Posted on: Thursday, March 15, 2001
Support hastened Jones' swift recovery
| • | Jones home, might take in final UH scrimmage |
By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Staff Writer
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| Friends, faith and fitness helped speed June Jones' recovery from a Feb. 22 car crash, those close to him say.
Advertiser library photo |
When June Jones slipped out of The Queen's Medical Center without fanfare two nights ago, it was one more step in a remarkable recovery that some say is more about emotional support than medical skill.
"I think that's a very big part of his recovery," said Artie Wilson, Jones' best friend, who spoke about the outpouring of support from the community for the University of Hawai'i football coach, critically injured three weeks ago in a single-car accident.
"He understands the doctors did all they could do to medically help him get better, but the love and concern and well-wishes from so many people have really taken him to a different level."
Wilson speaks, in particular, of one touching night at Queen's when he and Jones were walking slowly down the hallway outside his room, dragging the rolling contraption that carried his intravenous medications.
"There were people in the waiting room who stood up and were clapping. Not loudly. It was a soft clap that you couldn't really hear. It was just heartwarming. Eight to 10 people just stood there and didn't yell out or anything, they just stood there and were all clapping with this soft clap. He didn't say anything but I'm certain he felt it."
Lynn Muneno, instructor in pain management for the Queen's Medical Center, said that emotional support is a crucial component in recovery from almost any kind of trauma.
"People who have families or a good circle of friends, they always do better," said Muneno. "They can get through the tough spots of surgery or chemotherapy because of their support system.
"We see people who have accidents or who are in the hospital, and those who have good support systems around them always do better compared to those who don't. They recover faster. And if they're going to die, they seem to die a more peaceful death."
Muneno remembers the Queen's surgeon who a few years ago scoffed at the importance of "get well" cards.
"He thought it was a bunch of rubbish, until he ended up in the hospital," she said. "He received cards, and he said it changed his mind. He said he couldn't believe how much of a difference that made for him. He said if someone makes you feel good, it gives you that drive to get better."
Jones' situation included every component known to be important to successful recovery.
He received quick medical care from a state-of-the-art trauma center and top surgeons.
He was already fit and lean: He watches what he eats, said Wilson, and over the past year and a half had lost about 20 pounds because of a daily early morning workout that included running on the UH track and lifting weights.
"They (Jones' doctors) have said that because he was in good physical condition he has recovered a lot better than someone overweight and out of shape," said Wilson.
Additionally, Jones, a Christian, has a strong personal faith that gave him comfort as his body healed from internal bleeding in his abdomen and to his aorta.
"June is very religious, and he believes that it was through God's grace that he's still with us," said Wilson. "I'm certain he feels that his recovery is nothing short of a miracle."
The Rev. Al Miles, head chaplain for Queen's and for the Pacific Health Ministry, said that patients have often told him that a spiritual component in their lives has made a difference when they've faced traumatic events.
"Most of the time I've learned that spiritual care is beyond our human understanding," said Miles, "and yet, the mystery is, for many people that support is invaluable.
"That doesn't mean that people who die didn't have a strong faith or spirituality. But what I've seen, time and again, is that a strong supportive family, dear friends, and a sense of a higher power, gives hope. There's a real sense of strength that's hard to put into words."
Even though he complained at one point that every part of his body hurt, Jones knows that his recovery was amazing, Wilson said. The coach will need ongoing physical therapy, especially for his fractured elbow, now held together by a metal screw.
Even before he was discharged just after 10 p.m. Tuesday, it was clear how well Jones was recovering.
"In the last week, he was walking the entire floor of the hospital," said Wilson. "He started at a slow gait, but by the time he was getting out, people were saying 'Could you slow down?' "
