My wife is lucky to be alive.
On New Year's Eve, not even two days ago, Gwen was involved in a car wreck. She was on her way home from work when a driver going the wrong way slammed into her car at a high rate of speed.
The other driver was talking on a cell phone, according to the poice and fire reports who were on scene. The driver escaped relatively unscathed.
My wife, however, did not. She was severely injured: numerous broken bones throughout her entire body, bruises and contusions, and a severe concussion. Gwen is still unconscious in the MICU (Medical Intensive Care Unit) as I write this down.
It kills me to see my usually vibrant, smiling wife lying in a hospital bed, bandages and splints wrapped around her body, IVs in both arms, and an oxgyen tube underneath her nose. Her nose is also broken. Gwen looks like she went several rounds with Muhammed Ali ... and you can probably guess who lost. Not Muhammed Ali, that is for sure!
I have been keeping the family informed on the latest news regarding Gwen's accident and current state here in the hospital. I have called my boss from my work; boss, bless his heart, told me to take a few days off until I know for sure that Gwen is going to be okay. (Nice of my boss to do that; I owe him one!)
I have been talking to our kids (11-year-old Windy and 8-year-old T.J.) informed as well; they are very worried that their mommy isn't coming back. I told them that mommy is going to be just fine, but right now she needs to be in the hospital, so the doctors and nurses can help her to get well. I told them to pray for their mommy and to make her some get-well cards that I can take to her.
Bless their hearts: T.J. and Wendy are too young to be able to visit their mommy at the hospital. If I brought them to the hospital, they would probably end up getting bored, but then again, hospitals provide coloring books, crayons, and such to keep kids entertained while their parents are visiting sick or injured loved ones.
I'm just glad that my mother is at my house, watching over the children. I know the kids enjoy having Nana over; it can take their minds off their mommy for a while, and I can know that the kids are safe with a trusted adult.
Meanwhile, I am here at the hospital, camped out in the MICU waiting room, waiting for visiting hours to start at nine. I just woke up not even a half hour ago. I am sitting here, writing this down on my laptop and drnking a cup of the nastiest coffee imaginable! UGH! Why didn't I just get a Coke Classic?? God, what is IN this coffee, anyway?? Rocket fuel?? It's so ... BITTER!!
I slept fairly good, considering the circumstnces, but the stupid pager kept going off all night long. Even heard a call for a Code Blue, which is medicalese for someone whose heart or breathing has stopped, then the sound of feet flying and carts being pushed down the hall and yelling voices. Thought for a minute it was my wife, but then I saw them go off in a different direction.
Whew! What a relief!!
This is NO way to start off the New Year: visiting a loved one who has been hurt by somebody else's stupididy! I'm just glad it wasn't any worse! As bad as Gwen has been injured, I CAN be grateful for one thing: she wasn't killed, though she will probably be out of commission for a good while; Gwen faces a long, lengthy, painful recovery.
Well, I am going to try to get some sleep so I can be presentable when I go see Gwen at nine. I will write in here again soon with another update; until then, just keep us in your prayers! Gwen and I would both greatly appreciate any (and ALL) prayers!
