Garett's Story

Garett’s Account of the Roll Over

On the night of April 2nd 2010 my wife Rachel and I along with our 4 year old dog named Moody were driving to Utah for Rachel’s brother Dickson’s wedding. I had just gotten home that day from a 3 week underway down off the coast of California where we had been performing carrier quals for the air wing. Along with some reactor plant testing and a large scale weapons offload. I had barely been home for an hour when we packed up Rachel’s parents 4 runner and headed off.

The weather was bad or most of the trip snowy and blustery. We made our first stop in Pendleton OR for gas and food and to switch drivers. Rachel had driven the first leg. We pulled out of Pendleton at about 9p.m. and continued down I-84 toward Idaho. About 30 miles west of Baker City Oregon the snow had cleared up and there were mostly clear skies with a slight dusting of snow along the sides of the road.

Rachel was dosing in the passenger seat and moody in the back, when without warding the back end started to slip and the 4 runner began to slide into the left hand lane. I immediately turned the wheel to the right to try and correct the slip. The 4-runner continued to slid the back end forward pointing the front more and more toward the median. When I realized the slip wasn’t going to be corrected I tried to turn the wheel to the left hoping to continue the spin instead of rolling. I had barely had this though when the front tires hit the rumble strip on the far left side of the road and the 4-runner lurched into a roll onto the passenger side. Everything happened in an instant. The car rolled and rolled. I could see sparks coming from the roof as it made contact with the asphalt. Then as quickly as the roll started we stopped upside down. I was still buckled hanging there like in a movie. My first thoughts were for my wife. I called out for her by name. No response. The wave of terror and panic that rushed into me is completely indescribable. I immediately wrestled with safety belt which gave way with a click dropping me on to my head on the upside down roof of the suv. I easily crawled out the window and rushed to the passenger side. To my horror my dear Rachel was not there. I can only imagine how I would have looked as panic set in and I yelled her name repeatedly as I circled the upturned car. I must have made 3 or 4 laps before it finally cut through my panic that she wasn’t in the car. I looked up and my eyes were immediately drawn to something, about 35 feet away across the road off to the side. I rushed over and found my precious wife on her back with one leg bent at the knee. She could have been sleeping. Her pose lent itself to the immediate notion that she was dead and for a moment I felt like it was like to loose everything. Upon closer investigation she was breathing and she had a weak but steady pulse.

At this time other motorist were beginning to stop. A dear lady brought blankets and another called 911 and found Rachel and I’s phones. Rachel was beginning to come around but all she was saying was “my back hurts” over and over. ‘Paralysis I could deal with just please let her live’ rang though my head as I kept her still and whispered comfort to her and silently prayed to god for my wife’s life. A concerned helped asked if there was anyone else in the car. My mind drew an image of our poor dog, broken or worse on the side of the road. I was almost afraid to ask. Moody means so much to Rachel. She found him a year earlier, 10 lbs lighter and clearly abused at the humane society. He had become inseparable from her as a companion and source of comfort on my deployments with the navy. I mustered the courage and asked about our little dog. To my great relief multiple people mentioned seeing a little dog running away from the scene. Another miracle, so far all three of us were alive.

By now the ambulance was arriving and Don Taggart, a young paramedic was assessing my wifes condition. She was becoming more lucid but was in tremendous pain. As they got her onto a back board and loaded into the ambulance a local police officer gave me the promise that he would find moody and bring him to us at the hospital. What great compassion and kindness. As the ambulance doors closed the scene was gruesome. Flashing lights, blood in the snow, a free way clogged up and a red upturned SUV. But that is not what caught my attention. What I noticed were people walking up and down the road in the freezing cold at 11 o’clock at night collecting our belongings. Total strangers were packing it careful in sacks and boxes and then back into the 4-runner for transport to the police impound where it would await pick up.

The ambulance ride to the hospital was agonizing. My mind was in agony unable to communicate except to express her pain. I felt as if in a fog, I remember in detail the events but I was having a hard time voicing answers to the questions. I wasn’t in any pain and the adrenaline would keep me from realizing my injuries for many hours yet. As we reached the hospital my wife was unloaded and wheeled in where we were met by a kind and energetic doctor name Dave Richards. An ER doc name Dave. It was a good sign considering this was not only Rachel’s fathers profession but his name as well. After receiving an assessment from Dr. Richards Rachel was sent for multiple scans, CTs, MRIs and x-rays. I was pulled aside by a secretary and bombarded by paper work. There were forms upon forms. Just as I finished the stacks of hospital admin papers an officer with the highway patrol came in with some questions and surprise, surprise more paperwork. As I was getting finished with that I started heading back to where Rachel was. Something had been nagging at my mind so I pulled the nurse aside and asked if she could get a hold of the local bishop. Her answer was a relief and a blessing. Dr. Dave Richards was a former bishop and was more then willing to help me administer a blessing to Rachel. The blessing was a comfort to me as much as to Rachel.

By now she was fully awake, very shaken, and a little fuzzy because of the pain meds. After the blessing I had a feeling of peace and comfort and I knew everything would be ok. Shortly after the blessing some results came back from Rachel’s exams and Dr. Richards informed me that her lungs had collapsed and she needed chest tubes. The nurses kindly but forcefully led me from the room and sat me down. This was really the first time they had taken a look at me. I looked like something from the movies. The left side of my face was swollen and bloody with scratches all over my head and face. The bottom half of my left ear was hanging by a small strip of skin. My clothes were covered in blood. I finally admitted that I may also need some medical care. I also received the barrage of exams and scans. It was determined that I had a skull fracture and a concussion. I would be fine with very little medical attention. When I got squared away and fairly heavily medicated due to pain I was resting on a bed with Rachel in the bed next to me. She had the chest tubes in and was being closely monitored but she was stable.

A uniformed police officer came in asking for me. My thoughts went to that mound of paperwork I had previously tackled and I wondered what had been missed. After in introduced himself he asked if I was the one missing a little dog and that they had found one on 84. I was overjoyed. This young officer had spent almost two hours tracking down our little boy. He mentioned how moody was very apprehensive and would not come to him. Thinking it was the uniform the officer started taking of his puffy vest, then jacket then hat, then utility belt trying to ease moody enough to get a hold of him. It brought a smile to my face thinking about our little dog and this freezing cold Samaritan of an officer. The good news and blessings continued to mount when Don Taggart, the first EMT on scene, came back to drive us to the airport. We were scheduled to life flight to Boise. He had overheard about the situation with Moody and volunteered to take Moody to his house until we could come and get him. That was such a weight off my shoulders that I didn’t need to worry about our little boy.

After introductions with Tony and Mike, the life flight nurse and medic, We said our good-byes to the wonderful staff at baker city emergency and loaded back into the ambulance. It was a short ride to the air field. Due to loading and passenger regulations I rode as a passenger, backward sitting at the head of Rachel’s stretcher. By this time Rachel was very tired and kept asking if she could go to sleep. As tired as she was she just could not fall asleep.

After what felt like hours in the air, which in reality was roughly 27 min, we landed at the airfield in Boise. I found myself wondering just where we had landed as we taxied past row after row of A-10 Wart hogs. I never asked. We were met again by another crew and an ambulance and once again the methodical process of getting Rachel loaded into the second ambulance. By now the adrenaline in my system was all but gone and I could feel all the bumps and bruises. The left side of my face was extremely swollen and bloody and my whole body was getting used to the feeling of having just been tumble dried. If I had felt like this I couldn’t imagine how Rachel was feeling.

When we reached St. Alphonsous there was a fleet of doctors, nurses and support staff there. I remember two nurses arguing over who would get to work on me. Possibly students. By now I was in a lot of pain and exhaustion was setting in. A group of doctors set in examining Rachel and ordering more tests and procedures. The room we were in was very colorful with a mural of a wilderness park and a multitude of campers. I remember staring at that mural as my ear was sewn up. It had been partially torn off. After being initially treated in the ER I was admitted and taken to the 4th floor for acute care and Rachel was taken down to ICU.

The next few days were a blur of Morphine and sleep. Very soon that next day, the third, our parents came. Robyn and Dave got tickets out as soon as they could but actually got standby seat and were in Boise by early afternoon. My parents started the drive that day and got out to Boise a little bit later in the afternoon. It was great to see them. I don’t think you ever get too old to be comforted by the presence of your parents. They were such a source of strength to me during the first couple of days in the hospital.

Rachel went almost immediately into surgery where Dr. Little, a tall neurosurgeon whose appearance made us think of a northwestern outdoorsman than a surgeon, performed the operation. When asked who was doing the surgery, everyone said that dr. little was the best and Rach was in very good hands. True to his reputation, Dr. Littles surgery was a tremendous success. Rachel had a very serious brake. “She broke in half” was how dr. little described it. The sheath around the spinal cord had been shredded and destroyed but there was no damage to the spinal cord. When her x-rays were reviewed the comment was made multiple times that it was a miracle she would again. They could not explain how she was not paralyzed. But I know why. God protected her. We have been promised in our patriarchal blessings. Mine talks about choosing a wife that will be able to teach our children.

As Rachel was recuperating after her spinal surgery, downstairs in the ICU I was still trying to get my bearings with the skull fracture and concussion. Every once in a while I got to take a wheel chair ride down to see her. The first couple times down she was in pretty rough shape. She was in lots of pain and very foggy because of the medication. She had an amazing nurse. Britta who was Bright and sunny and it was great to see all of our parents surrounding her. We had the great privilege of placing our hands upon her head and blessing her as her husband, fathers and brother.

Those few days were somewhat of a mystery. Due to the pain meds and frequent naps broken only by the times my father would push me down to see my wife. Dickson was truly invaluable with keeping the family and friends informed. I am sure people were grateful for the updates.

I was in contact with my chain of command often. I feel like the military and especially the nay has little regard for its members personal life until something like this happens and I was forced to reevaluate my opinion. My command pulled behind me brainstorming various options for a solution to this situation. Eventually my command settled on convolesent leave for me until I can get my wife home. I think the doctors words of “no driving for 3 weeks, no flying for 6 weeks, due to severe head trauma and collapsed lungs” may have also playing into that ruling.

I was soon discharged from the hospital. As I would very quickly realize I was not completely healed. The following weeks would be filled with constant headaches and a very sore jaw. Now I was able to devote my time and attention to helping Rachel heal. Over the next few days in the ICU the doctors recommended not only foot surgery but a very minor procedure to reset her broken coccyx. Other then the slight disagreement with Robyn both procedures went perfectly. I can’t fault Robyn for being protective and wanting the best for Rachel. In fact I have to be grateful. Maybe in part to Robyn’s questions Dr. Hirose and his team discussed alternatives and went with pins that will degrade in time instead of all metal screws. She did end up with 11 screws and a rod in her right foot. The placement of her tail bone was a great success. Now just to cross our fingers and hope it stays.

Rachel would spend a few more days in the ICU before transferring to the acute care level. Her time in acute care was much the same day to day. Her pain was barely manageable and she couldn’t find a comfortable position for more than a short time. She had amazing care and infinitely patient nurses and CNA’s.

As I am writing this Rach is still in the rehab wing. She has this Torso brace that we strap on her before she can get out of bed. Her PTs determined that a scooter would be better for her than a walker. So she has this red scooter with a low cushion for her to rest her knee of her right leg while she pushed herself around with the left.

It is Tuesday April 20th, Today we got some great news. The doctors say that we can take Rachel home in one week. It is so great to have an end in sight. To know when we get to go home. The only concern is that rach needs to be minimum assist by Thursday which means everything she does need to be 75% her. She is getting much stronger. We will ready next Tuesday.

It is difficult to document from day to day. Most of her days are filled with PT visits followed by occupational therapy. She is also seeing a speech therapist due to losing consciousness at the scene.

It is a blessing she doesn’t remember. I am haunted by images of the accident, mostly when I try to sleep. I find great comfort in prayer and meditating on our great blessings