And All of a Sudden…

We were on our way to the apostle islands in Wisconsin when our big dog Ryder took a turn for the worse. We decided to turn back to get him home. we were almost to our stop for the night in Dundee, Michigan. Ben was driving, I was talking on the phone and the dogs were sleeping.

Suddenly there was an explosion, loud as a cannon. The passenger side tire blew out, making the floorboards rise beneath my seat. Ben hauled on the wheel but there was no stopping the coach. The force of the blast moved the coach off the road and we plunged 150 feet down an embankment into a wooded ravine. We crashed through the brush and suddenly the trunk of a huge tree appeared in front of me. There was a tremendous crash, lots of screaming and dogs barking. and then it was quiet until Ben started shouting for me. I was pinned in my seat, buried in debris. I knew it was bad. The EMS came. It took them almost an hour to extract me from the wreck. I am so grateful for the men that calmed me and their medicines released my pain. A nice man took our dogs to his home. I was taken to the Whalen medical center in Flint, Michigan, a level 1 trauma center. I was whisked off to surgery. Ben, meanwhile, was left to deal with all the forms, questions and the wreckage.

The damage is difficult to comprehend. Ryder, the original Red Dog on Wheels had to be put down. Ryder has been with us on every RV trip. He was already in frail health and the trauma only made him worse. Chase’s front paw was lacerated but otherwise unhurt. I have a compound fracture of my left leg. My ankle was snapped off (the docs say partially amputated), and my foot is crushed. Miraculously I have no other injuries. That’s crazy when you see where I was among the wreckage. The EMS guys said I was alive because my seatbelt saved me. Our beloved RV , the “Our401K” that has taken us on many journeys is not salvageable, and that will likely be the outcome for our tow car.

The biggest blessing of all is that Ben was uninjured. Had both of us been hurt, I don’t know how we could have managed our affairs. He has been taking care of me, the dogs, insurance stuff, getting our belongings from the RV and taking care of our friend CJ. I’ve been worried about him.

All of a sudden my plans have been altered in ways I can’t imagine. It’s going to be a long recovery process for me. I’ve had two surgeries so far and will have a third tomorrow. I’m still grappling with the enormity of how much change this will cause for me and Ben. I will keep posting on my blog, but this year’s travel stories will be about a different kind of journey.

Love to you all, friends.
Ben, Pam and Chase the Red Poodle