Judy Bedard

[Mosquito]

I would like to thank everyone for their well wishes, prayers, healing energies, kind thoughts, photos, emails, letters, calls, website visits, and donations while dealing with Judy's accident. I especially thank Dan P, Jim G, Gregg S, Hernando Fire Rescue, helicopter crewmembers, the hyperbaric chamber staff at Shands, other staff at Shands/Tampa General, and the people at DAN. Without their help the results would have been different.

The staff at Shands was exceptional and I’m glad we went there first. Dealing with the Shands staff eased a great deal of the stress I was experiencing.

I have no idea where we will end up, but today is a lot better than 178 days ago.

Thanks again for your help,

Rudy
mosquito352@yahoo.com

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As cave divers we accept the risk that we might die on any given dive. What we don’t really talk about is what happens to those we leave behind (family, friends) or what our caregivers experience if we are “injured.”

Things to consider:

Health insurance policy info, medical history, current prescriptions, social security number, important documents, account numbers and locations (bank, investments, mortgage, IRA’s, utilities), status of accounts, emergency funds, passwords, phone numbers, addresses (snail and email), safe deposit box locations, social security application info. Getting this information causes major stress, especially when the person who has it is unconscious.

Get your important paperwork in order. Don't wait to do this!!! In specific: Will, Living Will, Power of Attorney, and Health Care Surrogate documentation. Single people, you have no idea of the importance of the documentation. Just because you love someone does not mean the hospital will allow you to see the injured person, give you information, or let you be part of any decisions. Banks will not allow you to have access to account information. You can’t get into safe deposit boxes. Insurance companies will not talk to you. Social Security will not talk to you. Credit card companies will not talk to you. If your single, you better have 1) documentation or 2) the phone number of “next of kin.” Send copies of your important documents to a few people you trust. Be advised, Florida is not a “common law” state. Do a google search on "hipaa"

Get good health insurance. I don’t have to tell you how expensive health insurance is. The cost of mediocre health insurance is equivalent to buying a new scooter every year. However, the cost of health insurance is a drop in the bucket when compared with a week in an intensive care unit. You can have the most caring doctors, nurses, and hospital staff in the world, but they don’t work for free. Healthcare is expensive and everyone wants to get paid, therefore the quality/length of your care is controlled by the insurance company.

Get DAN Insurance. DAN is the only organization with 24 hour coverage to answer dive accident questions. The people I’ve dealt with at DAN are great. I’ve called DAN at all kinds of odd hours and received helpful/useful information. I’ve been a DAN member for years and will continue to do so. One year of Dan insurance is less than the cost of some reels.

If you are a caregiver try www.caregiver.org for help. I’m surprised at the little things requiring decisions. Example: You are taking care of someone of the opposite sex. This person is in a wheelchair and can’t be left alone. Do you take them to the men’s or ladies room at a restaurant? This experience has been an eye opener to the daily challenges of the disabled and their caregivers.

Someone needs to be at the hospital everyday, it make’s a difference. When admitted to the hospital, consider increasing your cell phone plan. Get the provider to apply current minutes retroactively to the beginning of your billing cycle. In October my cell phone use was 5700 minutes.

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[Cindy]

Good advice! I also have a will, executer and directions all in print on how I want my little estate managed should I die. There is also a file that contains all the things you talk about with important papers at my home. When there is a storm etc. I just grab the file and go. It's all there for my Brother to handle along with my arrangements for my cremation and my life insurance to pay for it.

When my Mom died she had handled none of this. My Brother and I had to scurry around and take care of all the details and come up with the money to pay for it while morning her loss. I won't do that to my family.

I think until you go through something terrible like this we all tend to keep putting off the really hard stuff in life. Lazy or in denial of our own mortality? It only took me about three hours to put my file together and include everything that is needed. We all talk about being responsible divers, that includes being responible to our families. Cindy Butler

[DeWayne]

I am happy to know that Judy continues to get better everyday Rudy; she was very fortunate to have someone as caring as yourself at her side during this ordeal. The advice you offer is worth more than most will ever realize; when someone is incapacitated but still alive things can be tricky to deal with so preplanning is definitely the best way to avoid many headaches should the unfortunate ever happen. I will continue to keep the two of you in my thoughts nad prayers and wish you nothing but the very best. Hope to see you again one of these days soon.

[Arnold Mesiser]

Rudy:

My thoughts and prayers have been with you both and will continue.I only hope that 2 wonderful people like yourself can continue in the upswing.Thank you for sharing the hard earned knowledge as well.

I wish you both health and happiness

Doug

PS meeting you was very much a pleasure,your an extriordinary man!This is even more evident now

AKA tattoo and piercing guy to give you reference/pink backplate

[JE]

Rudy & Judy,
I want to say thank you for your inspiring recovery-! I've followed it from the very beginning thru all that you've both been thru. I've had my own life threatening experiences, & nothing humbles us more than to be on the very edge of our existence. I don't know how I or any of us would have handled Judy's rescue any differently. That in itself is mind boggling, but than the human spirit manifests itself to super human feats in order to preserve our loved ones, when we are called on to do so. As a person with somewhat of a 'wild' side to myself, I am still touched by those in need of love & understanding. Thank you for sharing everything with us, & I am especially thankful for Judy's recovery to be with us. I also appreciate the information you've given us to have things in order in case of emergencys. Pehaps we'll meet one day in person, & that would be an honor.
W\Love

Jack E.