Deb Has an Accident

Perhaps the greatest fear we had when we decided to “build” our own house (with the help from friends and contractors) was that one of us or one of our friends/contractors would have an accident and hurt themselves.

On August 7, 2008 Deb had an accident - she fell off a ladder and broke her back! The fall was traumatic and horrifying. The details of what happened aren’t pretty. I saw her hit the floor, flat on her back from about 8-11 ft. She immediately began screaming like you can’t imagine. Then she started spitting blood out of her mouth and I thought “oh God no!” but fortunately, she chipped a tooth that caused a cut inside her mouth. Nick immediately called 911 and paramedics arrived in under 10 minutes. Prior to their arrival Nick and I tried to calm her and check for injuries other than the obvious back trauma, while also checking her ability to feel and grip. I assisted placing her on a backboard and applying a “C” collar around her neck.

Since our stairs are not built yet the only options we had to get her to the ambulance from the third floor of the house was a series of ladders (not a good option) or evacuate her from the third story window using an all-terrain fork lift we had on site. Oddly, I was the only one that knew how to operate the equipment, so I was “elected” to lower her and two EMT’s out of the third story window. I was really nervous - and now discovered that Debbie was actually cracking jokes with Nick and the EMT’s before I began lowering her down. All went well although I was freaking out lowering her down. Pressure was on for sure.....

They rushed her to the local hospital (I rode in the front seat and watched her getting morphine to abate the pain) who made an assessment and then drove (helicopter was not available) Debbie and I to Seattle to the Harbor View Trauma center..... 8 hours in ER, then got a room. Could not operate immediately and had to wait another 28 hours for surgery. Surgery took a total of about 5 hours.

Deb crushed her T-12 vertebrae, but miraculously did not damage her spinal cord. She now has two rods, four screws, and a spacer bar in her back permanently. Doctors said she was/is amazingly strong and forecast a successful recovery with little to no lack of motion of any kind in the future - providing she exercises and does her physical therapy assignments.

Deb’s parents, who were out visiting us at our property at the time, drove to the trauma center and were on hand for the surgery. And, our dear friends Lisa and Dick Norris came all the way from Portland to be with Deb/me/her parents to give very much needed support to everyone. Deb was released from the Trauma Center two days after her surgery. She is doing better each day and is absolutely committed to a successful and as rapidly as possible recovery. We are still staying in the barn because it has the best bed for her back. There were many offers from neighbors to stay at their place but Deb felt the good bed was the best for her.... She is walking a bit with a walker and has actually managed to tie her own shoes. Still quite a bit of pain.

We are hanging in there. Simply, this was horrible. We both continue to have “nightmares” of sorts and hope to put this past us as best we can, as soon as we can. We both can not believe the number of cards, flowers, and gifts Debbie has received from family, friends, and co-workers. She is “loved” very much by anyone who knows her - no mystery there heh?

I will try to add a few pics and more text soon. At the moment it is hard to keep everything together.......
All for now....
Love to all - Debbie and Don