Hello Friends,<\/p>\n
I just wanted to check in with all of you and again thank you for all of
\nyour prayers, beautiful recovery wishes, support and more!
\n
\nThe swelling in my face is almost down to a normal level except for where
\nscare tissue remains. The scare tissue will take a few years to go away.
\nThere are a number of areas on my face where it is visibly apparent but I’m
\nusually feeling alright about it. I just try to remember how lucky I am and
\nthat I’m recovering each day. The plastic surgeon will only need to do 1 or
\n2 scar revisions. It will take a long time for the scars to diminish. I’ve
\nstruggled with a few infections and medication side effects but overall have
\nfelt ok. The road rash is basically gone and amazingly didn’t hurt much at
\nall. My speech and ability to eat is almost back to normal. The dentist
\nwill cap one of my teeth this Thursday – fun! Maybe gold or silver:)
\nOverall I feel good – better than I thought I would except for a medium
\ngrade neck pain that is fairly constant – thus lots of Advil. I’ll visit the
\nmaxillofacial surgeon again once I have permission to remove the neck brace.
\nNot being able to drive has worked out thus far. I’ve been forced to
\nexperience One Less Car and lots of carpooling which has been a fun way to
\ncatch up with old and new friends (I work for One Less Car). In regard to
\nOne Less Car, I’m grateful to be very busy working on the Tour du Port – I
\nhave to put a plug in that I hope you all can attend – flyer attached – and
\nother interesting projects that keep my mind occupied. I got an MRI last
\nweek and am going to get a 2nd opinion from a top Hopkins neck orthopedic
\ndoctor tomorrow. It is confirmed that I do not need neck surgery! Wearing
\nthe neck brace is difficult and hot but I know that I’m very lucky and I am
\ntrying to follow the doctors directions to do almost nothing. The emotional
\ncomponent has its ups and downs. All of your support (letters, calls, visits
\netc.) have been so very helpful to me in this area. I wish I had a special
\nway to thank each of you for reaching out to me!<\/p>\n
I’m writing to share the following letter (below this email) with all of
\nyou. It is especially meaningful to me since I don’t remember the accident
\nor much of the day…nor do I know Steve, the person who wrote the letter.
\nMany letters like this were emailed to me from all of you – filling in the
\nblanks for me and sharing your positive prayers and energy. Many were from
\npeople I never met who saw me lying on the road. Some never even saw me but
\nheard about the accident and contacted me to tell me they were praying for
\nmy recovery and cared. The letters still arrive…and mean so much to me.
\nThis shows the strength of our community (in and outside the bicycling
\ncommunity) and the compassion in all of our hearts! I’m just another person
\non the road and have been positively overwhelmed by the contacts (again-many
\n‘I’ve not met before) telling me they are praying and thinking of me. It has
\nbeen a major part of my healing.<\/p>\n
One way I hope to grow from this experience is to reach a deeper level of
\nunconditional love and compassion for others. Sometimes I rush around and am
\nnot as aware as I’d like to be of other people’s needs or difficulties. I
\nhope to be as deeply compassionate as all of you. One of the hardest parts
\nof the accident is that it happened doing something I have loved for most of
\nmy life (being outside bicycling) and that it involved an animal (animals
\nhave been so very important to me-a special part of my life). <\/p>\n
On that note, my 18 month old lab\/great dane mix, Blake, is now a
\ncompetitive athlete – spoiled by the walks and hikes my neighbors, friends
\nand others give him:) He too grows stronger every day! I look forward to
\ndays on the mountain bike with him – possibly this winter. I most
\ndefinitely look forward to road rides with you – hopefully by the end of the
\nsummer or at Bike VA 2010. For those of you I know off the bike – I hope we
\nwill see each other soon.<\/p>\n
With gratitude,
\nCarol<\/p>\n
Hi Carol,
\nFirst, I’d like to wish you the very best in your recovery from the
\nhorrendous crash that you had with the deer\/doe on that downhill, narrow,
\nmountain road, heading back to Charlottesville. (06-24-2009)
\nI’m pretty sure you do not remember me. I had chatted very briefly with
\nEsther(I believe)….as you and Esther and a lead male rider were starting
\nto ride a three person pace line. Esther(again,I believe that was who it
\nwas)…had made a funny comment…complaining to the guy (small pace line
\nleader) about having to ride behind him and having to look at his butt !
\n(typical cycling humor !) Anyway…..I made a comment to her that I’d hate
\nto ride behind her and look at HER butt ! (NOT !!) Of course…all as a good
\njoke and bike banter\/humor…I later told her she was a “10 on a 10 scale”
\nand she thought that was pretty funny and we laughed….with all of that
\nsaid….you guys were riding a little faster than I cared to hold at the
\nmoment….so your little group of three pulled away. I was thinking about
\nhow strong you and the other riders were and I admired that but I just
\ndidn’t feel like pushing it. I slowed down my pace and relaxed a little…..<\/p>\n
Shortly after that…..I was rolling down the hill and noticed a man waving
\nhis arms and telling me to stop…there had been a bad crash. I stopped and
\ndismounted and saw you laying in the road…I saw the pick up truck and I
\nsaw the injured deer. The story came together pretty quickly. I ran over to
\nyou and you were not moving and I believe it was Esther who was now starting
\nto attend to your immediate care. She was telling you not to move and she
\nwas reassuring you that she would stay with you and never leave your
\nside…..while this was happening, I pulled out my cell phone and dialed 911
\n(at exactly 9:25am)……I told the dispatcher that a female bicyclist had
\nstruck at deer broadside at approx 25 mph and that you were severly injured
\nand that we needed a squad. I also told the dispatcher that I wanted “Air
\nCare” put on standby…..I wanted them ready for the quickest transport
\npossible. (I’m a Police Officer\/Ranger) and have been involved with
\naccidents and crashes before)(there were a few more typical questions that I
\nanswered for the dispatcher…like road name, estimated your age, etc……I
\nsaw your facial injuries and figured there were many more hidden injuries
\nthat we could not see. I was hoping and praying for the best case scenario.<\/p>\n
Your friend, Esther, I believe it was Esther………was so loving to
\nyou…..I was moved at the compassion that she showed to you…..she layed
\ndown on the road\/pavement and cradled you with tender, loving, care and very
\ngently placed a folded towel or small blanket under your wounded head, I
\nbelieve there was also a gauze pad placed on the worst wound…..I knew that
\nyou were in good, caring, hands.<\/p>\n
I told her(Esther) that a squad had been dispatched and was on its
\nway…….
\nWhen the squad arrived……I watched and saw again that you were in good
\nhands and on your way to a trauma center\/hospital. I prayed that you would
\nsurvive and recover……
\nAnd gratefully…it appears that you are on your way to total
\nrecovery….with some very tough work\/healing yet to be done….but you are
\non your way !!!<\/p>\n
I had emailed a friend of mine(from Bike Virginia 2008)(she could not ride
\nthis year) of the accident and told her of my small role.(She\/Karen D. is a
\nmember of the same bike club) She forwarded your email that had been sent
\nout on 07-01-09……she thought I’d like to get in touch with you and wish
\nyou the best…….!!!!<\/p>\n
I admire your positive attitude toward the event and life in
\ngeneral…….and I know that you will make a full\/complete
\nrecovery……you will be back on the bike soon (be patient)…..you have a
\nwonderful support team and I’m sure they will be there to help you along
\nwith your recovery…….I’ll keep you in my thoughts and
\nprayers…….Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to talk with you in person next
\nyear at the 2010 BV…..wherever that will take the 2,000 riders !!<\/p>\n
Sincerely,
\nSteve Ranz
\nHarrison,Ohio oldId.20090722091354642<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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