A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2006 Thorn and Wife's Death Day

It was 7 years ago, today, that my wife and I got rear-ended by a fully loaded tractor/trailer while stopped at a stop light. The driver of the truck had fallen asleep. Our car was totally demolished except for the front passenger compartment. The cab of the truck bounced up on the roof of the car mashing it down and breaking my neck. The truck slid on our car for several feet riding it like a surfboard. I was knocked unconscious and to this day have no memory of the wreck itself. My wife kept popping in and out of consciousness. She got five broken ribs, a punctured arm, and a mild closed head wound. I ended up with a totally demolished C5 vertebrae, a broken rib, and a broken finger. A week later I had spinal fusion surgery and now have two titanium plates and six screws in my neck. The after effects eventually led me to retire with full disability.

Do you both still have a lot of aching and pain from it?

My goodness...I am glad to hear that you are ok now...what you both must have went through .
Thoughts and prayers for you both

My goodness Thorny, you and your wife are indeed lucky to be alive. Hugs to you both on this day!

And that's why every day we're alive and breathing...is a good day!! I admire the courage it took for both you and your wife to recover from such a horrendous experience...

No wonder I hate leaving a five mile radius...

Thats just horrible!
My thoughts go to you!

My neck, right hip, and right knee still hurt a lot. My wife keeps constant headaches and severe neck pains.

Oh, man...scared me to death when I saw the name of this topic!

Glad you and your wife are still with us, Bird Man!

Were both of you scared of driving/being in a car after that????

So glad you were both able to recover! That had to have been extremely terrifying!

Actually, no neitherof us are afraid of being in a car at all. I no longer drive because I can't turn my head as far as I could before so to be safe I'd rather not drive. But my wife still drives us everywhere. It was more weird than frightening. I remember NOTHING about the wreck. I was telling my wife a joke and was just getting to the punch line when......There was a strange man in my bedroom waking me up. I thought, "What is he doing in my bedroom and who is he?". Then I noticed I had NO sheets or blankets and the mattress was made out of grass and my arm was covered with blood and then it hit me, "CAR WRECK!" Everything was strangely QUIET and I thought my wife might be dead but then I could hear her to talking to the ambulance people and groaning with pain and I thought, "We're OK." And we are basically OK, now. The worst thing was being on that long, hard spine board for like 8 hours.

My husband can relate Thorny...when he was 18 he hit a pole along the road. He doesn't remember a thing--he had his last rites done for him in the hospital.....He had to have some plastic surgery to cover up scars on his face too....but he doesn't remember anything at all, just waking up in the hospital a few days later!!!!

That must be really freaky!

You sure know how to get peoples attention Sr. Thorn. Thought something bad happened today whew. Know all about them spine boards and liweing on one for 8 hours no fun at all. glad your both doing as well as you are. Now to get my heart to start beating again.

Thoughts and prayers to you's!!!

Thorny, you sure do know how to scare someone!

so glad you are here today thorny... things like that are good to remember, makes each day a little sweeter.

I'm fortunate to have you as my friend.