More about the hospital (August 10-13)

So I really wanted to keep up on this blog, but I've had a ton of visitors, have felt really exhausted, and am on a lot of drugs! So I can't really divide up the past two weeks of my life, it all kind of blurs together.

I spent three more days at the hospital in which I learned to walk using a walker and I started going to the bathroom by myself. I had great nurses and physical therapists who I took pictures with and also grew really attached to. God even blessed me with a few Christian nurses who were really able to encourage me. For example, on the way back to my bed after going to the bathroom, my nurse was dragging my foot on a pillow (that was our special technique!) and she looked up at me and told me "God has great plans for you." I also had a night nurse who was a believer and she was really encouraging too. I had a ton of visitors, but don't remember all of them because of the drugs I was on :) So our friend Wendy got us a bulletin board so that people could write encouraging notes to me (and so I could remember who came to visit).Still, all the visitors were special as most of them ended up praying with me and giving me lots of love. One day Gail brought her daughter Allison who was one of the only people I actually recognized! Turns out she is my Focus Leader, and my roommate Rebecca's Focus Leader as well (we have a class all semester that help's us acclimate to college, meet people, and we play fun games and have fun events)

While at the hospital I even had one good day, at noon on Friday, I had ZERO pain, which was unfortunately ruined after I had to get up and go to the bathroom! I always had to rate my pain for the nurses before they gave me my meds so it was just such a blessing to have it at zero for once. I still hadn't gained my appetite back, and I didn't crave my favorite foods. I was able to eat a taco from Del Taco, mashed potatoes from KFC, and even a smoothie (Gail brought me all of those!) When Andrea got here, on Friday the 13th, I was so sleepy all I could do was hold her hand and smile with my eyes closed. I do remember Andrea showing me her gifts for me from her students in Korea-letters, food, and souvenirs.

 We've literally had hundreds of people who have wanted to visit, but my dad had to choose a select few to do so. There was a lot of media trying to get in, and one time they even made it to the third floor before anyone stopped them (I was on the fourth floor). I have had to have a different name in the hospital and rehab, but I'll never tell you what it is ;) My PT's were so amazing and pushed me to do so many things, like use my walker to go down the hall, and then they forced me to sit in a chair for twenty minutes! Although it was painful, they were fun and nice (and maybe even cute..) so it was worth it! They have helped me to be strong.

One thing that was kind of interesting/weird is how my teammates and parents have introduced themselves when they visit. Everyone would say, "I'm _____ and I was sitting in this van" or "I was behind you", etc. It was just kind of odd to meet someone that way. And the parents would say "my daughter was in the same van as you" It wasn't really weird as much as the fact that I didn't remember everyone in my van, and I also didn't realize that only one van was hit. It was so interesting to learn more about the accident from each person's perspective. Sometimes my dad or Andrea would be with some of them waiting to come in and visit, and they would spend that time talking about the accident and what happened from each person's point of view. I think in a sense it was overwhelming to get all of this information, but it is a part of the healing process for all of us to know more of what really happened, and have these connections with each other.

I also saw my coaches and was able to talk about what I remembered from the accident. It was hard, but it was good to be able to work through my confusion with what had happened. Some of Andrea's friends from church and school visited me. Her friends Melanie, Jossie, and Marissa gave me a puppy along with some other things. I decided to name it Courage, and then when Kristen White was there we read Joshua 1:9 which goes along with the name of my puppy! It is great to have something soft to hold onto that is soft and comforting...not the same as Boo Boo, but definitely low maintenance ;)

AND THEN....I had to move to rehab. It was around 7pm on Friday (The day Andrea got here). Kristen White was with us, and someone from Andrea's office Nita and her husband stopped by during the move as well. Also, Kurt and Wendy Thielen were there. We took a few pictures, packed up all of my cards, balloons and flowers, and headed out!

The Accident and the surgery:

This is Andrea writing for Marisa! She wants for you guys to feel involved in this whole process of recovery, as well as have a way for her to remember what is going on, who has visited, and how far she has come! So here we go!

(This is the way, I, Marisa remember it, not necessarily what everyone remembers or what is in all of the reports and articles). On Monday the 9^th of August we were on our way to Mammoth for XC Camp, when the van I was in was suddenly hit by a SUV. Basically I just saw a flash of light coming at us, and before I knew it there were flames everywhere and I was in a lot of pain. Coaches were trying to pull people out of our van.  I asked Coach to get me out and he couldn’t because my leg was stuck, the leg that is broken. I didn’t know what was going on around me other than that firefighters were working to get me out and no one in my van responded when I tried to talk to them, other than the coaches that were talking to me.  I didn’t know if people were alive or unconscious, because no one was responding, and I was in so much pain myself that everything was fuzzy. I can’t remember if I turned around and looked, or what I said to them…basically not all of the pieces of the puzzle are there in my mind. I tried to talk to my roommate Rebecca who was laying against me, and she wasn’t responding. Our driver was in front of me and she didn’t sound good at all, but I was so out of it I had no idea if either one was okay or not. The whole time I was just in a lot of pain and I was praying that I would be able to get out of the van soon.

 I was in the ambulance with Rebecca on the way to Bishop and I don’t remember anything in there except that there was a firefighter holding my hand and comforting me. Then I was taken to Mammoth and there was a paramedic in the ambulance who was also holding my hand and comforting me for the long ride there. The paramedic was there for me when they had to straighten my broken leg out for the first time. I was really scared because I was alone but people came to visit me before my mom was able to get there. I can’t remember their names, but they were from the Mammoth camp and they were praying with me and holding my hand for a while. One of my teammates dad’s came and held my hand and prayed with me before I was moved to another room.  Once I was moved, my mom and Kurt and Wendy Thielen got there soon after. I had amazing nurses, who loved on me and cared for me while I was scared and in a lot of pain. I couldn’t eat because I was scheduled to have surgery in Mammoth on Tuesday at nine am. Then our insurance provider ordered a plane and had us moved to Riverside.

My mom came with me on the plane and it was very uncomfortable because there was a brace holding my leg together and it was underneath my hip and my tailbone and it was very hard. The ambulance ride from the Riverside airport to the hospital was so bumpy and painful. Then we got to the hospital, and soon the Snyders got there and stayed with me a bit during the x-rays and things like that. Val and I got closer because she had to stay with me through some very difficult situations. God blessed me with having friends there as soon as I got there and also the dean of admissions from CBU came along with her husband (Gail and Roy) and they were so loving and caring right off the bat. Both families helped ease a lot of stress for me and my parents. I still hadn’t had anything to eat and I was more than ready for surgery!  Prep for surgery was difficult, and finally I had surgery in the late evening on Tuesday.  Wendy, Kurt, and my Daddy showed up right before the surgery which was perfect timing! After surgery, everything has been pretty much a blur except for seeing one of Andrea’s close friends Trevor.