes. Even when he's exhausted and about to fall asleep he still holds that right arm up to give it a good stretch or to see how high he can raise it. (Above his head now, by the wayJ) Last Thursday for one of his therapies he got to go to Dave & Busters with 2 other patients. He said he felt great being out and about; this Thursday he will get to go somewhere again. We're still working with him daily on memory (long term and short term) which is slowly but surely coming back. He's SO aware of everything and is ready for the cloudiness in his head to clear up. These are issues that post-acute therapy will take care of though. As of right now, he _should_ be discharged from TIRR on Friday and the plan is to take him over to a fine-tuning neuro facility called "Mentis". The place was started up by his doctor, Dr. Cindy Ivanhoe (very renowned neurologist if you care to look her up). We took a tour of the place a few weeks ago and fell in love. We've told Eric all about it and he's completely on board and ready to take the next step in his journey. Right now we're just waiting and praying that the insurance will follow through and allow us to get him there. We do have a plan B and plan C but above all we just want Eric to be at the best place with the best doctors so that when he comes home he's the best he can be - and he wouldn't have it any other way! 

Hope you enjoy the pictures from this weekend - as you can see we're all very happy and we hope you all are too! We'll continue to keep you posted about the visiting times. When he gets to Mentis (or wherever) he will be allowed day passes on the weekend which we're all looking forward to J

Love,
Katie


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## katjim00

Thanks for the update, steadily moving forward. Awesome


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## PD2

That is too awesome! Outside, going to D&B's, and continually progressing! Soon enough he'll be back to life moving forward!

Thanks for the update Darren!
PD2


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## darrenwilliams

Latest from Katie
Hi everyone!

Hope this update finds you all well. J Eric continues to excel daily. In case you aren't aware, they've extended his stay at TIRR thru November 10 because he continues to progress- he's walking well and moving the right arm and leg much better, now the therapists say it's time to "make it pretty," meaning good muscle tone, correct movement and no limp. This also gives us more time to work out the kinks with insurance and get him over to the post-acute facility he will go to in order to become fully independent and ready to be home for good. 
Yesterday, Eric was able to come home on a day-pass - it was, in Eric's words "Awesome!" The drive home was both intense and exciting watching Eric recognize familiar street names and highways as well as the Galleria and the building on Hwy 59 where Eric worked for one of his Hoerbiger projects. He remembered how to get from 290 and Jones all the way to his office and back home. He was so excited to see his garage, his truck and Rigel! We took him thru each room in his house and memories came back to him in each one. He was happy to see his hobby room and can't wait to get back to his RC car racing. He also was glad to see his golf clubs and even practiced his set up and swing&#8230;in the house&#8230;.you can see him laughing in one of those pics because he hit the shelf on the wall, LOL. He said he felt so relaxed and comfortable being home. We took another drive that afternoon to show him other areas he might recognize and while driving we came upon an open field where several guys were flying their Remote Control Airplanes and Helicopters - I tell you it was almost as though God led us right to that place especially for Eric! We all watched them fly for a while; Eric spoke to one of the guys and told him about his own planes and how he wants an RC helicopter now. J We went out to eat and then stopped by Eric's favorite frozen custard place. He couldn't stop talking about how great his day was and how he knows he's close to being home. This morning Eric reached out to another patient on his floor, a man who was in a motorcycle accident and was very down. The nurse tech told the man all about Eric, and then told Eric about the man so Eric went in the man's room and talked with him for a while and told the man he was in the right place to get better. 
I hope you all enjoy the pictures. The last one is of Eric and his/our favorite nurse tech, Michael. Those two guys have really formed a bond and talk constantly about the kinds of trouble they can get into when Eric gets homeJ. Thank you all, again, for your prayers. They are felt and seen everyday as we wake up and continue on in this journey with Eric. I know many of you are chomping at the bit to come and visit, and please know when Eric's ready you will all be invited over for a party in his honor. He's got his priorities lined up right now and his #1 focus is hard work each day in an effort to regain the life he had before. But I am certain that the life he is rebuilding now will be an even better one than he could have imagined. 

Love to you all,
Katie


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## darrenwilliams

more pictures


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## darrenwilliams

even more pictures


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## PD2

Man he is soooo close to blowing that Popsicle stand! I can't wait for the update that Katie sends saying he is done and home! I wonder if it will be before Christmas?

Thanks for the update as always Darren! We appreciate it!

PD2


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## darrenwilliams

Not a problem. I love giving good news.


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## katjim00

Darren have you heard any news lately?


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## Courtney Vaughan

I heard from Eric last weekend. He's really excited to be moving on out of TIRR. He was even going by the Motorcross track to look at the jump where he crashed. Haven't heard from him since then, but I'll try to call him Saturday morning.


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## darrenwilliams

I did not get an update from Katie this week.


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## Courtney Vaughan

this is the last one I got:

Hey guys, just wanted to give you all a quick update on Eric. Tuesday will be his last day at TIRR and since the other post-acute place, Mentis, didn't work out due to insurance coverage (out of network) Eric will be going to Touchstone NeuroRecovery Center in Conroe. We toured yesterday and it's beautiful and we think it will be a good fit for Eric. He will not need to be there longer than probably a month or so. It's just one step closer to full-on independence, one step closer to being home! There, he will continue to get a full day of physical, occupational and speech therapy as well as work on memory issues (which are improving GREATLY!!) and other daily tasks. He will also begin vocational therapy which will help him return to work when he's ready. Eric's employers are very supportive of him and his recovery; they look forward to helping him out. We are all so grateful that his work family is standing by his side through this journey. I'm sending you the link to the facility where you can view pictures, etc. On the website you will find information about visiting hours. His weekdays will be as full as they are at TIRR, if not more so. After the first weekend Eric will be able to get day passes on weekends. After Touchstone we will be looking into some out-patient therapy for Eric for any further therapy, as needed. 

I want you all to know that Eric cares about you all very much. You all know how focused he gets when he's working on something he's passionate about, this is no different. He is passionate about his recovery, giving 150% and expecting the same in results. Even in just the past week he has come SO far, it's easy to see that we are nearing the end of this chapter in our lives. While socializing and "fun" visits haven't been on his list of priorities for some time now, soon it will be time to work with him and get him back to feeling comfortable and confident in himself to be able to visit with you all like he did before - it will take some time but it will happen. J We do get to bring Eric home again this Sunday for a day pass before he begins his stay at Touchstone, we'll let you all know how it goes!

http://www.touchstoneneuro.com/touchstone-directions.htm


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## PD2

Forward progress! Gotta love it! Keep moving forward.....thanks for the update Courtney! Though I don't know Eric at all, I've definitely kept him on my mind and heart and in my prayers.

Thank you!
PD2


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## Courtney Vaughan

Here's another update I got yesterday...........not sure if I got the pictures in the correct order

Take a look at the first picture everyone! It's of Eric leaving TIRR!! J It was bittersweet for all of us, we made so many close friends there and Eric even got a surprise standing ovation when he peeked into the gym to say good-bye to one last therapist. That was an amazing sight to see doctors, therapists and other patients standing and clapping and waving good bye and good luck to him! We were told by some hopeful nurses in the beginning that Eric would walk out of TIRR, but on Tuesday, that dream came true! They didn't even send us away with a wheel chair or walker of any sort! 

On the way out to the new place, Eric decided he wanted to stop by the dirt bike track to see where he crashed. I think that may have been tougher on us than him, but it was so important (& SO COURAGEOUS!) for him to begin to put the puzzle pieces together. He doesn't remember the crash, of course, (I do&#8230 and he doesn't really remember riding the dirt bike at all. He does remember many other memories; we have figured out that he has most of his memories before May 2009, but not much from then on thru about September when he came out of Post-Traumatic Amnesia. This part can still come back, but his brain is focusing on so many other issues right now. Anyway, we know this next stage is a tough, but very important one, one that will get Eric to reach his goal of being home for good and fully healed just as we pray daily - mind, body and soul. I attached some pictures of the new place that he will be at for 4 weeks or so, called Touchstone Neuro Recovery Center in Conroe. It's a big change, to say the least. Here they will focus on Eric gaining full independence as well as continuing his daily physical, occupational and speech therapies. It's nothing like a hospital, and this was a bit of a shock for him. Staff and several other residents there assured us that the first few days are very hard because right now they have to run tests and do a lot of assessing of Eric to see where he's at in all capacities in order to see where to begin and what goals to set. We met a 32 year old man there that got his brain injury due to a car wreck. He said he'd been at Touchstone for 4 weeks, and when he got there he was way less mobile and with it than Eric is coming in. Now, though, you can't even tell this man has had any past issues! His walk and range of motion are pretty much 100% - this was an inspiring story for Eric. We all know that he is a "results" guy, and he wants to see those results quickly. He's a hard worker and he will do nothing but his best here and it's so amazing to know that we're nearing the end of this whole thing. He just needs encouragement as he starts this new chapter. At Touchstone we will be able to take him out to dinner during the week sometimes and after this first weekend we will be allowed day passes on the weekends. We will definitely want some visitors out there mostly on the weekends we're around though to help Eric feel empowered and confident. It's a beautiful campus, plenty of room for hanging out outside and inside. Please be in touch with us if you wish to come and see him so that we have a heads up. We're going to try and keep him as busy as possible just as he would normally be at home, we are going to get him back to the social bee that he is J. I truly believe his friends are going to be a big help with this step. If you cannot come, but can think of something that you know that will brighten his day or give him a good laugh, please let me know and I'll pass it along. Or you can also email him because not only do I bring my laptop with me every day but there is also a computer lab there. His email address is [email protected]. 

The last picture is of him and his great friend, Jason Bickel. Eric decided to stop by last Sunday on his day pass and say hello and I think it's a wonderful photo!! Thank you all for your support over the past few months. Please continue to lift Eric up in your thoughts and prayers so that he will finish this race strong! 

With lots of love! Katie


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## darrenwilliams

It has been 13 weeks since Eric's accident and he still making progress. Here is the latest from Katie.
Take a look at the first picture everyone! It's of Eric leaving TIRR!! J It was bittersweet for all of us, we made so many close friends there and Eric even got a surprise standing ovation when he peeked into the gym to say good-bye to one last therapist. That was an amazing sight to see doctors, therapists and other patients standing and clapping and waving good bye and good luck to him! We were told by some hopeful nurses in the beginning that Eric would walk out of TIRR, but on Tuesday, that dream came true! They didn't even send us away with a wheel chair or walker of any sort! 
On the way out to the new place, Eric decided he wanted to stop by the dirt bike track to see where he crashed. I think that may have been tougher on us than him, but it was so important (& SO COURAGEOUS!) for him to begin to put the puzzle pieces together. He doesn't remember the crash, of course, (I do&#8230 and he doesn't really remember riding the dirt bike at all. He does remember many other memories; we have figured out that he has most of his memories before May 2009, but not much from then on thru about September when he came out of Post-Traumatic Amnesia. This part can still come back, but his brain is focusing on so many other issues right now. Anyway, we know this next stage is a tough, but very important one, one that will get Eric to reach his goal of being home for good and fully healed just as we pray daily - mind, body and soul. I attached some pictures of the new place that he will be at for 4 weeks or so, called Touchstone Neuro Recovery Center in Conroe. It's a big change, to say the least. Here they will focus on Eric gaining full independence as well as continuing his daily physical, occupational and speech therapies. It's nothing like a hospital, and this was a bit of a shock for him. Staff and several other residents there assured us that the first few days are very hard because right now they have to run tests and do a lot of assessing of Eric to see where he's at in all capacities in order to see where to begin and what goals to set. We met a 32 year old man there that got his brain injury due to a car wreck. He said he'd been at Touchstone for 4 weeks, and when he got there he was way less mobile and with it than Eric is coming in. Now, though, you can't even tell this man has had any past issues! His walk and range of motion are pretty much 100% - this was an inspiring story for Eric. We all know that he is a "results" guy, and he wants to see those results quickly. He's a hard worker and he will do nothing but his best here and it's so amazing to know that we're nearing the end of this whole thing. He just needs encouragement as he starts this new chapter. At Touchstone we will be able to take him out to dinner during the week sometimes and after this first weekend we will be allowed day passes on the weekends. We will definitely want some visitors out there mostly on the weekends we're around though to help Eric feel empowered and confident. It's a beautiful campus, plenty of room for hanging out outside and inside. Please be in touch with us if you wish to come and see him so that we have a heads up. We're going to try and keep him as busy as possible just as he would normally be at home, we are going to get him back to the social bee that he is J. I truly believe his friends are going to be a big help with this step. If you cannot come, but can think of something that you know that will brighten his day or give him a good laugh, please let me know and I'll pass it along. Or you can also email him because not only do I bring my laptop with me every day but there is also a computer lab there. His email address is [email protected]. 
The last picture is of him and his great friend, Jason Bickel. Eric decided to stop by last Sunday on his day pass and say hello and I think it's a wonderful photo!! Thank you all for your support over the past few months. Please continue to lift Eric up in your thoughts and prayers so that he will finish this race strong! 

With lots of love!
Katie


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## darrenwilliams

A couple of more pictures


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## Courtney Vaughan

looks like we got the same email Darren......didn't mean to thread jack you there....just didn't know if you got that last email from Katie.


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## darrenwilliams

My bad. I saw when yours posted and checked my account and it was not in there. I just checked the River account this morning and saw the message. Didn't realize it was the same.


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## darrenwilliams

Sorry for the late posting on this one. Being out of town last week (with no internet connection) and playing catch up this week I just got aroung to Katie's update from 11/24/09.
Hey everyone!

Eric is beginning to settle into Touchstone with his new
schedule and the improvement he's made after his first full week is
amazing. His memory from day to day is getting much better as are his
speech, cognitive issues and physical strength. His walk is probably
90-95%. They even had him jogging a bit yesterday which he was very
excited about. His right arm is improving daily as well. The muscle
tone is coming back strong thanks to all of his scheduled therapy and
his day to day therapy he does himself. Everything he does is turned
into exercise. He'll walk on his toes to the bathroom and on his heels
on the way back. He dribbles a basketball and throws a football to work
on the right arm and even does things like picking up coins and playing
pick-up-sticks to work the fine tuning of his hand and fingers. He even
works on his writing about an hour per day. They have noticed quickly
at Touchstone that "he just doesn't stop". He knows he's there for "one
reason, and one reason only, and that's to get better" - so there's not
much messing around going on, lol. 
The pictures attached are from our weekend outings (We get a day
pass every Saturday and Sunday). He had to make sure he would have his
old golf form, he can't hit balls yet but he loves working on his set up
and giving lessons (as you can see, haha). We took him to the mall to
shop but he was really only into seeing it as a work-out with all the
walking, except for the quick stop into Pac Sun - and yes, that's a
Hurley shirt in that bag!  This past weekend we took him home to get
back into the normal everyday things so he went grocery shopping with us
(big time stress therapy having to deal with all the holiday shoppers!)
and he helped out with walking Rigel and some yard work. He has never
been so happy to mow the lawn for a few minutes and just kept raving how
it was "great therapy" for his arms and legs!! For the holidays we
still can't do over-night passes but we will be able to have day passes
on Thurs - Sunday so we'll find plenty of things to keep busy and he'll
find plenty of ways to turn everything we do into a work-out! Lol. 

Hope you all have a Happy & Safe Thanksgiving Holiday! We are so
thankful this year to have witnessed a miracle in Eric and the kindness
of so many friends, old and new! 

XOXO,
Katie


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## katjim00

They really do have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season. Thanks for the update. I just thought about them on monday but figured everyone was tied up with turkey day family time and just was too busy to give an update


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## Courtney Vaughan

I went to visit Eric last Saturday after the meeting. He was at home on a day-pass and in good spirits. I took him a custom HARC body for his Xray that Kyle Marks was generous enough to paint for me at cost. Kyle....if you're reading this, perhaps you could post a few pictures of that body you did? I seem to have deleted the ones you sent to me. Thanks again, BTW.......he seemed to really like it, and said that it made him REALLY anxious to race again!

He's made SOOOO much progress since I've seen him last. He still has a ways to go, but I'd guestimate that at the rate he changes, sometime next year he'll be 100% Eric again.

He discussed possibly coming out to the TFT race next weekend for a visit, but that hinges on a lot of other factors. Hopefully they can pull it off though!


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## darrenwilliams

Latest from Katie
Hey everyone!

It's been some time since I've updated you all on Eric's progress so I just wanted to get you all caught up. Eric is doing amazingly at Touchstone. They've moved him into the highest level house called Genesis and he is really kicking butt over there! They all know Eric as the guy who's always working. He never misses a chance to work on his arm exercises or writing, etc and when therapy ends at 3 pm you can always find him outside working on his arms by throwing/catching a football or Frisbee or dribbling the basketball or trying to perfect his jogging - YES, JOGGING! J In the new house he is becoming more independent; packing his own lunch and cooking dinner with his roommate for the whole house once a week. He continues with the Physical, Speech and Occupational therapies as well as other cognitive, memory and life skills classes and I'll tell you like I tell him, he's rocking it! 
For months Eric had said that his head felt very "foggy", like his brain was just taking in SO much info that he felt like he couldn't process it all fast enough. This past Saturday for the first time he looked at us and said matter-of-factly "My mind is very clear now" - and so far the fogginess hasn't been an issue again. He is feeling more normal and like himself each day. His memory is really firing up these days too - it's SO much better since he's been at Touchstone and we notice improvements with that almost daily. Yesterday we reviewed his normal monthly bills with him and he took it all in very well and has a very clear understanding of what all has gone on and where he's at in that regard. We were super impressed and it's such a good sign he understood and didn't get stressed out by it. We had been told that beginning to understand those kinds of issues can be hard and very frustrating to a person who has sustained such a severe brain injury, but it was a milestone that he conquered flawlessly. We and Touchstone continue to challenge him daily in a joint effort to get him back to the capability he had before the accident so that he reaches the ultimate goal of total independence! 
Attached are a few pictures from December 4 before Eric and I went to his company Christmas party. Eric was so excited and it was the first time many of his coworkers had seen him since the accident and they were very impressed with his recovery. It was also the night it snowed in Houston - a new special memory for us all. J Oh, and Eric also went with his dad to the RC car track this past weekend and had a great time seeing some of his buddies and watching the races, he can't wait to get to work on his remote control car so he can get back out there and tear it up with those guys. 

Love to all & Happy Holidays!
Katie


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## jasonwipf

That is awesome progress. He needs to race his car again as part of his therapy for hand and eye coordination training. Keep up the great work Eric!


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## Courtney Vaughan

I'm hoping to get my electric built soon enough and turn the power down so that he can come use it at the track


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## jasonwipf

Thats a great idea Courtney.


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## PD2

Fantastic update on Eric! Katie made mention of his bills...not to pry into anyone's personal business, but does anyone know if Eric and his family need any assistance with that? Being out of work as long as he has been (and it looks like his parents maybe retired) does beg the question if he has a lot of mounting medical bills. If he does have a lot he is dealing with, I wonder if throwing together a Benefit race for Eric would be appropriate?

Just wondering. Thoughts?

PD2


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## darrenwilliams

We contacted Katie in the beginning about doing a benefit race for him at the Rivertrack. For a day or two, she and his parents were onboard. Then she called and asked us to call it off. She did indicate at that time he had very good insurance and money would not be problem. I don't know if anything has changed by now. We would be glad to put on a benefit race for him.


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## PD2

darrenwilliams said:


> We contacted Katie in the beginning about doing a benefit race for him at the Rivertrack. For a day or two, she and his parents were onboard. Then she called and asked us to call it off. She did indicate at that time he had very good insurance and money would not be problem. I don't know if anything has changed by now. We would be glad to put on a benefit race for him.


That sounds cool. If you or anyone else gets the chance to talk to Katie it might be something to bring up with her just to check-in, so to speak.

Thanks for the reply Darren!
PD2


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## darrenwilliams

Has anyone heard any updates on Eric? I sent Katie an email yesterday but I have not heard back.


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## Courtney Vaughan

Eric & Katie came to our New Years' Party last month, and he had made tremendous progress. From a physical standpoint, his arm & leg still need some help, but it's not like he couldn't get around by himself. He played my Wii all evening long and we thought it'd be helpful to him so we sent him home with it and last I heard he was using it daily to improve dexterity.

He went home 2-3 weeks ago for good. He started 4-days/week outpatient rehab for 6-8hours/day. He was very hopeful that this would accelerate some recovery of his right hand & leg, as well as some speech function. At the facility that he was at, he only had a couple of hours a day of dedicated one-on-one training.

I left a message for him last week, but haven't heard back. It was a big transition for him from leaving the hospital to go to the rehab facility, and took several weeks to get used to. I am assuming it is even more so the case with going home and being on his own.


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## darrenwilliams

Awesome news


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## PhilGundy

I can't wait to see him and Allen racing again. Does Katie have an older sister?


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## darrenwilliams

Here is an update from Katie
Sorry for the lack of updates. Things are going very well and Eric is doing fantastic. We had a doctor appt with a new neurologist at the Old TIRR building (that's where the Outpatient clinic is) yesterday and the doctor is amazing, he loved Eric (remembers him fondly from when he was a patient there) and Eric really like him too. He said Eric is making incredibly amazing progress - that he's definitely beat the odds and exceeded all textbook predictions! 
The doctor says he is going to call the outpatient program to get them to let Eric bring his golf clubs in to work with b/c he thinks that it will be great for him to work on balance, coordination, focus, etc. So Eric is pleased about that. He is also starting to mess with his RC car a bit and is anxious for his right hand to come back more so he can drive that thing around. That right hand is getting better and better. It's still not 100% but it's definitely regaining some fine movement and quickness. Doc also said Eric is ready to go thru the process of getting his drivers license - which technically he still has but he will have to go thru this program called Stromat which will be a couple of classes to get him back in the car and help him overcome any issues like the weakness in the right hand, etc and that way they can note his file and license that he has had a brain injury. We have a Doppler (like an ultrasound) on Tuesday on his right arm and if that goes well (meaning if the blood clot is gone) then he will get to come off the Coumadin (blood thinners) which then leaves him with only 1 medication - which is SO unheard of in itself. Most of the other brain injury recoverers we've run into are on 8-10 pills a day! Let's see&#8230;what else&#8230;.now that he's come he's gone thru each room in the house, closet by closet, drawer by drawer to remember what all he owned and to put it back in a little more clean/organized if it needed it, haha. He still loves the smell of Windex in the morning, LOL. Anyway, he's finished the house and the garage and he feels very at home. He really is just doing amazingly. He is in therapy 3-4 days a week and when he's not there he's working to regain independence and to take charge of his life. He's constantly exercising his brain with IQ puzzles, logic problems, math (Calculus!!) work and soon they'll begin getting him acclimated to engineering issues that relate to his job as a mechanical engineer. He really coming to be so much more himself and he's fully understanding of everything that's going on. I'm just so proud of the way he's handling everything and continuing to give 150% - brain injury recovery is proving to be no job for sissies. It's a long, long road but we'll all in it for the long haul. I knew he was ambitious and smart and strong before but he is really coming thru this whole thing with such class. We'll have him out there soon to catch up again now that he's home for good. We'll get a hold of the race schedule from Courtney.

Thanks for following up on Eric - we do consider you guys part of our family even though he was one of the newer guys. You all were always so kind and welcoming and we can't wait to spend some of our weekends back out on the dirt. J

_*Katie Bobo*_


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## Gary

This is good news.


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## PD2

Definitely GREAT news! Thanks for the update on Eric, Darren! It is a VERY long road, but it sounds like Eric is making short work of it and keeping a great attitude and focus on it! If he can make it through this, there is nothing that can stand in his way in any area of his life!

PD2


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## darrenwilliams

Just noticed that we got an update on Eric.

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Hey guys,

Just wanted to send out some amazing pictures of Eric and update some of you on how well he's doing. We went to Austin this weekend to visit with our friends Cheech & Stephany and had a wonderful time on our first trip out and about since the accident. It was a GREAT weekend!!! He was amazing and was able to remember how to guide me all around the city. We even went by his old condo from college - heard lots of fun stories from #34. J Cheech got the boat out on the lake and Eric was in heaven! He even got to drive it around a bit. (For those of you that don't know he will be able to start driving after April 9th so this round in the boat was a good confidence boost for him.) He continues to work hard every day and we couldn't be more proud of how far he's come! Eric turns 32 next week and this weekend was just the beginning of many new memories to come - we have a lot to celebrate this year! 

XOXO,
*Katie Bobo**, CISR*


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## darrenwilliams

one more pic


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## Verti goat

Wow! Looks like he's recovering fast and enjoying it. I'm glad to see he's doing well.


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## Courtney Vaughan

Eric and Katie are headed to the Supercross with us this weekend............YES, he's still making noticeably progress!


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## PD2

It may seem like a short time, but 7-8 months since the accident is VERY short for him to be at this level! Amazing and awesome progress, especially with the fact that he'll be able to soon drive again. So happy for him....he could have missed that 32nd birthday, but look at him now!

Thanks for the update Darren! And Courtney, make sure he has a great time at the Supercross....hope it does not bring back any bad memories.

PD2


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## Courtney Vaughan

Just to let you guys know, Eric and Katie went with us to Supercross and had a great time!

They also went out to eat with us last Friday for a little monthly get-together my wife and I have with our freinds and Eric seems to be making progress by the week now. 

I would say that all he has left to fine tune is walking, some fine motor skills in his right hand, and a few short-term memory issues.

He is making plans to convert his buggy over to electric and expects to be racing with us again in the coming months.

He now has his drivers license back and is now driving as far as 100+ miles round trip by himself, and is even planning on getting back to work right at the 1 year anniversary mark! He is ready to go now, but he wants to be 99%........I'd say he's at about 97% now.

He is possibly coming out this weekend to Vertigo to check it out, and you guys won't believe how much of himself he is now. All the smart-arse comments and humor are back and he is feeling the passion for racing and having fun again.

He has quit drinking completely..........NOT THAT HE HAD ANY ISSUE WITH IT BEFORE, but I'm just saying that because it's impressive to not even be tempted to not have a beer with your buddies or a margarita with your fajitas!

He is working on his house in his spare time, going to therapy (physical and mental) to fine tune the last few percent at least 4 days/week, and is studying his engineering books again to possibly even advance his education.

Eric and Katie and I aren't exactly best freinds, but I have taken the opportunity to get to know them better throughout all of this and he's a smart, cool dude and am glad to have gotten to know him and will be an asset to our racing community once again soon.


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## troytyro

Totally awsome!!!


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## PD2

Fantastic update Courtney! So glad he has come that far in such a short period of time! Can't wait to here how he does on his first race back!

Thanks for the update!
PD2


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## darrenwilliams

Tell him to come race this weekend at Vertigo. I will offer up my car and do all his pitting and turn marshalling.


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## Courtney Vaughan

I offered up my 4x4 slash and he's the kind of person that doesn't want to do something until he can do it well......just how he is....


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## darrenwilliams

my car has never been driven well and it wouldn't know how to act if it were. I sent him an email a little while ago. See what he says.


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## darrenwilliams

No luck. He said he is out of town.


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## cjtamu

That's awesome news. Lookign forward to seeing him at the track again.


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## darrenwilliams

here is the latest from Katie:
Hey Everyone!

I hope you are all having a great week! I just wanted to send some pictures your way and tell you a little bit about our day yesterday. Eric decided recently that he wanted to go visit the Life Flight team that took him to Memorial Hermann back in August to say "thank you" and with the help of two of the wonderful chaplains, Hazel and Logan, we made a wonderful afternoon of it. We met at MH yesterday afternoon and they took us up to the top floor where the Life Flight head-quarters is. There we got to meet one of the pilots and go outside to take a look inside one of the helicopters! Eric was SO interested in this and how the crew works while in flight and how he got from the roof to the E.R. Although he was a little bummed when he asked if he could take it for a spin and was told no&#8230;J He commented on how it was the only and most expensive ride he's ever had in a helicopter and that he didn't even get first class! The pilot told him that it was actually better care than first class! How true! We got to see how things look from behind the big control desk up there, too, and rest assured when I tell you that if you live in Houston you should feel so blessed to have Memorial Hermann and their team so accessible! I was amazed at all the technology they have and how on top of things they are for our city! While we were up there the pilot was called out to a scene and within minutes he and a crew were in the air and in route.

Next we went down to the 3rd Floor to visit the Shock Trauma ICU (STICU) where Eric received such remarkable care from some of the most amazing women and men I've ever met. Eric actually didn't remember a thing from being in ICU (which he wouldn't and this is 100% normal) but he was very thankful to be on the outside of one of those rooms. Most of his nurses, whom we refer to as our angels, were there and all were so excited to see him. Everyone was all at once emotional and giddy! Hugs, tears, laughs - Eric even danced a little for them!!! (I said there were laughs didn't I?) J I just can't put into words how proud we were to show him off and have them realize that his incredible recovery is due, in part, to them! These STICU nurses really gave 1000% in caring for not only Eric but his family too! They greeted us each day with a hug and a kind word and gave their all to Eric - they really became a part of our family and we will never be able to repay them for going above and beyond their call of duty. What we could offer to them was a few moments with a healing, smiling Eric. We were so thrilled that they were able to see that he is every bit of wonderful that we ever said he was. He hugged each nurse and thanked them for everything they did for him. Many of the nurses told me that it's not that often that a former patient comes back to say "Thank You" and how seeing Eric meant so much and inspired them to see that what they do really matters - and it SO, SO does! 

Hope you all enjoy the pictures and have a great week!

X's and O's!
Katie


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## darrenwilliams

more pics


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## darrenwilliams

Wow. I just realized this thread has over 8,000 views. The only other thread that has been posted on this year with more hits is "paint by Smiley and that one started 3 years ago. Sure are a lot of people interested in how Eric is doing.


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## Courtney Vaughan

Awesome! I just sent Eric a text and told him that he should try to log in and say hi! Maybe that'll start him back on the forums!


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## PD2

That is awesome! For the nearly 3 months that my father-in-law was in MH I'd have to agree with Katie...these people are fantastic and its no wonder the MH has the reputation they do! Very cool update and you know its always good to go back and thank people like this....they never hardly ever get to hear about whatever happened to that one person that was in their care. Giving them this really places hope and gives them something to hang a little of their belief on that what they do day in and day out does not go unrewarded and is definitely not for nothing.

Thanks for sharing Darren!
PD2


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## EricPfalzer

*I'm back...*

It's Eric here, I just read all the post wow you guys are awesome!!!!!!!!! Not to mention Katie and my parents words can not do them justice!!! I am on the longest road to recovery but it's the right road to be on!!! Expect to see me back on the drivers stand in 2010. Now I know what type of racing is SAFE and can not harm me. Thanks again for all the post it means a alot. Well that's all for now I gotta run see ya on the drivers stand!!!

Eric


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## Guffinator

Good to see you back Eric!!!


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## GoFaster

Awesome dude! I don't remember racing with you, but through this thread I feel like I know you. I hope to see you out there!

Ron


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## Guffinator

GoFaster said:


> Awesome dude! I don't remember racing with you, but through this thread I feel like I know you. I hope to see you out there!
> 
> Ron


That's because he was always in front of you!


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## Courtney Vaughan

Welcome back Eric!

Will we see Guff back on the stand in 2010?!?!?!?


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## Guffinator

Yessir...

Fo Sho


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## darrenwilliams

Welcome back Eric. It is great to hear from you.


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## EricPfalzer

It's good to be back on the forum. Thanks again for all the support, guys. I'm getting close to getting the nitro out the door - what's the word on the new electric set ups out there besides the fact that they stay clean after they've been run all day on the track? That's what I'm about if you all remember...Clean and Fast!


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## Courtney Vaughan

The electric class has grown quite a bit from when you used to have just Earl racing it with us. It is now so big that it has swallowed up about a few of the experts and about 1/3 of the sportsman, and has brought even more people in. Since we started it as its own class, we have not had a race where we didn't have a relatively full B-main!


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## Verti goat

Eric, those e-buggies are pretty sweet. Defininatley get to put more driving time than tuning with them. It's just a bigger up front investment with all the electronics, chargers, and batteries, but seems to be less money spent over the course of driving after the up front cost. They are just as fast as the nitro buggies, just nowhere near as loud, dirty, smelly. Oh wait, I guess I like being loud, dirty and smelly!! Hope to see you on the track soon!


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## cjtamu

Awesome news Eric. Looking forward to seeing you out there again.


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## Courtney Vaughan

Eric, make plans for one of the next few Saturdays to head out to the track with me for some buggy practice..........mi carro es su carro.


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## EricPfalzer

Okay Courtney...but are you sure you're not trying to rush me back out there so you can beat me? Your time will run out my friend! Ha!


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## Courtney Vaughan

now would I do something like that!?!?!?


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## motocrazy

HEY Eric how have you been...Its Kip with Scrubmx... glad to see your doing so much better...I had to stop riding due to my back just getting to bad...You into RC cars? I have a new phone number now, and lost all contacts so send me yours when u get a chance!!! Glad to see you here!!!!


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## EricPfalzer

Courtney: Sure, pick on the cripple....you want some of this?! =P

Kip: Yeah I'm into rc cars, have been since I was a kid and was racing most weekends when I didn't make it out on the bike. Now that the bike is gone for good I plan to get back to the drivers stand. What car are you driving?


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## motocrazy

I just got back in...I was into the whole nitro MT thing...but now Im switing to Electric and racing..I have an erevo and a rs4 atm...but Im buying a slash, and looking at the AE electric buggy....Just got done building my workstation/man cave so now I need cars to fill it up. you plan on going to any upcomming races? i still need to practice a bit before i will race.


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## motocrazy

Just wanted to tell the forum of the 1st time i met Eric... We were both at a race...talked a bit, then my moto came up.. 1st lap around i case a double, and was rushed to the hospital for a "possible" femur fracture....Eric left me a get well type note with his number just wanting to make sure i was ok...Eric is def a jam up guy...


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## EricPfalzer

Kip, it's good to hear from you! Glad you're doing well and are practicing some safer racing - God only knows, ask me!... I do plan to race but the time hasn't come just yet. I can't wait tho! Good times! 

I've got a gas Xray but am thinking about switching to electric too...do you know if the Xray 808E (electric) buggy is any good? I've heard mixed reviews.


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## jbranham50

Eric, don't let thoes PowderPuff'ers tell you electric is the way to go. You know its got to be loud and obnoxious....or atleast so the marshall can hear you when you flip over...lol.


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## EricPfalzer

Ahh come on electric is where it's at, but I do love the smell of nitro in the morning!!!


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## motocrazy

Im really liking this new electric stuff.. Just bought me 2 4x4 slashes....one new platinum, and athe other just a used normal for bashing...so far they are great


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## Courtney Vaughan

Motocrazy...........Eric and I and some others are heading to Mike's Saturday morning.......you should come out and play!


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## motocrazy

Just read your message...I have wife aggro today...But def let me know when you guys go...I have yet to go to a track with my rides.....Im going to try and paint my slash myself.....wish me luck!!!


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## darrenwilliams

I am a week late posting but here is an update from Katie and Eric.

Hey everyone! 
Well, one year ago today Eric scared the **** out of all of us! What a year it has been! But today is not just a searing, singing, soaring reminder of how many moments we almost didn't have with him, it is more importantly a time to reflect back on the moments we _have_ shared that have shaped us into stronger people and brought us closer as a family. There are so many wonderful people we've met, friendships that have grown, times we've shared, and lessons that we've learned. How precious is life!! And how miraculous that we still have the opportunity to experience so much more together! 
Today we celebrate Eric's hard work and perseverance. I couldn't be more proud of his continuous effort to regain his life - I know his family echo's this sentiment as well. 
And THANK YOU ALL for keeping him in your prayers and supporting him consistently over the past 12 months. We all know we couldn't have done any of it without your support and those prayers being answered. 

*Most importantly*, Eric has a message for you all:

_Wow, so it's been a year already, I'll bet my last year has been more eventful than yours, ha ha j/k! Well I got the year off of work that I needed. All jokes aside, thank you all for the support over the past year, it's been a journey for sure. Currently I'm working hard toward my main goal of returning to work. Well, I'm going to keep this short and sweet, true to my style, thank you all for the help you have given me, I'm sure I would be in a much different boat without it, it means the world to me, literally.

Thanks again
Eric Pfalzer_


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## jasonwipf

motocrazy said:


> Just read your message...I have wife aggro today...But def let me know when you guys go...I have yet to go to a track with my rides.....Im going to try and paint my slash myself.....wish me luck!!!


Wife Aggro??? You used to play world of warcraft?

@Eric you good to race anytime soon?


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## Courtney Vaughan

saw them last week and trying to convince him to come out this weekend and at least put in some track time and hang out


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