An Invited Guest - Part III

The age of the Pager. For those of you who are too young to know, a pager is a small device we used before cell phones where vogue. I had learned to send code by using police numbers to my then fiance.When I arrived at the hospital they asked me who I would like notified and I said my fiance. When I told the social worker what to send to him, he thought I was delirious. I was not.

                                        911.911.911.411.hospital number. ext.

Made perfect sense to my fiance. He stopped what he was doing, (taking his mom out for her birthday), and placed the call. He and MIL headed immediately to C'ville and to UVA hospital.

Status:
MOM was headed to the OR, her neck was broken in 3 places, she suffered a head injury which pressed into her brain, a broken leg and multiple cuts and bruises.

ME, I was in bad shape. My left foot was crushed. My large toe was protruding from my skin with other bones leaving a three inch gash. Gotta give credit to full time ER nurses, she and the head of UVA's orthopedics came in to look at me toe. While she distracted me and kept talking he grabbed my toe and yanked into place. I screamed, and without missing a beat she continued talking and said "I know that hurt but it was better to do it this way." (Later the podiatrist would say it was the worst broken foot he had seen.) Six broken bones total that would take 3 screws to repair.The wrist joint on my left arm popped off the bone, not an injury the orthopedic surgeon had ever seen. My left femur was broken so badly that surgery would be required. They gave me a shot that was supposed to numb pain so I could feel nothing when they decided to put my leg in traction for the night. I FELT THE PAIN! My sisters heard me screaming all the way down the hall. And lets not take about my face that went through the windshield. 

The Paper reported the next morning I was not expected to make it through the night and my fiance was instructed to cancel the wedding.

I will not forget how laying in my hospital bed my MIL feeding me soup a sip at a time. She barely knew me and yet was showing more love the my own family was. They were all with my mom. 

It is funny what you remember. I remember my sister Linda asking why we were shopping. I remember dad stopping in to bring me up to date on mom. I remember Leann (other sister) telling me they would not put me to sleep for the traction because I was too fat. But what I cherish the most was being spoon feed the soup before I went to bed by a lady who barely knew me other than her son LOVED ME. 

A lady named HOPE.