At around 2:30pm CST, on November 29th I was involved in a head on collision that left me with 70% bruising over my entire body, a torn spleen, collapsed left lung and shattered left cheek bone. 
After a couple of hours in a small Clarion, Iowa hospital I got my first helicopter ride to Des Moines where I was admitted to Mercy Medical Center Hospital Intensive Care Unit.
My first very clear memory is of discovering I had a one half inch tube inserted between my ribs to pump my deflated lung up, a catheter, an IV supplying morphine, another IV supplying nutrients, a tube inserted into my nose that went down to my stomach, an oxygen supply and a huge group of people who loved me with urgent concerned looks on their faces.
If for no other reason, I have put these images on my website to tell you the seriousness and importance of wearing your seatbelt and appreciate your car's airbags.
Something like this tells you that you apparently are here for bigger things, that your work is not finished, that someone needs you. As this addition gets published 4 months almost to the day of the accident, I can walk, talk, breathe, eat, laugh, cry (a lot) and enjoy the company of my family.
True Friends have made themselves most evident, and complete strangers have become new friends. As I become more capable of getting through this, I will recount what I can remember of my recovery. By April 1st I am told I can begin the slow process of retraining to run again. I have been challenged by my brother (who apparently thinks this titanium plate in my face makes me the Bionic Woman) to run a Marathon with him in June. I, of course will be doing good to make it through a 5K by Christmas of 2008.
Here I am in the War Room, humbled and happy to be alive. I would like to thank everyone in my family and all who sent cards, wishes, phonecalls and visits. I promise all of you that I will be there for you as you were for me. It is the least I can do. I am searching for ways to help other people as they have helped me because I feel I have to. The web page will continue to grow and change with me. I will try to make it more interesting and humorous. Right now besides appreciating life is pretty serious stuff and understanding PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) is awfully confusing.