Greetings All, I normally just listen and pray when there is a request. This must be shared. God brought me through what people who saw it cannot believe. It is a little long but it takes that much to get the picture of what God did.
For those who do not know me, I have been disabled since 1986. I have had ten knee surgeries and 2 hip surgeries and I am allergic the prosthetics that are in there now. When I try to walk my legs have severe pains and buckle. Due to Workers Comp Complications I also have severe Osteoporosis. My bone density is that of a 85 to 90 year old woman. I can cough and break a bone. I have cracked L1 through L5 vertebra in my back and wear a back brace to sit up. My van was modified so I could drive using my left hand for gas and brake. On Saturday June 21 , 2003 I had got up early and left to meet three other Royal Ranger Commanders from the Church at a friends place near Caldwell, Texas to preview it for an upcoming Campout. I drove up by myself and they came together and arrived about 8AM. After reviewing the site they said goodbye and left a little after 9AM. I talked to Mack Cox, our host and then left a few minutes later. I was Praying about a number of things as I was driving as I usually do when it is just me an the Lord. I drive a 1995 Ford F250 Van that is modified for me to drive with a lever for the gas and brake. I use the standard steering wheel. About 10:30 AM I was approaching Brenham, Texas On State Highway 36 and reached the point where it branches into two parts, business and bypass. I wanted to turn slightly to the right to take the bypass, but as I tried to turn the steering wheel would not turn. After several tries using increasing force it turned but went too far and I quickly tried to correct but it as too late. The road makes a �Y� I went in between the two top parts. I was going about 60 MPH and witnesses say I rolled the van 5 or 6 times. I remember my head hitting the top of the drivers door had and vaguely remember a lot of motion. The next thing I remember distinctly is the van sliding on the passenger side and debris coming in where the window use to be and I was hanging over the passenger seat by my seatbelt. I could hear vehicles stopping and voices, and before long sirens. I prayed �Lord Help Me� In a few minutes a Paramedic/EMT came through where the windshield had been. I had spotted my glasses and cell phone. I said �Sir, Please give me my glasses and cell phone.� He yelled out of the vehicle � He is alive and is talking and wants his cell phone and glasses.� . The reply was �Can you see them?� His reply �Yes� . Their reply �Give them to him, for God�s sake do not agitate the man� . I go my glasses and my cell phone. By that time more equipment had arrived. They began the task of cutting me out of my van. They peeled back the top and brought in the backboard and neck brace. They strapped me down securely and then transported me to the Trinity County Medical Facility in Brenham, Texas I was told by one of the nurses at the hospital that when the ambulance first arrived and saw my vehicle, they called in and said to get ready for a major , clear emergency, have surgery ready. I wear canvas deck type shoes and they were thrown off my feet and one was thrown out of the van. While in the ambulance they could not believe I was conscious. I ask them to call my daughter on my cell phone and they did not want to. The second attendant said �Do not upset the man, call his daughter.� They took my vitals etc. and we were at the hospital before long. They cut my left pants leg and my shirt looking for blood. When we entered ER I was put in an area very quickly and several nurses were looking everywhere for blood. I have a lot of skin cuts one inch long or smaller and many scratches but nothing gushing blood. They are stunned! They ask me who I am, how old I am etc. One nurse says � My Goodness he is coherent� The Doctor comes in looks at me a few seconds and then it off to x-ray for about two hours. After the x-rays are done I am taken back to ER an am told that there are NO broken bones. The Doctor said my back is one of the worst he has seen but it is old stuff, not new. He said he cannot understand what is going on. The EMT�s and Paramedics would not exaggerate. I told him �God did it. � I repeatedly told them that my head hit the door. I got the standard accident discharge at about 3:30PM My daughters had gone to where my van was and got my digital camera which was still there and was not damaged! They took pictures of the van with it and another camera they had with them. The nurse that took me to my wife's Minion for the trip to Houston, said,� You, are not suppose to be leaving this way. You are suppose to be either in Intensive Care or going through the morgue. God had to have Guardian Angels all over you.� I said, � Yes Mamma, God did it� On the way in to Houston, we stopped by our church and Pastor Darneal happened to be there and prayed I would get some rest. When I got home I called Brother Cox and he ask if he could us me as an illustration in his sermon Sunday. I told him sure. With Gods help, I went to Church Sunday June 22, 2003 and carried out all my normal duties. Yes I am very sore. I am in a lot of pain. I had a lot of people say you should not be here. First, No matter where I was, I was going to hurt. Second, If I had a problem, I would like to be near other people where I could get help rather than home by myself. Most Importantly, I wanted to give God THANKS ! On Monday June 23, 2003, Brother Cox called and said he used me as an illustration and a woman in his service saw my accident and the fact that I did not have any broken bones would have a lasting effect on her of Gods power. We went to Brenham and got my x-rays and some of my personal stuff out of the van. My wife talked to the owner of the place where the van was and told him I was in the car and he did not believe her. He said �That driver had to have had some major injuries� She told him no broken bones, just cuts and bruises etc. Tuesday, June 24, 2003, I went to see Dr Klein. Dr Kendrick my regular Orthopedic is out of town. He looked at the hospital x-rays, looked at my right leg, my left arm and shoulder. They x-rayed the shoulder but could find nothing broken! They put a splint on the left wrist so that the soft tissue injuries in the arm could heal faster. Dr Klein looked at the pictures of the van and could not believe that I did not have any broken bones. I told him �God had His angels all over me.� I went to a Neurologist on Monday this week and he said everything looked great considering what I had been through. I will have a MRI and an EEG next week, but he does not expect to find anything. He said I was extremely lucky. I said no, God did it. I am still sore and hurt. I have some muscle tears and pulls and many many bruises. Keep in mind, I wear a back brace because I can cough and break a back vertebrae. I also am disabled since 1986 when Workers Comp Doctors messed up my legs. I use a wheelchair or motorized scooter. I went through the accident with no broken bones! How many times does that magnify the miracle? I am getting better day by day. Richard FitzGerald S TX District Chartering Coordinator/Tresurer _______ List host: http://eBible.org/mpj/ List info: http://eBible.org/rangernet/faq.htm To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe rangernet" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] or visit http://eBible.org/subscribe.htm
