Benjamin Stephen Olsem has left this world today. He is no longer in pain or suffering. He's in a better place where he can watch over all of the ones he loves and cares about the most.
I will always remember the friend I found in Ben. All the good times we shared together and what a great godfather he was to Connor. He loved and cared for him like he was his own son.
Benji- Thank you for being there for me when I never thought I could make it through. Thank you for loving our family. Thank you for being the best friend and brother to my husband. Thank you for being a wonderful part of our lives.
We will love you and remember you forever and keep you in our hearts.
Goodbye, my dear friend. I love you!
Mickey
So it seems the doctors' main focus with Ben now are his lungs. Because they are struggling to function like they should, they're not healing correctly. So they put him on a "high-frequency ventilator" that will pretty much breathe for Ben while his lungs have a chance to heal. Docs also put him back on high dosages of pain meds and "paralyzed" his body so it can focus on healing those lungs.
Surgery on his legs are being put on hold until some other important injuries start to improve. I guess they have/will do a CT scan of the fractures in his face and see what all can be done with those. (I know the bones around his eyes are broken and his nose as well.) Just taking things one step at a time. And Ben has always been one to do things on his terms, the way he wants.
In other news...
Morgan (Ben's brother) and his girlfriend, Ashlee, are putting together some kind of benefit concert in Ben's honor sometime soon. I'll be sure to post any info I get about that because we want everyone who knows/doesn't know Ben to come.
As you know, Ben LOVES Deftones. In 2008, the Deftones bass player, Chi Cheng, was involved in an accident that has left him in coma to this day and I remember Ben was really saddened about it. This past weekend, Morgan went to the oneloveforchi website and wrote about the situation with Ben and what a big supporter he was. Well, the lady that runs the website read his email, posted it, and immediately got back to Morgan. Not only is she a close friend to Chi, but knows the Deftones personally. She contacted them and they are keeping Ben in their prayers and are going to see what they can do as far as helping out with the benefit concert for Ben. We were all shocked and amazed! We just kept saying, "If Ben knew the Deftones were thinking of him, he would probably s*** himself!" So we're looking forward to getting his reaction when we tell him. If y'all want to check out the posting here's the link:
http://oneloveforchi.com/index.php/my-brother-and-chi/
More updates to come soon. Thanks for all the love and support for Ben!
Faith, Hope & Love
Cody and I came home from San Antonio yesterday after spending a few days with Ben and his family. Ben's mom does send out update emails just about everyday, so when she does, I'll be sure to post that info here.
Here's what we've been updated on so far...
They've taken him off all narcotics to see if there may/may not be signs of responsiveness. Unfortunately, because of his brain injury, there have been no signs yet. I believe he was getting a CT scan yesterday on his broken legs (femurs), and depending on his stability, they may operate on them today. Ben's body has been through a lot of stress already, they don't want to risk making it worse.
Because Ben's lungs haven't been expanding/contracting like they should, they have inserted a third chest tube to help improve that.
I'm sure I will get a new update today. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. I know his family appreciates it.
Faith, Hope, & Love.
This blog is entirely dedicated to Ben Olsem, as he is fighting for his life and is close to my heart. For those who know Ben, he is the most charismatic, outgoing, caring, and funniest person I know. I've created this blog to keep people updated on Ben's condition/progress and to express my feelings and memories of him.
For those who don't know what happened, I will give you a somewhat short version. On Friday, April 30th, 2010 Ben and his friend, Talitha, were on their way to Mission, TX to see a Deftones concert (Ben's favorite band). Before they had gotten to the venue, they were hit head on by a 17 year old driver (he and his passenger had been huffing power duster.) Both Ben and Talitha were rushed to the hospital in McAllen, where after a few quick surgeries, Ben was life flighted to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, TX to get better care for his serious injuries. The two in the car that hit Ben were released from the hospital the same night with some scratches. I won't get too graphic for the sake of he and his family, but Ben is currently in the ICU with several broken bones, internal injuries and a brain injury that has caused him to be in a coma. Although it is touch and go when it comes to progress, Ben is hanging in there and is continuing to fight.
No one is giving up on him and we all have hope that he will come out of this. Talitha remained at McAllen hospital and received treatment for her many broken bones. She should be transferred to Austin soon to continue healing and begin physical therapy.
A little back story of how I got to know this wonderful person. My husband, Cody, and Ben have been best friends for over 16 years. When Cody and I started dating in 2006, he and Ben hadn't really been talking, but I was continuously hearing about this person and all these hilarious stories and adventures they had together. Just before our 1 year anniversary, I finally met this person. I was somewhat nervous because I had been told that Ben kind of had a sarcastic sense of humor that may, at times, offend me. Walking to his apartment door, I was hoping he wouldn't look at his best friends girl and make some outlandish comment that would make me feel completely uncomfortable. But when that door opened, I was welcomed with a "nice to finally meet you," and a big hug. Whew!
From then on, we all began spending more time with each other. Having each other over for dinner, and spending long, loud, endless nights playing Guitar Hero. When Cody and I found out we were pregnant with Connor, Ben was overjoyed! I remember the night we asked him to be the godfather of our son and he was so thrilled and honored. He was willing to be there for us if we ever needed anything and was even at the hospital the day Connor was born. In the last two years, he has been a huge part of Connor's life. He's even been kind enough to babysit for us.
This last year has been a bumpy one for Ben, and before the accident, he's come out on top. So I have no reason to believe this will stop him. He will continue to fight and I have faith he will make it through this stronger than he was before.
