Liver Day!

February 7th is Liver Day at our house. 2009 marks seven years since my car accident, and seven years since 2/3 of my liver was removed. For anyone who doesn't already know, I was broadsided by a propane tanker...the driver plowed through a stop sign right into my little Mazda. The impact was so hard, my shoes flew right off my feet. Maddy and Carter walked away, or rather were carried away in their car seats, with nothing but bumps and bruises. This is my car--totalled! The dent in the roof and the break in the window are from the tires of the tanker coming up and over my car. The tanker flipped over. The driver climbed out and pulled me and my kids out, with the help of a school bus driver. They were worried the tanker was going to explode...thankfully, it didn't.

I was not as lucky as my kids. I had a lacerated liver, collapsed lung, bruised kidneys...those were the big ones. I came through surgery...barely...and was put on a vent. There were literally hundreds of prayers offered in my behalf that night, and for the next several weeks, I made a slow but steady recovery. This is me two days after the surgery. Would you believe they still hadn't washed my hair yet? And it was caked with blood in the back (apparently during surgery, some of the blood pooled under my head---gross!) I do remember bits of my surgery. My blood pressure was so low, that had to quit giving me the anesthetic. I heard the stapler as they were stapling my incision closed...that is a weird feeling!

I have a lovely 11 inch scar--shaped like an upsidedown checkmark, that follows my rib cage. My liver regrew within a year of the accident...amazing what our bodies can do. This event was life changing for my family. We are all stronger because of what we went through together. We were part of a miracle. And so, every year, we celebrate Liver Day. I am reminded of the power of prayer, and how anything is possible with faith. Happy Liver Day!