Getting Caught up... part 1: The accident

 
my incision
 
the bald spot that I hope grows back in!
 
Me in my collar and the chair I slept in for the first three weeks!

On Dec. 6, 2008 myself, Gabriela, and my niece Michel were on our way to the thrift store. We never made it. About a block from our destination a woman ran a red light and hit us. Michel and Gab both suffered seatbelt burns on their necks and Gabby they kept because she freaked out. In order to do a CAT scan of her cochlear implant they had to sedate her and tube her. Oh she was not a happy camper when she awoke with a tube down her throat. Maybe it would have been better if they would have had an interpeter there available for her, because she doesn't need her throat to sign and communicate. She could have told everyone how she was feeling and told them off too for keeping the tube in longer then they said they would. Wonderful doctor had other things to do and kept her waiting! Thankfully she had her dad and her younger brother Jesus with her to keep her company. Both of her dad's sisters and their families made sure that she was not alone either. That was nice to know that even if no one signed at least she had family with her.
As for myself, I wanted life to be even more complicated then it already was (my in-laws had just moved into our basement the previous week). I somehow ended up outside of the vehicle. Miracuolously I had no road rash consistent with being thrown from the vehicle. One little scrape on my ankle bone, and I am talking tiny. I did have some lacerations to my head and Genaro said that everytime he came in, those first few days, I had a handful of glass that I had picked out of it! I also broke my neck and found out that I am diabetic. The docs wanted to put me in a halo so I was in traction for a few days, they screwed this thing into my head and then attached weights to it to see if my neck would seperate and align itself back into place. This did not work so 4 days after the accident I had surgery to fuse #6 to #7. I guess I messed up 6 pretty bad which caused 7 to become a little dislocated. I spent 10 days in the hospital and over 1/2 of them were a blur. I remember some things and them remember nothing. People came to visit and asked if I remembered them being there and I was like "nope". Others asked if I remembered talking to them. Rojelio's friends mother came to visit with her older son and asked how I was doing, apparently I responded that I had been busy on this side of the room and on that side of the room. They didn't stay long and figured would come back when the drugs wore off. Another friend of mine told me that she was there with her husband and asked if it was ok if he came in to visit as well. I told her that was fine as long as my butt was covered! Darn them hospital gowns. None of these conversations I remember. Ya know maybe the visitors made it up!!! I had some great nurses in the hospital that really helped me to start moving and doing things for myself. I also had an incredible amount of visitors and well wishers. It was over whelming at times the amount of love I felt from cards, calls, and visists. I was very blessed that my sister knows a wonderful young man that helped her to get a cheap flight to Omaha so that she could spend some time with me and my family. I am so thankful to him for that wonderful gift. MaryEllen helped out so much and I want to thank her for taking Genaro around and helping him do some of the things that needed to be done. (Although I thought you all had skipped town and were playing at the casino!! You have to forgive me I was drugged!) Oh hey you want to tell me what happened to the cusing cow?? :) Genaro will never let you forget about burnt cookies and corn bread! I love you and thanks for coming to be with me! Thank you Don and the kids for holding the fort down while MaryEllen was with me! On Dec. 15 Mom and Dad flew into Omaha. We are so glad that they listened to the Spirit on when to leave, had they left later they may not have made it. As it was after they left Boise, a big storm hit and as they left Las Vegas, Vegas shut down due to a big storm that dropped snow on them and then of course once they were here the snow hit us! Dec. 16 they came to the hospital and brought me home. To a quiet house I might add. A dear friend had taken my kids for the time that I was in the hospital and was going to keep them until the end of the week. Good thing because it all was a little overwhelming and gave me time (1 day thanks to Friday being a snow day!) to settle in. The out pouring of love from the community was unbelievable. Cards, gifts, money, food, prayers, you name it was brought in. The first week home I was an emotional wreck from all the love that was poured out upon us. If any of you know me I cry over everything, sad or touching movie, song, commercial, book you name it, I cry. It was totally amazing the people who came forward to help, not just from church either. The deaf community was wonderful, and so were my neighbors and even strangers. Two weeks ago I was in a bookstore and was visiting with a friend and she had mentioned that they had just heard about my accident and were praying for us. That brought me to tears because even over a month later there were still people thinking about us and praying for us. My little brother called and said that when he heard all the support that we had had it made him cry(I knew there was a softy in you Chuck!) I think it made our whole family very emotional. Let's face it we are all cry babies! I am so glad that my parents were here, I really wanted my mommy and daddy. I know that it was not easy for them to be here and my kids sure did not make it easier, (ok, so maybe I didn't help either), but I could not have come home without their support and love. I know that we appreciated them being here and helping out. They had to make some sacrafices to be here with me and I know that others had to pick up some times at the family history center for them. I am thankful for their friends and my extended family (Faye, John and Mike) for helping them out. I can not say enough thanks for all the thoughts, prayers, calls and things to everyone that was done for my family. So many people reached out to us in so many different ways, big and small, to each of you I am thankful. We are on the road to recovery, and have been humbled and blessed from this experience. (Yea I know that sounds so...??? I don't know the word that I am looking for but it is true.)