What Hit Me

We’ve talked about an extended winter vacation in Florida for years.  Not that winters in Cary, North Carolina are that bad, but we wanted a change this year.  Since our daughter, Jennifer, and family were spending Christmas in Europe, we decided to start our vacation early - we were in Naples, Florida for Christmas and rented a beautiful condo for January.

The vacation was going great until I decided to take a late afternoon walk to a marina  about a mile away.  As I was returning - on the sidewalk - I looked up.  I was on the ground and a crowd of people were staring at me.  A car was on top of me and paramedics were shouting instructions while getting the car off of me.  I was helicoptered to a hospital in Fort Myers I later learned was the number one trauma hospital in the area.

I had 8-10 broken ribs, a knee the size, not of a basketball, but of a volleyball, and and internal bleeding, made worse because I take Coumadin.  Later I learned I also had a concussion still causing confusion six weeks later.

The first week was in ICU.  I was drugged part of the time but still  awake enough to be miserable.

Seventeen days later, i was released to a rehab facility that had its own form of torture - 3 hours or physical therapy a day.

I did learn a  couple of things.  I can endure pain.  I have many friends who are concerned about me.  And my wife - she is a champion.  She located another condo, moved us into it, while visiting me every day in the hospital.  Thank you , Aloma.  You are the best.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com