Repaying the favor

I have yet to tell this story here, because I always just assume that everyone has already heard it. It is such a big part of who we are, that I make sure to tell everyone who will listen. In fact, I am currently in the process of writing a book about it. That's no joke.

Something amazing happened yesterday, and I was really excited to blog about it. After starting to write the post about said event, I realized that you wouldn't understand it's significance to us because you didn't know this story yet. There are a select few of you who already know what I am about to say, so feel free to skip forward to the end, and only read the part about what happened yesterday. If you don't know this story though, I encourage you to read it, because it truly is amazing. I will try to keep it as short as I can!

April 15, 2005 was a day that forever changed our lives. Brett was out riding his dirt bike, as he usually did on his days off, and I was at work. About two hours into my shift Lloyd {my father in law} showed up, and wanted to talk to me. I was just finishing up a haircut, and told him I would be right with him. I knew something was wrong, I could just tell. The rest of the haircut seemed like it was taking forever, and I was freaking out inside. The worst possible thoughts were running through my mind. I was sure that someone had died.

When I was finally done, and went out to talk to him, he told me that Brett had been in an accident on his dirt bike. I have to be honest with you, I was relieved at first. Brett wrecked his bike all the time, and he was always okay. So I thought that this wreck would be the same as usual, a broken bone that would be better in six weeks or so. I was wrong. He told me that it was bad, and we needed to leave immediately.

Brett was taken by ambulance to the American Fork hospital, but the injuries were too severe for them to treat. He had to be taken to the University of Utah Hospital via Life Flight. After the family had arrived at the hospital it was about six hours before we were told what was going on. I was able to go back with Brett's sister and see him for just a few minutes, but that was all.

His injuries included a broken neck, two lower spinal fractures, and the right side of his pelvis was shattered. It was bad. The doctor told us that he only had a 10% chance of making it through the night, and that we should say our goodbyes. They also told us that if he did live, he would be paralyzed from the neck down. I was terrified. We had only been married for eleven months. Here I was, 20 years old, just shy of my first wedding anniversary, and I was being told that my husband was most likely going to die.

It was the longest night of my life. Me, Gwen {my mother in law}, and Ryan {my brother in law} took turns sitting with Brett in his room, while the other two tried to get some sleep. In the morning Brett woke up and we were all so happy, although we still had the terrible feeling that paralysis was inevitable. It didn't matter though, because he was alive! About ten minutes later he said four words that I will never forget... "my toes are cold."

I couldn't believe it! He wasn't paralyzed after all. The doctor came in and confirmed it, while the nurse found him a warm blanket to wrap his feet in. Everyone was instantly relieved, and we knew that everything was going to be alright. The next 48 hours were the hardest on Brett. He had to have surgery to fuse the bones in his neck back together, and then had to have his hip completely reconstructed. Having two major surgeries in a 24 hour time period caused him to loose a lot of blood. His body wasn't regenerating blood cells fast enough, so they had to give him a blood transfusion. It was a long process, and he ended up receiving 5 pints of donor blood. Shortly after he received his blood transfusion, one of the things that the doctor told us was that Brett would never be able to give blood again. That bummed him out. He had tried to give blood a few times before, but was always told that he couldn't because his tattoo's were too fresh. So to be told that he could never give blood, made him upset. Especially because now he had received blood, and couldn't return the favor to someone else.

He only spent a total of about two and a half weeks in the hospital before they sent him home. His recovery was a long painful road full of hospital visits, blood draws, pain meds, and no sleep. He still suffers from pain related to the accident on a daily basis, and the scars are a constant reminder of the entire process.

I am so grateful to have him here with me still, and I can't wait to get the whole detailed story written down. I promise, there is a lot more to it that that!

Fast forward to last night.....

There was a blood drive in our neighborhood, hosted by the American Red Cross. Kristi {Brett's sister} went down to do her donation, and while she was there she found out that things have changed in the four years since Brett's accident. There is a new rule for people who have received blood transfusions. They can in fact give blood, they just have to wait one year first.

Last night my husband did something that we thought he would never be able to do. He gave blood for the first time. Yahoo!

I wish I could say that I was brave enough to follow through with it, but I was not. Hopefully someday I will overcome my fear of needles.

Have you ever given blood?