Day 56 - Ride Like A Thriver

So today started out beautiful. The rain held off and we got on the road a bit after 7:30

The bike route was literally at the end of the RV driveway.

Chuck started his day sharing our sponsor shirt; Ty 1 On.

And Hannah usual morning update…

We had 2 bridges to cross today. Very light traffic because it was an early Sunday morning. Our goal was to get done early today so we could listen to our sermon and chill out the rest of the day.

We crossed over the 2nd bridge, a nice 2 lane road so we could take over the right lane with flashers on.

Chuck was so excited to cross the Mississippi River! (Video coming soon)

Hannah set up her phone to capture a time lapse of Chuck riding over this beautiful bridge crossing the Mississippi River.

And that’s when everything went wrong. Chuck's front tire got caught in the grate causing his bike to flip over, his cleats still clipped in.

I jammed on the breaks staring in shock at my husband lying there in front of me. I yelled out the window helpless till I was able to flag a driver down to stop and Chock my tire since we were on a descent.

I immediately assessed Chuck, my nursing skills kicking in. He’s talking. He can feel my fingers touching each limb. He’s bleeding on his face. His glasses broke apart neatly, the way they should. His helmet is still on.

It kept him alive.

I call 911 and get help from the people that had stopped - on their way to church - to direct the responder to my location.

Another woman had passed us, turned around at the next exit and drove all the way around to block traffic behind Howie. She was a believer and left with my info so she could keep in touch.

God placed those people there today to keep me focused on Him. To pray for Chuck. And for me. He is amazing like that.

The ambulance workers did a great job. They assessed him and secured his neck and head and put him in the board.

I know those feelings after being secured that way several times.

And so does Chuck. I imagine his mind took him back to when he had a compression fracture 7 years ago because of cancer.

I kept thinking, he had an L3 compression fracture that was never fused. I mentioned it to the crew. Chuck was able to tell them his story on the 45 minute ride to the hospital in Baton Rouge.

45 minutes away.

And I did the only thing I could think of to call out to my prayer warriors!

I pleaded and prayed for my husband the entire hour it took Howie to drive to Baton Rouge. God kept reminding me that He was my perfect peace with my mind “stayed on Him.”

He had Chuck and He was with me.

I pleaded “Touch him again Jesus. Do it again!”

I found my way UP a driveway to the second floor and parked Howie. The ambulance worker saw me and got additional information and assured me Chuck was doing okay. He had shared his miracle story with her. He was inside getting a CT scan and X-ray.

A man with a Sheriff uniform came up to me in the RV demanding I move. I pleaded with him to help me find a space because I couldn't walk from another parking lot (pulling out my handicap badge that dear cousin Terri had handed me before we left Arizona.)

Perhaps my bald head and my tears softened his heart because he helped me park in a spot he felt would “keep from hitting other vehicles.” As I reminded him that there was NO signage prohibiting my vehicle from being in the ER lot.

Turns out my poor hubby had a broken nose, scraped off skin of his right face, and split his lip - needing stitches.

His glasses looked like this

And his helmet was in perfect shape! It saved his life by God's grace!

The ER Doc came in with good news

And Chuck's response.

We'll see Chuck. We'll see.

We always take one day at a time and won’t stop now!

The neurologist came in with great news!

We praise Him that he had no fractures in his spine!

They did decide to observe him overnight and brought him upstairs while Jax and Hannah headed to the RV and made a way out of the parking lot (with help removing the Chock from an awesome dude) and driving across the street to a hotel. We got another awesome dude to help Chock Howie in the parking lot there. The bald head might help out sometimes!

Jax is happily tucked in.

Tomorrow is a new day. We don’t have any more answers but we know God is with us in it.