...We wouldn't have any luck at all. How many times have you heard that expression? I know I've used it most of my life. After the events of last week, I am still pretty sure that we have more than our share of bad luck, but I KNOW that we are also greatly blessed!!
I got the phone call on Tuesday the 5th... you know the one I mean... the one every wife dreads... Everardo had been in an accident at work, and they were packing him up to take him to Louisville. That was my first clue that it was pretty bad.
They were taking him directly to U of L instead of to the local hospital where they would take a minor injury. I didn't know at the time, but he was actually flown to the hospital via helicopter... it is probably for the best that I didn't know that at the time. I was shaking when I left the house, calling a friend who lives nearby to come and watch the kids for me. The older kids picked up on that anxious vibe and were kind of freaked out, but I gave them hugs before I left and reassured them that things would be fine.
I felt myself calm down as I got into the car and said a prayer asking for blessings to be poured out upon Everardo and our family. I had to drive the 25 minutes to the cooperage to find out where they had ended up taking him. When I got there, after a quick stop for gas because I was running almost empty, I asked.the supervisor to tell me briefly what had happened. The ladies in the office were.surprised at how calm I was, but like I told them, falling to pieces and freaking out would not help anybody... there would be time enough for that later. The supervisor explained that somehow his arm had gotten caught in the machine, and that his arm was definitely broken, and the skin on the back of his hand was gone. In reality, it was all there, it just had been ripped open, but after seeing it I understand how he got that impression.
It was an exceedingly long drive up to the U of L hospital, but I finally made it up there and found Everardo in the emergency room, waiting to be taken up to surgery. I snapped one pic when they had the splint open before the surgery, and that pic is worth a thousand words! (All of them some variation of the word OUCH!!!!)
He had one surgery on the 5th to put pins in the hand and place an ex-fix on the arm, then went back to the OR on the 7th to remove the ex-fix and go in to place plates and screws on both bones of the left forearm. The pins in the hand will come out on July 3rd. (Can you imagine... they just use a pair of pliers and pull them out!! I hope they at least numb it first!)
Now he has a splint on it, and I change the bandages every day. He started Occ. Therapy today... although the movement that he has is very limited. We are just thanking God that he still has his hand and all his fingers... it could have easily been much worse! Thank you for your prayers, kind words, and good wishes on his behalf. God is good, ALL the time!
