Modified Plans

On May 11th I was finishing up a day of honey-do's and some of my own projects when I missed a step on my ladder and fell six feet onto the concrete in my shop, narrowly missing the sharp edges of my table saw. Melody had come into the shop just in time to see me fall, so I didn't have to wait for her to hear my hollering to get some help. We called the ambulance, and after what seemed like far too long the paramedics arrived and transported me to the emergency room.

The long and short of my injuries include two broken wrists, a cracked pelvis, a torn hip ligament, and a compression fracture on a vertebrae.  After the surgeries on the wrists, they also discovered a pulmonary embolism which bought me three days in ICU on a ventilator. Those three days were the hardest event of my life EVER: to be in pain, to have a to-do list forty-three miles long and not be able to communicate with care-givers or with anyone that could check things off that to-do list. My communication consisted of eyebrow raises, head-shaking (which everyone ignored and did just what I didn't want them to do) and a little gurgling that respiratory therapist taught me. I had some gentle nurses and some ultra-efficient nurses (code for rough),  but without a doubt I received excellent care from everyone.

My prognosis is good, but we have a long six to eight weeks ahead of us as I need help for nearly every aspect of my personal care.  It turns out hands are very useful in self-sufficiency, and walking on your own helps too.

Right after my fall, Melody contacted President Shultz, and our stake president, President Farnsworth, contacted Salt Lake about delaying our mission, without canceling and having to resubmit. President Shultz was able to rearrange things and can still use us when we can get there. We have from three to six months to obtain a medical release. My doctor says that three months is the absolute SOONEST he would release me.

During that second night in the ICU, when I couldn't talk but I couldn't sleep either, I had plenty of time to think. Despite my injuries, I realized the tender mercies of the Lord. The fact of the matter is that we had too much on our plate  to be ready to go in 28 days, and my pride had kept me from asking for more time. The Lord has given us a way to get those things in order, and time to do it. Although I'm certainly hurt, the what-if's could have been so, so much worse. Not only do I have the time, I'm also having the opportunity to learn some important lessons, humility and patience, to name a few.

We have been so grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers on our behalf. We have felt the strength of those prayers as well as help and encouragement from beyond the veil. We have no doubt that our Heavenly Father loves us and is keenly aware of our needs as well as our desires to serve. He is in control.