Thursday, October 7, 2010

Count Your Blessings


I've learned a great deal about counting my blessings recently. On September 26th I received a phone call at 4:00 AM that my mom and dad were in a hit and run accident in Houston and were in critical condition.

It is hard to explain the way this news made me feel - as if I had put my fingers in a light socket and felt electricity shoot through my body. I was stunned and frozen in disbelief. Within 20 minutes of hearing the news I was in the car with my husband and my brother on our way from Austin to Houston.

My mother suffered minor injuries, a broken nose and 25 stitches on her forehead. My father was in the worst shape of all the victims. He arrived unresponsive to the hospital and they were reluctant to say whether he would live or not. I haven't prayed that hard my entire life. It was as if my heart was being ripped out of my chest and I couldn't bare to take another breath.

After spending 10 days in the Neurosurgical ICU with head trauma, seven broken ribs and a shattered wrist - he was miraculously released to go home. Doctor after doctor came by his hospital bed on his release date, all telling him how far he has come in such a short time. The road to a full recovery will be a long one, but the ROCK of our family is alive.

If you care to read the story of the accident, and the play by play of the 10 longest days of my life then you can visit http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jasonheyse Sorry, we've since taken the caring bridge site down.

Update 5/7/11: My dad is doing very well and continues to work to fully rehabilitate his crushed left hand. My mother's "minor" injuries turned very serious in February of this year when she had emergency spinal surgery to remove a large infection and replace vertebrae with a metal rod. She is currently wearing a halo brace, but all our spirits are up...and we continue to count our blessings.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
count your blessings, see what God has done!

So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be disheartened, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey's end.

7 comments:

  1. Mandy,
    I am so happy to hear that your parents are okay! Houston traffic is horrible. Praying for a swift recovery for your parents.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh Mandy! I'm so sorry you've all gone through that. So glad they are back home....saying a prayer for your dad's full recovery. ♥

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh Mandy, I'm so sorry to hear about that but so glad your father is doing better. I know how you feel. My hubby was in a minor fender bender and 6 days later I couldnt' wake him up. I was 8 months pregnant and the ambulance sent him to an emergency hospital where they told me he had a brain hemmorage and wasn't going to make it. They air evaced him to the neurological ICU and realized he had suffered a weird very rare from of whip lash in the artery in the back of his neck and he suffered a substantial stroke. He was there for a month, brain surgery, on life support and rehab, he is home down with us and shows NO deficiencies. Miracles do happen!!! :) You're in my thoughts and prayers!

    ReplyDelete
  4. You guys, thank you so much for your sweet comments and encouragement!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am soooo sorry to hear this and so thankful for your father's recovery - and your mom too! I canno even imagine how you've all suffered!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Still praying for your dad, glad he has recovered.
    My fiancé is an RN in the Neuro ICU, pretty great stuff they did for your father!

    Thinking of your family!

    ReplyDelete

Your comments mean a lot to me, I love hearing from you!