Pain and Frustration... today's memory is from an event which we unfortunately "participated" in on January 6, 2003. Our car crash. To be honest, I had forgotten that tomorrow marked the anniversary. Emile reminded me of it when I picked her up from school this afternoon. I knew it was coming up, I hadn't really given it much thought.... with the exception of the fact that I had a MAJOR flair up from my injuries last week.
A really crappy day. A snow delay.... taking the girls to school we were "T-boned" by a van. My door took the impact. The girls got out on their own. I had to be cut from the car. Brie had facial injuries requiring several surgical procedures to repair everything. I had 3 pelvic fractures, a hairline fracture to my right femur, as well as low back and left hip damage resulting in permanent nerve damage. Fortunately Emile wasn't physically injured that day.
So here we are 6 years later.... still hanging in, living life and doing pretty well. The girls are doing great. Brie's face looks fantastic. She will always have some scars from her injuries, however, she looks really good. Dr. Kenna, Brie's Plastic Surgeon, did a wonderful job with all the repairs. I will forever be grateful for her expertise.
After nearly 2 1/2 years of reasonably managed pain and pretty good function in my back and left hip, something has changed. For some reason I started having trouble going up stairs a few weeks back. Next I noticed I was tripping or stumbling (I'd think I had my left leg lifted high enough). I started having more numbness and "pins and needles" in my leg and then all heck broke loose. I began having severe pain last Monday... by that evening I was miserable. I could not sleep that night. It was impossible finding a comfortable position. I started calling my old doctors, my family doctor, my auto insurance company, and my trusty attorney. By Tuesday evening I had a prescription for steroids and pain meds. It took an hour and 50 minutes for the meds to start working. I did sleep that night. I was so thankful for rest and pain management. Now all we have to do is figure out what has went wrong and plan a way to fix me up again.
I guess it's safe to say I'll probably live with some degree of complications stemming from the crash. It's an event none of us will ever forget. For those who have survived a serious auto crash, you know what I'm talking about. A part of you changes forever. I'm thankful for the progress we've made... and I pray for renewed health.
A final note... please always be aware of where you are. Things go wrong so quickly. Take the few seconds to fasten seat belts. Make sure everyone is as safe as they can possibly be... just in case.
2 comments:
I can't believe 5 years have already gone by since your accident. I remember that day very clearly because Aunt Betty called us to tell us what had happened and then we went to the hospital to go see you guys. I hope your pain can be managed or cured! By the way, I was noticing at Christmas that I couldn't even see Brie's scars. Her face looks beautiful. :)
Wow I didn't know you had been in a serious car accident. I was living in San Antonio at that time. I hope that the doctors find the cause of your pain soon.
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