Charles badly hurt in car crash

Hope that your recovery goes quickly.  How fast our lives and perspectives can change.

Glad you're keeping your head up.  A good attitude will be helpful for sure.

Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:Stay strong Charles!  I'm feeling like I don't have enough karma and prayers to go around between Jerry (here in Atlanta with the brain tumor) and Charles.  These are good people and I keep asking to for them to stay around longer before I can see them again.

Worry not, Michele: Back when I ran Tecumseh a couple of years ago, Charles joined us all at some gawdawful restaurant in Bloomington that served up some toxic/infectious slop that left about 12 of 14 guests retching their tonsils out at some point over the following three days.

One of the two resilient enough to avoid infection? Charles.

The other? His wife, Susie.

They make 'em tough down in Seymour! He will bounce back. Just wait and see.

Wow...my thoughts and prayers are with Charles for a speedy recovery. That looked like one horrible crash.

After the wreck - I don't recall when. I wonder why? I got a remarkable FB message from a young lady named Brandy. She witnessed the wreck, called 911 while running barefoot and pregnant (literally) and ran up to me. She assumed I was a dead man, but she spoke and I responded - apparently.  We text chatted a little yesterday. Here is the original message and a portion of our chat. She and our Wendy Miller have a mutual FB friend, but do not know each other - yet. 

I saved this - a message from the one who saw it all and called 911. Slightly awesome!

Hi Charles. You don't know me but I am Brandy. I was Omw home last night from McDonalds and witnessed your accident...I called 911 and ran in the middle of the hw pregnant and with no shoes to help you...I was so scared when I got to your window that you had passed because apparently you were knocked unconscious. I have been praying for you from that very moment and am soooo happy to see that you are alive! You my friend had a guardian angel or somebody watching over you. Your accident was the worst accident that I have ever witnessed and I am so greatful to see you are still with us. I hope that your injuries are minor..and I am continuing to pray for you!

We text chatted yesterday. We will meet sometime. 

And . . . no I actually don't know them...Wendy and I have a mutual friend on FB and I had posted about your accident the night of...and a friend sent me a msg saying that Wendy had also posted about you...and from there I learned your name and story....those are all terrible injuries and as I said before you had to of had an angel watching over you because I never seen an accident as terrible as yours....I seriously didn't belive you had survived. You keep being strong and you will get through this...it could have been so much worse.You are truly an inspiration to me! And yes maybe we could meet some day....just know you have a lot of people rooting for you =]

thanks for sharing.  Keep strong!!

That's really cool.  Maybe Mark knows her, since she's barefoot running and pregnant.   

Yeah, i think we are all amazed that you are in fact still with us. Then in your pics it almost looks like you have no facial cuts, maybe just not visible, but still it would seem your head would be bandaged up. I echo the lady's thoughts, that you were spared and protected by the almighty for a reason beyond our comprehension. This made me think of this passage:
James 5:16
New King James Version (NKJV)
16 Confess your trespasses[a] to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Heal well sir Charles!

All settled in at home. Mac McCreary helped load the car for us at the hospital. A HUGE help. I slept in bed this afternoon, but the Lazy Boy in my office works best. Michael did a great job on carpenter jobs for me. A snap to get up and down levels. Susie got me a wheelchair and raised commode seat with handles. A requirement since our toilet is lower than most. Tomorrow to Indy after lunch for my ortho appointment. I see the films and how many pelvic fractures I have. Hopefully the break is holding and we can avoid surgery. So happy to be home. Oh, and alive.

charles.moman wrote:So happy to be home. Oh, and alive.

Well, yeah. There's that.

Glad you're finally home, and here's hoping that those fractures are fusing nicely. And non-bumpy roads between Seymour and Indianapolis.

charles.moman wrote:All settled in at home. Mac McCreary helped load the car for us at the hospital. A HUGE help. I slept in bed this afternoon, but the Lazy Boy in my office works best. Michael did a great job on carpenter jobs for me. A snap to get up and down levels. Susiegot me a wheelchair and raised commode seat with handles. A requirement since our toilet is lower than most. Tomorrow to Indy after lunch for my ortho appointment. I see the films and how many pelvic fractures I have. Hopefully the break is holding and we can avoid surgery. So happy to be home. Oh, and alive.

Nice. How about an easy 5 tomorrow?

Charles,

I am signed up for a trail half marathon tomorrow, not to race but to run.  We received a couple of inches of rain over the past couple of days and I know the course is going to be a mess.  I started to think about how miserable it was going to be and thought about a DNS.  Then I thought of you and realized there was no way I was going to miss an opportunity to run...this one is for you.

It is great to hear you are home, Charles!

Sure Jerry - not.
Good plan Jeff!

One long day. 
Susie, Jenn and I up to Indy Methodist for ortho. Too many hours sitting in a car or wheelchair before finally getting home - lots 'o pain today. When sitting, I am on a clean break on the back left pelvis, plus four fractures in the front. For short distances, I use a walker with virtually no touch and no pressure on the left leg. Longer distance, I have to use a wheelchair. 

No left foot touch for another 5 weeks or more. Then we X-ray again, and then maybe crutches with ever slightly increasing weight bearing until no crutches. Running will come eventually. This will be a long rehab. 

My four broken ribs are bothering me again, but hey - suck it up buttercup! No further internal bleeding. Tuesday back to spine doc to evaluate my C7 neck fracture. Hopefully I can lose the neck brace! 

Pain in many places, but on we go. I will do home rehab with relentless forward progress.

Glad to hear that your recovery is progressing.  I am sure it will be a long road back, but if there's one thing we runners have, it's patience and perseverance.

I don't think we're ever given more than we can handle.  If anyone is up to the task ahead it's you Charles.  I'll be thinking of you often.

Nothing to it but to do it, right? Keep at it Charles.

You didn't mention anything about your leg -- I thought I remembered reading that you had a broken ankle, too? But I hadn't remembered reading about four broken ribs before. I suppose it'd be expected, considering what happened, but still. Yipes.

They suspected a broken right ankle because I broke off the brake pedal during the impact.
But the X-ray likely showed a vein that fooled them initially.
Actually, my left ankle was swollen - I had super taped it before the run to prevent an ankle roll.
Because I taped it heavily, it took the brunt of the brake pedal hit and voila - no ankle break - just a swollen ankle.

Yes, four fractured ribs - left side where the offending car impacted me - #s 9 -12. They are annoying at times.
My bottom teeth seem "tighter" - when I bite down on food, they hurt some.
Going to the dentist this week to see what they think. Not a huge deal, but NOW is the time to run down every possible injury.

TMI alert

FINALLY, I can pee easily. Huge annoyance for two weeks. I was catherized at least three times, plus my bladder got slammed when I got hit and I received my 5 pelvic fractures. Now it has all calmed down and I can go to the bathroom happy as a big boy!   Black squiggly lines represent the pelvic fractures. The top right is huge - all the way through the bone, but stable.



Visualize the door pressed in on me - took 20 minutes to cut me out. Then on to the helicopter.


Amazing my legs were not broken - just bruises.




Probably one of the first photos of me upon arrival - via Lifeline - to Methodist trauma.

Using my walker at rehab - no weight ever on left leg - I was pretty drugged at this moment, but still safe.
I have been killing my core for months on end, so I was SO ready to do this.
Bring it rehab. Walking with Mikaela, my granddaughter # 3! She walked with me moments later holding my hand.

that picture is priceless with your grandaughter I assume.  You'll be an inspiration to us all.  Keep it going!!

that picture is priceless with your grandaughter I assume.  You'll be an inspiration to us all.  Keep it going!!

I am still amazed after seeing all of the photos. Soooo glad that you are on your way to recovery.

In my occasional lucid moments, I was - as usual - trying to be funny.
A friend in Corydon, who also is a songwriter, texted me very upset.
He did not find out until days after the wreck.
I told him it was OK and that I was thinking of song titles based upon the accident.
On Sunday, I sent an email to my pastor - Chuck - who is known for horrible puns.
He read my email at both services - here it is:

Pre-run at MMF on the day of my "event"!

Glad that you are home, Charles.  I did think of you as I was driving back from Atlanta to Ohio yesterday - glad to see no more snow and glad to see no wrecks along the way.  Keep up the fantastic work as you are way stronger than this little set back.  Love the video of your pastor and I lvoe the sens of humor.  

One question from a friend (who is in the accident investigation business), what type of car were you driving.  He could probably tell from the last set of pictures, but not from the original.