It seems like an eternity, but four weeks ago today I got plowed over by a truck on my way to a local bike race. This post is not about the blood and gore of the accident itself but a huge shout out to my family, friends, and neighbors that helped and continue to help make my recovery so much easier.
Cliff Notes version is I spent nine days in the hospital, including three days in ICU, with a collapsed lung, ruptured spleen, six broken ribs, a separated shoulder and as I found out yesterday, most likely a broken scapula. To add insult to injury, during my stay in the hospital I fell in the bathroom and cracked my head open. I was also the recipient of an eight hour blood transfusion thanks to an uncooperative hemoglobin count. Six days following my release from the hospital, and ironically my birthday, I returned for AC shoulder repair surgery and am now the proud owner of a permanent plate in my shoulder.
Anyway, the compassion, help, visits, prayers, meals, and assistance I received from so many different people has been overwhelming and beyond incredible. I know people don’t do nice things in order to be repaid but my IOU list is huge.
First, my awesome wife and kids. Not only did Holly visit me in the hospital twice a day but she somehow kept the kids in their routines and on schedules including getting Ellie to the Taylor Swift concert in Dallas that she had been eagerly awaiting since Christmas. Every morning she brought me coffee and every afternoon she brought me a giant Coke filled with ice. She also brought me clothes so I didn’t have to bare ass it around the hospital halls in my gown during my daily walks, plus numerous visits to Red Box to keep me entertained with movies, and replacement batteries for all my electronics. I was treated like a king on my birthday and father’s day. Holly, I love you.
Next, my mom and dad. My dad has been having back problems and was scheduled for surgery and spine fusion the week after my accident. He offered to cancel his surgery so he could fly to Austin to help out. My mom has had Parkinson’s Disease for over 20 years and struggles every day. She put aside her own struggles to make sure I was well cared for. More than ever, I realize how lucky I am to have a dad that’s a doctor. He was always there to answer questions and talk to doctors when my brain was in the clouds due to ridiculous amounts of pain meds.
My little bro and sis and their spouses. They checked on me every day and most important, took good care of my mom while my dad had his back surgery.
Considering we haven’t even been in Austin two years, our neighbors have been amazing. The night of the accident a neighbor slept on our couch so Holly could stay with me in the hospital. Every night the next two weeks we had meals delivered, a baby sitter for Scarlett, and a clean house. One neighbor brought a giant cooler full of healthy snacks and magazines for Holly to eat and read while she was at the hospital. The Saturday after I got home from the hospital I heard a lawn mower, looked out the window to find six of our adult neighbors, mowing, edging, weeding our lawn and trimming all the shrubs.
A special thanks to my friend that went to my office late one night and spent hours uploading design files that needed to be sent out to vendors and clients.
Two friends paid my office rent for the month of June. I’m still flabbergasted by this generosity.
My new Texas bike racing buddies came to visit me almost every day and brought me a million different bike magazines and cups of coffee to help kill time in the hospital. Last Thursday, to get out of the house, I went to watch the weekly race. Guys I didn’t even know stopped to talk to me, told me they’d heard about my accident, and were glad I was going to be okay.
A special thanks to my vendors and clients for making sure my design projects got completed and delivered on time despite the fact my files were ridiculously late and some not quite complete.
A shout out to the founder and director, who is also a bike hit-and-run victim, of “Please Be Kind to Cyclists” for an out-of-the-blue phone call, telling me his own story, and asking what he could do to help?
This is just the beginning of all the awesome things everyone has done to make my life easier. For this I am humbled and will always be grateful. Tuesday an off-duty Austin Fire Fighter was hit on his bike by someone that thought taking Ambien and driving go well hand-in-hand. He’s in really bad shape. As crappy as I’ve felt, I know it could have been much worse. I start physical therapy next week, have been given the green light to slowly start riding my spin bike inside, and am already thinking about cyclocross season this fall.
Thank you everyone!
