I'm sorry about using the mailing list for this, but many of you
have become my friends, and I would like to explain to everyone why
I haven't been answering most of my mail for the past several days,
and probably won't for many more.  This seems to be the best place
to do it, since I don't have time to send everyone e-mail
individually.  Forgive me for the breach of mailing list manners,
Chris.
 
[What breach?]
 
What follows is not a ferret-related topic except that it's been
a major part of my life recently, and I'm a ferret lover.  So, if
you aren't interested in reading about my life, just go ahead and
skip to the end of this letter.
 
On Monday afternoon my sister, Peggy, her husband, Mike, and their
10 month old son, Alex were involved in a *VERY* serious car
accident.  One of the magnitute that it was covered on the news
on all the major stations, and was in the newspaper for the next
two days, front page on some.
 
Piecing together the evidence and eyewitness accounts, here's what
we've determined happened...  It was the day after their 7th
anniversary and they had taken a few days off to go to the beach.
Peggy was sitting in the back seat in the center, indicating that
Alex was probably being somewhat fussy.  There was a truck in
the left lane going about 5 mph spraying some sort of chemicals
onto the median.  Mike must have been distracted because of Alex
and not seen the truck as he approached behind another car in the
right lane.  He pulled into the left to pass the car, and drove
right into the back of the truck, wedging the car underneath.  The
speed limit is 55, so they were probably doing 50 to 65 at the
time.  There was absolutely *NO* drugs or alcohol involved!
 
Peggy, who happens to be my best friend as well as my sister, made
out the worst.  She was sitting in the middle of the back seat,
which is only equipped with a lap belt.  On impact the seat belt
basically sliced through her intestines and stomach.  They had to
remove some of her intestines and 1/2 her stomach.  When she
arrived at the hospital her blood pressure was practically 0, and
during surgery she required 16 pints of blood, 3-4 times what
is normally in her body.  Due to the very low blood pressure, there
was not enough sustenance going to her spine, so it basically started
to starve to death.  The night after the accident she lost all feeling
from her chest down.  She was air lifted to another hospital where
she came under the care of the best neurosurgeon around.  When I
was finally able to arrive at the hospital, the doctor was just
coming out with the results of a full day's worth of testing.  He
basically told us that she would more than likely never walk again.
This, of course, reduced me to not much more than a sobbing heap.
The doctor then went in to look at Peggy again, after several minutes
he came running out, practically in tears, *Peggy had regained one
of the senses in her foot!!!*.  So, there was now hope that her
spine is healing itself.  This morning the paralasys also went from
below her chest, down to her belly button.  So, it's promising that
she may regain the use of her legs.  Tonight she underwent surgery
to fix a broken vertibrat (sp?) in her spine.  This is probably too
low in the spine to have any effect on the paralasys, but again
it is another source of hope.  She came through the surgery fine,
but we won't know anything else for a while.  Now we just have to
sit back and wait.  At least the hardest is over.  She didn't
have any head injuries, so she's fully alert except for the drugs.
She's scared to death, and she's on a respirator so it's even worse
for her because she can't really even talk about it.  She's limited
to writing a few notes which tire her terribly, and we very often
cannot even understand the handwriting.
 
Mike was released from the hospital today.  He really isn't ready,
but he pestered the doctor into it, since he's dying to see Peggy.
He suffered a *VERY* serious concussion.  He lost his short term
memory for a while, and is finally starting to get back to normal.
His arm bone was broken off at the elbow, so he underwent surgery for
that.  Aside from that, he has a *LOT* of cosmetic damage.  His nose
is broken, his teeth went through his lower lip, several teeth were
broken, his eyes were scratched, and *LOTS* of cuts and bruises.
Right now we are more concerned with his psychological well being,
he's having a hard time dealing with Peggy being so bad.  And, he
hasn't even started blaming himself yet.  We figure that's the
next step.
 
Thank God for car seats.  With all the injuries his Mommy and Daddy
recieved, Alex came away from the accident with two minor bruises
on either side of his neck!!!!  He had to spend the night in the
hospital for observation, but he is just fine.  I've now suddenly
been forced into the roll of substitute Mommy, since I'm the one
who's closest to him.  The only effect I've notice from the accident
is that he's gotten quite a bad case of seperation anxiety.  He
becomes almost frantic when I have to leave him at his day care,
which is wonderful, and he knows and loves the teachers.  I guess
he realizes that his Mommy and Daddy left him, now he's afraid
I'm going to do the same.  He also has yet to see his Daddy, so
we're a bit concerned about how he will react to seing him in such
bad shape.
 
So, that's why I'm going to be out of commission for a while.  If
you've sent me mail, and I haven't returned it, please try again in
a few weeks.  I would like to respond to everyone, but I simply
don't have the time right now.  Any well wishes are gratefully
accepted, but I probably won't send you a reply.
 
Please keep us in your prayers.  Medicine has done all it can for
Peggy, now she needs a small miracle.
 
[It sounds like it's going to turn out okay.  It's often a long road
back, so hang in there.  You are all in our prayers.  Lots of hugs and
support from Patricia, Chris & Gregory.]
 
Thanks for listening,
 
[Any time.  Please drop us a note if and when you can on how things
are going.]
 
- Nancy
 
 
--
Nancy Hartman                                   CIS graduate student
[log in to unmask]                                U. of Delaware
        President and founder, Delaware Valley Ferret Club
                      Owner of Percy & Bree
                                                                          
[Posted in FML 0156]