This weekend at Loretta's started off like any other- Chase took off work on Friday so he could go down early, and I came down later Friday evening after work (and getting my hair done!) We ate dinner, Chase did the night ride (which he finished 1st, even though it is not a race), hung out a little while, then hit the sack for the early morning riders meeting.
They all got up Saturday morning in time for the 8:30 riders meeting, we ate breakfast, and then they all got ready to head out for the first ride of the day. I stayed at the camper to hold down the fort. It had been about 30-45 minutes and I look across our camp site and notice Chase and Uncle Dane are back. I thought it was weird that they were back this soon but, I just thought maybe someone had left something, or messed something up on their bike, but didn't really think anything about it. A few minutes later I looked back over to see where Chase was thinking it was weird he hasn't come over to tell me why he was back so soon. I see him doubled over.....
Let me just take the time here to tell you as long as I have known Chase, he has NEVER hurt himself riding dirtbikes. A few bumps and bruises every now and then, but nothing serious. Not that he is super cautious or an awesome rider, he just knows his limits, and doesn't push it. Not to mention he has the top of the line safety gear (Thanks to his momma and daddy!). I never worry about him when he rides, or get nervous when he wrecks because it has always been ok. With that being said....
I get up and walk over there to see what is going on. Again, not at all worried....
Me- Ouch... What did you do
Chase- (still doubled over) I hit a tree
Me- Well I'd say you did, that's going to leave a mark.
Uncle Dane- I'm going to call the medics up here.
Chase- No, I'm fine.
I'm thinking "Yeah... he is fine.... but maybe not a bad idea to have the medic look at him."
By this time word had traveled about what had happened to Chase and there was quite a crowd beginning to gather.
Me- still not worried.....
Then I hear people start saying words like "hospital", "ambulance", "internal bleeding", "broken ribs", etc. But these people are not doctors... what do they know? He is fine. He is walking, talking, assuring me (and probably more himself) that he is fine. Everyone is over reacting.
About that time the medics get there and Chase gets up and I see this MONSTER of a knot on his lower back, right about the area of his left kidney that giggled when he walked and I about lost it. First I got very nauseous, so I squatted down and tried to compose myself. A few seconds later I stood back up and immediately got dizzy and broke out in a cold sweat. So I quickly sit down on the ground with my head between my knees. I'm thinking- "Great Anna Marie, just great... quit showing out... don't draw attention to yourself...take deep breaths... don't pass out... maybe people will think you are praying." When I finally think I might have it together I get up and start walking towards the air conditioned camper, and everything starts getting black. About the time I reach the door my vision is gone and I feel my way into the camper and lay on the cold linoleum floor.
Ugh! I am so mad at myself... Chase needs me, and I am wreck. I have always like gory things. I loved assisting in oral surgery, or watching a bone graft in perio. But this... this was Chase... not just some stranger.... This was my husband!
After about 5 minutes of laying in the camper hiding, trying to compose myself, the door opens and it is Mrs. Claudia- She is coming to get a cold rag. I tell her I'll get it and bring it out. This gives me an excuse of why I was in the camper :)
I get up- splash cold water on my face- give myself a pep talk in the mirror- get a cold rag- and head outside.
Sorry I have no idea what happened once the medics got there- I was having an episode...
I go out to see Chase on the other side of the road under a shade tree in one of those fully reclining zero gravity lawn chairs with a swarm of people around him. When I get over there they are just starting an IV of fluids. (SIDE NOTE: they hung the IV bag from the tree with a carabeaner... looking back that is really funny, at the time- I could have cared less) There was a lot of talking going on- people talking about ambulances and hospitals, and I even think some one said something about life flighting him... And Chase was just kept saying "I'm fine"- "No, I don't need to go to the hospital"- "I feel fine"- "Really, I'm ok!"
Yeah, he's fine people.... but now a little worried
I was trying to zone everyone out and concentrate on what the medics were saying back and forth. They were taking his vitals...
Medic one: 62
Medic two looks at the other one worried....
Me: His pulse is always low, he exercises a lot and is in very good shape
Chase: Yeah, It's usually in the high 50's
Medic one: 114/76
I immediately tried to use what medical knowledge I knew and dissect what that meant... Ok- If he was bleeding internally his blood pressure would be low and his pulse would be high. He's normal- so that's good. Wait, Right?
Medic: Ok everything looks normal, let me take a look at your back...
WHEW! Everything is ok... See People... he is fine...
Medic: I dont like the way that looks, let's call the ambulance.
Now I'm officially worried
Chase: I'm fine! I don't need to go to the hospital.
So I squat down next to Chase's to talk to him:
Me- "Your fine, your vitals are normal, and if you were bleeding internally then your blood pressure would be low and your pulse high, but..."
Chase- I know, I know, but do you know how expensive this is going to be?
Me- Well, hunny we have to make sure you are ok... it will be ok...
Seriously... Your thinking about money in a time like this?!?!?!?!
After talking to him now, we were both thinking the same thing- You hear lots of stories about people saying they are ok when they are really not. You know... walking and talking one minute, and the next they are gone. But neither one of us was going to tell the other one that.
I call mom and fill her in on what going on and tell her to pass the word on so people could start praying. Up to this point I hadn't cried, but when I heard my momma's voice I just lost it! She asked me if I wanted her to come up, and I told her no, he's fine, but they want to take him to the hospital "just to be safe".
About the time I got off the phone the ambulance got there. The EMT's were in no hurry.... so that was comforting... if there was something bad wrong, they would be in a hurry. BUT then they took one look at him and said they wanted to life flight him to Vanderbilt... I LOST IT! -You don't just life-flight someone to Vanderbilt. Really sick people go to Vanderbilt. Critically hurt people get life-flighted. You don't JUST life-flight someone to Vanderbilt... At this point I was Terrified! It was one thing for people who weren't in the medical field want to take him to the hospital, but for someone who knows what they are looking at to want to LIFE-FLIGHT him to VANDERBILT... Oh man, did I loose it!
I called mom back to fill her in, she asked me if I wanted her to come up, I said yes... I needed my momma...
So there we were... the ambulance was strapping him in on one of those boards to load him up to take him to the helicopter. I couldn't think straight.... I heard someone say something about insurance... Oh yeah... get your insurance card dummy! I ran to find my purse... not in the camper- it must be in the truck- trucks locked- where are the keys- where are the keys- find the keys, unlock the truck- get my purse- go back over to where Chase is...
Trying to be as composed as possible, I ask him if he wants be to bring anything... Looking back that was stupid! Like he would know?!?!
Chase's dad asked me if I was going to ride with them to the hospital. I hadn't even thought about how I was going to get there? I guess I assumed I was riding with Chase, but then I was told I could not go in the helicopter. So Yes, yes I do want to ride with you. I ran and got in the truck. I was buckled in and ready to go even before Chase was even loaded in the ambulance. Looking back, I wish I would have been right there with him until they had him loaded, because he said... "I was looking around to tell you bye, but I couldn't find you." That broke my heart! He wanted me, I wasn't there.... Next time (hopefully there won't be a next time, but if there is) I will be there.
Chase's mom and dad and I get loaded in the truck and head toward Nashville... We get on the interstate and the GPS says "continue sixty-four miles". 64 miles! Are you kidding me! This was going to be the longest 64 miles of my life....
I got on my phone to pass the time and I texted just about EVERYONE in my address book. I stayed busy texting most of the way there to try to keep my mind off of what was going on and the what-if's. It was terrible not knowing... I didn't know if he was ok, or not, and I had no way of finding out... I was a hot mess...
We got to Vanderbilt relatively quickly (Mr. Rick should have been a NASCAR driver), and he dropped us off at the door to the emergency room. We ran in and in a panic frenzy and were throwing words at the guy behind the counter- "Chase Peeler" "life-flight" "Loretta Lynns" Dirtbikes"... He calmly asked... How old is he... "TWENTY-FOUR!" Ma'am, you are in the pediatric emergency room, you will need to go out these doors, go left...... That was all we heard, everything else sounded like Charlie Brown's teacher...
And we were off! Running around the outside of Vanderbilt's Hospital trying to find the emergency room... OK seriously Vanderbilt- you need to have better signs! As were are frantically looking for the emergency room entrance we saw a helicopter land. "I bet that's Chase" "No-way I bet he is already here." NOPE! because as we were trying to get through the metal detectors at the entrance of the emergency room my phone rings, and it is the nurse from the helicopter...
Nurse: Mrs Peeler?
Me: YES!
Nurse: This is Nurse such-in-such from medi-vac....
Me: HOW'S CHASE?!?!?!?!?!?
Security guard at the entrance: Ma'am- Your going to need to....
Me- (throwing my purse in the bucket) OK!!!!
Nurse: Ma'am, he is ok, we just unloaded him, and you will be able to find his room at the emergency room check in.
Security Guard: Ma'am- I am going to need you to put your phone......
Me: SO HE IS OK?, HE IS ALERT?, HE MADE IT FINE?!?!?!
***Security Guard motions me on though the metal detecter, even though it continues to go off because I am on the phone...***
Nurse: Yes, Ma'am- he made it fine
Me: THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! click...
All of those bad things that I thought could have happened didn't! He made it ok!
Mrs Claudia had already found out what room he was in and got our 2 visitor stickers and gave one to me and we headed back while I filled her in on what the nurse had said.
We walked into the room and I ran up to him and he smiled and said "Hey!" I had never been to happy to hear that words in my life!!! He said they told him they planned on doing a cat scan to check his organs, but everything seems to be ok.
PRAISE GOD! It was like some one had lifted this huge weight off me and I could finally breath again.
He continued to joke around for a while telling us all about his ride, and him asking them how bad his was cause he need to know how hard to pray. HA! That's my boy! :)
They got him back pretty quickly to do the cat scan, but once they did that and realized he was fine, they were in no hurry. And Chase was very agitated that he could not eat, drink, sit up, take the neck brace off, etc.
The three of us (Chase's mom, dad, and I) switched out the visitor passes and tried to pass the time. When mom go there, she got us something to eat at McDonalds. We sat there 6 long hours. Waiting on a neurologist to read his cat scan... a Radiologist to read his x-ray, a specialist to look a his spine... etc
Here are a few snap shots I took after I found out he was ok.
So she went and got him "paper scrubs".... NICE!
Here are a few pictures of the healing process.
And there was a lot of this going on....
And the new protective vest
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