FA+
Shop
Wrong place, wrong time
13 years ago
General
Greetings. Bad news to report folks.
Less than a month ago, my wife and I got into a severe car accident on our return trip from her parent's house. We were stopped at a red light and a driver hit us from behind at high speed. I suffered a slight concussion, a broken left leg and a crushed left ankel (in between the pedals) along with bruises and minor cuts and scrapes. My wife was sleeping at the time and hit her head on the side supports which caused brain trauma. Because of the angle she was sleeping at, the seatbelt compressed her chest and throat cutting off her air for several minutes.
I don't remember anything until I was in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. I needed surgery on my ankle however I was more worried about my wife who was in critical condition at the time. When I awoke from the surgery my doctor told me that my wife was unconscious and had undergone surgery to relieve the pressure building in her brain. At the time, she was still in serious condition and I was only able to see her the following morning for a few minutes.
Steffi (my wife) was in a coma for about 4 days total then drifted in and out of consciousness for another 3 days but was not responding to me or any outside stimuli. Needless to say, I was in a state of panic and unable to think clearly. The doctor prepared me for the worst, saying that due to her trauma and lack of air it wouldn't be uncommon for her to suffer some kind of brain damage. Our whole family was there at the hospital and I was unwilling to leave her room at all, despite advice from my doctor.
After a week, Steffi woke up for good to my infinite relief. She responded to me and to her doctor and showed no signs of brain damage which made me the happiest husband in the world. Unfortunately, she couldn't speak due to a vocal chord injury, but she was able to make slight sounds if she tried. The biggest worry was a persistent nausea, vertigo and balance issues.
We spent a bit more than two and a half weeks in the hospital. I had to undergo a second surgery on my ankle to put in two screws and Steffi showed remarkable strength and will to heal quickly. We are back at home now with my mother to help us out and a health care worker to change my bandages and to get Steffi to her daily therapy sessions.
It's been a terrible and wonderful month for us. I was at my lowest and at my best in the past three and a half weeks. Steffi's resilience shocked her doctor but I always knew she was a strong woman and capable of remarkable feats. It will be a long road to recovery for us and we are getting a bit better every day.
Love and thanks to our family, friends and co-workers who lent us their energy and support over this past month. Special love goes out to Daralyn and to NegativeTheory who helped me through this difficult time.
With a bit of luck and a lot of hard work, we will return to our normal lives sooner rather than later. Please, cherish the time you have with your loved ones, you never know what will happen tomorrow. I know that Steffi and I have grown closer to each other, her love gives me strength as I'm sure my love gives to her.
Less than a month ago, my wife and I got into a severe car accident on our return trip from her parent's house. We were stopped at a red light and a driver hit us from behind at high speed. I suffered a slight concussion, a broken left leg and a crushed left ankel (in between the pedals) along with bruises and minor cuts and scrapes. My wife was sleeping at the time and hit her head on the side supports which caused brain trauma. Because of the angle she was sleeping at, the seatbelt compressed her chest and throat cutting off her air for several minutes.
I don't remember anything until I was in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. I needed surgery on my ankle however I was more worried about my wife who was in critical condition at the time. When I awoke from the surgery my doctor told me that my wife was unconscious and had undergone surgery to relieve the pressure building in her brain. At the time, she was still in serious condition and I was only able to see her the following morning for a few minutes.
Steffi (my wife) was in a coma for about 4 days total then drifted in and out of consciousness for another 3 days but was not responding to me or any outside stimuli. Needless to say, I was in a state of panic and unable to think clearly. The doctor prepared me for the worst, saying that due to her trauma and lack of air it wouldn't be uncommon for her to suffer some kind of brain damage. Our whole family was there at the hospital and I was unwilling to leave her room at all, despite advice from my doctor.
After a week, Steffi woke up for good to my infinite relief. She responded to me and to her doctor and showed no signs of brain damage which made me the happiest husband in the world. Unfortunately, she couldn't speak due to a vocal chord injury, but she was able to make slight sounds if she tried. The biggest worry was a persistent nausea, vertigo and balance issues.
We spent a bit more than two and a half weeks in the hospital. I had to undergo a second surgery on my ankle to put in two screws and Steffi showed remarkable strength and will to heal quickly. We are back at home now with my mother to help us out and a health care worker to change my bandages and to get Steffi to her daily therapy sessions.
It's been a terrible and wonderful month for us. I was at my lowest and at my best in the past three and a half weeks. Steffi's resilience shocked her doctor but I always knew she was a strong woman and capable of remarkable feats. It will be a long road to recovery for us and we are getting a bit better every day.
Love and thanks to our family, friends and co-workers who lent us their energy and support over this past month. Special love goes out to Daralyn and to NegativeTheory who helped me through this difficult time.
With a bit of luck and a lot of hard work, we will return to our normal lives sooner rather than later. Please, cherish the time you have with your loved ones, you never know what will happen tomorrow. I know that Steffi and I have grown closer to each other, her love gives me strength as I'm sure my love gives to her.
