The Accidental Couple!

I am going to take you back to September 2, 2012.  Its a day I don't remember much but going to choir practice then...waking up in the emergency room, seeing my husband with a huge bandage around his head and then seeing my Bishop.  Your probably thinking "What the?".  That afternoon, Mike and I were in a head-on collision with another pick up truck.  I don't remember anything of the accident, I don't even remember the good looking firemen who pulled me out...dang it!

These pictures maybe graphic and I am sorry but I have to share what I know for sure.  The accident happened on Washington Blvd turning westbound on 4300 into Washington Terrace.  Our light was out so Mike followed the other cars and someone ran head on into us going 50-55 mph.

Here is the miracle.  My husband saved me!  Yes, he literally saved my life.  In this pickup my seatbelt had been broken for many years.  We were only at Brenna's, taking the toy box to her house.  When the accident occured, somehow, Mike got out of his seatbelt, reached across to hold me back.  In the picture below you can see where his head hit (in the middle) and where his elbow hit (underneath the head).  On the passenger side, you can see where my head hit and the right side of my body came out of the car and damaged the side mirror.  If Mike hadn't done that, I would have gone through the windsheild.  

 I was in the hospital for 5 days with a TBI (tramautic brain injury) in other words, bleeding on the brain.  Mike was released the night of the accident, what you see is a lot of road rash but he did get some stitches.  My claim to fame is my Harry Potter "Z" on my forehead.  But with that "Z" comes some challenges.  I am presenting in PT, OT and I also have speech therapy.  I am dizzy and my balance is way off, so now I walk with a cane.  Now lets talk about feeling my age! I have speech and memory problems, but with time and patience on my part, I should be ok, no one has said anything about a full recovery yet.

I am so lucky to have the family that I do.  My daughter Brenna took over and contacted her sisters who are out in California, they came out as soon as they could.  Brenna stayed with me each night at the hospital, I kept telling her she had her own family to look after and she told me that she couldn't see me up here alone.  I sure love that girl!!! Once all my daughters were here, they basically took over and finished our packing (yes, we moved, long horrible story) and with the help of our ward, got our stuff moved to a storage facility.  I had just got a job and had to tell them I couldn't start working, actually Brenna went to my boss and told him what was going on and then the doctor said I couldn't even think about going back to work until maybe sometime in November.  We also got a lot of help from Mike's son's Adam and Jared, they were wonderful!

But you know what?  At looking at everything, Mike and I are pretty darn lucky to be alive!  We have had several people tell us we should not have survived...so our work here on earth is not complete yet.  I love my husband more today than I have ever had in our 10 years of marriage and my love for my daughters has just grown even more.  I am so proud of them, words can not explain.