How an accident can change lives forever

Was November 8, 2009, a beautiful sunny afternoon for a November. Recovering from a prior surgery, I was on the porch taking to my husband as he cleaned up the flower bed, and did yard work. I haven’t been on the motorcycle all summer due to a prior surgery, my husband and I him, hawed most the morning about taking the bike out for one last ride and check out the tearing down of the old American Hoist building, after much thought, we decided to go.

In a dazed blurry state I could hear and see red/blue flashing lights, yellow tape, and the hurried panic voices of people saying “tape that section off”, “ambulance is on its way”, “stop her from moving”, “there’s another victim over there”, “sir sit down don’t move”. Then in a flash it seemed we were in the ER and my children standing around me crying and holding my hand as the nurses and doctors prep me for surgery. I tried several times to ask about my husband, finally I was able to blurt it out, as well as to comfort my children, and assure them I was going to be ok as they told me “dad is in the other room and is ok, he is concerned about you” “he too is being prepped for surgery”. The hospital staff would not let us see each other. Then another flash, I was in a hallway and there was my husband holding up his arm, it looked like a stair case as he smiled and told me he loved me and would see me really soon…

After two days of hospitalization my husband checked himself out to sit by my side. My injuries were severe. My 4th and 5th vertebra were crushed, severe nerve ending damage, fused 3 through 7 and my pelvis was broken and cracked in several places. Doctors were not sure of my outcome. After 8 days I was giving the opportunity to come home or go to an in house 24/7 rehabilitation center. Even though my husband suffered his own injuries of a shredded ACL in his right leg, an external fixation device on his right arm to help repair his crushed wrist and forearm he insisted I come home and he care for me.

After one month I had another surgery and three months later of extensive in house rehabilitation, my husband struggled to care for the both of us, making sure we had our medications, doctors appointments, daily exercises and attempts of walking, eating, bathing, was too much. Our Children stepped in and help care for us, doing our cleaning, cooking, shopping, bathing, doctor appointment, home rehabilitation, giving my husband time to heal.

Two months later my husband began to work with me and assured me that I would remember, walk, talk, and write again. Two years later, we both look back and know it was not an easy road for the either of us and moreorso for my husband as he so unselfishly cared for the both of us. How a simply motorcycle ride close to home would of set us back. I have no memory of the accident but that I said “baby let’s take a short cut” and what I wrote here. I often have dreams of what I feel happened, but I cannot assure if they are dreams or what really happened all I do know is “how your life can change in a split second”. To never ever take anything for granted, cause you never know what can and could happen in a split second.

Donna J. Scheurs
ABS108w
Wednesdays Class