Letters From Paul: An Ending and an accident.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

An Ending and an accident.

Friday, January 28th was supposed to be one of three days at my current job, I had put in my paper work for leaving as of Friday, the 4th of February, and had a photo taken of me, and two of my best friends at the job.

Little did I know that the next day, everything would change, in way no one could believe. On Saturday, January 29th, I was walking back to the bus stop on East Colfax Avenue, after having to go back to my condo, to get my bus pass and my and my wife's digital cameras. for we were on on way downtown to have lunch together.

I was in the process of crossing the street between 13th and 14th and Steele Street, something I do all the time. I was 3 quarters across the street when a car came out of no where and hit me.

I was on the street, face down, and my left shoe had some how come off. Quickly I was in route to Denver Health Medical to their emergency room. I called my wife in the ambulance on my cell phone to let her know what had happened,

With in minutes after arriving my wife and my good friend Stormie arrived, I had been cut out of my clotting and was laying on a stretcher when my wife arrived, I had a neck brace on.

Within a few minutes of the process beginning a Police officer arrived to issue me a ticket for Jay walking. Here I was on a stretcher, doctors trying to find out how badly I was injured, and this Police officer is issuing me a ticket, and basically telling me that the accident was my fault.

I was taken for a cat scan and then taken to the ICU ward. My wife joined me and told me that my mother in law was on her way out to support me and support her daughter in this crisis.

I spent a day and a half in ICU, and had several other cat scans, before I was moved to a regular room, I was glad when this happened, because in ICU, you didn't sleep very long, about every two hours a nurse or doctor would come in and check on your stats. I was asked so many times, If I knew what day it was, where I was, and who was the president I was getting ready to scream,

I spent from Monday the 31st til Thursday the 3rd in my room and, I had made a call to my future job in Missouri to inform them, that I had been in an accident and would need to delay my arrival for at least 6 weeks. Which worked out.

I got home on Thursday afternoon and am still in the process of recovering. My right scapula and elbow still is in pain, my Left foot in in a cast, I have occasional pain in the head and my ribs hurt because they too were injured.

I struggle finding a way to sleep, and take it one day at time in my recovery.

Here are a few photos, of me from my last day at work, and my stay at Denver General.

I only pray that my wounds will all heal before I am to fly to Missouri in April.

My two friends and I on what became my last day. Left to right With glasses and the blue jacket, Jerry D, next to her wth the white cane, Marlene K, and in the Red Sweater me.