Glad to be back

Hello Everyone...

I just wanted to say hi, and announce that I am finally back, and everything has settled down enough for me to get back online. :eusa_danc

I still have 9 months of recovery before I will be able to resume with any real normalcy of my old self, but I am finally out of the hospital and can talk/type and visit with friends.

Right now I am still confined to bed or wheelchair until my Ankle and Leg recover, which will take another few months.

Hope everyone else is doing well, did I miss anything big?

 

Ah, what happened to you xequar? Hope you get better quickly. I got 2 rods in my ankle and will have to have more work done because I completely crushed it.

You can read about my wreck here: http://www.emptyclosets.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4167

 

Thanks everyone for the support.

Sorry Tyler failed to update everyone, it is both our faults. Things have been crazy to say the least, and between not having internet at the hospital, and other things, it just feel through the cracks. When we did remember, like a week ago, I said I would just handle it, since Tyler needs some time to calm down, relax and deal with things other then me, and the accident, since he had to put his life on hold for the last 4 weeks to deal with me.

Details... (If you have specific questions just ask)

In the afternoon of Wed. 10/10 at ~1pm my FTO (Field Training Officer) and I were dispatched to a Child Struck by Car, at a bus stop in a rural part of Okeechobee county. My beat is the Florida turnpike, which runs from Mid state to the tip of the Keys, about 300 miles of road. We were asked to respond because the local Sheriffs office was understaffed, and had an extended ETA, plus if it happened to be a wreck, the state has to write the report anyways. So, 3 units from our post were asked to respond, we were the furthest out, 59 miles away from the accident. I was driving, all was going good for the first 20 miles, making good time, and very little traffic. That changed quickly. We started down a hill which curves, and a Simi Truck, who thought we were in the right hand lane, due to his obstructed view with the curve in the road, pulled into the left lane, the Simi Truck realized his mistake and started to move into the right lane, but he had slowed down to 15MPH and was now 50% in the left lane, and 50% in the right lane when we got right up on him. I could not slow the car in time, so I had to take the emergency shoulder doing 80-90MPH, at which point the front drivers side tire got hit by one of those large pieces of rubber that falls off of simi trucks, this caused the tire to blow out, causing the car to do an almost 90 degree hit to the center divide, which was made of concrete in this section of the turnpike. The car flipped over the divider, spun, etc landing on the driver side (mine). I was knocked out on impact. My FTO was able to get me to wake up, and attempted to radio for help, but the crash killed all electrical equipment in the car, and our portable radios were not working because they rely on a repeater system in the car. I keep my cell phone attached to the visor, but it had been slung somewhere upon impact. Next thing I remember is the pain starting to hit me after the initial shock wore off. During this time, other motorist stopped, and called 911. Others tried to help my FTO out of the car, but everything was so smashed, his door would not open. Another trucker came with a crow bar, and pried the door open, and used straps to hold the door open (can be seen in pic) and they got my FTO out. They tried to get me out, but decided not to because I could tell there was major damage, between the blood and pain. I again, lost consciousness and re-awoke while the fire department had half way pulled me out, and just remember hearing lots of things, but can't describe anything in detail that happened past that.

In all, I broke my left leg, and crushed the left ankle. My left arm was fractured/broken, but not too badly, and is recovering nicely. My leg is also doing ok, but will require a small plate and two screws, which I will get soon. My ankle is not doing so well, it has a few pins stuff, and will require at least two more operations, and two permanent rods.
My holster and gun were hit by the center console and broke 3 ribs, two are healing well, the bottom one is not, and may require an operation. Add a few glass cuts, and whatnot.

My FTO was a lucky SOB, only suffering a broken arm, and will be back on duty January 1st, he could go back on December 1st, but decided to use his vacation time to go explore Europe with his family.

So for the next 9 months or so, I will be having surgery and recovering, then I will begin physical therapy, and re-building muscle mass. I have already lost 20 Lbs of muscle mass.

The estimate is that I will not return to full duty for another 24 months, because I will have to re-build the muscle, and regain a full field of motion, then re-qualify with the state as able to fulfill my physical duties.

However for now, I will be here, in bed, in our small little Alabama apartment, and come May, when Tyler graduates, and can move to Florida, we will both move into my apartment in Miami.

Now, the good news is that I was cleared of any wrong doing, and the Highway Patrol has given me the rank of Trooper, not Rookie, meaning I passed FTO, and will be able to hit the street running when I get back.

As far as the Child struck at the bus stop, it turned out to be a car going under 5mph rolling through a stop sign, and the girl not looking before crossing the street, not injuries, just an overly scared motorist who witnessed, and called 911.

Ok, that maybe too long, but there ya go.. any questions?

Picture:

 

It is very nice to be with Tyler. Our lives have been changed so much in the last 12 months, it is nice to have a sense of normalcy. Unlike me, Tyler is a wonderful student, and continued to study even in the hospital room, and his teachers have been accepting of the situation, so everything is going good there. He going for advanced Bis. Management, and at the end of the year he will transfer (I consider any end of a school year a graduation )from Alabama University move to Miami with me, and continue the degree at South Florida University.

Mom is very emotional... but being very strong, like always. She was with me within 12 hours after the accident. Unfortunatly she is very familiar with the accidents that happen in the LE profession, and my fathers friend who has always been there for her since my dad died drove her down to Florida. I got to say, I am blessed with wonderful people surrounding me and the ones I love.