3/9/10 4:20 PM - Facebook Post

Facebook Judith Romig Wencel: "Katharine had her first physical therapy session this afternoon and she reports that it was pretty impressive. She said it was a good thing I went home to take a shower at that very moment. :) She now has a boot on her left leg (the one with the cast) - they made her stand on it. Youch!"

3/9/10 11:52 AM - Facebook Post

Facebook Judith Romig Wencel: "and I can't begin to tell you what an enormous blessing all the little notes and texts are. We all feel VERY loved and very supported. :)"

3/9/10 11:49 AM - Facebook Post

Facebook Judith Romig Wencel: "Still waiting for the plastic surgeon to have a look at Katharine's ear but it seems better today. Her hip is incredibly painful when she's awake so she pushes her button whenever possible. Surgery on her left arm is scheduled for 7:30 tomorrow AM, and the next destination is Our Lady of Lourdes, probably on Friday, and probably for about a week."

3/9/10 11:47 AM - Facebook Post

Facebook Judith Romig Wencel: "I thought I'd written an update this morning but maybe I'm on drugs, too. The surgery went well - faster than expected. They started around 5:15 pm and she got back to the room around 9:30-10:00. Last night had some AWFUL moments with pain, but once it got under control, things improved. Today there was a CAT scan ...to confirm all is well with the surgery and it's good."

3/8/10 8:53 PM - E-mail to Cousins

We just talked with the surgeon and everything went well. Faster than expected and she lost less blood than usual and her sciatic nerve is undamaged. What great news!

To fill you in, she was on her bicycle, coming back from a long ride, and was hit at the back/left by a pickup truck. Her left leg and arm were broken and shoulder damaged from the impact with the truck. She was thrown and landed on her right hip or something - in any case, her femur was shoved up into the socket and broke the socket. That's what they were fixing today.

The other concern is her ear (also the left side). It was stitched up in the ER but has become infected. They're sort of thinking about what to do about that.

Her left leg has been set and is in a cast, but her left arm will need to be pinned - another surgery on Wednesday - as she will need it for stability as she recovers from her broken leg and hip.

All in all, we are of course extremely grateful that she didn't sustain much more serious injuries. She has a long recovery ahead (bearing weight in 8-12 weeks, driving in 3 months, running in 9 months) and I will have to make some big adjustments in my schedule. However, God is sovereign and He has been faithful in her life in so many ways over the years - this just adds one more chapter to her already-lengthy story of challenges that He has provided strength and perseverance to get through or deal with. :)

3/8/10 7:25 PM - E-mail to Cousins

I just got a call that they are just closing her up and everything went fine. We'll see her in a couple of hours. :)

3/8/10 6:20 PM - Facebook Post

I just got a call that they are just closing her up and everything went fine. We'll see her in a couple of hours. :)

3/8/10 1:59 PM - E-mail to a Friend

Mark’s parents are here, and Mark has been here most of the day. He pops in and out to see patients (he is scheduled at St. Francis this week – another of God’s many graces).

My concern at the moment is that this surgery is going to start so late… If it starts at 3, it takes 3-6 hours and I just hope the surgeon’s not totally exhausted after his first surgery!!

3/8/10 1:26 PM - Facebook Post

Katharine is headed to surgery. Next update probably 4-6 hours. Praying for an alert surgeon after a long case this morning... Thanks again for all your notes. It's really nice.

3/8/10 8:25 AM - E-mail to Friends and Family

Katharine slept most of the day yesterday – it was a pain meds induced sleep, but we’ll take it!. She had a pretty good night, too. When she is awake she is in a lot of pain in a lot of places, bless her heart… she appears to have damaged her shoulder because it’s really painful, but nothing is broken in there. Her back hurts a lot, but she only has two possible positions in the bed – flat on her back or turned slightly to her right – and moving her from one position to the other is quite an ordeal involving two nurses and lots of pillows.

She goes for surgery within the next hour and her “appointment” is at 11ish. It’s expected to take 3-6 hours. She will be here for another couple of days, at least – they’ll probably put screws in her left arm on Wednesday so she can use it better/sooner for the recovery from her hip surgery. She will not be able to bear weight on the leg for 8 weeks, and no driving for about 12 weeks. I’ve heard it mentioned that they may send her to a rehab hospital for a bit before sending her home. She’ll probably be at our house for awhile, at least.

Her ear, which has 15-20 little stitches in it, got infected so they are also going to open it up and see what they can do there while she’s under.

So today, prayers for Dr. Dart and his team… steady hands, good judgment. Prayers for us that everything we do and say through this will bring glory to God. He has been so incredibly faithful in so many ways, big and small. Amazing.

I had a lovely conversation yesterday with the gentleman who pulled up immediately after the accident happened and found out that God had indeed sent an angel. He was wonderful to her, getting her a blanket, helping her get turned (she had apparently come to rest on her left arm and refused NOT to move despite his many entreaties not to – what a surprise), calming her down and keeping her calm until the ambulance came, and then waiting after the ambulance left until we arrived (a minute or two later, but still). Yesterday’s call was his second call to check on her. I asked how he got our number to call us and he said Katharine had told him. I was so glad to hear she was so lucid immediately following the accident!

Prayers also, today, for the other cyclist we found out was hit the same day on West 21st Street!

And lastly, pray for wisdom for me to know what to do and say with Jesse. Katharine ended their relationship but he doesn’t accept it. He came yesterday and hung out for a couple of hours (when I was at home showering and napping) and I’m just not sure what to do or say! I’m really not good at stuff like this. Katharine at first said she didn’t want him here, then that she felt sorry for him, and yes, he could come, but I was hoping it would be more to pop in. We have a long road ahead and I really need wisdom for how to deal with this.

I love you all! Thank you so much for your prayers and love and support.

3/8/10 6:55 AM - Facebook Post

One nurse to another this morning, explaining where Katharine's injuries came from: "it was bike vs. truck". A very welcome light note. :) Yesterday afternoon the gentleman who drove up immediately after the accident happened, and took care of her until the ambulance arrived (and then even waited until we arrived) called to check on Katharine - what an angel he was (and is)!!

3/7/10 7:53 PM - Facebook Post

Katharine has been moved to St. Francis to prepare for surgery tomorrow around 11 on her hip. She has slept a lot today - heavy pain meds. The immediate concern is that her right ear that was stitched up has become infected. The doc is on his way to see about it. Thank you all for all your notes of love and encouragement. They are so incredibly helpful to our hearts!

3/7/10 10:36 AM - E-mail to a Friend

Thanks for your notes. I'm copying you on an e-mail I just sent relatives. Not sure what the schedule is today but I hope it includes a nap. Mark has gone home for an hour or two and will be back, and Milford and Joan are on their way in a bit. I don’t think K is going to be up for other visitors so we'll lay low today until she's transferred to St. Francis.

Thanks again! Have a wonderful day, and praise God with us for His faithfulness and for sending His angels yesterday afternoon... :)

3/7/10 9:49 AM - Facebook Post

More praises! The bath and hair-washing Katharine has been asking for since she arrived in the ER last night is now underway! They were amazed how much dirt was in her hair. She has fantastic nurses today (on 4 Tower at Wesley). Yahoo! Surgeon was here a bit ago and she will move to St. Francis this afternoon for ...surgery on her pelvis tomorrow around 11, and possibly her arm on Wednesday.See More

3/7/10 8:12 AM - Facebook Post

More details: Last night they set her leg, stitched up her ear, and in the coming days there will be surgery to repair a broken pelvic/hip bone, surgery to repair the arm (as it will be needed to support her as she recovers from the hip surgery). Everyone who's been in the room last night and this morning have said t...hat today and tomorrow will be very painful, but we are so grateful...

3/7/10 10:27 AM - E-mail to Family and Friends

Mark brought my laptop a little bit ago so now I can communicate. He even brought the little camera so I can Skype! So later I might call you depending on Katharine's comfort level. She did get the neck collar off this morning so is VERY much more comfortable. Sleeping much more soundly now than last night, though still clearly in a lot of pain (and on lots of meds). I think I'll take advantage of the fact she's asleep and see if I can get some shut-eye myself. :) They at least brought in a cot last night - SO much better than the chairs.


Surgeon just came in and she is going to have her hip surgery tomorrow around 11. It should take anywhere from 3-6 hours and she'll be in the hospital 2-3 days, probably. They have to transfer her to St. Francis this afternoon because the guy who does this type of surgery works there. The arm surgery wouldn't be done until Wednesday. After the 2-3 days at St. Francis she can be released "home or to a rehab hospital". He added his voice to the many others who have said how fortunate she is. Her type of pelvic injury is serious, of course, but it could have been so much worse. (Her leg bone jammed up into the socket when she hit the ground and cracked the socket in two, but it's a nice clean break).


They took x-rays of her shoulder this morning as there is great discomfort there. Waiting on those results. (Actually, as I'm re-reading this before sending, the nurse is saying there is no break!)


I'm copying some dear friends on this note so as not to repeat myself quite so many times. :) I'm updating FB but will be more detailed in e-mails to my nearest and dearest, of course.
And yes, our church fellowship is unbelievable (both our current and our previous churches). A few wonderful friends came straight to the 'spital last night when they heard about the accident and stayed just long enough to be a huge support.


Thanks for your care and concern! I love you all,
Judith

3/7/10 8:11 AM - Facebook Post

Katharine was in a bicycling accident yesterday afternoon, and here are some of the ways God showed His grace in the whole deal: the guy who called to tell us she was hit was very kind and calm and stayed there until we arrived, Katharine says she was "riding fast" so the impact of the pickup was lessened :), everything that's broken appears to be fixable, and she has a wonderful nurse and nursing assistant today.

3/6/10 5:00 PM - Bike Meets Truck

A week ago yesterday, we got the call every parent dreads... an unfamiliar voice, asking "are you Katharine Wencel's mother?" When I responded that I was, the gentleman said, "well, she's been hit out here on East 21st Street, about a mile and a half west of Santa Fe Lake Road." I asked if she was okay, and he said she was pretty banged up and seemed to be having some trouble breathing but that it appeared to him that she would be okay. I asked if she was conscious, and she was. In fact, I later found out that she had given him our phone number.

Mark was upstairs painting our closets and I ran up to tell him. We were both amazingly calm, though we were also both very quiet on the ride to the accident site. When we began to see flashing lights in the distance, my stomach got a little tingly, but calm still prevailed. We pulled up to the south side of the road and were approached by a Butler County sheriff's officer, who asked if we were the parents. I saw Katharine's bike lying on the north side of the road, maybe 20 feet up the bank. It was misshapen, which was a bit heart-wrenching, but not mangled.

The officer said the ambulance had just pulled away moments ago and he also reassured us that she was very likely going to be okay. She appeared to have some broken bones but her lucidity was reassuring. Her helmet had done its job. He didn't appear to feel that we needed to rush immediately away to meet her at the hospital, which was also reassuring. He answered a few of our questions, including how it happened (the driver who was approaching her from behind hadn't seen her until the last second, and appears to have tried to swerve in time to clip her on the left side of her body, throwing her to the right, about 10-15' off the road). He asked a few questions of his own, then we turned around to head back in to Wesley, and as we did, I noticed another officer talking with a gentleman standing by a brown pickup truck and realized that was the truck and that was the guy. My heart went out to him, thinking how shaken he must be, and if I'd noticed him sooner I think we may have approached him and given him some reassurance that although he obviously made a mistake, we did not bear malice toward him. I still don't feel any anger at him, interestingly enough. A week has gone by and we are intensely aware that the accident was the catalyst for many more graces and blessings for us that wouldn't have happened otherwise.

When we arrived at Wesley, Katharine was in the trauma bay, the first set of x-rays had already come back and her left leg was being put in a cast. She was crying and apologizing (?) but she was wide awake and could talk. Her hair was full of dirt and grass and her body was covered with dirt, but that was of pretty much no concern at the moment - the staff just needed to figure out what was damaged and get busy fixing it. More x-rays arrived and were displayed on the screen and I watched as a radiologist went carefully over all of them; he paused over a couple of spots in the one of the spine but after clicking an image, he moved on. He never appeared to be alarmed, which made me breathe a little easier.

Since it had been determined by that time that Katharine's right hip was broken, her left arm was put in a splint rather than a cast. There was a good chance that arm would need surgery to provide support as soon as possible for the left leg and right hip as they healed; a wheelchair, walker and then crutches all depended on two functioning arms.

Friends arrived at the emergency room soon after we arrived and their presence was enormously calming and reassuring. They didn't need to say much (which I noted for future reference), but their presence was huge.

Eventually Katharine was rolled out and taken to 420 on 4 Tower and hooked up to oxygen, a Foley catheter and IV meds. She was in an enormous amount of pain but the staff began right away trying to get it under control. They brought in a chair for me that pulled out (flat!!) into a small bed and we settled in for the adventure ahead, whatever it was going to be. I had an overwhelming sense of thankfulness that everything appeared to be fixable at this point, and that God, who has been faithful through Katharine's many challenges to this point, was going to continue to provide strength, courage and comfort in exactly the amounts needed.