Just an update…

I’ve been meaning to post an update for a while now, but things have been … well, let’s just say I’ve been a bit chaotic and not in a good way. 

Let me start by saying that my son is doing well, and he’s going to be back to new in no time.

With that said, I received a phone call on October 6, 2022, at 11:08 a.m. from my son. Or rather, from my son’s phone. That call lasted 2 minutes and was the most harrowing call I’ve ever received. I answered the phone expecting my kid to offer to bring me lunch (something he does often), only the voice that responded did not belong to him. No, the man I spoke to was an EMT who was in the process of taking my son to the hospital. 

I can honestly tell you I don’t remember much about that call, and unfortunately, that also means I do not remember that man’s name. I wish I did because he was the kindest person I’ve ever spoken with, and he was tasked with telling me that my son had been in an accident. He assured me very quickly and very kindly that my kid was up and moving when they arrived and that he was alert and talking. Basically, he said all the right things to calm me down, but it didn’t help. I’m sure he was wondering whether or not he needed to dispatch another ambulance to my house because I went into a full-blown panic attack, imagining the worst. He was kind enough to notify the emergency room personnel to be on alert for my arrival. I’m sure they were thinking I would need a bed for myself.

From that point on, the news continued to get worse even though I saw my son’s smiling face – he’s a brave kid, and he was more worried about the car than his own well-being. As for the accident, he was cut off when a car changed lanes without signaling. To avoid hitting an 18-wheeler (I don’t want to think about what would’ve happened if he had because we’ve all seen that shit in movies), he ended up going through a guardrail and down an embankment before the car caught on fire. He was able to get himself out, and onlookers were nearby to help. 

The car is totaled, but my son is in one piece, and that’s all that I care about. My husband played down the severity of it at first to keep me from losing my mind. But he did tell me that our boy was extremely lucky. 

After four days in the hospital, they released him to come home, where he’s been safely ensconced since that day. He will remain at home for several more weeks while he recovers from the few minor scrapes and bruises, as well as 8 compression fractures in his spine, starting at his T3 vertebrae and ending at T11. And while that sounds horrible (because it is), the doctors assure us that he will make a full recovery. He’s confined to a hard brace that covers his torso, but he’s able to move around some. Although he’s restricted from bending and moving as much as possible, he’s watching television and plays video games when he’s not sleeping. 

What he doesn’t know is that when he’s ready to venture out into the world again, I’m going to securely wrap him in bubble wrap. 

It’s been 3 weeks since that accident, and I am still mentally recovering. Anyone who has someone they love unconditionally understands exactly where I’m coming from. As for me, I’m tending to him as he needs me to, and I’m trying to focus on work, namely writing. It hasn’t been easy because I’ve slipped into a rather dark bout of depression. Not necessarily from the accident or dealing with it, but it happened all the same. I am finally clawing my way back to the light. So if I haven’t responded to your emails or you haven’t seen me on social media, you now know why. 

I promise to be back in the very near future, but I wanted to let you know that I am here and that my son is doing well, as are my hubby and the three fur babies.

Much love, 

Nicole

P.S. I have included a few images from the crash. Keep in mind when you see them that he is following all the doctor’s orders and will be going in for his checkup in a few weeks. And yes, he is very sad that the car is no more. As far as I’m concerned, the car has no value whatsoever, but my kid … well, he’s everything.

P.P.S. I added a pic of my hubs snoozing at the hospital. FYI – he will catch a nap anywhere he can.