If you follow me on instagram, you know by now 2016 started on a bad note for our family. I wanted to take some time and write out as many details as I can on here to help answer questions that are being sent our way and to simply document our hearts during this time. I'll recap from my POV as best I can.
Friday, January 1st, Andrew was in a bad accident while we were vacationing in Rocky Point, Mexico. He and my dad were out on the RZR while my mom, Emery and I were back at our trailer. They left around 4:15pm in the afternoon and at 5pm I remember thinking they were taking a long time and should be back so we could get dinner. At 5:20pm there was a knock on our trailer door, my mom answered and the two people at the door said "Andrew was in an accident, he's okay but his finger came off and we don't know if he will be able to keep it. He's at the hospital by Burger King, you can follow us there." That's about the point I went hot and prickly all over and began praying.
I know my dad and Andrew both love to ride and aren't stupid about it so I was just concerned at how bad it really was and what this meant. Surely they could reattach a finger, people do that all the time. My mind immediately went to Jimmy Fallon's recent accident and how he's doing better now. Of course, being in Mexico made me nervous because they don't have all the modern medicine and technology we do in the US so it really was a race against time to make sure we could save his finger.
We followed them over to the hospital which was a 20 minute drive. Emery was an angel and I was just praying the entire time going over there. God can heal and work miracles and I was asking for one over and over. When we got there, my mom and dad took control over Emery and I saw him for the first time in the room. Neck brace, bloody, totally bandaged and just tears rolling down his cheeks when I told him I was there and everything would be okay. Surprisingly, I was calm and didn't cry around Andrew but when they asked me to leave the room to clean out the sand in his hand, I just ached and cried for him. That man was being so strong and courageous.
While that was going on, the doctor showed me his x-rays and said they were calling the ambulance to transport him to the border and from there a US ambulance would meet us to take him to a PHX hospital. The drive is about 3.5 hours and I would be able to ride with him back. My parents were going to keep Emery, run back to camp and lock things up and then drive back right behind us. The following day (Saturday) my dad and brother were going to drive back to Mexico, pack up the trailer and get everything back home.
At 6:30pm we were in the ambo headed back to the US and transitioning to the new ambulance at 7:40pm state side. They were going 90mph and the roads are so bumpy during this drive so Andrew did get sick a few times but overall, it went quickly. I spent that drive getting in touch with our immediate family asking for prayer warriors and debriefed what had happened. When we arrived at the hospital in Goodyear, which is right by our house, Andrew's dad and brother were waiting for us and my sister in law, Sami came up too.
It was 9:30pm at this point and the nurses were checking him out and preparing us a room so we could have surgery the following morning. Luckily, the hand surgeon was finishing a surgery right then and said he would take him back for surgery right away! Praise God! It was a rush to get him ready for operating at that point, stripping him down, signing consent forms, packing up his bloody clothes. I saw him lift his hand at one point off his leg which was supporting it and his pinky finger just dangled by a slight bit of skin. I knew then, they wouldn't be able to save it.
After being wheeled back to pre-op the surgeon looked at his hand and concluded they wouldn't be able to save it. They would attempt everything they could during surgery but based on looking it over, if they were to try and attach it again, the finger wouldn't be mobile and it was more than likely it would die anyway. If it were to live, the dr also said it would cause him so much pain over his life span that he personally wouldn't recommend it. It was settled to go ahead and amputate it at that point. Surgery began at 11:30pm and it was about 2:25am when they came out and asked me to follow them back to his private room where he would be for a few days.
My dad came up to the hospital during his surgery as well so we were filled in more on the accident and how things played out with the people who saw it happen and how they got to the hospital. We are forever grateful for the family who did run to assist them immediately because they both were strapped in with 5 point harnesses and from what Andrew can remember, the girl was seriously amazing with applying pressure immediately, getting him water, keeping him calm and awake. He lost a lot of blood and he feels if it weren't for her, he would've died from losing too much blood. We talk through it now and the way it transpired, it was such a God thing with all the right people there to give guidance and help and how time wise, it was done so speedy. He said he felt like they we're playing out a skit because it was so well-rehearsed and orchestrated.
He was to have 3 rounds of antibiotics in the hospital and a stable level of pain tolerance prior to leaving so we spent Saturday dealing with a lot of pain and I took that time to get him showered and dressed in his own clothes so I think that really made him feel better and more human. We had family visiting throughout the days and such a support system. I wasn't sure if I should post it online and give details of what transpired but when unfortunate things happens, you can never have enough people praying for you so he asked me to go ahead and share it.
Saturday evening the surgeon visited and took his dressings off for the first time.... that wasn't an easy thing to come to terms with. Before that, Andrew kept saying he felt like his finger was there still and fine, just a lot of pressure and after that point, it was a reality check of what his hand will look like from now on. I keep trying to stay strong and tell him any time he looks down now, he will be reminded of God's saving grace and how He spared his life. He really was watching over him and protecting him because it could've been so much worse.
Sunday we were discharged in the evening and got home. The drive was again, a reality check and hard on both of us. He had caught me in my darkest hour the night before when it all hit me and the reality of leaving the hospital to now adjust to real life wasn't easy either. We had family waiting for us and Andrew keeps saying he's so appreciative of the help and love we're getting from friends and family. His sister set up a meal train for us too so we have about 2 weeks of meals already planned and coming our way. My parents had Emery for us until Monday night so today is our first day back with her and Drake comes home from his mom's on Thursday.
As of right now, we have a few appointments later this week to follow up with his surgeon, we are working on the insurance side of things and with Andrew's work since he will be out for the month of January. Discount Tire also has a program called the Bruce T. Halle Fund (that's the owner) which helps families out in times like these and covers the costs of what insurance doesn't. Again, praising God for that!
I personally am doing okay. I don't think I have the time to sit and mull over it throughout the day and that's good but I've found nights are the hardest for me. I start replaying that full day on Friday, how maybe I should've been the one to go ride with my dad that time or how maybe we could've pushed it back to a night ride. I think about what life will be like from now on and wonder what else I can be doing to support and love on my husband. The image of his finger dangling is starting to haunt me a bit and I'm glad I didn't take a picture of it on my phone- I'm not sure it would be something I want to remember visually when the memory fades. Overall, I'm giving the glory to God and really trying to rest in Him.
Lastly, I want to thank each and everyone of you who has left comments or emailed me about this. We covet your prayers and can't express how nice it is to have a strong support system. I'll try to update as things progress and share pictures once he's healed.
