Bruised but not broken

Yesterday, my morning started out quiet and perfectly normal. And, then my uncle called. "I'm at the hospital with your dad. He was in a car wreck. He's okay, but..........."

When there's a but in a sentence, it can't be good.

Dad and my cousin, Case, were heading back to the shop when a lady pulled out in front of them. She saw the truck, hesitated like she wasn't going to pull out, then indeed pulled out. Dad pretty much T-boned the minivan the lady was driving. The force sent Dad's work truck off into a downhill ditch, where he pretty much landed on the steering wheel. When the paramedics got there, Dad could barely breathe and was complaining of chest pains. He was rushed to the ER where they immediately did an EKG, a CT scan, and several rounds of xrays. That information was the 'but' that my uncle had when he called me. He assured me that Dad was okay, and that I didn't have to come out to the hospital. That went in one ear and out the other. I went out there as soon as I could. I knew Mom was upset and worried, and I needed to make sure that not only Pops, but Mom was okay, too.

Luckily, there was nothing punctured or broken! His chest is just severely bruised. He's on bedrest until Sunday, and isn't supposed to lift anything heavier than the remote to the TV. He's in a lot of pain, it hurts to move, and when he coughs he feels like he's about to die. But, considering what could have happened, I think he will live with that.

When the truck went forward into the ditch, everything that was on the utility racks in the back came flying forward. A ladder actually went through the back window of the truck and broke all the glass out. How it managed not to hit Dad or my cousin, I don't know. I'm guessing they had a little angel watching over them.

My cousin is going to be sore, he wasn't treated at the hospital. He was more worried about changing his jeans since the coffee that Dad was drinking landed in his lap. Dad was mad that the paramedics cut his shirt off. Ummm, hello--you're complaining of chest pains and can't breathe! We'll buy you another shirt. They also cut his jeans from the knees down to make sure he didn't have a bone sticking out somewhere. When they landed in the ditch, Dad's chest landed on the steering wheel, his legs under the steering column.

He said, "Well at least now I'll get a new work truck, and I don't have to go to jury duty for a few days!"