Well, as many of you know, our family had a terrible accident on Sunday. For those of you that don't, here's what happened:
Eric, the kids and I were going to go four-wheeling up at the deer stands to collect the portable stands for the winter. When we got to the last one, the brush was so thick to get back in there and there that the kids never would have made it all the way back there. So we decided that I would stay by the four-wheelers with the kids and Eric would go get the last ladder stand. After about 15 minutes I heard him screaming. [When coming down the ladder, the middle brace gave way and the ladder buckled in towards the tree. Thinking it was going to fall, the pushed away from the stand since he was only about 3-4 feet off the ground. Only his foot slipped and his leg got hung up in the ladder, snapping and twisting his femur]. I tried to grab the kids to bring them with me to go get him, but the brush was too thick, so I sat them on the four-wheeler together and told them to stay there. They instantly started crying and screaming. I ran as fast as I could through the brush and over the large, down trees until I could see him lying on the ground. He was screaming that he had broken his leg and when I looked down at it, his thigh looked to end about 4 inches above his knee. He called his dad and I called 911. The major problem at this point was that I didn't know how we would ever be able to get him out of there and to the ambulance I had hoped would be waiting. This ladder stand is about a mile and a half off a back road on a four wheeler trail that has multiple junctions. And he was another 100 yards off the four wheeler trail through very thick brush. Very few people would know where we were exactly. We tried to use what we had (a sheet of rubber, tree limbs, and rubber snubbers) to make a brace, hoping we could attempt to have him hop, but there was no moving him. At this point we thought we might be able to bust through the brush with the four wheeler and get it back to him, but I just got that one stuck instead. With no other way to get him out, dark closing in, our kids screaming that they're scared, no means of communication (because eric's cell phone had fallen out of my pocket in the woods at some point), and the wolf that made the tracks we'd seen earlier probably looking for a snack (kids or Eric), I had no other choice but to leave him and head out to the road with the kids to look for help. I put Eric's hat on him and bundled him up as best I could (luckily it was pretty warm out - 43) and told him I'd be back with help and not to worry. I flew with the kids on the four wheeler, with Allysa screaming to slow down the whole way. And just about 500 yards from the road I saw 3 men walking in along the trail. As we got closer, I saw flashing lights, two of them carrying medical equipment and bags, and the third was Eric's dad. He had flown up there after he had hung up and found the ambulance waiting, but they didn't know how to find us. Luckily, his dad did and started walking them down the trail. I briefed them on his condition (he was conscious and pretty warm, the break was above his knee, and that he could feel and move his toes) and what they could expect. I told them that I didn't know how they would ever be able to get him out of there. They explained that they were the part of the St. Louis County Rescue Squad and a bunch more men were coming with more gear, four wheelers, and a rescue sled. Eric's dad took the kids back to his truck to wait and I led the paramedics to Eric. By the time we had gotten to the trail junction, I looked back and could see the flashing lights of the rescue ATVs (a wonderful sight at this time). I led them back to the end of the four wheeler trail and then led them through the thick woods yelling to Eric that we were all here and the paramedics were with me. By the time they got there he had started shivering and had a few signs of the beginning of shock. They put oxygen on him, got a backboard under him, then used a traction device to straighten his leg so they could transport him. One of them even found Eric's cell phone!! One of the rescue team members and I started breaking branches and trees to blaze a trail they could walk the stretcher through to get it back to the rescue sled. Eventually they were able to carry him out on the stretcher, get him into the rescue sled, and they started heading out towards the ambulance. Once of them stayed back to help me get the other four wheeler unstuck and drive it out. We caught up to them just as they were loading him into the ambulance and off to the hospital he went. I went to check on the kids who were fine - happy to play with all the knobs and dials in Grandpa's truck. Eric's dad loaded the four wheelers onto the trailer for me and I got the kids in their car seats. We all met back at our house where his dad stayed with them and I got dressed and headed to the hospital. The paramedics were still with him - they had stayed to help the ER staff transfer him. They took xrays and (SURPRISE) it was a broken femur and his thigh muscled had retracted the lower portion of his leg up almost to his groin. They did emergency surgery at about 9pm. It went well - they put a permanent metal rod through the middle of his femur with screws by his knee and his hip. And today he's recovering slowly (just a lot of pain). So it'll be a long road ahead of us, but we're thankful that it wasn't any worse. We love you honey! And many thanks to our wonderful family, friends and co-workers that have visited and lent support in numerous ways. We're very grateful! And a huge thank you to the St. Louis County Rescue Squad (and the Andersons) - I don't know what we would have done without you. So if you're looking for a charity to donate to, please donate to the St. Louis County
Eric, the kids and I were going to go four-wheeling up at the deer stands to collect the portable stands for the winter. When we got to the last one, the brush was so thick to get back in there and there that the kids never would have made it all the way back there. So we decided that I would stay by the four-wheelers with the kids and Eric would go get the last ladder stand. After about 15 minutes I heard him screaming. [When coming down the ladder, the middle brace gave way and the ladder buckled in towards the tree. Thinking it was going to fall, the pushed away from the stand since he was only about 3-4 feet off the ground. Only his foot slipped and his leg got hung up in the ladder, snapping and twisting his femur]. I tried to grab the kids to bring them with me to go get him, but the brush was too thick, so I sat them on the four-wheeler together and told them to stay there. They instantly started crying and screaming. I ran as fast as I could through the brush and over the large, down trees until I could see him lying on the ground. He was screaming that he had broken his leg and when I looked down at it, his thigh looked to end about 4 inches above his knee. He called his dad and I called 911. The major problem at this point was that I didn't know how we would ever be able to get him out of there and to the ambulance I had hoped would be waiting. This ladder stand is about a mile and a half off a back road on a four wheeler trail that has multiple junctions. And he was another 100 yards off the four wheeler trail through very thick brush. Very few people would know where we were exactly. We tried to use what we had (a sheet of rubber, tree limbs, and rubber snubbers) to make a brace, hoping we could attempt to have him hop, but there was no moving him. At this point we thought we might be able to bust through the brush with the four wheeler and get it back to him, but I just got that one stuck instead. With no other way to get him out, dark closing in, our kids screaming that they're scared, no means of communication (because eric's cell phone had fallen out of my pocket in the woods at some point), and the wolf that made the tracks we'd seen earlier probably looking for a snack (kids or Eric), I had no other choice but to leave him and head out to the road with the kids to look for help. I put Eric's hat on him and bundled him up as best I could (luckily it was pretty warm out - 43) and told him I'd be back with help and not to worry. I flew with the kids on the four wheeler, with Allysa screaming to slow down the whole way. And just about 500 yards from the road I saw 3 men walking in along the trail. As we got closer, I saw flashing lights, two of them carrying medical equipment and bags, and the third was Eric's dad. He had flown up there after he had hung up and found the ambulance waiting, but they didn't know how to find us. Luckily, his dad did and started walking them down the trail. I briefed them on his condition (he was conscious and pretty warm, the break was above his knee, and that he could feel and move his toes) and what they could expect. I told them that I didn't know how they would ever be able to get him out of there. They explained that they were the part of the St. Louis County Rescue Squad and a bunch more men were coming with more gear, four wheelers, and a rescue sled. Eric's dad took the kids back to his truck to wait and I led the paramedics to Eric. By the time we had gotten to the trail junction, I looked back and could see the flashing lights of the rescue ATVs (a wonderful sight at this time). I led them back to the end of the four wheeler trail and then led them through the thick woods yelling to Eric that we were all here and the paramedics were with me. By the time they got there he had started shivering and had a few signs of the beginning of shock. They put oxygen on him, got a backboard under him, then used a traction device to straighten his leg so they could transport him. One of them even found Eric's cell phone!! One of the rescue team members and I started breaking branches and trees to blaze a trail they could walk the stretcher through to get it back to the rescue sled. Eventually they were able to carry him out on the stretcher, get him into the rescue sled, and they started heading out towards the ambulance. Once of them stayed back to help me get the other four wheeler unstuck and drive it out. We caught up to them just as they were loading him into the ambulance and off to the hospital he went. I went to check on the kids who were fine - happy to play with all the knobs and dials in Grandpa's truck. Eric's dad loaded the four wheelers onto the trailer for me and I got the kids in their car seats. We all met back at our house where his dad stayed with them and I got dressed and headed to the hospital. The paramedics were still with him - they had stayed to help the ER staff transfer him. They took xrays and (SURPRISE) it was a broken femur and his thigh muscled had retracted the lower portion of his leg up almost to his groin. They did emergency surgery at about 9pm. It went well - they put a permanent metal rod through the middle of his femur with screws by his knee and his hip. And today he's recovering slowly (just a lot of pain). So it'll be a long road ahead of us, but we're thankful that it wasn't any worse. We love you honey! And many thanks to our wonderful family, friends and co-workers that have visited and lent support in numerous ways. We're very grateful! And a huge thank you to the St. Louis County Rescue Squad (and the Andersons) - I don't know what we would have done without you. So if you're looking for a charity to donate to, please donate to the St. Louis County
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