It Takes a Village to Heal after Trauma

Submitted by Anonymous

Walking to my car, my shoes got stuck on the sidewalk, and I tripped. I have never experienced that kind of knee pain in my life. When I felt my knee I could feel a divide in my kneecap. I laid on the sidewalk unable to move. Two women saw me fall and came to my help immediately. They got me up and onto a bench. I called my family. The women stayed with me until my family arrived. My nephew took me to the nearest Emergency Room. The X-Ray showed a fracture. The ER took very long. Fortunately, they provided me with a wheelchair. The physician was caring.

My brother-in-law immediately made my appointment to see an orthopedic surgeon. Unable to walk or drive, I was worried about my work and bills that had to be paid. I am a real estate agent. My husband was a big help in assisting me with my business. He would drive me and help me show my clients the houses. My family and friends made a schedule to drop lunch and dinner every day for 6 weeks for my family and me. Sometimes they picked up the food from outside and played cards with me. My sister always accompanied my husband to take me to my doctor’s appointments. My Colleagues offered me help to show the properties to my clients. Not only did I not lose a single client but my business continued to grow. I had my surgery and have started my physical therapy. My coworker and a friend wanted to make sure I didn’t miss the office Christmas party. She came to my house to pick me up and drove me to the office Christmas party. Accidents happen and besides the injury, they can cause a lot of collateral damage. However, if we are surrounded by caring human beings, the trauma of the accident becomes easier to handle.