Understandably, people are asking all sorts of questions about Jae and the situation; I’ve decided to answer those I can. Note that these answers reflect the information I have right now, and are therefore subject to change.
How did she wreck?
There were no witnesses, and people who are knocked unconscious in accidents are often unable to remember the accident itself afterward. So we may never know what actually happened. However, the state trooper who filed the report noted that she went off the inside of a curve, not the outside; she therefore did not lose control due to speed, and it seems likely that if she had been going excessively fast she would have been killed. The theory we’re working with now is that some sudden event, like a deer or elk running out in front of her, caused her to swerve and wreck.
Where is she now?
In order to maintain her privacy, I’m not going to disclose the city or even the state. It suffices to say that I’m a full day’s drive from Seattle.
How long will it take her to recover?
There’s no way of knowing that. Yesterday she awakened several times, but only for about a minute each time; she was able to follow simple commands and seemed to recognize me, but was highly agitated, frightened and disoriented. It seems likely that it will be weeks before she can be moved out of the ICU, and it could be much longer than that before she’s cleared to return to Seattle. Full recovery could take years.
Can I come to visit?
The hospital’s rules do not allow unconscious ICU patients to receive any visitors other than partners and immediate family. Until she is awake and can provide a list of who she would like to visit her, nobody other than her brother and I will be allowed in. And honestly, you wouldn’t be able to do much visiting anyway because she isn’t conscious.
What’s a good time for me to call you to ask about her?
Though I very much appreciate everyone’s concern for our beloved Jae, I am only one woman and the sheer volume of calls and texts I’ve been receiving is overwhelming. Dealing with the hospital staff, taking care of Jae and handling logistical issues take a surprising amount of time, and I’ve only barely been able to keep up with my work the past few days; even a few calls and texts beyond those I absolutely need to receive are just too much for me right now. So please, if you want an update contact Mistress Matisse or Savannah Sly; I am keeping them fully apprised of all developments as they occur, so they’ll be able to tell you what’s going on as well as I could. I’m also going to share the latest news via my blog and Twitter, and Matisse suggested I supplement that with a daily (or nearly so) Periscope broadcast; I’m going to try to start that tomorrow.
What can I do to help?
Frankly, the thing we need most right now is money. Our amazing circle of friends, including (but by no means limited to) Matisse, Savannah and Abby May, has been the best ground crew I could hope for, and if they need anyone else’s help I’m sure they’ll ask. But while I’m here I can’t work, and even after our return to Seattle there’s no way that Jae will be doing anything remunerative for a very, very long time. So far everyone’s been astonishingly generous, but the need for support isn’t going to end in the next few days; the more we can collect, the better. You can PayPal money directly to me if you like, but we’ve setup a GoFundMe page for Jae that will make that even easier (and will allow us to post updates as well). Please be as generous as you can, and spread the word via social media. Recovering from a serious accident can be an arduous and depressing ordeal, and I think the incredible outpouring of love and support Jae has received will help her not just financially, but emotionally; it will be very inspiring to her to see how many people love her and want her to be well.
