Nine years ago, on July 5th, my husband Dave sustained a traumatic brain injury when he fell out of the back of his pick-up truck. Most of you probably know about this incident, and like me, ar
Back in 2005, I didn't have a Facebook page or a blog. I kept people updated on Dave's progress through emails that a friend posted to a website. While I provided regular updates, there were some things I didn't share - and a strong voice inside me has pestered me for the last few years to share these experiences. Now that another anniversary has rolled around, I know it's time. I would say the purpose of sharing this story is to show the power of prayer - that even in the most dire of circumstances, prayer can bring amazing strength and, sometimes, even miracles. In upcoming blog posts, I will share some profound experiences that, in my mind, can’t be attributed to coincidence or imagination.
First some background information
Following Dave's accident, he was taken to Bryan West Hospital in Lincoln where he spent two weeks in the ICU. At first, his prognosis was good. When he fell, the right side of his head hit the pavement. A CT scan showed an epidural hematoma on that side of his brain. Thanks to the speed with which Dave was transported to the hospital, the neurosurgeon was able to remove the blood clot before it damaged his brain. He was optimistic that Dave would make a full recovery. That optimistic report left my daughters and me unprepared for the sight of Dave when we were allowed into his room. He was on a ventilator and was unrecognizable with all the tubes and equipment that surrounded his body.
Dave and I are both blessed to have large families, and by that night, family members started descending on the hospital to help keep a constant vigil at his bedside. We made sure he was never left alone. By the third day, our hopes of a positive outcome were dashed when his condition took a sudden and terrible turn. Dave was whisked away for an emergency CT scan which showed massive bruising and swelling on the left side of his brain. When the right side of his head hit the pavement, it was with so much force that it caused the left side of brain to slam against his skull. Dave's condition was extremely critical over the next few days, but then he started showing gradual improvement.
While all of this was going on, prayer chains were being established not only around the state, but around the world. You take two large, prayerful families and multiply that by friends and relatives and even strangers - well...it was pretty amazing.
We thought our prayers would be answered the day the doctors finally said Dave could be taken off the ventilator. I couldn't wait to hear his voice and know that he was going to be okay. Instead, we were hit with a horrible reality. Dave could not speak - the only sounds that came out of his mouth were gibberish - and he showed no signs of recognizing any of us. Over the next few days, more startling and harsh realities hit. Because of the damage to the left side of his brain, Dave could not use the right side of his body. He could not walk and could not even feed himself. At this point, there wasn't much more they could do for him at Bryan. He was transported to Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital where he would begin intensive therapy. The long-term outlook wasn't good.
Up next: The Electrical Current
e astounded at how quickly that time has gone!
Back in 2005, I didn't have a Facebook page or a blog. I kept people updated on Dave's progress through emails that a friend posted to a website. While I provided regular updates, there were some things I didn't share - and a strong voice inside me has pestered me for the last few years to share these experiences. Now that another anniversary has rolled around, I know it's time. I would say the purpose of sharing this story is to show the power of prayer - that even in the most dire of circumstances, prayer can bring amazing strength and, sometimes, even miracles. In upcoming blog posts, I will share some profound experiences that, in my mind, can’t be attributed to coincidence or imagination.
First some background information
Following Dave's accident, he was taken to Bryan West Hospital in Lincoln where he spent two weeks in the ICU. At first, his prognosis was good. When he fell, the right side of his head hit the pavement. A CT scan showed an epidural hematoma on that side of his brain. Thanks to the speed with which Dave was transported to the hospital, the neurosurgeon was able to remove the blood clot before it damaged his brain. He was optimistic that Dave would make a full recovery. That optimistic report left my daughters and me unprepared for the sight of Dave when we were allowed into his room. He was on a ventilator and was unrecognizable with all the tubes and equipment that surrounded his body.
Dave and I are both blessed to have large families, and by that night, family members started descending on the hospital to help keep a constant vigil at his bedside. We made sure he was never left alone. By the third day, our hopes of a positive outcome were dashed when his condition took a sudden and terrible turn. Dave was whisked away for an emergency CT scan which showed massive bruising and swelling on the left side of his brain. When the right side of his head hit the pavement, it was with so much force that it caused the left side of brain to slam against his skull. Dave's condition was extremely critical over the next few days, but then he started showing gradual improvement.
While all of this was going on, prayer chains were being established not only around the state, but around the world. You take two large, prayerful families and multiply that by friends and relatives and even strangers - well...it was pretty amazing.
We thought our prayers would be answered the day the doctors finally said Dave could be taken off the ventilator. I couldn't wait to hear his voice and know that he was going to be okay. Instead, we were hit with a horrible reality. Dave could not speak - the only sounds that came out of his mouth were gibberish - and he showed no signs of recognizing any of us. Over the next few days, more startling and harsh realities hit. Because of the damage to the left side of his brain, Dave could not use the right side of his body. He could not walk and could not even feed himself. At this point, there wasn't much more they could do for him at Bryan. He was transported to Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital where he would begin intensive therapy. The long-term outlook wasn't good.
Up next: The Electrical Current