Thank you all for your love for our Joe. His last few days in ICU were in his words…”Brutal!” But, of course he’s done his best to be cooperative with the nurses and even in his critical condition has won the hearts of most ever attendant. No surprise!

He has been moved today to a regular room, so I will be able to stay with him through the night!!! There is a phone in his room and he ALWAYS has someone in the room with him who can answer the phone if he isn’t able to get to it or is sleeping. If you want to call him I ask that you talk with your teeth together and your nose closed to understand what it takes for him to communicate.

I’ll get back with more specifics ASAP. I want to go see MY JOE!
Thank you all again for the love and support for Joe’s Ladies.

Grateful - Chris Self

Hello everyone. I wish that I could send out the emotions and feelings as stong as I felt them this weekend. He is totally awake, knows how long he has been in the hospital, what month and year it is, and most of all how lucky he is to be alive. When I walked into his room Friday evening he said “Hi babygirl,” pulled me to him and started sobbing. He told me that he had died and that is was so hard to come back but that he was so lucky, thankful, and sorry for putting his life out there so many times. He just held me in his arms crying, telling me how much he loves me and how he could mot have made it with out me. Of course I was sobbing my eyes out too. Just the relief, after a week and 3 days of complete fear that I would not have my dad anymore, to feel that connection of life again between him and I was something I will never forget and that I will thank God every day for. While we were still crying I told him what a comforting, humbling, peace of mind exerience it had been for me to read and feel the love that sooooo many of his friends and family had been sharing and giving to him on this web sight. I told him that I believe he was saved because he is so strong, because of God and because of everyone out there who has sent prayers and love his way. Thank you everyone with every ounce of my being for loveing my dad. You too have saved his life. And yes he is still not through it all and has a long recovery ahead but what you have done so far has touched us all forever.
He began facial reconstructive surgery today at 1:00pm. Please continue to pray fo my dad everyday. Beyond thankful, Joe’s daughter, Courtney Self

WOW. I am so full of tears of joy about my dad’s strength and will and amazing healing ability. His black eyes are almost completly healed, the swellng in his body and face is gone, and even though his jaw is not connected and is broken in more than one place, he can still talk. I actually had a conversation with him on the phone today so he could tell me he loved me before he went into surgery. Today is his first face (or should I say jaw) surgery. At 5:30pm today they will be stabalizing his upper jaws with arch bars in preperation for the major reconstructive surgery on Monday. Before they took him to the operating room today my mom said Dad said,”OK, I am ready to go in.” My mother has been his guardian angel of comfort and has been by his side through it all. HE is so comforted knowing that she has been taken such good care of him. Everyone, Thank you SOOOOOO much for your prayers and your love. God works in wonderful ways and so does all of your love. We are looking forward to the JoeSelfHelp.com benefit on March 4th. Hope you can all make it. Look for details soon. Hope everyone has a great weekend. LOVE, LOVE,LOVE, Joe’s daughter, Courtney Self

As I walked into his room yesterday, Dr. Loenstein (the spinal surgeon) said “his spine is healing great and if he is ready to tap dance, he has my permission.” Of course he isnt quite ready to tap dance (although he moves around freely in the bed and can sit up on his own) but it is great to know his spine is now stable and out of compromise to be hurt further. I would like to thank Dr. Loenstein for his blessed hands that have helped to heal my dad and for his wonderful ‘bed side manner’ that has comforted my family from the beginning. OK, lets get a little personal, cathater had been removed after a good ol Joe style request to the nurse “you know what I want, I want this plastic tube out of my ….” Chest tube for drainage was cleared and removed:) He is beginning to eat on his own, delicious mushy food. Now that I can see inside of his mouth, he is only missing his top front teeth. He is recognizing pretty much every one who visits but we are not for sure on how much he is remembering yet. He is still very very medicated so we will know more about that later when he is not so doped up. We are on our way to making rehabilitation arrangements. Dad is strong and he is pulling through the best he can. Please pray for my dad as often as you can and please spread the word to have others pray as well. Thank you so much for loving my dad. I am so thankful for each person who reads this. Hope everyone has a great rest of the week.
Lots of love, Joe’s daughter, Courtney Self

Today, 2-11-2007, the breathing tubes are out!!! He tried to smile when he saw me come in. It was so overwelming and wonderful to see his eyes look at mine. He said, “Hi baby,” in a very slow, raspy, but awesome voice. He keeps his eyes closed and is sleeping but as soon as anyone talks to him he can recognze who they are and make some kind of response. The tube in his chest cavity should hopefully be out by tomorrw, it too is looking great, almost no fluid today. The nurses and doctors have been amazing. When he really woke up today the nurse told us he said, “What the hell happened and where is my wife?” I know how much he loves her. He also told the nurse his name was “Uncle Jeff.” That makes me laugh. His first facial cranio surgery is scheduled for 2-19-2007. Thank eveyone again for the love you share for my dad. Please keep praying for his comfort and his recovery and for the strength of my family, we have a long way to go.
Joe’s daughter,
Courtney Self