On December 26th 2012, Jamie had a hemmoraghic stroke located in the left thalamus causing paralysis and loss of sensation on the entire right side of his body. Please leave messages of support and encouragement, jokes, stories, anecdotes, novellas, manifestos. I know he has many friends all over the world who are not able to be here. I will read all messages to Jamie.
JULIA
Hey Jamie and Julia! Hope you guys are hanging in there and enjoying the fine hospital food — don’t eat too much lime gelatin. Get well soon! -pete
Hang in there Jamie!We love you man!Bob & MaryJane
Jamie, we are sending you love around the clock. We know your strength and spirit are indomitable and can hardly wait to see what superpower you come away with.
All our love,Nina and Derek
Go Jamie! Animated movies? Feh… This can’t be that tough. Onward!With much love and affection, Bill and Patty
Jamie and Julia-
When I heard about your stroke, it especially hit me as I went through the same thing just a couple of years ago. I don’t know your exact situation, but so far it sounds very similar to mine.
My stroke happened only a few days after seeing you at APE in 2010. I had a medium sized hemorrhagic stroke on Oct 25. Like you, I was in the ICU for a few days, followed by a few days in the hospital, and then a couple of weeks of intense therapy at the acute inpatient rehab center at Cedars Sinai (occupational, physical & speech) – 16 days in all. Then I began a long process of therapy at home and was accepted into a research study which was focused intense aggressive therapy for my arm at Cedars Sinai.
Like you, I was paralyzed on my right side. My stroke occurred on my left side of my brain, in the basal ganglia. I could barely move my hand and leg and sensation was mostly gone. My speech was a bit slurry, and the first day or two I was speaking in “word salad” and not making much sense. I also was having some problems with short term memory and word finding.
I was worried that I would never draw again. One of the first things I did from the second day was I had Anson get me a sketchbook. Even though I couldn’t move my arm or even hold a pencil at first, I decided to try to work my right hand (even if it was just moving it up and down) to try to relearn how to draw. I decided either that or that I would learn to draw with my left hand (as I was inspired by Frank Frazetta). As part of my journey back, I would do a sketch with my left hand, then another with my right (whatever I could do), and check my progress each day. Eventually, I was able to try to do this once in the morning and once at night (depending on the schedule the therapists gave me, plus the homework they gave me as well). If you can, you might want to try this. The most dramatic healing occurs during the first few months, so work really hard during your physical therapy.
Also, DON’T learn to rely on your left hand, keep at things with your right hand however you can. Another thing, that seemed to help when relearning a new skill, was trying to make my right hand mirror what my left hand could do. Just learning to eat again will even be hard at first.
Work hard, keep a good attitude during therapy and I know you’ll be fine. Everybody is different, but I worked out a goal with my physiatrist of 6 months to try to get back to work. Things went well and I was able to work again by that time. I am practically back to normal now. You will figure out what works for you, just stick with it and don’t give up.
I have kept this a secret up til now, but I’m opening up about this within this community of friends because I’m hoping my experiences will help you in your recovery. There’s a lot more I would be happy to share with you and Julia and I hope to visit you at some point.
Julia- I know you are going to be Jamie’s rock–as Deana was for me during this time. I know Deana will have LOTS of insights on dealing with this. Help from friends and family is EXTREMELY important. You’re going to need help from friends to help you with Jamie’s rehabilitation, because you won’t be able to do it all alone.
Keep strong Jamie! I know you can get through this! I’ll keep in touch as there’s a lot to tell. I know you’ll be back to normal soon.
-Benton
Hang in there Jamie. We are wishing for a speedy recovery. You are one of the best people in this world and we want to let you know in person. Looking forward to better times soon with you and Julia.
Best wishes
phil and jennifer
Loves with healing
Deepest feeling
Heart of thunder
Down under
Tears of wonder
Torn asunder
I wish families love beyond compare
To share and blare
Like lovers care
Bugs is hare
Jamie prayers
By gordon clark — Dec 29, 2012 11:55pm
All our very best to you my brother.
We look forward to seeing you as soon as Julia permits.
Gordon
All of our thoughts are with you and we know how strong and mighty you are. We love you so much.
XXOO Jennifer and Fiona
By Jonathan Rosenthal — Dec 30, 2012 12:11am
Jamie,
Mate! Mate! Sending you and Julia lots of love from us in LA…..hope to see you as soon as we can. Hang in there, get well soon and all that stuff.
Jonathan Rosenthal
maaaaaaaaatttte
we love you and know you’ll bring your aussie/scottish sportsmanship to bear on the up and coming gymnastic feats you’ll need to be doing. we expect no less.
love love LOVE you
The Hauges
Shamus! We’ll be out tramping the mean streets of SF & sketching the seedier side of town again in no time. All this talk of physical recovery sounds exhausting! Let me know if you want a stack of dvds to watch between workouts.You have been the best guide to discovering this city I could’ve asked for – now I’ll get to see the hospital!
Your favourite Welshman
I love you Jamie, you are my bestest mate.
Now get well soon or I will kick your Aussie arse.
John the Pom
If he does, I will kick his ass even harder. Love you Jamie xxxxx
Carol
Jamie – what the hell?!? what some people won’t do to get out of going to work! well now you have a lot of hard work to do in rehab and I know you are going to do an amazing job at it because we all desperately need your wicked smile and sense of humor back, and you are such a wonderful generous guy you won’t let us down, and especially not let Julia down because she is probably the best reason of all for you to get better.
Love, Nicole
Jamie! I am sending you warm and loving thoughts and I am so sorry that you are going through this! I am there for you and Julia and I hope I will see you soon. By the way, my kid got assigned “Australia” for his first grade international pot luck (as result of his Aussie heritage), and damned if I could find Vegemite anywhere in the whole Bay Area! What are you doing, stock-piling it? (I had to buy Marmite!)Thank you for making work so fun over the years…and being the instigator behind the Back to the Future party, which was a great event thanks to you, Julia, and Julia’s chicken.All my love to you, Jamie!
You’re in a good place, Jamie. When our 2 year old had a stroke UCSF was amazingly helpful and reassuring. Let me know how I can help.
Love you, brother.
Mike Jones
Hey Jamie and Julia,
Hope you are feeling all of this love that people are sending your way. It is a measure of just how much you enhance the lives of those around you. You are both in our thoughts.
Love and strength and good thoughts coming your way from Berkeley my brother! Always remember when you think of Scott & Muffy –
AnytimeAnywhereAnything
For you and Julia – you will soon again wear The Three Dollar Adjustable Black Hat of Power!
Scott & Muffy & Simone sends her love too!
Yo Jamie!Much love to you from this side of the world. I’m still in China. dvds? You want ’em? I can get them. I was already able to get Toy Story 4. Get better soon, my friend. I hope to see your smiling face next time I’m back there.
Damn, Benton? What another shock! Sorry to hear about that, but Congratulations on his recovery!!!
Thanks, Julia.Take care, the both of you,
Wes
Hi Jamie-i’ve been thinking how much a pleasure it’s been seeing more of you these past few years; there was a chunk of time after (C)P that i didn’t see much of you, and i was lacking in your whip-smart observations and running commentaries. So- i’m glad i get to keep visiting you; i’m so crushed that it will be under these circumstances, but you’re getting better already and will continue to do so. i’m reminded of you laughing off various crises (yes, i just learned that’s plural for ‘crisis’) with a metaphor, the dark/funny backstory of which, as i remember- you were seated at an outdoor cafe with george evelyn, i think, and some others, and you all noticed a pigeon slowly get it’s head run over by a car; still standing with it’s ass up in the air and it’s head smashed into the street. then a seagull, no less, waddles up, looks over the situation, and then starts fucking the pigeon carcass. you’re all frozen mid-lunch, watching this grim tableau of nature unfolding, and one of you quietly gasps “man! first you’re crushed and then you’re fucked!”and another metaphor was born to be uttered during various crisis at Colossal. and then overcome, like this one.
see you soon my friend, and my friend Julia.
charlie
Jamie,
I was very dismayed to hear you’d taken this blow to your health. I’m thinking of you, wishing you a speedy recovery. I enjoyed seeing you recently at my open studio, thanks for the support. Hang in there Jamie.
Dan
Hey Jamie,
We are sending much love and are here for anything you or Julia may need. As an added bonus, Ed has decided to be your personal figure model until you are at full tilt again… that should motivate recovery. 😉
Jingle all the way…
Hope to see you soon, when you are ready…
xo
Allison and Ed
Larry and I were staying with Derek and Nina when the news about Jamie came. We cannot express how much we love and enjoy this man. I know he has the grit to recover from this, and continue to be the funny, caring, and wonderfully talented person he is. Please, give him our love! Barbara and Larry
hey james, you get better soon big brother. you need jo to smuggle you in some vegemite and hoodoo gurus! mandy and i are heading to australia tommorrow. over 3 years since i’ve been home, hopefully i can rediscover, and get my twang back! and tell julia she’s one hell of lady and she doesn’t half say some nice things about you. lots of love and stay tough, alex.
Jamie,
Adrienne, Scarlett, and I are sending you powerful and mighty hugs! You are in our thoughts and in our hearts, and we look forward to giving you more powerful and mighty hugs the next time we see you.
With much love,
Tony and Adrienne
Sending you both love! You’ll get thru this & know everyone is here for you. Take all the time you need to be in private mode. I know how important that is. XO
Hey Jamie, you gotta know that Rocket Rabbit remains poised for adventure and is a constant reminder of your great talent and witty nature, as he stands in a “half-baked” state on my counter top. I look forward to finishing the sculpture up. No hurry though, he ain’t goin’ nowhere. Let’s get you better first. Julia, you and Jamie are the best, so hang in there!