Goodbye For Now

Unfortunately I am unable to complete this course and have to say goodbye.

Last February my fourteen year old daughter was in a car accident which almost took her life. She was ejected from the car on impact, through the sunroof, and then when the car finished flipping it landed on her. She was pinned for 57 minutes from the time the rescue team arrived on site. They actually had to dig her out from under the car in order to save her.

When I arrived at the hospital I was told she may not make it and to call the priest and my family. Three days later she started to breathe on her own again and was extubated. From there her recovery was long and difficult, but she made it, and every day I thank God for that. After a twenty one day stay in the hospital we finally came home, with her in a wheelchair and unable to do anything for herself.

I left school ten weeks before my graduation and stayed home to take care of my daughter, without question or regret, and I thought we had finally made it. She started to walk again, learned to take care of herself, went back to school and this year was even able to return to dance. I really believed we had made it through the most horrific experience of my life, that is until she was recently diagnosed with Post Traumatic Brain Injury. Now I know we still have a long road ahead of us.

She has soft tissue damage to her brain which can last for a month, two months or forever. There is no definitive answer. She has lost her short term memory, has difficulty recalling information, cannot think in sequence or with logic and is often disoriented, dizzy and confused. She has had to be taken out of school part time and is receiveing home bound instruction. I know she will be okay, God had his chance to take her and chose not to. He obviously has big plans for her.

Anyway I am still continuing in school, but have dropped my classes down to the only one I need to finish this Spring and graduate. Right now my daughter has to be my priority and dating is the last thing on my mind. I guess serious is where I am supposed to be.

I will leave you with one last update, Todd and I are doing great. He is really amazing and has been there through everything, always making me laugh when I want to cry. So maybe you don't need six months or even eight weeks, maybe it just happens when it is right.

Well good luck to you all and take care. For those of you with children, never forget to hug and kiss them everyday, because you just never know. The night of my daughters accident I dropped her off with a hug and an I love you, I also spoke with her an hour before the accident, again saying I love you as we hung up. For that I will always be grateful.

Tracy