Saturday morning started out the same way. We had a big breakfast, sledded some more, and went for a walk to check out the road conditions. They were still pretty bad. It was really cold, but the sun was shining and starting to melt the ice just a little. Ashley and I took the first sledding run when we got back home, and it was all downhill from there--no pun intended. The road had gotten much slicker, and I lost control of the sled. We crashed into a car that had slid off the road and was "parked" in a neighbor's yard. As Jeff put it, we T-boned a Cadillac. The next few moments were a bit of a blur. Ashley was injured and screaming in pain. She couldn't move her leg. She was wearing snow bibs with leggings underneath, so I could not assess her injury. I sat in the ice holding her as Jeff, Nathan, Lucy, and a helpful neighbor ran down the hill. My first thought was to get her to the fire station. The neighbor offered to drive Jeff and Ashley there in his 4x4. Nathan and I frantically scrambled back up the hill to put up Lucy and grab whatever we might need. Purse-check, keys-check, phone charger-check. I set and re-set the alarm three times before I thought we had everything we needed. In the moment, it was absolutely essential for me to find Ashley's newest stuffed animal (Butterscotch the Bunny). I crammed what I could carry into my purse, and we made our way on foot to the fire station.
When we arrived, the ambulance was already there, and the EMTs were assessing her. They loaded her on the ambulance, and I got in, too. One thing we have learned over the years of living on this steep hill is to park the car at the Presbyterian church (which happens to be right across the street from the fire station). This was such a blessing because Jeff and Nate were able to drive to the hospital. They actually beat the ambulance.
Strangely enough, the ambulance ride was not stressful at all. They cut off her pants to get a look at the injury. Even though they couldn't say for sure without an X-ray, it appeared that nothing was fractured but that her hip was dislocated. The only tense part was when they started her IV. This little girl hates blood, needles, and anything gross. She was a champ though. She only shed a few tears through the whole experience. She got some "happy juice" in her IV, and we made a calm, yet cautious, trip across the icy streets to Arkansas Children's Hospital.
We got good care at ACH. They were able to reduce the dislocation easily. The second X-ray looked good, so they don't expect any long-term complications. She will be on crutches for a couple of weeks and will have a follow-up ortho appointment. The hardest part of the MD orders were to keep her from moving her leg too much. If you know Ashley Adams, you know this will be impossible!
After we got her taken care of, I realized that my leg was not in such great shape. My left shin took the brunt of the blow. Thankfully, I hit the tire, so I'm just bruised and swollen. We are both resting at home today with a LOT to be thankful for. First, thank GOD that we were protected through this accident that could have been so much worse. I'm thankful to Jeff for taking such good care of us and always insisting that we wear helmets. Also, we are so thankful to Nate for being the best big brother anyone could ask for. He was so loving and kind to his injured little sister, but also calm and helpful to me in a really tense situation. We are also thankful for the good care we got from MEMS and ACH. This was the first trip to the ER for anyone in our family, and (in typical Adams fashion) it was by ambulance in an ice storm! Lastly, thanks to our family and friends for checking on us. We love you all!
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