Shattered
Posted by Lanea on Thursday, January 5th, 2006
I’ve been off-line for a bit. Some woman (I know her name, but won’t post it, of course) ran a red light and t-boned my husband’s car on the 29th. She was going at least 45 miles per hour, ran a red light, and didn’t even bother to touch the brakes. She is about five feet tall, and she was driving a Ford Expedition, one of the biggest SUVs on the road. She didn’t even touch her brakes. She didn’t even touch her brakes. She walked away. Scott was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. He was unconscious for a while, and then he was awake, in a lot of pain, and totally lacking short-term memory. He received a terrible concussion, temporarily lost much of his peripheral vision in his right eye, and had serious speech problems for several hours. It was absolutely terrifying.
Thankfully, he had an excellent trauma team and great care at the hospital. Scott’s vision and speech have recovered. He doesn’t remember most of Thursday, he has a lot of pain in his neck, and will need physical therapy and massage therapy for a while so that he can return to his normal active self. I still can’t get the police officer who was on the scene to return my phone calls, but I hope the woman who did this gets more than a ticket for running a light. Had she hit him a few inches further back on the car, he could have been killed or maimed. The car actually looks much worse in person. The engine is off its mounts and several inches away from where it belongs. The whole front end is shifted several inches to the right.
I fretted and cried and couldn’t sleep. I cursed the woman who did this. I knit until I wore a blister into my middle finger, where my active sock needle rests. i knit so tightly that the sock I was making for my husband is actually a bit snug on me. When I couldn’t help Scott, I helped the elderly man in the next bed, who didn’t have anyone with him at the hospital. He called me dearie and I thought it was sweet. I watched all night to make sure that IV tubes stayed straight so the pumps wouldn’t beep, and to make sure that everyone was breathing more evenly than I was. Realizing that Scott remembered a nurse he hadn’t seen for half an hour was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life.
When we got home, I talked to one person after another who called to wish Scott a speedy recovery, and I was buoyed to remember how many people agree that Scott is a wonderful man, and that we all love and need him in our lives. I baked. I cleaned. I talked to insurance agents and doctors and to the pets, who were both perplexed. I managed not to track down the other driver and wring her neck, for which I think I deserve a gold star.
We’re tired, and we have a long fight ahead of us, but Scott and I both feel very fortunate. I’ve already heard from several of you folks, and I am very thankful to know you are thinking of us. Please stay safe. And get side-curtain airbags. And don’t run red lights.
Filed in blather | 16 responses so far
Jaymeon 05 Jan 2006 at 10:22 am 1I’m so glad to hear that he’s doing ok. Let me know if you want to do lunch or anything.
pixieon 05 Jan 2006 at 10:36 am 2Good luck, I know he will heal steady and well! Keep knitting, it will keep you sane!
Lisaon 05 Jan 2006 at 11:40 am 3I’ve been a lurker for a little while, and I am so sorry! That must be terrifying. If it’s OK, I will pray for you and your husband. (My husband’s name is also Scott.)
Lizon 05 Jan 2006 at 11:56 am 4OH my! I’m glad to hear your husband is doing better. It kills me that she didn’t even hit her brakes, I would think it would be in instinct. Idiot…I know how you feel though. I won’t fil your comments with my car crash story but I swear it could be the same gal!
eveon 05 Jan 2006 at 12:49 pm 5OMG!! I’ll be praying for you guys. I hope he has a speedy recovery.
Melissaon 05 Jan 2006 at 1:52 pm 6Thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery!
mamalooon 05 Jan 2006 at 2:01 pm 7Good health vibes, from here to there.
Stephanieon 05 Jan 2006 at 3:48 pm 8I am especially proud of you for not wringing that womans neck. I like to believe the she feels terrible about making such an enormous mistake. I hope she doesn’t sleep nights for a good long time.
Tell Scott I hope he feels better, and knit on.
Junoon 05 Jan 2006 at 9:09 pm 9Oh honey….
The smaller the trophy wife the bigger the SUV….you can get a copy of the accident report by going down to the station, if the cop won’t call you back. That will tell you if she was ticketed and what for….and the officer or his supervisor can tell you if you can do anything to make sure she has some consequences.
Sorry, I always have a practical response to trouble….
I’m so sorry about this – sending you & Scott all the positive energy I’ve got.
minnieon 05 Jan 2006 at 9:10 pm 10oh my god! i hope scott continues to recover as well as he has right now. um, as for the bink behind the wheel? the only thing you may be able to do, is sue her, if the insurance hasn’t gotten you to sign a waiver first. people like that disgust me.
thinking good thoughts (and contemplating buying a thimble for your middle finger, lol!)
Teyanion 05 Jan 2006 at 11:24 pm 11All my biggest and brightest good thoughts go out to you and Scott tonight. Thank God he is alive. That car is a mess…. I cannot imagine it looking worse in person!
I wish him speedy recovery and you the patience and strength to make it through any challenges ahead.. may they be few. All the best to your entire family..
thank you for all the support and love you have sent out to my family as well.. may it all return to you ten-fold!
Jenon 06 Jan 2006 at 9:17 am 12I’m so sorry, Lanea. Drivers are crazier than ever these days. It’ll make you jumpy for a while now. We had a minor t-bone months ago and I am still jumpy. Take care of yourself as well as Scott. I am thinking well thoughts for him.
caitlynon 06 Jan 2006 at 10:09 am 13Wishing Scott a speedy recovery and sending good vibes your way.
shelleyon 06 Jan 2006 at 2:24 pm 14Your post brought me to tears, and to think how our lives can be changed in an instant. The car picture is frightful. Thank God Scott will be alright and somehow some good may come out of this: perhaps he will want to take up knitting to pass the time in recovery? Yes, it’s a stretch. My prayers are ascending for a full and speedy recovery.
lellaon 07 Jan 2006 at 4:13 am 15Lanea, there’s so much been said already but I still want to say how glad I am to hear that Scott is doing better today. Take care. I will be thinking of you, Scott and Scath with the tenderest of thoughts.
Lella
jeanon 11 Jan 2006 at 2:05 pm 16Hi Lanea, first time I’ve been to your blog but I’ve enjoyed many of your posts from KR. I’m glad to hear that Scott is recovering. With your help he will bounce back! The other driver– well, she probably already lives in a hell of her own making.
Jean (Moxie)