35 Years ago Today... The Accident

It's Thanksgiving this week and I'm thankful

for ... my FOOT.

True story...

5 days after my 20th birthday,

while attending college at BYU in Provo, Utah

on Center Street

by the Kress building (no longer there)

a car sliding on the ice

slid up on the sidewalk

hitting myself and my date.

So we didn't go to the dance as planned.

Instead we went to the hospital.

I will NOT post the pictures taken a few days after surgery -

you might throw up or never look at my blog again!

Fortunately, my foot was the only thing affected.

My sister (Wendy) was my roommate at the time.

John and Geralynn lived close by.

All 3 were with me during surgery.

Like that would ever happen today.

It was called a de-gloving injury.

My foot was ripped all the way around

and pulled over my toes.

Yup, Ger says it just looked like raw meat.

She didn't think anything could be done to fix it.

Thanks to Dr. Hershey and the staff,

 prayer and a priesthood blessing,

I live a normal life.

Some of you had no idea this incident ever occured.

Those who knew me when I was 20 may want to see my foot

35 years later...

Pretty good, huh?
 This right foot is actually skinnier than my left foot

because a lot of the innards are missing.

Dr. Hershey put 300 stiches in that foot,

along with a pin for my big toe which was broken.

See how the pinkie toe curls under?

It's been like that ever since.

 

For years this looked like a burn - purple and gross.

It has faded over time

This moon shaped flap is skin taken from my right thigh.

This side of the foot also has skin grafts but it's hard to tell.

That red spot is always there - my bone sticks out there -

then the skin sinks inward - missing innards, you know.

This side of my foot is highly sensitive

and for some reason, dogs love to lick it.

The VERY fortunate thing is

my heel and toes were unaffected.

Some of the scars here are totally hard - no feeling whatsoever.

 

No one has a foot like me - I'm special!

You may have a few questions.

I'll try to answer them.

Here are the answers...

 

The fellow who was driving the car ran (since he lost his lisence)

to the hospital almost every day to visit me. 

This happened on his 19th birthday and was crushing for him emotionally.

He is now a doctor - we keep in touch.

 

I was in the hospital a total of 6 weeks,

in bed, never even sitting up, foot always elevated,

lots of pain killers - morphine does have a purpose!

 

Finished all my classes but one from the hospital.

I still have an F on my report card from that one class.

 

100 different people visited me during that time.

THANK YOU - I love you!

 

I used a wheel chair and crutches for awhile.

In February and March I learned to walk again.

No physical therapy back in those days - at least not for me.

I would walk around the block and concentrate

on how to make my right foot walk like the left foot.

Dad said "No walking with a limp".

I obeyed, as usual.

 

That June I went to Europe for a month - unbelievable.

The following December I left on my mission.

 

It has never been a problem.

Oh, when I do yoga and I'm balancing,

I don't balance very well on my right foot -

missing innards, you know.

I just keep trying.

True story!

In the resurrection, I'm expecting a perfect foot.

Counting on it!