Pedxing injured in fire

“I think this really illustrates the closeness that is possible in the internet community. We've had 150 posts on this thread. Probably 130+ people posted on it so far and of those maybe 10 had personally met ped. 120 folks that most would consider "total strangers" have been deeply moved. We all know that we're not total strangers, but friends who feel the pains that friends feel when others are in pain.”

“I hiked with Pedxing in the White Mountains. He's a great guy and I hate to hear this bad news. I wish him a speedy recovery and hope to hike with him again someday.”

“My prayers are with Pedxing,
his family and those of you
who are friends of his.

I hope to read in the future of
an account to which we can
make a contibution to David
and his family.

Question:
As a blood donar, I remember
that we used to be able to
direct our blood donation to
offset the expense of an
individual patient. I have been
searching redcross web sites
since learning of this horrible
event. I can find nothing
definitive. If some of you in
Mass. can find out if we can
donate blood in states away
from Mass. yet direct it in
some way to help defray some
of the expense that will fall to
David and his family please
let us know.

We all who can donate blood
need to remember to do so.”

“That is a great picture of Dave, Bruce - thanks!”

“thanks for those pics Pennsy...what a beauty of a person..shows in his smile...

the prayers and thoughts, healing energy ....the love...being sent from everyones heart here at the same time is a very powerful thing....gotta keep it going constantly....that pic is on my desktop here at work for sure”

“Ped...get well soon buddy! My thoughts and prayers are with you and yours!

Thanks for the pix Pennsy!”

“thank you pennsy for posting the pics. It helps to have a face with the name. I'm just very overwhelmed at the moment with a great sadness.”

“I agree om.
It seemed so unreal reading the articles and the posts, but to see his smiling face brings it into reality.”

“Of the many trails we travel, the path upon which life leads us is often the most difficult . . . never knowing what's around that next bend. I can only pray this doesn't turn into a climb of Mt. Everest for David, but if it does . . . I know he can make it. Godspeed David.”

“David...such a sweet soul. I will keep you in my thoughts. Sending good energy your way...”

“Wow, I never would've imagined the magnitude of his situation from the thread title.

You're in my prayers, Ped.”

“I've allways loved bacpacs tawnts and political #&%!$-ness. I thought it was amusing, but he has sunken lower than I could imagin. I bickered w/ ped too about politics, but all in good humor. Bacpac, I wish no pain onto you, but you are truely the most evil person I know.”

“Thanks for letting us know about this. He'll be in my prayers. Thank God he's in good hands.”

“Best wishes to Ped and his family. Hope all comes out okay.”

“I was thinking about ped today, and his upcoming hike on the Long Trail. This saddens me beyond words, and I hope he recovers and his family will be OK.

If the family needs anything that I can help with.... jayd14@mail.com

Many of you said some cool stuff about ped, and he rightly deserves it. He and Phil are the compasses of courtesy on trail talk, and I can only hope that he'll pull through this OK.”

“It doesn't sound too good. But there is good news.Mass General has a hyperbaric chamber.Hopefully
if his lungs suffered just smoke
inhalation the chamber can really
do a really good job. The Shriners' Burn Hospital is right
next door so there is a lot of
burn experience on that block.
I may be able to get in touch with
the firemen that first arrived and
get the particulars of what happened. Pedxing is in my prayers.”

“He smoked me and Henry on the thirteen-mile march out from Roaring Brook bunkhouse one year ago this month.

It snowed wet and heavy as we slugged out the last few miles.

Henry towed the sled and I the rucksack.

The wet snow made the sled stick some so I pushed with the points of my ski poles.

The two of us were workin' like a locomotive.

We were flat gittin' it at the end and had no chance.

David is a real sweet guy and tougha s nails.”

“...he said he was gonna be the slow one and he burned up the trail...AND he said I was TOO NICE (me!) and he couldn't go thru with a practical joke on me :) I look forward to the trip where I show him the error of his ways!”

“Mebbe he will have to do a lot of
hikes as part of his physical
rehabilitation!”

“The hyperbaric oxygen will work to heal his wounds faster too. This therapy definitely works. I'm having it done now for a non-healing wound and 2 weeks into it it's almost completely healed. It's not without risks, but in general they're minimal and worth it. It sounds like he's getting good treatment.”

“I think it is 100% 02 in the chamber. I understand that the 02
infuses the entire body promoting
rabid healing. If I remember right
Mass General was hailing break throughs in Burn technology about
a year ago.”

“That's exactly what it is. You go in a chamber and breathe 100% oxygen at high pressure for 90 minutes. For wounds about 2.4 atmospheres and it increases the dissolved oxygen in the blood by up to 20 times to build new capillaries and force oxygen rich blood into wounds. The effect lasts for hours. It works like a drug and seems to speed up everything. The pressure is hard on the ears, but they can put tubes in the ears to fix that.”

“Mass General got a hyberbaric
chamber after the death of Fire
Lieutenant Stephen Minnehan in a
warehouse fire a few blocks away in Charlestown. It has been put to
good use in healing people. A
fitting legacy to a good man who
tried to save two trapped people.”

“I saw this just yesterday on TV. the guy on TV was too pretty badly burned. they used cadaver skin graphes (sp?), put him into the oxygen chamber, and changed this bandages twice a day.

some of the skin graphes will not connect to the blood capillaries, so they will have to be removed and exhchanged for new ones.

burn victims are in so much better hands now then they would've been even only 5 years ago.

that brings me to a question. do we have any docs in on TT?”

“There's not many chambers around and most have a waiting list up to a month to get in, but more hospitals seem to be getting them so the wait might not be much in the future.”

“Feb 21st is the 1 yr. anniversary
of the Station Fire in Rhode Island that killed 96 people and
4 more succumbed to thier wounds.
The week before that there were
around 9 fire deaths in New England. Last week there were 3
fire deaths and just today I heard
that five members of one family
died in Dutton? New Hampshire.
I think it comes in waves.”

“I just finished reading all of the posts on this thread, and the links to other boards. I believe that he is has to be getting some benifit from all of this postive energy.
It is amazing how this crazy group of internet backpackers pulls together from all across the country in a show of support.

Pedxing now that we are all praying for you and will send you all of the energy that we can.
Godspeed in your recovery!

Matt if you are out reading this think about a TT donation site.”

“Like so many, I've never met Ped. I recall chatting and finding out waaaaaaay back when he had been in Iowa City to a conference or something, just before we both showed up on TT.

And then, seeing that smile Pennsy showed, and how everyone said he was such a gracious TTer, this memory hit me and made me laugh. Ped trolling as the PlainHiker, the Amish backpacker. LOL!! That was too funny. Hear me laugh at your craziness, Ped, amidst the prayers and good thoughts. :-)”

“I am at a loss for words.

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.”

“He's one of the most level-headed people here. I think I've seen him get hot under the collar ONCE in three years (certainly not 3 times a day like yours truly).”

“has anybody heard anything? Just know that God is taking care of him and only progress can occurr.”

“That's tragic. Poor guy. Hope he pulls through it ok.”

“I just glanced at a majority of the posts, but I think maybe people who are close could donate blood, even if it isn't used specifically for him, it would be done on his behalf. Our prayers are with him.”

“randy told me the news tonight and i was shocked! it is absolutely terrible! my thoughts and prayers are with pedxing and his family.”

“my prayers and positive energy go out to Ped and his family....

is there something that we can do to help? donations of any kind?”

“I know it is too early to make donations to the family, and it is quite possible that the family may not answer turthfully as to their needs. However, it is not too early for someone to collect donations for the family. At an appropriate time, the total donations could be given to the family. What they need right this moment is not going to be what they need some time down the line. If we could get someone to be the collector and keep a running tab of the donations, then when the time comes for us to meet a need of the family, we can instantly with the already collected cash, items, etc. I myself would not mind at all getting this started but I don't live on the east coast. All we need is an address and we can start sending at least some money. This is just an idea. Someone please step up. This gives us all some time to come up with a significant donation whether it be cash or items.”

“Is she still with the living, and doing okay?”

“This is not the time or place, woman.”

“Thanks for the photos, Pennsy!

That was one of the greatest adventures of all for me and Henry.”

“My prayers for full and speedy recovery also go out to Pedxing, as well as prayers for the family, for comfort and strength.

Vann”

“I think I can speak for all of us who
love the outdoors when I say our thoughts and prayers go to him and his family..”

“Maybe some of us could do the Long Trail Hike this summer in all or in relays.”

“That's a great idea MarkO. We could also use the hike as a way of collecting donations for adding Pedxing and his family. My cousin did a similar hike through Shenandoah National Park and raised money for the Diabetes Action Research and Education Foundation. Where do I sign up?”

“Here are a few photos from our trip on Saturday. I hope this works.

click”

“No go, Mad!”

“Oops.
click”

“Ped is one of the finest gentlemen on this board. I don't know about anyone one else, but I've been on his couch via e-mail on a coupla occassions! He was especially helpful with some issues which are right up his professional alley, and he was sympathetic, friendly and right-on. He always seems to "get" my sarcasm, can laugh at himself, and is not quick to judge or assail.
I join all the others on this board (and the other) in wishing this fine man a speedy, complete recovery.”

“If we realy want to set something up for donations I think that we need to find a bank in his area that can act as the collection spot. I think that this is the way that most of these are set up. That way we can send checks or cash to a trusted place(not that I wouldn't trust anyone here) that can deposit the checks into an account in his families name.
If anyone is in the boston area maybe they could call a bank and see. If no one more local steps up I could make some phone calls.”

“I very to sad to hear this :-(
I hope and pray he recovers.

Our race car driver suffered burns from hot boiling water and he was in the the Boston General,Mass Burn unit. If this is where Ped is at, they are very good. Our driver had a graft and recovered and very well. I hope the same for Ped.
I tired to find the Addy on previous posts. I must of missed it?
Whats the addy for cards???
Thanks
Tim”

“David's addy is-

David Vogel
15 Beech Street
Cambridge, MA 02140-1316

Even though this is the house that burned, I am sure that family will be making arrangements for mail pick-up. This is the only addy I have.
:\”