Checking out the Custer ER

Sometimes things can change in a split second...  Last night as Isaac was taking a shower and I was getting the laptop set up to upload pictures and a new blog post, I heard a loud snap outside that shook the entire trailer - followed by Matt yelling for help.  My heart stopped for a moment and then my adrenaline kicked into action.  He was putting away the awning in preparation for travel today when it got caught somehow.  When he pushed a lever to get it unstuck, it snapped and his hand got caught between the two support bars (which ratchet to a lock).  He couldn't get his hand out, and I didn't know how to help.  He was in so much pain that he couldn't communicate how to undo the mechanism...but people were already running from campsites all around to help.  I'm not really sure what happened next, but a couple of guys managed to get the awning released and Matt got his hand out.  Within a minute or two, he was in the truck and we were driving to the Custer ER.

This morning, I am thankful.  Prayers that my brain couldn't even form in those scary minutes were answered before I could even utter them:  help came running, a firefighter medic on vacation was camped next door, an angel with long white hair and a white beard got Matt loaded into the truck while another woman offered to watch the kids.  My parents were staying just 3 miles away and were already almost back to our campsite because my Mom had left her purse at dinner...the Custer ER was less than 5 miles from where we were camped.  All were answered prayers.  Tonight we were scheduled to be in a National Forest Service campground in the middle of the Bighorn mountains in WY - with no hook-ups and a long ways from civilization - no parents, who knows what kind of help, and who knows how far to a hospital.

I dropped Matt at the door to the ER and parked.  By the time I could get inside, they already had him in a room and were taking care of him.  We were in and out of there in less than 90 minutes - with three severely bruised fingers that will likely lose their nails, a few cuts and scrapes, and one broken fingertip.  Praise God!  For answered prayer, for help when we needed it, and for a wonderful doctor and nurse at the Custer, SD emergency room.

Today we are taking it a bit easier than planned, altering our route through WY in favor of easier driving, and... not using our awning.  :-)

Tracy