Life Can Change In An Instant

Today is the 5 year anniversary of the day that changed my life. 5 years ago, at about the same time I'm typing this, Paul and I were hit by a drunk driver less then 3 miles from our home, what a way to start off a Christmas break-right. We were extremely lucky to say the least. I was asleep when we were hit(which is probably why I lived) and was thrown about 50 feet from the vehicle, Paul remained in the vehicle and sustained only bumps, bruises, and some temporary pain. Me on the other hand was pretty banged up-broken back/pelvis, massive bruising, and pretty darn lucky to be alive and not permanently scarred or paralyzed. At the scene they were unsure how severe I was injured internally so I was taken to ShandsTrauma center by helicopter.

I don't remember much of the accident, luckily, but there are a few things that stand out in my mind-being yelled at by the trauma doctor at Shands telling me that most people who are ejected during a car accident aren't seeing him they are downstairs. What is downstairs you ask, the morgue... Hearing my dad crying and saying "my baby can move her legs". I had no idea what he was talking about but later learned that they were still trying to figure out if I was going to be able to walk...Being really ticked off when I realized that they had to cut off my new jeans and sweater to stabilize me, I do have my priorities you know. I ended up spending the next 5 days in Shands-not a pleasant experience at all. I was put on bed rest the entire time and for 3 weeks after being discharged-I'm telling you this Christmas break was the best ever. (Can you sense my sarcasm here.) On the day before I was discharged the nurses came in to take me to try and walk for the first time in days. This may sound easy but the part of my pelvis that was fractured was about a 1/4 inch from the base of my spinal cord meaning, if the bone fell into place correctly I was fine and if it didn't, well the worst could happen paralysis... like I said I was a lucky girl. The bone fell just right I could go home but again had to be on bed rest putting no weight on the bone until it had time to heal, 3-4 weeks minium. I was so excited to go home but dreaded not being able to do anything and being completely dependent on others for everything.

I went home hoping and praying for the best. Up until this point in my life I was never very religious and didn't think prayer could work. I prayed more in the 3 weeks I was laying on my back that it would heal properly and all would be fine then ever before. Well all that prayer worked at my 3 week check up I was completely healed, the doctor was amazed he said it usually takes 4-6 weeks to be healed completely. I was given the ok to walk again without assistance, YAY, the only restrictions I was given were no running or driving for a few more weeks. I could live with that I could walk and I was alive!!!

Life can change in an instant and make you reflect on everything you do and have done. I'm still trying to figure out why I made it out with what I relaized later were minor injuries, they were pretty major to me at the time( 9 out of 10 people thrown from a car die on impact). It's something I'll never know but apparently God wasn't ready for me to leave earth and frankly I wasn't either.

Be thankful for everyday you, live your life to the fullest, and live with no regrets.....