I was at work Friday morning, January 3. When I left that morning, Joe had told me he was going into the woods for a few hours before work with our good friend and neighbor, Hugh, to collect some deer stands they had left behind this hunting season. They had been logging the land where they hunt and they wanted to get all their gear out of there. I got a call on my cell phone around 12 noon from Joe. He told me he hated to interrupt me at work, but he was "kind of in the middle of an emergency, here." I walked to the back of the pharmacy and tried to stay calm while he proceeded to tell me he was laying in the woods waiting on the ambulance to get there...I could hear sirens in the background...and that he was pretty sure he had broken his femur, and was in an excruciating amount of pain. Wow. Ok. I stayed on the phone with him until they got back to him. They were about a mile into the woods.
While I was talking to him my phone began ringing off the hook...first Hugh, then Erin (Hugh's wife), then our good friend (and firefighter) Paul Casey, and Paul's sweet wife, Delta. I went to my co-workers and told them Joe had been in an accident, I wasn't sure how bad things were yet, but I needed to leave...and so I did. I drove around town for about 15 minutes or so waiting on them to call me to let me know where they were headed before Erin texted me and told me they were air-lifting him to MCG. Started to panic a little here. All I knew was his leg was broken...I had no idea if he was bleeding or if there were other injuries...and then I hear those words..."air-lifting." Ugh. I sat in the parking lot of First Baptist Church Augusta...the church where we were married...and prayed and prayed so hard that all was going to be ok while I waited to hear which hospital we were going to.
When he got to MCG he was in a lot of pain. They did the X-rays and determined his only injury was a broken femur. Thank you, Lord! They told us he would need surgery. We spent 9 long hours in the ER before being moved to a room in the hospital. They did surgery the following morning to repair his leg.
Joe wears a safety harness when he uses his climber stands in the woods...basically to prevent falls when he's in the stand. Ironically enough, to keep him safe. He was wearing the safety harness when he hopped back on his 4-wheeler that morning to head back out of the woods, since they were done collecting the stands. He threw the rope to the harness (which was clipped to his pants) around his neck and got back on the 4-wheeler and began to push the gas to leave. Somehow the rope had fallen back onto the ground and had gotten caught up in the wheel of the 4-wheeler. When it did this, and Joe pushed the gas, it yanked him off and pulled him to the ground. It pulled him off with such force that it broke his leg.
Paul is carrying the stretcher front left. Awesome, awesome friend. He wasn't even on duty that day...and was sick with a fever. And Hugh is in the middle carrying the stretcher on the right. So thankful these two guys were there with him.
Nasty break.
This was after they placed the traction pin in the ER. Apologies if this is a little too graphic! They looked at me and said, "Do you have a weak stomach?" I asked what they were about to do, and they explained this to me. I told them I probably better leave the room. Ironically enough, they said after they put the pin in, he would experience some relief from the pain from the break. And he said he did. He stayed in traction for probably about 10 hours, until they did surgery the next morning.
This is what his leg looks like now, after putting the rod in.
This whole experience has served as such a harsh reminder of how, in the blink of an eye, everything about life can change completely! I have spent a lot of time on my knees thanking my Heavenly Father that Joe was not injured more seriously, and that all we are facing is a broken leg. Each day seems to bring a little more healing and mobility for him. I have also realized how much of a team my husband and I truly are...and how much I take for granted what all he does for me around here! We have been blessed with some outstanding friends and family who have really been here for us to help out with food, prayers, extra hands with the kids, and sometimes just simply visits and kind thoughts/words. We are blessed with an amazing support system. Don't know where I would be without all these fabulous people in my life. I'm not great with words...you know who you are ;)
They are telling us to expect 6-8 weeks for recovery. Please pray that he continues to heal and he will be back to 100% within a few weeks. This mama needs her teammate back in full swing.
So sweet and well written! You guys really do make a great team!!
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