June 6th was nothing day for us in the Freed house, I took a very late shower, made my shopping list, started rounding up kids and sorting through coupons and packing my car with my re-useable bags...Bla Bla Bla... on my way out to the car my cell rang, it was my younger brothers girl friend, Charity. On the phone, Charity told me that Joe had gotten hurt at work (Joe is a diesel technician at Ford) and was in the ER. It may have been the first time in my whole pessimistic life that I didn't think of the worse, in fact I didn't really think of anything serious at all. Charity did seem very shaken up on the phone so I said I would head over to be there with her, thinking she would need help through the ER processed and still not thinking that Joe was injured any serious way.
With in minutes of getting to the ER, I join Charity and my parents in the ER room at Joe's bedside. After getting the story from Joe and what little information we could pull from any medical professional that even looked at him, we stood together heartbroken.
Joe was working under a vehicle when the pry bar he was using came out of his hands and flung back at him. The bar was about a 3 inch diameter and it went straight through his eye. Everyone in the ER really had nothing good to say and gave us very little hope of saving his eye. Heartbroken, scared, uncertain
I can say we are so very blessed to live where we do. As small and isolated as our town is, we do have a amazing ophthalmology office that cares enough to be on call for our local hospital. We were told that is very rare for an ophthalmology office and if we lived anywhere else we would be making a appointment for him through the ophthalmology for a later time. The ophthalmologist that preformed Joe's first surgery was incredible. He took such good care of Joe and took the time with the very worried entourage of family that followed Joe through the hospital.
Joe kept his eye. He lost his lenses and his iris and had 28 stitches holding his very damaged eye together.
Joe spent a month in bed. In incredible pain. Dealing with nausea, dizziness and intense headaches. Because Joe no longer has an iris he can no longer regulate the light that is coming into his eye even with it swollen shut, and spent the days in his dark house.
A little over a month after the accident Joe went into a second surgery to relieve his eye of some to the remaining blood that was still trapped in his eye from the original surgery and to relieve Joe of some to the pharmaceuticals that have been necessary, but came with their own set of miserable side effects. The closest thing to relief that Joe had had in over a month. We were so relived to see Joe becoming Joe again.
After spending over a month in bed, Joe was ready to get out of the house and two weeks ago he told us that he wanted to go on a hike. INSPIRED!
Not knowing what to expect or what he would be capable of we chose a hike that staid close to civilization. We did the Ouray Perimeter hike. It was a wonderful and fun hike that took us for 4 miles around Ouray with beautiful views and a little of everything Ouray has to offer. Waterfalls, rivers, canyon views and wildflowers.
A smiles I have missed all summer.
Joe still needed to sit down from time to time on this hike and let some of his dizziness pass and milder forms a pain relief were still needed, but he went out there anyway.
We are all called to live this life to the fullest and I think sometimes we get caught up in what is the easiest and most comfortable and choose not to open our front door and breath in life. I have found myself doing just that thing so may times... " I was going to go for a run to day but it just seemed a little to hot" ..... "We were going to go on a hike today, but we didn't sleep well last night" Everyday is a gift and how dare I waist a single one.
Joe I am so very proud of you. Never in a million years would I think I would describe you in this way but, you have handled the last few months so gracefully and have handled the good and the bad so bravely. I am inspired to not view life in the ways it could be better, but to view life in the ways that is it so good.
Joe has some much more in front of him. Since this hike he has had a third surgery and there will be more to follow in the future. But I know I will continue to be impressed and inspired by my brother.
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