After we had dropped off Es husband at his work we turned around and headed back to the highway. We had crossed the little bridge that goes over the bayou and E put on her turn signal to turn left onto the highway. Its weird how you never see the vehicle that hits you. But E looked left and then right and although a truck was coming it was so far back how were we to know the speed he was going? So she turned. And all I remember was her turning her head and saying,"Oh my God!" and then the awful sound of shattering glass and bending metal. The car ended up across the street in a gravel road. I looked over and saw E sitting in her seat with her head resting unaturally on her right shoulder. I think I yelled at her to get her to wake up but no response. I dont remember how I got out of the car or how I ended up on the ground but I guess when you hit your head your memory kind of goes funny. I was taken by ambulance to the local hospital and E was airlifted to the trauma center after they cut her out of the car. You see we were hit by a Dodge Ram shortbed going about 70mph directly on the drivers side. When my mom got to the hospitl were I was I asked how E was doing and my mom said shed go check and then shed come back and tell me. I thought shed just passed out and was like me a bump on the head, bruises, and nerve damage to my lower left side of my abdomen where the seatbelt hit my stomach.

It was a miracle I didnt lose my baby. But then this story is about miracles that really happen. When my mom came back to the hospital after going to the trauma center when she walked into my room I saw on her face that look. Im sure yall know it that bad news look. My mom told me she would bring me to the trauma center in the morning because I might have that only chance to say goodbye to my best friend. I spent the night in shock. She was only 18 years old just starting her life. How could this have happened? And then like anyone else who is in an accident and the other person is hurt way worse than they are I began to feel guilty that I wasnt hurt as bad.

When I saw E in the critical care unit that was to be her home for the next 4 and 1/2 months she had all kinds of machines and tubes coming out of her and hooked up to her. It was hard to see her like that so I had to leave because I started crying. I sat in that room with her almost everyday until I went back to the army. The scariest part was that her brain was bleeding and they had to put a tube in her skull to drain the blood and fluid that was filling up her head. She also had a broken pelvis and cuts that required staples. And a black eye on her right side of her face so everyone was wondering how that got there but I had a bruise on my left shoulder so I was able to clear that up. The impact was so hard that even though we were both seatbelted her head hit my shoulder.

E wasnt expected to make it through the night or the first three days that are so critical. On the third night she mad a ministroke. We prayed that God would spare her and begin to heal her. I never knew how powerful prayer could be but now I do. It works. E was in a coma from the day of the accident until around the beginning of July when she would open her eyes and move her hands. She gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby girl in the middle of July. When she was stable the CCU doctors had her transferred to another hospital where they had inpatient rehab facilities. When I visited her after I had my son she looked great. She was off the ventilator and the feeding tube was gone. And for someone who arrived at the trauma center one point away from being brain dead she sure was making progress. She was released from the rehab 2 days before thanksgiving and then released from her nuerosurgeons care a few days after that. Her doctors said that medically there is nothing wrong anymore ( except for a bruise on her frontal lobe that will heal with time) She can walk with support and she can talk a little but since her muscles in her abdomen and back werent used for so long she has to strengthen them back up and Im sure having a trach in her throat didnt help her voice box any. But she is determined to get back to the way she was on her own without the help of her husband ( she calls him an a-hole) since he deserted her when she needed him most. He has supposedly (according to others who are close to him) moved on and found someone else. So much for the for better or worse or in sickness and in health vows huh? But shell do fine on her own. Shes still more or less the same person just a little more impulsive and she gets mad kinda more easily. But her rehab therapists are working on those and they say she is making good progress. Some people say that shell never be the same and thats true she wont but shes pretty darn close as far as for someone who the doctors said you may want to think about giving her her last rites since she more than likely wont make it to the next day. Shes still my friend and I dont care how good or bad the final outcome is I will be here for her just like I was before and during.

Email Melissa