Your Bio
UPDATE 5.19.09
Thank you to EVERYONE for your ongoing love and support. Despite all the struggles, I know Tom never has to question the amazing support and friendships he has developed over the years. From Crosslink to members of the SFSTA, and trading firms who have hosted annual trading days, from college friends to childhood friends, NY friends and SF friends, he is truly blessed in knowing some amazing and beautiful people. We continue to be surprised, touched and humbled by everyone's kindness and generosity. Thank you!!!!
I'll admit, it's difficult to post frequent progress notes when progress is so painfully slow. Mostly, everyone asks about Tom's spirits. As can be expected after nearly three years of adjusting to this new life and enduring a horrible amount of pain, he is often tired and frustrated. However, he's still pretty motivated and gets out of bed every day to go through his rehab routine and be as involved as he can manage. Chronic nerve pain continues to be the biggest struggle we face. More than any other limitation, the pain is what prohibits him from working out and getting out as much as he should. We are continuously trying new treatments and medications hoping to find something to ease his pain levels and improve his endurance to enjoy the things he can.
On the positive side, Tom continues to breathe completely on his own and has been off any ventilator support for six months now. I won’t say he breathes easily, but he is safe to be away from home and psychologically he’s less vulnerable.
We're grateful that Spring is here and the weather's been so great. Tom's been out to some of Will's little league games and some movies, and we're looking forward to our first overnight trip to Pebble Beach later this month. The SFSTA has graciously invited Tom to join the conference every year and Tom's' finally feeling up to it. Keep your fingers crossed. I know he's a little nervous but I'm sure it will be good for him to get out and see everyone. I always tell Tom, some of our best memories are from Pebble Beach, playing with Will in such a breathtakingly beautiful setting. Well for Tom, it's probably the insane amount of golfing and partying that he loved most, but who could blame him. :)
I will definitely post some pictures and an update after the trip. Look forward to seeing some of you there and hopefully at more outings throughout the summer.
Love,
Julienne
UPDATE 5.27.08
Wow, it's embarassing to realize how many months it's been since I've written a formal update. Despite our lack of online updates, thank you for still caring and checking in on Tom via phone calls and emails. Getting sucked into the day-to-day definitely makes it hard to see the overall progress and it's good to read our history and see how far we've come.
To be honest though, it's difiicult to give a shining update about Tom right this moment. He really kicked off 2008 with a fresh wave of determination. We started a new rehabilitation program at Alta Bates which is very close to home and specializes in neurological injuries like Tom's. He was taking advantage of their experience and equipment - and while progress is always slower than we'd like, he was getting visibly stronger and working on sitting, standing and taking steps. He had also built his breathing endurance up so much that he was off the ventilator for 3-4 days at a time, taking occasional rests only at night while sleeping. Unfortunately, our momentum was curbed when he suffered a pretty serious pneumonia starting mid-March which put him in the hospital again for nearly a month. Recovery from pneumonia and such a long hospital stay has been slow and frustrating. It's awful to see how so much of the good work that Tom put in earlier this year needs to be repeated, and I will admit that his spirit was also bruised. While the pneumonia is completely gone and he's getting back on track, it was another setback that made us realize how little control we have over this situation. Even when we think we're 100% moving forward and regaining some normalcy, we can't control how vulnerable he is.
The silver lining is that we realized again how precious life is and how lucky we are to have this time together. While we spend so much time focused on Tom's rehab, we are trying to gain a little more balance and enjoy some leisure time too. Tom actually made it to his first movie outing in two years just last week. While he was in the hospital, he had promised to see the new Indiana Jones movie with William and though I wasn't sure he would be able to keep his word, he was adamant about keeping his promise to Will. Because Tom is doing well off the vent most days, he's able to go out a little more frequently. It's not always easy or comfortable, but it's wonderful to have the option of going out without having to worry about the ventilator. Being off the ventilator also makes it possible for Tom to talk much more comfortably. It is so good to hear his voice all the time.
In addition to everything else, our next steps now are really focused on managing Tom's pain. He still suffers from a lot of nerve pain that prohibits him from working - or playing as hard as he'd like. We are contemplating a few different procedures and even small surgeries that could help, and are in the process of trialing different options. I pray that there is some sort of solution out there to alleviate his pain. While he has good days and bad days, It is often unbearable for him, and for all of us to witness so helplessly. Please channel your prayers and positive energy towards diminishing his pain level. It's definitely our top priority.
We cannot thank all of you enough for your ongoing love and support. It would no doubt be impossible to endure all this without the love and strength of our friends and family. Crosslink Capital has been amazingly generous and supportive of Tom - definitely surpassing all of our expectations. And to continue to have the support of the larger trading community even two years after Tom's been out of the industry is so very touching. As expected, we've had our share of tough days, but we are lucky to be reminded through events like Trading Days for Tommy, that so many of you love Tom as much as we do. We are blessed and proud to have your support behind us. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
P.S. I've uploaded a few new photos of Tom at home and during a recent SFSTA event.
Update 4.7.07
Hello,
Just wanted to get a quick message out to all of you letting you know that the surgery went fine with no complications. Phew! Tom is awake and alert already and very cognizant of all that's going on. We need to give it a few days to see how his muscle strength/movement is. Right now it seems weaker than before, but that's expected with the anesthesia.
Again, I can't thank you enough for all your love and prayers. With this setback finally getting resolved, we are looking forward to only good news from now on.
We love you all!!!
Update 4.6.07
Hi Everyone,
I just wanted to again ask for your prayers and support as today as a big day for us. Tom is actually in surgery right now to correct his spine alignment and relieve the compression off his spinal cord. Sorry for the late notice, but it did happen somewhat suddenly - not due to any emergency, just because the O.R. schedule fluctuates a lot.
He left his room this morning at 7:30am and it's expected to take approx. 10 hours so I don't think I'll have an update until later tonight. Anyways, as always, I believe that all your support and prayers are making a huge difference and I just ask that you continue to think of Tom as he endures this major surgery. Ever since the halo was put on, he's been steadily improving every week so we just pray that the surgery will optimize his chances for continued improvement.
I'll let you all know how it goes and post an update on the smugmug site.http://teamyi.smugmug.com/ In the meantime, if you could circulate the news for me, I'd appreciate it.
Love you all,
Julienne
Update 3.15.07
Hi Everyone,
We’re still waiting to finalize next steps regarding surgery, but I thought I’d just let everyone know how things have been progressing. It’s been just 3 weeks since Tom had the halo device put on to straighten his spine and alleviate the contact between his spine and his spinal cord. The plan was to get the halo on, get Tom back into rehab and then monitor to see if there’s any improvement in his overall strength.
It’s been a slow process getting Tom sitting up again and back to rehab after being on bed-rest for so long, but his endurance is improving every day. In fact yesterday, he sat up for 4 1/2 hours. The most amazing change in Tom since having the halo on is that he’s no longer in excruciating pain. Before everything changed so abruptly in Tom’s status, he had been suffering from terrible pain in his neck (due to the shift in his vertebrae) that made it unbearable for him to sit up in the wheelchair or during rehab for more than a few minutes at a time. Now he’s able to sit and stand in the standing frame without any pain at all. We are all thrilled not to have to see the pained look on Tom’s face 24 hours a day and the therapists can now work him harder without having to take constant breaks to manage his pain.
As for other physical strength, it does seem like Tom’s getting stronger. His legs have always been strong and he still has good strength and improved control over his movements. I think some of you have seen him working out on the exercise bike in the gym which is actually automated to run itself until the user over-rides that mode. Yesterday for the first time, Tom was able to trigger the bike to shift from auto mode to cycling on his own. Out of a 30 minute session, he was cycling on his own for 10 min. It is always amazing to see him achieve new feats. More significantly, his arms which have always been very weak are getting stronger. He has more strength in his fingers and his triceps are starting to return. Tom is evaluated weekly with a standardized spinal cord exam and his scores have improved by a few points for three consistent weeks now. We’re so happy things are moving in the right direction, but it’s still hard to determine if surgery is the right thing to do. The surgery would have significant risks, and with Tom continuing to show signs of improvement, it’s simply a tough call.
The doctors wanted to give Tom’s respiratory system plenty of time to rest after the distress he suffered ended up putting him back on the vent, so Monday was the first time they started his breathing/weaning exercises. Everyday this week, he successfully breathed with only partial support for 2 sessions of 60 min each. Needless to say, it is mentally and emotionally frustrating to be tackling so many of these issues for the second time after he had gotten so far before. Tom often says that he doesn’t have the strength to go through the weaning again and yet when the challenge is upon him, he manages without too much struggle. We are praying that he will continue to lengthen his time with little or no support from the vent but of everything he’s working on, the breathing is the toughest. In the meantime, his schedule has again become packed with physical, speech and occupational therapies as well as exercise group. All this helps the days to go buy faster and importantly gives Tom an opportunity to see that he’s improving.
Please continue to pray that Tom develops more faith in himself. He’s so hard on himself that he doesn’t get excited by the baby steps that we see. I think he really needs to recognize his daily achievements and use them as motivation to get through the next day, but he has a hard time seeing anything short of walking as progress. It’s definitely what keeps us going. A funny story is that he did seem satisfied with himself yesterday when he actually made one of his occupational therapists cry tears of joy. He was sitting up by himself and coordinating his abs, arms, and legs and she was so overwhelmed with his improvement that she started crying. And she’s definitely not a mushy, crying type. It was that moving.
OK, so that’s it for now. I don’t know yet what’s going to happen with surgery, but I just hope and pray that we make the right decision.
Love you all,
Julienne
PS – I learned of a site that’s more geared towards easy updates and emails alerts to those who are interested. I’ll work on setting that up so that you all don’t have to circulate for me all the time.
Update 2.21.07
Hi everyone,
Tom made it safely out of the MRI machine again! It took what seemed like forever compared to the last time, but he got out of there safe and sound.
I haven't debriefed with the doctors yet, but just wanted to let everyone know that he is fine.
Everyone keeps telling me there are great things in store for Tom's future and every time he safely survives another hurdle, I'm more confident that that's true.
Thank you again for all your prayers and support!
Love,
Julienne
Update 2-20-07
Sorry for the quiet period after Tom’s MRI but frankly, it’s been a long waiting period as the doctors and surgeons debate next steps. While shifts in Tom’s vertebrae have resulted in the spinal cord being touched by the bones, it doesn’t appear to be compressed. Therefore, they are still debating whether or not surgery would be beneficial. The surgery they would need to do is a pretty major procedure and they simply don’t know if the benefits would outweigh the risks. To help finalize this decision, the neurosurgeons have been conducting multiple non-surgical tests.
Unfortunately the next test involves placing Tom in a “halo” device (a much more restrictive device that will position his neck in a way that will remove any contact between his vertebrae and his spinal cord). However, in order to fit the halo and secure his neck in this precise position, Tom will need to endure another round in the MRI machine. I don’t have an exact time yet, but it’s tentatively scheduled for this Wednesday, 2.22. The doctors’ confidence is boosted given that Tom made it through the first time without any problems, but it’s still just as risky. If you could again pray for Tom and send him all your positive energy, we would really appreciate it.
After the halo device is secured, the plan is to wait and watch for a couple weeks to see if there’s any notable improvement in Tom’s status – mainly with his breathing. Improvement would obviously indicate good reason for surgery. If there’s no change, then we’ll have to decide if elective surgery makes sense.
It’s all been extremely stressful – just trying to make sure that we don’t miss anything that could be causing Tom’s setback, and desperately hoping he can get back to where he was doing so well just a few weeks ago.
Thank you again for all your love and support. We’ll keep you posted.
Update: 2.6.07
Thank you all for your love, prayers and support on Friday. The MRI was definitely a success – Tom is absolutely fine with no notable strain on his heart or pacemaker and the doctors got the images they needed. He did manage to make it exciting in the last couple minutes. Just when everyone was breathing a sigh of relief, the monitor showed some signs of arrhythmia (irregular heartbeats), requiring rapid response teams and more doctors to come running. It was horribly scary for us, but in the end, the doctors felt that he didn’t really have any heart arrhythmia and that the electrode had simply come loose. Who knows. At least all the follow-up exams of Tom and his pacemaker show no damage. Phew!
So, I know everyone’s wondering what the results were. Basically, during Tom’s recovery, his C1 vertebrae did not heal perfectly straight. It healed in an off position that is narrowing the amount of space his spinal cord has to move around safely. The MRI showed that his vertebrae is touching his spinal cord, which is not normal. Because it didn’t appear that the vertebrae is compressing his spinal cord, he didn’t require emergency surgery, but the doctors seem to be leaning towards surgery to protect Tom from further damage. Tomorrow they will do additional tests to see if the bones are exerting pressure on the spinal cord when Tom is moving his neck (which he has been aggressively exercising for the past several months in rehab).
Basically, we need to wait for some more info before making a final decision. In the meantime, Tom’s been resting in the ICU. Unfortunately, with the tubes down his throat, he can’t talk and until his neck is stabilized, he’s not allowed to get out of bed. Needless to say, he’s pretty restless and anxious to figure out next steps so he can get back to rehab.
We’ll learn more over the next couple days and I will post another update to let you all know what’s decided. Until then, thank you again for your prayers and positive energy. I know it’s helping.
Love,
Julienne
Update: 2/2/07
Hey...to all who love the Yi's! This is Jeannie (Tom and Jules' greatest fan).
I just got a call from Jules and she and Tom wanted to thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers! Yahoo!! Tom made it. The MRI was done this morning and he's just fine! There was a tiny hiccup at the end, but it turned out to be nothing! So, Tom's back in his room, alert, and waiting for results! So for all of you prayer warriors out there....keep up the good work! God is hearing our prayers!
I'm sure Jules will update again once she gets the results!
Jeannie Yi
Update: 2.1.07
After all the progress Tom's been making, I was reluctant to publicize bad news, but we really need all your prayers and positive energy. With Tom's discharge date to home originally set for tomorrow, we've been working hard to prepare with much anticipation and excitement. Unfortunately, over the past few days Tom's been dealing with a couple setbacks - primarily with his breathing. Although he's been off the ventilator for nearly two months now, constantly exercising his diaphragm and lungs, the strength of his breathing has been diminishing rather than improving. Unfortunately, the strain caused CO2 levels in his body to reach dangerously high levels and the doctors felt they had no choice but to reintubate him (which means he's temporarily back on the ventilator).
While this setback is currently unexplained, the doctors and surgeons have some theories - some that may be correctable via surgery. Their ability to thoroughly analyze the situation and determine next steps, however, is dependent on an MRI that will show them exactly what's going on with his spinal cord. Unfortunately, an MRI is not a simple procedure for Tom due to the pacemaker that was placed in Tom's heart several months ago. Until recently, patients with pacemakers were absolutely not allowed to get MRI's as the interference of the magnetic forces on the pacemaker can cause fatal heart attacks. Currently, a few medical centers in the country have initiated research with patients who simply must have an MRI despite their pacemakers. Most have been successful, and while this practice is far from common, at least we now have the option to take the risk in an effort to get the answers we need.
After much research and discussion, Tom's doctors are recommending that we take that risk and move forward with the MRI. While we are all scared, Tom is absolutely motivated to take the risk in hopes of finding a possible solution for his current setbacks. So we ask for all your prayers and support as Tom undergoes this procedure here at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center tomorrow morning (Friday, 2/2 at 8am). Tom will be the first patient to undergo an MRI with pacemaker at this hospital, so this is no small undertaking. Cardiologists from a nearby hospital that have successfully run this procedure will be here to lead the effort and manage any complications.
In addition to praying for Tom to sustain the MRI without any problems, we are desperately hoping that the doctors find something that has a potential solution. Tom may have to proceed to surgery which will have its own plethora of risks, but at least there would be potential for intervention and improvement.
Thank you all for your continued love, friendship and support. Sorry to blast bad news so suddenly, but again we really want all your positive forces on our side tomorrow morning. I will make sure a quick update gets posted sometime tomorrow after the procedure is completed.
With love,
Julienne, Tom and William
Update: January 10, 2007
Happy New Year!
There’s so much to update, I don’t know where to begin. I guess the most
significant progress that I can report is that since mid-December Tom has
been completely off the ventilator! Since I last posted an update, he
continued the weaning process – increasing time off the ventilator a little
more every day over a two month period until he achieved 4 days straight
completely unassisted. This convinced the doctors that though Tom’s
breathing is weaker than normal, he would not need the ventilator anymore.
Soon after they pulled the breathing tubes out of his throat which allows
him to talk more freely. What a relief! The whole process was a grueling
battle with everyone pushing Tom so hard, but in the end it was all worth
it. After five months, Tom’s breathing completely on his own and is working
to increase his strength. He often exclaims that he can’t believe how hard
it is just to breathe and talk at the same time.
While we had originally planned to head home as soon as Tom was free of the
ventilator, with more strength and return of movement throughout his body,
the therapists at Kindred strongly pushed to get him back into acute rehab.
Again we worked hard to get Tom admitted to the best rehab center in the
area – Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. So, we’re back here again – in a
different, less intensive unit with much more aggressive therapy every day.
A lot of Tom’s exercises these days center around trying to help regain
balance in his trunk/abs and standing. Tom’s legs have the most strength in
his whole body and he’s actually able to help push himself from sitting to
standing and stay standing with some support. The therapists are also
impressed that he has so much control in his abs which are key for sitting,
standing, turning, etc. While Tom didn’t have a lot of time to frequent the
gym before his accident, he’s always been anal about doing crunches at home
every night and they are paying off!
So for now, Tom is actively rehabilitating, trying to get back as much as
possible before going home. While he still has lots and lots of therapy to
do, he will only be able to stay in this acute setting for a few more weeks.
Unfortunately, the timeframe on in-patient acute rehab is fairly short so we
are starting to make preparations to go home – tentatively by the end of
this month. While going home will no doubt require another huge adjustment
and lots of work, we are so looking forward to being home again where we can
see William everyday. I know seeing him every day will help keep Tom
motivated and happy. We also hope to see you at our place. I know it’ll be
hard to get Tom out every day until we figure out the best vehicle to order,
so I look forward to having lots of visitors to keep Tom entertained when
he’s not working out.
One more little thing. I just recently sent out some belated holiday cards
with Tom’s picture. I feel horrible because my database of addresses is so
incomplete. I tried to copy addresses from email signatures, etc., to try
and get our thanks out to each of you. I just so wanted to convey our thanks
to every one who is pulling for us and sending contributions and support.
Thank you so much for everything. We wish everyone a healthy and happy new
year and look forward to sharing more good news soon.
Following is a touching update that Tom’s friend Mike Moen wrote after
visiting from NY while Tom was going through the ventilator weaning process.
We're so lucky that Tom has made such amazing, devoted friends. He had the
great idea of writing an update in his words, which I really appreciate. I’m
sorry I’m posting it so late.
December 11, 2006 – Team Yi on the Road to Recovery! (Update from Mike Moen)
Happy Holidays to Everyone.
As the holidays are approaching with Christmas and the New Year just weeks
away, I know we’ll all be thinking of Tommy, Julienne and Will. As such, I
wanted to write a note to everyone who is helping Tommy along the road to
recovery. I was able to spend a long weekend with him in November. When I
walked into Tommy’s room it was incredible to see all the support from
everyone – the pictures and letters were amazing. Tommy and I spoke often
about all his friends, he wants everyone to know he is so thankful for all
your love and support. Julienne and little Will are the bedrock of Tommy’s
recovery, including his entire family. They have spent everyday with Tom,
making sure he gets the right care, ensuring he gets better everyday.
I know a lot of you have seen him before, but for me it was the first time
since the accident. It was amazing to see him smiling, laughing, talking and
working hard to get his body back in shape. He’s made some real progress in
terms of moving his legs, hands, shoulders and head. He’s regained some real
strength in his back and neck, and is able to sit up on the side of the bed,
hold his head high and look you straight in the eyes with a huge smile and a
wink – pretty incredible and inspiring. He has slowly been working himself
off the respirator, breathing on his own and talking more. When I was there
he had worked hard to breathe by himself for 24 hours, and I’ve heard that
he has beat that record consistently. It’s a huge step along the road to
recovery. It means he can now focus on rebuilding his core body strength and
soon be on his way home.
Tommy’s also made some real goals. He dreamt he was running the bases at
Giants Stadium and he wants to do that when he gets better. We also talked
about running the NYC marathon, whatever it takes – 4hours or 10hours,
doesn’t matter, he wants to do it! I’ve never seen someone so focused and
determined to get better in my life. He’s a real inspiration to all of us.
Team Yi is on the move! Tommy’s personal short-term goal is to be home for
Christmas. He’s working hard to make it come true – keep up the hard work
Tommy!
Above all else, Tommy is still cracking jokes and excited about getting
better. It’s a great time of the year to show our love and support. I know
it’s a busy time for everyone, when you have a free minute give Tommy a call
or shoot Julienne an email. They would love to hear from you. Again, he is
so thankful for everyone’s love and support.
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all Tom’s friends and
especially to Tommy, Julienne, Will and their family.
Mike Moen
Thank you to EVERYONE for your ongoing love and support. Despite all the struggles, I know Tom never has to question the amazing support and friendships he has developed over the years. From Crosslink to members of the SFSTA, and trading firms who have hosted annual trading days, from college friends to childhood friends, NY friends and SF friends, he is truly blessed in knowing some amazing and beautiful people. We continue to be surprised, touched and humbled by everyone's kindness and generosity. Thank you!!!!
I'll admit, it's difficult to post frequent progress notes when progress is so painfully slow. Mostly, everyone asks about Tom's spirits. As can be expected after nearly three years of adjusting to this new life and enduring a horrible amount of pain, he is often tired and frustrated. However, he's still pretty motivated and gets out of bed every day to go through his rehab routine and be as involved as he can manage. Chronic nerve pain continues to be the biggest struggle we face. More than any other limitation, the pain is what prohibits him from working out and getting out as much as he should. We are continuously trying new treatments and medications hoping to find something to ease his pain levels and improve his endurance to enjoy the things he can.
On the positive side, Tom continues to breathe completely on his own and has been off any ventilator support for six months now. I won’t say he breathes easily, but he is safe to be away from home and psychologically he’s less vulnerable.
We're grateful that Spring is here and the weather's been so great. Tom's been out to some of Will's little league games and some movies, and we're looking forward to our first overnight trip to Pebble Beach later this month. The SFSTA has graciously invited Tom to join the conference every year and Tom's' finally feeling up to it. Keep your fingers crossed. I know he's a little nervous but I'm sure it will be good for him to get out and see everyone. I always tell Tom, some of our best memories are from Pebble Beach, playing with Will in such a breathtakingly beautiful setting. Well for Tom, it's probably the insane amount of golfing and partying that he loved most, but who could blame him. :)
I will definitely post some pictures and an update after the trip. Look forward to seeing some of you there and hopefully at more outings throughout the summer.
Love,
Julienne
UPDATE 5.27.08
Wow, it's embarassing to realize how many months it's been since I've written a formal update. Despite our lack of online updates, thank you for still caring and checking in on Tom via phone calls and emails. Getting sucked into the day-to-day definitely makes it hard to see the overall progress and it's good to read our history and see how far we've come.
To be honest though, it's difiicult to give a shining update about Tom right this moment. He really kicked off 2008 with a fresh wave of determination. We started a new rehabilitation program at Alta Bates which is very close to home and specializes in neurological injuries like Tom's. He was taking advantage of their experience and equipment - and while progress is always slower than we'd like, he was getting visibly stronger and working on sitting, standing and taking steps. He had also built his breathing endurance up so much that he was off the ventilator for 3-4 days at a time, taking occasional rests only at night while sleeping. Unfortunately, our momentum was curbed when he suffered a pretty serious pneumonia starting mid-March which put him in the hospital again for nearly a month. Recovery from pneumonia and such a long hospital stay has been slow and frustrating. It's awful to see how so much of the good work that Tom put in earlier this year needs to be repeated, and I will admit that his spirit was also bruised. While the pneumonia is completely gone and he's getting back on track, it was another setback that made us realize how little control we have over this situation. Even when we think we're 100% moving forward and regaining some normalcy, we can't control how vulnerable he is.
The silver lining is that we realized again how precious life is and how lucky we are to have this time together. While we spend so much time focused on Tom's rehab, we are trying to gain a little more balance and enjoy some leisure time too. Tom actually made it to his first movie outing in two years just last week. While he was in the hospital, he had promised to see the new Indiana Jones movie with William and though I wasn't sure he would be able to keep his word, he was adamant about keeping his promise to Will. Because Tom is doing well off the vent most days, he's able to go out a little more frequently. It's not always easy or comfortable, but it's wonderful to have the option of going out without having to worry about the ventilator. Being off the ventilator also makes it possible for Tom to talk much more comfortably. It is so good to hear his voice all the time.
In addition to everything else, our next steps now are really focused on managing Tom's pain. He still suffers from a lot of nerve pain that prohibits him from working - or playing as hard as he'd like. We are contemplating a few different procedures and even small surgeries that could help, and are in the process of trialing different options. I pray that there is some sort of solution out there to alleviate his pain. While he has good days and bad days, It is often unbearable for him, and for all of us to witness so helplessly. Please channel your prayers and positive energy towards diminishing his pain level. It's definitely our top priority.
We cannot thank all of you enough for your ongoing love and support. It would no doubt be impossible to endure all this without the love and strength of our friends and family. Crosslink Capital has been amazingly generous and supportive of Tom - definitely surpassing all of our expectations. And to continue to have the support of the larger trading community even two years after Tom's been out of the industry is so very touching. As expected, we've had our share of tough days, but we are lucky to be reminded through events like Trading Days for Tommy, that so many of you love Tom as much as we do. We are blessed and proud to have your support behind us. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
P.S. I've uploaded a few new photos of Tom at home and during a recent SFSTA event.
Update 4.7.07
Hello,
Just wanted to get a quick message out to all of you letting you know that the surgery went fine with no complications. Phew! Tom is awake and alert already and very cognizant of all that's going on. We need to give it a few days to see how his muscle strength/movement is. Right now it seems weaker than before, but that's expected with the anesthesia.
Again, I can't thank you enough for all your love and prayers. With this setback finally getting resolved, we are looking forward to only good news from now on.
We love you all!!!
Update 4.6.07
Hi Everyone,
I just wanted to again ask for your prayers and support as today as a big day for us. Tom is actually in surgery right now to correct his spine alignment and relieve the compression off his spinal cord. Sorry for the late notice, but it did happen somewhat suddenly - not due to any emergency, just because the O.R. schedule fluctuates a lot.
He left his room this morning at 7:30am and it's expected to take approx. 10 hours so I don't think I'll have an update until later tonight. Anyways, as always, I believe that all your support and prayers are making a huge difference and I just ask that you continue to think of Tom as he endures this major surgery. Ever since the halo was put on, he's been steadily improving every week so we just pray that the surgery will optimize his chances for continued improvement.
I'll let you all know how it goes and post an update on the smugmug site.http://teamyi.smugmug.com/ In the meantime, if you could circulate the news for me, I'd appreciate it.
Love you all,
Julienne
Update 3.15.07
Hi Everyone,
We’re still waiting to finalize next steps regarding surgery, but I thought I’d just let everyone know how things have been progressing. It’s been just 3 weeks since Tom had the halo device put on to straighten his spine and alleviate the contact between his spine and his spinal cord. The plan was to get the halo on, get Tom back into rehab and then monitor to see if there’s any improvement in his overall strength.
It’s been a slow process getting Tom sitting up again and back to rehab after being on bed-rest for so long, but his endurance is improving every day. In fact yesterday, he sat up for 4 1/2 hours. The most amazing change in Tom since having the halo on is that he’s no longer in excruciating pain. Before everything changed so abruptly in Tom’s status, he had been suffering from terrible pain in his neck (due to the shift in his vertebrae) that made it unbearable for him to sit up in the wheelchair or during rehab for more than a few minutes at a time. Now he’s able to sit and stand in the standing frame without any pain at all. We are all thrilled not to have to see the pained look on Tom’s face 24 hours a day and the therapists can now work him harder without having to take constant breaks to manage his pain.
As for other physical strength, it does seem like Tom’s getting stronger. His legs have always been strong and he still has good strength and improved control over his movements. I think some of you have seen him working out on the exercise bike in the gym which is actually automated to run itself until the user over-rides that mode. Yesterday for the first time, Tom was able to trigger the bike to shift from auto mode to cycling on his own. Out of a 30 minute session, he was cycling on his own for 10 min. It is always amazing to see him achieve new feats. More significantly, his arms which have always been very weak are getting stronger. He has more strength in his fingers and his triceps are starting to return. Tom is evaluated weekly with a standardized spinal cord exam and his scores have improved by a few points for three consistent weeks now. We’re so happy things are moving in the right direction, but it’s still hard to determine if surgery is the right thing to do. The surgery would have significant risks, and with Tom continuing to show signs of improvement, it’s simply a tough call.
The doctors wanted to give Tom’s respiratory system plenty of time to rest after the distress he suffered ended up putting him back on the vent, so Monday was the first time they started his breathing/weaning exercises. Everyday this week, he successfully breathed with only partial support for 2 sessions of 60 min each. Needless to say, it is mentally and emotionally frustrating to be tackling so many of these issues for the second time after he had gotten so far before. Tom often says that he doesn’t have the strength to go through the weaning again and yet when the challenge is upon him, he manages without too much struggle. We are praying that he will continue to lengthen his time with little or no support from the vent but of everything he’s working on, the breathing is the toughest. In the meantime, his schedule has again become packed with physical, speech and occupational therapies as well as exercise group. All this helps the days to go buy faster and importantly gives Tom an opportunity to see that he’s improving.
Please continue to pray that Tom develops more faith in himself. He’s so hard on himself that he doesn’t get excited by the baby steps that we see. I think he really needs to recognize his daily achievements and use them as motivation to get through the next day, but he has a hard time seeing anything short of walking as progress. It’s definitely what keeps us going. A funny story is that he did seem satisfied with himself yesterday when he actually made one of his occupational therapists cry tears of joy. He was sitting up by himself and coordinating his abs, arms, and legs and she was so overwhelmed with his improvement that she started crying. And she’s definitely not a mushy, crying type. It was that moving.
OK, so that’s it for now. I don’t know yet what’s going to happen with surgery, but I just hope and pray that we make the right decision.
Love you all,
Julienne
PS – I learned of a site that’s more geared towards easy updates and emails alerts to those who are interested. I’ll work on setting that up so that you all don’t have to circulate for me all the time.
Update 2.21.07
Hi everyone,
Tom made it safely out of the MRI machine again! It took what seemed like forever compared to the last time, but he got out of there safe and sound.
I haven't debriefed with the doctors yet, but just wanted to let everyone know that he is fine.
Everyone keeps telling me there are great things in store for Tom's future and every time he safely survives another hurdle, I'm more confident that that's true.
Thank you again for all your prayers and support!
Love,
Julienne
Update 2-20-07
Sorry for the quiet period after Tom’s MRI but frankly, it’s been a long waiting period as the doctors and surgeons debate next steps. While shifts in Tom’s vertebrae have resulted in the spinal cord being touched by the bones, it doesn’t appear to be compressed. Therefore, they are still debating whether or not surgery would be beneficial. The surgery they would need to do is a pretty major procedure and they simply don’t know if the benefits would outweigh the risks. To help finalize this decision, the neurosurgeons have been conducting multiple non-surgical tests.
Unfortunately the next test involves placing Tom in a “halo” device (a much more restrictive device that will position his neck in a way that will remove any contact between his vertebrae and his spinal cord). However, in order to fit the halo and secure his neck in this precise position, Tom will need to endure another round in the MRI machine. I don’t have an exact time yet, but it’s tentatively scheduled for this Wednesday, 2.22. The doctors’ confidence is boosted given that Tom made it through the first time without any problems, but it’s still just as risky. If you could again pray for Tom and send him all your positive energy, we would really appreciate it.
After the halo device is secured, the plan is to wait and watch for a couple weeks to see if there’s any notable improvement in Tom’s status – mainly with his breathing. Improvement would obviously indicate good reason for surgery. If there’s no change, then we’ll have to decide if elective surgery makes sense.
It’s all been extremely stressful – just trying to make sure that we don’t miss anything that could be causing Tom’s setback, and desperately hoping he can get back to where he was doing so well just a few weeks ago.
Thank you again for all your love and support. We’ll keep you posted.
Update: 2.6.07
Thank you all for your love, prayers and support on Friday. The MRI was definitely a success – Tom is absolutely fine with no notable strain on his heart or pacemaker and the doctors got the images they needed. He did manage to make it exciting in the last couple minutes. Just when everyone was breathing a sigh of relief, the monitor showed some signs of arrhythmia (irregular heartbeats), requiring rapid response teams and more doctors to come running. It was horribly scary for us, but in the end, the doctors felt that he didn’t really have any heart arrhythmia and that the electrode had simply come loose. Who knows. At least all the follow-up exams of Tom and his pacemaker show no damage. Phew!
So, I know everyone’s wondering what the results were. Basically, during Tom’s recovery, his C1 vertebrae did not heal perfectly straight. It healed in an off position that is narrowing the amount of space his spinal cord has to move around safely. The MRI showed that his vertebrae is touching his spinal cord, which is not normal. Because it didn’t appear that the vertebrae is compressing his spinal cord, he didn’t require emergency surgery, but the doctors seem to be leaning towards surgery to protect Tom from further damage. Tomorrow they will do additional tests to see if the bones are exerting pressure on the spinal cord when Tom is moving his neck (which he has been aggressively exercising for the past several months in rehab).
Basically, we need to wait for some more info before making a final decision. In the meantime, Tom’s been resting in the ICU. Unfortunately, with the tubes down his throat, he can’t talk and until his neck is stabilized, he’s not allowed to get out of bed. Needless to say, he’s pretty restless and anxious to figure out next steps so he can get back to rehab.
We’ll learn more over the next couple days and I will post another update to let you all know what’s decided. Until then, thank you again for your prayers and positive energy. I know it’s helping.
Love,
Julienne
Update: 2/2/07
Hey...to all who love the Yi's! This is Jeannie (Tom and Jules' greatest fan).
I just got a call from Jules and she and Tom wanted to thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers! Yahoo!! Tom made it. The MRI was done this morning and he's just fine! There was a tiny hiccup at the end, but it turned out to be nothing! So, Tom's back in his room, alert, and waiting for results! So for all of you prayer warriors out there....keep up the good work! God is hearing our prayers!
I'm sure Jules will update again once she gets the results!
Jeannie Yi
Update: 2.1.07
After all the progress Tom's been making, I was reluctant to publicize bad news, but we really need all your prayers and positive energy. With Tom's discharge date to home originally set for tomorrow, we've been working hard to prepare with much anticipation and excitement. Unfortunately, over the past few days Tom's been dealing with a couple setbacks - primarily with his breathing. Although he's been off the ventilator for nearly two months now, constantly exercising his diaphragm and lungs, the strength of his breathing has been diminishing rather than improving. Unfortunately, the strain caused CO2 levels in his body to reach dangerously high levels and the doctors felt they had no choice but to reintubate him (which means he's temporarily back on the ventilator).
While this setback is currently unexplained, the doctors and surgeons have some theories - some that may be correctable via surgery. Their ability to thoroughly analyze the situation and determine next steps, however, is dependent on an MRI that will show them exactly what's going on with his spinal cord. Unfortunately, an MRI is not a simple procedure for Tom due to the pacemaker that was placed in Tom's heart several months ago. Until recently, patients with pacemakers were absolutely not allowed to get MRI's as the interference of the magnetic forces on the pacemaker can cause fatal heart attacks. Currently, a few medical centers in the country have initiated research with patients who simply must have an MRI despite their pacemakers. Most have been successful, and while this practice is far from common, at least we now have the option to take the risk in an effort to get the answers we need.
After much research and discussion, Tom's doctors are recommending that we take that risk and move forward with the MRI. While we are all scared, Tom is absolutely motivated to take the risk in hopes of finding a possible solution for his current setbacks. So we ask for all your prayers and support as Tom undergoes this procedure here at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center tomorrow morning (Friday, 2/2 at 8am). Tom will be the first patient to undergo an MRI with pacemaker at this hospital, so this is no small undertaking. Cardiologists from a nearby hospital that have successfully run this procedure will be here to lead the effort and manage any complications.
In addition to praying for Tom to sustain the MRI without any problems, we are desperately hoping that the doctors find something that has a potential solution. Tom may have to proceed to surgery which will have its own plethora of risks, but at least there would be potential for intervention and improvement.
Thank you all for your continued love, friendship and support. Sorry to blast bad news so suddenly, but again we really want all your positive forces on our side tomorrow morning. I will make sure a quick update gets posted sometime tomorrow after the procedure is completed.
With love,
Julienne, Tom and William
Update: January 10, 2007
Happy New Year!
There’s so much to update, I don’t know where to begin. I guess the most
significant progress that I can report is that since mid-December Tom has
been completely off the ventilator! Since I last posted an update, he
continued the weaning process – increasing time off the ventilator a little
more every day over a two month period until he achieved 4 days straight
completely unassisted. This convinced the doctors that though Tom’s
breathing is weaker than normal, he would not need the ventilator anymore.
Soon after they pulled the breathing tubes out of his throat which allows
him to talk more freely. What a relief! The whole process was a grueling
battle with everyone pushing Tom so hard, but in the end it was all worth
it. After five months, Tom’s breathing completely on his own and is working
to increase his strength. He often exclaims that he can’t believe how hard
it is just to breathe and talk at the same time.
While we had originally planned to head home as soon as Tom was free of the
ventilator, with more strength and return of movement throughout his body,
the therapists at Kindred strongly pushed to get him back into acute rehab.
Again we worked hard to get Tom admitted to the best rehab center in the
area – Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. So, we’re back here again – in a
different, less intensive unit with much more aggressive therapy every day.
A lot of Tom’s exercises these days center around trying to help regain
balance in his trunk/abs and standing. Tom’s legs have the most strength in
his whole body and he’s actually able to help push himself from sitting to
standing and stay standing with some support. The therapists are also
impressed that he has so much control in his abs which are key for sitting,
standing, turning, etc. While Tom didn’t have a lot of time to frequent the
gym before his accident, he’s always been anal about doing crunches at home
every night and they are paying off!
So for now, Tom is actively rehabilitating, trying to get back as much as
possible before going home. While he still has lots and lots of therapy to
do, he will only be able to stay in this acute setting for a few more weeks.
Unfortunately, the timeframe on in-patient acute rehab is fairly short so we
are starting to make preparations to go home – tentatively by the end of
this month. While going home will no doubt require another huge adjustment
and lots of work, we are so looking forward to being home again where we can
see William everyday. I know seeing him every day will help keep Tom
motivated and happy. We also hope to see you at our place. I know it’ll be
hard to get Tom out every day until we figure out the best vehicle to order,
so I look forward to having lots of visitors to keep Tom entertained when
he’s not working out.
One more little thing. I just recently sent out some belated holiday cards
with Tom’s picture. I feel horrible because my database of addresses is so
incomplete. I tried to copy addresses from email signatures, etc., to try
and get our thanks out to each of you. I just so wanted to convey our thanks
to every one who is pulling for us and sending contributions and support.
Thank you so much for everything. We wish everyone a healthy and happy new
year and look forward to sharing more good news soon.
Following is a touching update that Tom’s friend Mike Moen wrote after
visiting from NY while Tom was going through the ventilator weaning process.
We're so lucky that Tom has made such amazing, devoted friends. He had the
great idea of writing an update in his words, which I really appreciate. I’m
sorry I’m posting it so late.
December 11, 2006 – Team Yi on the Road to Recovery! (Update from Mike Moen)
Happy Holidays to Everyone.
As the holidays are approaching with Christmas and the New Year just weeks
away, I know we’ll all be thinking of Tommy, Julienne and Will. As such, I
wanted to write a note to everyone who is helping Tommy along the road to
recovery. I was able to spend a long weekend with him in November. When I
walked into Tommy’s room it was incredible to see all the support from
everyone – the pictures and letters were amazing. Tommy and I spoke often
about all his friends, he wants everyone to know he is so thankful for all
your love and support. Julienne and little Will are the bedrock of Tommy’s
recovery, including his entire family. They have spent everyday with Tom,
making sure he gets the right care, ensuring he gets better everyday.
I know a lot of you have seen him before, but for me it was the first time
since the accident. It was amazing to see him smiling, laughing, talking and
working hard to get his body back in shape. He’s made some real progress in
terms of moving his legs, hands, shoulders and head. He’s regained some real
strength in his back and neck, and is able to sit up on the side of the bed,
hold his head high and look you straight in the eyes with a huge smile and a
wink – pretty incredible and inspiring. He has slowly been working himself
off the respirator, breathing on his own and talking more. When I was there
he had worked hard to breathe by himself for 24 hours, and I’ve heard that
he has beat that record consistently. It’s a huge step along the road to
recovery. It means he can now focus on rebuilding his core body strength and
soon be on his way home.
Tommy’s also made some real goals. He dreamt he was running the bases at
Giants Stadium and he wants to do that when he gets better. We also talked
about running the NYC marathon, whatever it takes – 4hours or 10hours,
doesn’t matter, he wants to do it! I’ve never seen someone so focused and
determined to get better in my life. He’s a real inspiration to all of us.
Team Yi is on the move! Tommy’s personal short-term goal is to be home for
Christmas. He’s working hard to make it come true – keep up the hard work
Tommy!
Above all else, Tommy is still cracking jokes and excited about getting
better. It’s a great time of the year to show our love and support. I know
it’s a busy time for everyone, when you have a free minute give Tommy a call
or shoot Julienne an email. They would love to hear from you. Again, he is
so thankful for everyone’s love and support.
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all Tom’s friends and
especially to Tommy, Julienne, Will and their family.
Mike Moen
