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"Coincidences"

Loyal
This is originally from...

Here is my story. I've never told this story on TalkJesus before. But maybe it's time. Maybe you're the reason?

I actually have many testimonies of things God has done in my life. I think I could type over a hundred times pretty easily, in fact I'm sure there are times He was doing things and I didn't even see it.
But here we go...

I am divorced. I didn't want to be, but... I was married to a woman who had children from a previous marriage. I had a bad blood clot in my leg, I had to stay in the hospital for about 10 days.
I was wondering why my wife never came to see me. Worse, she wasn't answering my phone calls and texts. When I got out, I found out she left me. She moved all her things out and changed
her phone number. The church we had been going to asked me not to come anymore. There wasn't a fight, or even an argument, I didn't know what happened. ( I found out much later).
When I met my current wife, we started going to another church, but I had lost a little "trust" in church people.

The woman I am married to now (about 9 years as I am writing this) her first husband died from MS a couple of years before I met her.

I had been riding motorcycles for around 40 years, starting on dirt bikes before I was a teenager.

Not much of a testimony yet, I know.. bear with me.

Friday the 13th. (I'm not superstitious). 9/13/13, I had been married less than a year at this time (to my current wife).
I'm riding a motorcycle to work, it had rained the night before, there was a little dew on the road. The sun wasn't quite up just yet.
A teen-age girl in a small pickup-truck ran over me... literally. I never even saw her, but I remember the bike going sideways, last thought was.. "is this it?"

First the bike.. a 2008 Honda Goldwing GL1800. A big heavy bike. The bike frame was broken in two, the bike was driven over the top of.. (with me still on it). The bike was smashed up pretty bad.
I still owed a lot of money on it at the time.

I woke up 10 days later, I didn't know what happened, I didn't know where I was or why I was there. One of the doctors explained everything to me, and parts of it came back to me.
33 bones were broken. My left wrist was shattered, my pelvis, my sternum, and 6 ribs were broken. I had internal bleeding and a ruptured spleen. Both arms and both legs were broken.
(I got to find out what it was like to be a paraplegic, for a few months) I was heavily sedated or morphine, and frequently was having very scary hallucinations.

When I was hit I lost a little over 2 pints of blood (I only have about 6). One third of all my blood. It's a miracle I am alive, but it just happened that the second car behind me, was a county
EMT that just got off duty five minutes before this. He was already patching me up long before the ambulance came. Did I say ambulance? Well, kind of. There just happened to be a care-flight
returning from dropping a patient off flying over the accident scene. I lived about 20 miles from the nearest large trauma center, about 60 to 90 minutes in traffic normally.
The helicopter had me at the hospital in less than 12 minutes. I wonder what the odds of that happening are? I can never recall seeing a care-flight fly over me on the way to work before.

My birthday was two days after the accident, but I was unconscious for 10 days, so I missed it. I was told they had a small cake and a few friends and family came. No one knew if I was going
to survive at this time. My wife was wondering if she was going to lose her second husband in less than 3 years, but she trusted God through it all. My daughters came, they were still teenagers back then,
they wondered if they would ever talk to dad again. After I regained consciousness, and slowly regained my ability to think cognitively, even speech was a bit of a challenge for a few days.
But my wife came every day, prayed very day. Talked to me every day, even when I couldn't talk back. I was on intravenous feeding during this time. I spent about 4 or 5 days in ICU, but I was
eventually moved to CCU. It appeared I was going to live after-all. So far I had only had "life-saving" surgeries, not corrective surgeries such as broken bones. No sense in doing a lot of surgeries on someone
who is probably going to die. I had about a dozen surgeries over the next 3 weeks. I am told they couldn't do them all at once because my body couldn't have made it through the stress of the surgeries.

My "catastrophic" medical insurance was used up before I even regained consciousness. My hospital tab was growing at about $28,500 (US) per day. My total tab that I was responsible for when
I finally was discharged from the hospital was a little over $1.7 million. It was going to be a little while before I got that paid off. I was only a contractor where I was working at the time, not a permanent employee,
I was let go shortly after I was moved to CCU. However my boss did visit me a few times (I suspected it was to see if I was really in as bad shape as bad as everyone said I was).

My casts went up past my fingers on both arms and hands, I couldn't even feed myself. I was slowly moved to more and more solid food. Jello, pudding, mashed potatoes, etc...
My wife fed me every meal, everyday, she drove 25 miles one way every day just to take care of me. There were about 5 nurses on duty, but 32 patients, so every nurse at least 6 patients. It seems most
of them were only in CCU for a week or two. I was there for over 6 weeks. I got to know all of the nurses pretty good. A lot of the patients who were in the hospital were angry and bitter that they had
to stay there, I could hear some of them abusively yelling at the nurses down the hall. I couldn't even use the restroom by myself, the nurses helped, but my wife was amazing. It amazing what a spouse will do for you.

Some of them even mentioned I was never angry, even though I had been there the longest. It gave my opportunity to talk about Jesus and my faith. Three nurses got saved.
Two others never quite got saved, but they asked me to pray for their kids, one lost a job, the other was getting a divorce. Funny how non-believers sometimes ask us to pray.
The good news here is, the son didn't end up getting a divorce, and the other one got a "better" job the next day. I was thanked for my prayers.

People from my "new" church visited me a few times in the hospital. The pastor visited me, I told him I was going to walk into his church one Sunday, but I'm not sure he was convinced.

When they took me home... I still couldn't walk. I still couldn't feed myself. I hadn't stood up in over two months. They've done studies on college athletes. They make them lie
in a bed for two months, and then get up to walk. But they can't, the muscles atrophy. It's the same with astronauts in space. The usually spend a day or two in a pool
to get used to the weight. I had a cast on both arms, and both legs. But at least I was home. I still couldn't walk.

I had a wheelchair, but even getting in it was challenge, just "for fun" try doing this. Go from your couch to your chair, or even to your bed, or to the toilet.. without using your arms or legs.
If it sounds impossible, it just about is. I had something called a "slider board". Just a well waxed flat board about 4 feet long or so. You put one end on the couch where you are, and the other end
on your wheelchair or where you want to go. Then you "slide" across this board. Easier said than done, when you can't use your arms and legs. Well, I could use my elbows and knees, so that helped
a lot. Often my wife just "pushed" me across the board. I told everyone I had a "pushy" wife. Thank God she was willing to do it. She pushed me around in my wheelchair also.

On the day I finally stood up for the first time... It was the hardest thing I ever did. I had to hold onto a dresser to try to pull myself up.
I strained very hard.. but I finally stood up.... for about 10 seconds. I was exhausted and sat back down. I did this a couple of times a day for about a week until got where i could
stand for about 5 minutes. I remember looking over at my wife that first time I had stood up. Tears running down her face. She knew I was going to be OK. She knew I was going to walk again.
It dawned on me in those few seconds, all she had been through with me. Feeding me, wiping my rear end, and bathing me. She did it all, not knowing if I would ever walk again. If I would stand
on my two feet again. I said to myself "That woman loves you, don't ever do anything to mess it up".

Then I got a walker and I had to learn how to walk all over again. I was in my mid 50's. Not a spring chicken anymore. It took a couple of weeks, but I got there.
My "pushy" wife, pushed me again. She made me do the therapy, she pushed me to do the exercises. Thank God for her.

About this time my insurance quit covering physical therapy. I was on my own. ...except..... two of the physical therapists kept coming for free. (they said they had never done that before in 20 years). They weren't getting paid. But they made sure I could at least get around with my walker. ... another coincidence I suppose....

I finally got a couple of casts off. I could feed myself. I could even "butt-scoot" up the stairs now. I had been living in one room for 6 weeks now (not to mention the hospital
room before for 8 weeks). I finally took my first shower. The first in 3 and half months. It was so wonderful I cried through the first five minutes.

It had been over 3 months since I had been to church. I didn't walk that first Sunday, my wife pushed me in the wheelchair.
We were a little late. The worship singing had already started. That was OK with me... I was hoping to "sneak in" the back. ... so much for that plan.

The pastor walks up on the platform. stops the worship service and announces I am here. The whole church turns around and starts clapping. People are crying, coming up to me
and hugging me, shaking my hand (the good one) and telling me they have been praying for me. (I know they aren't lying). Talk about feeling loved. I still get a little emotional when I think about it.
For a few weeks people from the church visited me at home, brought us meals, even helped my wife clean the house a little.

I finally start visiting a pediatric doctor for my broken legs and broken arms. They tell me that a bone usually will heal in 6 to 8 weeks. If you break two bones,
it takes longer because the nutrients now have to go to two different places. If you break 33 bones... it takes... well... a long time. I might not walk for 4 more months.
Two days before Christmas I walk into the doctors office with no cane, no walker and no help from my wife. (she is watching). The doctors call all of his interns in
and makes me walk back and forth in front of them. He says I don't have to come back.
Eventually I did walk into the church. It had been four months. The pastor reminded me what I told him.

In the state I live in... I could sue the girl who hit me and her parents... but... I didn't. She didn't have a job.
If the county sues them... I can get something called "crime victims compensation". But there has to be some county employees that witnessed the event in order to qualify.
Did I mention the off duty EMT a couple of cars behind me? Or the county helicopter care flight pilot who saw my accident.

Now people ask me sometimes... where was God in all of this? How could a loving God allow this to happen?
I look back at all the "coincidences" in this testimony...

What are the odds an EMT would have been two cars behind me? The odds a care flight would have been flying over at that exact minute?
I was wondering if my second wife was going to leave me in the hospital like the previous one did. She was wondering if her second husband was going to die in less than 3 years.
I guess God knew what we both needed. I think of the nurses that got saved. The prayers that were answered. The miracle that I am even alive.
The physical therapists that kept coming for free. The pediatric doctor who didn't think I would walk for a couple more months.
Even he people in the church who stood by me, when I had lost faith in the church.

That seems like a lot of "Coincidences". In fact probably too many to be coincidences. I know exactly where God was during all this. The same place He is right now.

Did I mention the $1.7 million I owed the hospital? My credit rating wasn't the best during this time.

In the state I live in... I could sue the girl who hit me and her parents... but... I didn't.
If the county sues them... I can get something called "crime victims compensation". But there has to be some county employees that witnessed the event in order to qualify.
Did I mention the off duty EMT a couple of cars behind me? Or helicopter care flight pilot who was my accident. Just coincidence I guess...

Anyway, the county tries the girl and she is found guilty. She has to pay this compensation fee. The hospital has to take this money as part of the 1.7 million dollars I
owe them and eat the rest. Maybe not fair to the hospital, but it was good for me. I feel I made 1.7 millions that day. (I didn't actually get to see any of it, or spend any of it).
... just another coincidence I guess.

I am back having a "normal" life now. Whatever that means. But most people don't even know I was in an accident. I limp a little sometimes.
A while back we went to buy some vinyl flooring for our kitchen, and the sales lady asked why I limped. When my wife told her the story... she said...
No I saw that accident. That guy is dead!

... welllll not just yet anyway.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Loyal
This is originally from...



I actually have many testimonies of things God has done in my life. I think I could type over a hundred times pretty easily, in fact I'm sure there are times He was doing things and I didn't even see it.
But here we go...

I am divorced. I didn't want to be, but... I was married to a woman who had children from a previous marriage. I had a bad blood clot in my leg, I had to stay in the hospital for about 10 days.
I was wondering why my wife never came to see me. Worse, she wasn't answering my phone calls and texts. When I got out, I found out she left me. She moved all her things out and changed
her phone number. The church we had been going to asked me not to come anymore. There wasn't a fight, or even an argument, I didn't know what happened. ( I found out much later).
When I met my current wife, we started going to another church, but I had lost a little "trust" in church people.

The woman I am married to now (about 9 years as I am writing this) her first husband died from MS a couple of years before I met her.

I had been riding motorcycles for around 40 years, starting on dirt bikes before I was a teenager.

Not much of a testimony yet, I know.. bear with me.

Friday the 13th. (I'm not superstitious). 9/13/13, I had been married less than a year at this time (to my current wife).
I'm riding a motorcycle to work, it had rained the night before, there was a little dew on the road. The sun wasn't quite up just yet.
A teen-age girl in a small pickup-truck ran over me... literally. I never even saw her, but I remember the bike going sideways, last thought was.. "is this it?"

First the bike.. a 2008 Honda Goldwing GL1800. A big heavy bike. The bike frame was broken in two, the bike was driven over the top of.. (with me still on it). The bike was smashed up pretty bad.
I still owed a lot of money on it at the time.

I woke up 10 days later, I didn't know what happened, I didn't know where I was or why I was there. One of the doctors explained everything to me, and parts of it came back to me.
33 bones were broken. My left wrist was shattered, my pelvis, my sternum, and 6 ribs were broken. I had internal bleeding and a ruptured spleen. Both arms and both legs were broken.
(I got to find out what it was like to be a paraplegic, for a few months) I was heavily sedated or morphine, and frequently was having very scary hallucinations.

When I was hit I lost a little over 2 pints of blood (I only have about 6). One third of all my blood. It's a miracle I am alive, but it just happened that the second car behind me, was a county
EMT that just got off duty five minutes before this. He was already patching me up long before the ambulance came. Did I say ambulance? Well, kind of. There just happened to be a care-flight
returning from dropping a patient off flying over the accident scene. I lived about 20 miles from the nearest large trauma center, about 60 to 90 minutes in traffic normally.
The helicopter had me at the hospital in less than 12 minutes. I wonder what the odds of that happening are? I can never recall seeing a care-flight fly over me on the way to work before.

My birthday was two days after the accident, but I was unconscious for 10 days, so I missed it. I was told they had a small cake and a few friends and family came. No one knew if I was going
to survive at this time. My wife was wondering if she was going to lose her second husband in less than 3 years, but she trusted God through it all. My daughters came, they were still teenagers back then,
they wondered if they would ever talk to dad again. After I regained consciousness, and slowly regained my ability to think cognitively, even speech was a bit of a challenge for a few days.
But my wife came every day, prayed very day. Talked to me every day, even when I couldn't talk back. I was on intravenous feeding during this time. I spent about 4 or 5 days in ICU, but I was
eventually moved to CCU. It appeared I was going to live after-all. So far I had only had "life-saving" surgeries, not corrective surgeries such as broken bones. No sense in doing a lot of surgeries on someone
who is probably going to die. I had about a dozen surgeries over the next 3 weeks. I am told they couldn't do them all at once because my body couldn't have made it through the stress of the surgeries.

My "catastrophic" medical insurance was used up before I even regained consciousness. My hospital tab was growing at about $28,500 (US) per day. My total tab that I was responsible for when
I finally was discharged from the hospital was a little over $1.7 million. It was going to be a little while before I got that paid off. I was only a contractor where I was working at the time, not a permanent employee,
I was let go shortly after I was moved to CCU. However my boss did visit me a few times (I suspected it was to see if I was really in as bad shape as bad as everyone said I was).

My casts went up past my fingers on both arms and hands, I couldn't even feed myself. I was slowly moved to more and more solid food. Jello, pudding, mashed potatoes, etc...
My wife fed me every meal, everyday, she drove 25 miles one way every day just to take care of me. There were about 5 nurses on duty, but 32 patients, so every nurse at least 6 patients. It seems most
of them were only in CCU for a week or two. I was there for over 6 weeks. I got to know all of the nurses pretty good. A lot of the patients who were in the hospital were angry and bitter that they had
to stay there, I could hear some of them abusively yelling at the nurses down the hall. I could even use the restroom by myself, the nurses helped, but my wife was amazing. It amazing what a spouse will do for you.

Some of them even mentioned I was never angry, even though I had been there the longest. It gave my opportunity to talk about Jesus and my faith. Three nurses got saved.
Two others never quite got saved, but they asked me to pray for their kids, one lost a job, the other was getting a divorce. Funny how non-believers sometimes ask us to pray.
The good news here is, the son didn't end up getting a divorce, and the other one got a "better" job the next day. I was thanked for my prayers.

People from my "new" church visited me a few times in the hospital. The pastor visited me, I told him I was going to walk into his church one Sunday, but I'm not sure he was convinced.

When they took me home... I still couldn't walk. I still couldn't feed myself. I hadn't stood up in over two months. They've done studies on college athletes. They make them lie
in a bed for two months, and then get up to walk. But they can't, the muscles atrophy. It's the same with astronauts in space. The usually spend a day or two in a pool
to get used to the weight. I had a cast on both arms, and both legs. But at least I was home. I still couldn't walk.

I had a wheelchair, but even getting in it was challenge, just "for fun" try doing this. Go from your couch to your chair, or even to your bed, or to the toilet.. without using your arms or legs.
If it sounds impossible, it just about is. I had something called a "slider board". Just a well waxed flat board about 4 feet long or so. You put one end on the couch where you are, and the other end
on your wheelchair or where you want to go. Then you "slide" across this board. Easier said than done, when you can't use your arms and legs. Well, I could use my elbows and knees, so that helped
a lot. Often my wife just "pushed" me across the board. I told everyone I had a "pushy" wife. Thank God she was willing to do it. She pushed me around in my wheelchair also.

On the day I finally stood up for the first time... It was the hardest thing I ever did. I had to hold onto a dresser to try to pull myself up.
I strained very hard.. but I finally stood up.... for about 10 seconds. I was exhausted and sat back down. I did this a couple of times a day for about a week until got where i could
stand for about 5 minutes. I remember looking over at my wife that first time I had stood up. Tears running down her face. She knew I was going to be OK. She knew I was going to walk again.
It dawned on me in those few seconds, all she had been through with me. Feeding me, wiping my rear end, and bathing me. She did it all, not knowing if I would ever walk again. If I would stand
on my two feet again. I said to myself "That woman loves you, don't ever do anything to mess it up".

Then I got a walker and I had to learn how to walk all over again. I was in my mid 50's. Not a spring chicken anymore. It took a couple of weeks, but I got there.
My "pushy" wife, pushed me again. She made me do the therapy, she pushed me to do the exercises. Thank God for her.

About this time my insurance quit covering physical therapy. I was on my own. ...except..... two of the physical therapists kept coming for free. (they said they had never done that before in 20 years). They weren't getting paid. But they made sure I could at least get around with my walker. ... another coincidence I suppose....

I finally got a couple of casts off. I could feed myself. I could even "butt-scoot" up the stairs now. I had been living in one room for 6 weeks now (not to mention the hospital
room before for 8 weeks). I finally took my first shower. The first in 3 and half months. It was so wonderful I cried through the first five minutes.

It had been over 3 months since I had been to church. I didn't walk that first Sunday, my wife pushed me in the wheelchair.
We were a little late. The worship singing had already started. That was OK with me... I was hoping to "sneak in" the back. ... so much for that plan.

The pastor walks up on the platform. stops the worship service and announces I am here. The whole church turns around and starts clapping. People are crying, coming up to me
and hugging me, shaking my hand (the good one) and telling me they have been praying for me. (I know they aren't lying). Talk about feeling loved. I still get a little emotional when I think about it.
For a few weeks people from the church visited me at home, brought us meals, even helped my wife clean the house a little.

I finally start visiting a pediatric doctor for my broken legs and broken arms. They tell me that a bone usually will heal in 6 to 8 weeks. If you break two bones,
it takes longer because the nutrients now have to go to two different places. If you break 33 bones... it takes... well... a long time. I might not walk for 4 more months.
Two days before Christmas I walk into the doctors office with no cane, no walker and no help from my wife. (she is watching). The doctors call all of his interns in
and makes me walk back and forth in front of them. He says I don't have to come back.
Eventually I did walk into the church. It had been four months. The pastor reminded me what I told him.

In the state I live in... I could sue the girl who hit me and her parents... but... I didn't. She didn't have a job.
If the county sues them... I can get something called "crime victims compensation". But there has to be some county employees that witnessed the event in order to qualify.
Did I mention the off duty EMT a couple of cars behind me? Or the county helicopter care flight pilot who saw my accident.

Now people ask me sometimes... where was God in all of this? How could a loving God allow this to happen?
I look back at all the "coincidences" in this testimony...

What are the odds an EMT would have been two cards behind me? The odds a care flight would have been flying over at that exact minute?
I was wondering if my second wife was going to leave me in the hospital like the previous one did. She was wondering if her second husband was going to die in less than 3 years.
I guess God knew what we both needed. I think of the nurses that got saved. The prayers that were answered. The miracle that I am even alive.
The physical therapists that kept coming for free. The pediatric doctor who didn't think I would walk for a couple more months.
Even he people in the church who stood by me, when I had lost faith in the church.

That seems like a lot of "Coincidences". In fact probably too many to be coincidences. I know exactly where God was during all this. The same place He is right now.

Did I mention the $1.7 million I owed the hospital? My credit rating wasn't the best during this time.

In the state I live in... I could sue the girl who hit me and her parents... but... I didn't.
If the county sues them... I can get something called "crime victims compensation". But there has to be some county employees that witnessed the event in order to qualify.
Did I mention the off duty EMT a couple of cars behind me? Or helicopter care flight pilot who was my accident. Just coincidence I guess...

Anyway, the county tries the girl and she is found guilty. She has to pay this compensation fee. The hospital has to take this money as part of the 1.7 million dollars I
owe them and eat the rest. Maybe not fair to the hospital, but it was good for me. I feel I made 1.7 millions that day. (I didn't actually get to see any of it, or spend any of it).
... just another coincidence I guess.

I am back having a "normal" life now. Whatever that means. But most people don't even know I was in an accident. I limp a little sometimes.
A while back we went to buy some vinyl flooring for our kitchen, and the sales lady asked why I limped. When my wife told her the story... she said...
No I saw that accident. That guy is dead!

... welllll not just yet anyway.
":relieved:The True Markings of A True Child of God"
 
Active
This is originally from...



I actually have many testimonies of things God has done in my life. I think I could type over a hundred times pretty easily, in fact I'm sure there are times He was doing things and I didn't even see it.
But here we go...

I am divorced. I didn't want to be, but... I was married to a woman who had children from a previous marriage. I had a bad blood clot in my leg, I had to stay in the hospital for about 10 days.
I was wondering why my wife never came to see me. Worse, she wasn't answering my phone calls and texts. When I got out, I found out she left me. She moved all her things out and changed
her phone number. The church we had been going to asked me not to come anymore. There wasn't a fight, or even an argument, I didn't know what happened. ( I found out much later).
When I met my current wife, we started going to another church, but I had lost a little "trust" in church people.

The woman I am married to now (about 9 years as I am writing this) her first husband died from MS a couple of years before I met her.

I had been riding motorcycles for around 40 years, starting on dirt bikes before I was a teenager.

Not much of a testimony yet, I know.. bear with me.

Friday the 13th. (I'm not superstitious). 9/13/13, I had been married less than a year at this time (to my current wife).
I'm riding a motorcycle to work, it had rained the night before, there was a little dew on the road. The sun wasn't quite up just yet.
A teen-age girl in a small pickup-truck ran over me... literally. I never even saw her, but I remember the bike going sideways, last thought was.. "is this it?"

First the bike.. a 2008 Honda Goldwing GL1800. A big heavy bike. The bike frame was broken in two, the bike was driven over the top of.. (with me still on it). The bike was smashed up pretty bad.
I still owed a lot of money on it at the time.

I woke up 10 days later, I didn't know what happened, I didn't know where I was or why I was there. One of the doctors explained everything to me, and parts of it came back to me.
33 bones were broken. My left wrist was shattered, my pelvis, my sternum, and 6 ribs were broken. I had internal bleeding and a ruptured spleen. Both arms and both legs were broken.
(I got to find out what it was like to be a paraplegic, for a few months) I was heavily sedated or morphine, and frequently was having very scary hallucinations.

When I was hit I lost a little over 2 pints of blood (I only have about 6). One third of all my blood. It's a miracle I am alive, but it just happened that the second car behind me, was a county
EMT that just got off duty five minutes before this. He was already patching me up long before the ambulance came. Did I say ambulance? Well, kind of. There just happened to be a care-flight
returning from dropping a patient off flying over the accident scene. I lived about 20 miles from the nearest large trauma center, about 60 to 90 minutes in traffic normally.
The helicopter had me at the hospital in less than 12 minutes. I wonder what the odds of that happening are? I can never recall seeing a care-flight fly over me on the way to work before.

My birthday was two days after the accident, but I was unconscious for 10 days, so I missed it. I was told they had a small cake and a few friends and family came. No one knew if I was going
to survive at this time. My wife was wondering if she was going to lose her second husband in less than 3 years, but she trusted God through it all. My daughters came, they were still teenagers back then,
they wondered if they would ever talk to dad again. After I regained consciousness, and slowly regained my ability to think cognitively, even speech was a bit of a challenge for a few days.
But my wife came every day, prayed very day. Talked to me every day, even when I couldn't talk back. I was on intravenous feeding during this time. I spent about 4 or 5 days in ICU, but I was
eventually moved to CCU. It appeared I was going to live after-all. So far I had only had "life-saving" surgeries, not corrective surgeries such as broken bones. No sense in doing a lot of surgeries on someone
who is probably going to die. I had about a dozen surgeries over the next 3 weeks. I am told they couldn't do them all at once because my body couldn't have made it through the stress of the surgeries.

My "catastrophic" medical insurance was used up before I even regained consciousness. My hospital tab was growing at about $28,500 (US) per day. My total tab that I was responsible for when
I finally was discharged from the hospital was a little over $1.7 million. It was going to be a little while before I got that paid off. I was only a contractor where I was working at the time, not a permanent employee,
I was let go shortly after I was moved to CCU. However my boss did visit me a few times (I suspected it was to see if I was really in as bad shape as bad as everyone said I was).

My casts went up past my fingers on both arms and hands, I couldn't even feed myself. I was slowly moved to more and more solid food. Jello, pudding, mashed potatoes, etc...
My wife fed me every meal, everyday, she drove 25 miles one way every day just to take care of me. There were about 5 nurses on duty, but 32 patients, so every nurse at least 6 patients. It seems most
of them were only in CCU for a week or two. I was there for over 6 weeks. I got to know all of the nurses pretty good. A lot of the patients who were in the hospital were angry and bitter that they had
to stay there, I could hear some of them abusively yelling at the nurses down the hall. I could even use the restroom by myself, the nurses helped, but my wife was amazing. It amazing what a spouse will do for you.

Some of them even mentioned I was never angry, even though I had been there the longest. It gave my opportunity to talk about Jesus and my faith. Three nurses got saved.
Two others never quite got saved, but they asked me to pray for their kids, one lost a job, the other was getting a divorce. Funny how non-believers sometimes ask us to pray.
The good news here is, the son didn't end up getting a divorce, and the other one got a "better" job the next day. I was thanked for my prayers.

People from my "new" church visited me a few times in the hospital. The pastor visited me, I told him I was going to walk into his church one Sunday, but I'm not sure he was convinced.

When they took me home... I still couldn't walk. I still couldn't feed myself. I hadn't stood up in over two months. They've done studies on college athletes. They make them lie
in a bed for two months, and then get up to walk. But they can't, the muscles atrophy. It's the same with astronauts in space. The usually spend a day or two in a pool
to get used to the weight. I had a cast on both arms, and both legs. But at least I was home. I still couldn't walk.

I had a wheelchair, but even getting in it was challenge, just "for fun" try doing this. Go from your couch to your chair, or even to your bed, or to the toilet.. without using your arms or legs.
If it sounds impossible, it just about is. I had something called a "slider board". Just a well waxed flat board about 4 feet long or so. You put one end on the couch where you are, and the other end
on your wheelchair or where you want to go. Then you "slide" across this board. Easier said than done, when you can't use your arms and legs. Well, I could use my elbows and knees, so that helped
a lot. Often my wife just "pushed" me across the board. I told everyone I had a "pushy" wife. Thank God she was willing to do it. She pushed me around in my wheelchair also.

On the day I finally stood up for the first time... It was the hardest thing I ever did. I had to hold onto a dresser to try to pull myself up.
I strained very hard.. but I finally stood up.... for about 10 seconds. I was exhausted and sat back down. I did this a couple of times a day for about a week until got where i could
stand for about 5 minutes. I remember looking over at my wife that first time I had stood up. Tears running down her face. She knew I was going to be OK. She knew I was going to walk again.
It dawned on me in those few seconds, all she had been through with me. Feeding me, wiping my rear end, and bathing me. She did it all, not knowing if I would ever walk again. If I would stand
on my two feet again. I said to myself "That woman loves you, don't ever do anything to mess it up".

Then I got a walker and I had to learn how to walk all over again. I was in my mid 50's. Not a spring chicken anymore. It took a couple of weeks, but I got there.
My "pushy" wife, pushed me again. She made me do the therapy, she pushed me to do the exercises. Thank God for her.

About this time my insurance quit covering physical therapy. I was on my own. ...except..... two of the physical therapists kept coming for free. (they said they had never done that before in 20 years). They weren't getting paid. But they made sure I could at least get around with my walker. ... another coincidence I suppose....

I finally got a couple of casts off. I could feed myself. I could even "butt-scoot" up the stairs now. I had been living in one room for 6 weeks now (not to mention the hospital
room before for 8 weeks). I finally took my first shower. The first in 3 and half months. It was so wonderful I cried through the first five minutes.

It had been over 3 months since I had been to church. I didn't walk that first Sunday, my wife pushed me in the wheelchair.
We were a little late. The worship singing had already started. That was OK with me... I was hoping to "sneak in" the back. ... so much for that plan.

The pastor walks up on the platform. stops the worship service and announces I am here. The whole church turns around and starts clapping. People are crying, coming up to me
and hugging me, shaking my hand (the good one) and telling me they have been praying for me. (I know they aren't lying). Talk about feeling loved. I still get a little emotional when I think about it.
For a few weeks people from the church visited me at home, brought us meals, even helped my wife clean the house a little.

I finally start visiting a pediatric doctor for my broken legs and broken arms. They tell me that a bone usually will heal in 6 to 8 weeks. If you break two bones,
it takes longer because the nutrients now have to go to two different places. If you break 33 bones... it takes... well... a long time. I might not walk for 4 more months.
Two days before Christmas I walk into the doctors office with no cane, no walker and no help from my wife. (she is watching). The doctors call all of his interns in
and makes me walk back and forth in front of them. He says I don't have to come back.
Eventually I did walk into the church. It had been four months. The pastor reminded me what I told him.

In the state I live in... I could sue the girl who hit me and her parents... but... I didn't. She didn't have a job.
If the county sues them... I can get something called "crime victims compensation". But there has to be some county employees that witnessed the event in order to qualify.
Did I mention the off duty EMT a couple of cars behind me? Or the county helicopter care flight pilot who saw my accident.

Now people ask me sometimes... where was God in all of this? How could a loving God allow this to happen?
I look back at all the "coincidences" in this testimony...

What are the odds an EMT would have been two cards behind me? The odds a care flight would have been flying over at that exact minute?
I was wondering if my second wife was going to leave me in the hospital like the previous one did. She was wondering if her second husband was going to die in less than 3 years.
I guess God knew what we both needed. I think of the nurses that got saved. The prayers that were answered. The miracle that I am even alive.
The physical therapists that kept coming for free. The pediatric doctor who didn't think I would walk for a couple more months.
Even he people in the church who stood by me, when I had lost faith in the church.

That seems like a lot of "Coincidences". In fact probably too many to be coincidences. I know exactly where God was during all this. The same place He is right now.

Did I mention the $1.7 million I owed the hospital? My credit rating wasn't the best during this time.

In the state I live in... I could sue the girl who hit me and her parents... but... I didn't.
If the county sues them... I can get something called "crime victims compensation". But there has to be some county employees that witnessed the event in order to qualify.
Did I mention the off duty EMT a couple of cars behind me? Or helicopter care flight pilot who was my accident. Just coincidence I guess...

Anyway, the county tries the girl and she is found guilty. She has to pay this compensation fee. The hospital has to take this money as part of the 1.7 million dollars I
owe them and eat the rest. Maybe not fair to the hospital, but it was good for me. I feel I made 1.7 millions that day. (I didn't actually get to see any of it, or spend any of it).
... just another coincidence I guess.

I am back having a "normal" life now. Whatever that means. But most people don't even know I was in an accident. I limp a little sometimes.
A while back we went to buy some vinyl flooring for our kitchen, and the sales lady asked why I limped. When my wife told her the story... she said...
No I saw that accident. That guy is dead!

... welllll not just yet anyway.
wow BAC
your a walking miracle
your testimoney is powerfull
I Thank God and Praise God for your recovery and for your wonderfull wife x
 
Active
so glad you shared part of your life makes my troubles seem like little peas compared to what you endured and overcome
Truly amazing
Amazing Grace
 
Loyal
I will share another somewhat humorous part of the story.

For the first 9 months I was married to my wife, we always had this discussion that married people have.
What do you want to do for dinner? Where do you want to go?

For 9 months this was pretty one-sided. I didn't want it to be, but it was. She would never tell me what she wanted. She would always say.. lets just go where you want to go.
It's nice to have a wife that lets you choose sometimes, but this was driving me crazy. I remember telling her, you pick for once. Anywhere is fine. But it was really a struggle for her.

When I was pretty close to recovery, I think it was just a couple of weeks before they let me go home, a friend of my wife's from church came to visit her at the hospital.
Her friend asked if she could take my wife out for taco's. I was so happy that my wife could take a little time off from baby-sitting me, and she could finally do something just for herself.
So my wife asked for my permission to go. I couldn't help myself... in my most pathetic voice.. I said... "So you're going to just leave me here sad and lonely with my two broken arms, and my two broken legs?"

My wife looks me straight in the eye and says.. "Yep, pretty much. Be warm, be fed!" and she walks out the door with her friend.
I was so happy that she finally did something for herself. I gave out a little cheer. Since then my wife has been much bolder. She frequently tells me where she would like to go for dinner.

Every now and then a friend will come over and ask my wife to go to lunch or shopping, or hiking with them. Not long ago I said "So you're just going to leave me here sad and lonely with my two..."
She smiles and says your arms and legs are just fine... feed yourself!

Good for her.

Don't get me wrong, my wife takes good care of me, and cooks for me frequently. But she's not afraid to do things for herself anymore.
 
Loyal
Good. Myself and many guys have the same problem, they dont want to pick what place to eat out at, or what kind of meal at home. She/they often will say, "Oh no! Its up to you!" Then finally after each repeats they dont care, I/they will say how about such and such, whereas the wife/girlfriend says, "Welllll, how about such and such instead (a different such and such)." LOL, they dont care until sometimes you come with something they dont want. And I at least will respond with a laugh and say, "Okay, sounds good."
 
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