boicefamily

This is going to be long. I am sorry about that. But I never want to forget how I felt about last night.

Yesterday around 9 p.m. Cortney went over to get something from a friends house. Around 11:00 he still wasn't home. I was wondering where he was but didn't think anything of it...he always takes a long time to do stuff. I thought I would give him a quick call to tell him to hurry home but when i called his phone a woman answered it (not a good sign right??) I told her I was sorry and that I must have gotten the wrong number. She quickly said "wait who are you trying to call" I said, "I am looking for Cortney Boice..."

That was when the phone call changed into the call the most women dread getting...she said...

"this is Mary from Mt. Timpanogos Hospital. Your husband Cortney was in a motorcycle accident. He is going to be okay, but has a lot of test they need to run. You should probably get over here."

I told her I would be there in a second, and then I literally fell to the floor. Shaking and bawling...I scrambled to find the phone to try and get someone over here to watch my kids. I had no idea what was wrong with him. I went in the bathroom and fell to my knees...I pleaded with my Heavenly Father for Cortney to be okay. I tried and tried to call Cali, then I tried Joey...I have never seen that man without a phone in front of his face...I couldn't believe he wasn't answering.

I wasn't sure what to do so I went on to plan B. Jason and KaeLynn live 1/2 mile from me and I knew if I called them they would be at my house in 5 minutes. So I called KaeLynn, she was at the grocery store, so she called Jason and sent him over. I was so glad to see him...I burst into tears when he came in. Of course...Henry was awake at this point and I could tell my frantic-ness was making him upset...but I didn't have time to do anything. I handed Jason and bottle and handed him the baby and out the door I went. Jason told me later that Henry was acting pretty upset and scared at the sight of my brother...but he seriously is a rockstar with babies and he sang Henry to sleep. He sang Beatles songs and songs from his mission in spanish...he sang for a long time...and my little boy gave up and went to sleep.

I drove over to the hospital praying the whole way. Praying that the beautiful, wonderful life I had hours before would stay the same. I didn't know what to expect...every worse case scenario went through my mind. I ran into the ER and they showed me to his room. The moment of truth...He was strapped to a gurney, neck brace and all. They had cut off all of his clothes and he was kinda covered with a hospital gown draped over him. Completely naked except for his flip flops. Right away this cut through the tension for me. He looked like a little boy. I don't know why they didn't take his shoes off but there they were...they didn't even fall off when he crashed. Cortney was joking around and apologized to me when I came into the room. I told him I was mad at him...and that I didn't like this one bit.

When Cortney and I were dating he crashed snowboarding and had to have reconstructive skull surgery. I knew then that he was a dare devil...and that he had been hurt a lot. Once we were engaged I prepared for a lifetime of ER visits and surgeries. My dad even took out a life insurance policy on him for me. But he has been so good...so careful. This was our first visit to the ER. No thank you...it is not for me.

Cortney has a way about him...I don't know what it is...but he can make people fall IN LOVE with him. I know first hand, he did it to me...and if you know him you know what I am talking about. The nurse was bending over backwards for him. Even at his worst...people love him.

I was so relieved when I saw him. He was all there...all still connected, and he was talking and kinda moving. I was grateful.

He told me then what happened. He had been coming home on the new scooter that he bought that same day. He was having the time of his life...he said he had the hugest smile on his face...so happy. Then about a mile from home an oncoming car turned on his blinker and slowed down. Cortney was sure the car was going to stop and wait for him because he had almost slowed to a stop. Cortney was going 25 miles an hour. But as Cortney got to the guy the accelerated and started to turn...then, Cortney knew that the van was going to hit him. He swerved as hard as he could and moved his legs to the opposite side of the scooter...the side that wasn't going to be hit. He didn't want his legs to be hit...he kept calling it his ninja move. The guy clipped the back of the scooter and sent it spinning. He hit his hip first, then his shoulder and then his head bounced off the road (no helmet of course) and bounced twice. He rolled a little and his bike ended up in a neighbors yard. Cortney didn't know what was going on...the bike has BRIGHT headlights...and it was a well lit street. The guy just didn't see him. Cortney tried to jump up to make sure the guy didn't drive off...but he realized he was really hurt so he laid back down. A couple of people saw this happen and ran over to help him. One of the people was a nurse and she made everyone keep him still. They called 911. When the ambulance got there they cut off his clothes and gave him an IV. The man that hit him cam over to say he was sorry...all Cortney said was "why couldn't you see me??" . I think he was pretty out of it. He said he tried to call me, but couldn't. He knew then that his collar bone was broken and broken bad.

Once I got to the hospital we waited for the Dr. to come and evaluate him. After she came in he was able to get some morphine and some zophram for nausea. I don't think the morphine helped much because he was hurting so bad. They took him for full body x-rays...I had to wait in the hall...and I could hear him moaning and groaning in pain the whole time. I felt so powerless. I have never seen Cortney hurt like this. It scared me....scared me so bad I had to go straight to the bathroom and be sick. It was horrible. I finally got a hold of Cali...and I just felt better. Like everything was going to be okay. She said she would come pick up my kids and they could stay the night at her house.

After they pulled him out of the x-ray room they came and put a neck brace back on him and wouldn't let him move anymore. I think they thought they saw a break in his neck on the xray but weren't sure because they had pillows obstructing the xray...pillows that were supporting his arm.

Then they took him in to get some cat scans. I ran back to his room because I knew my brothers Joey and Jason were there to give him a blessing. Cali had sent the boys over once she picked up my kids. What a relief to see them. They had been waiting forever...i think at this point it was like 1:30-2:00. They gave Cortney a blessing and I knew the words said were true.

I was out in the hall and I saw Cort's nurse and Doctor looking at some head scans on a computer. It made all of this such a reality. I don't want Doctors looking at my husbands brain. I wanted to go home.

At 4:00 a.m. Cortney was finally ready to go home. They said he had:

Left clavicle mid-shaft fracture. Displacement of fracture present and angulation of fracture present.

Multiple superficial abrasions to scalp and left foot.

Acute Sinusitis.

Probable concussion without the loss of consciousness.

About the acute sinusitis...she said that he had a lot of fluid in one of his sinus cavities...it showed up on the cat scan. She said that it had nothing to do with the accident but that he has had this problem a long time. She said he needed to see a Specialist and probably have surgery to get it fixed...that explains why he has no sense of smell. hahaa.

Anyways he kept being sick on and off in the hospital...almost throwing up. He was GREEN...literally his skin was green. When he was finally feeling better we got ready to go. EXCEPT he didn't have any clothes to wear home. We made him a little toga out of hospital sheets. Poor man...sent home with no dignity...nothing but flip flops.

The whole 4 block drive home was excruciating for him. I went 10 mphs the whole way home and still every little bump made him want to die.

The nurse told me to put him a recliner when we got home...she said he will live in a recliner for a while. I fixed up a bed in the recliner for him. And then I pulled up a mattress and made a bed for myself on the floor right by him. We finally went to sleep at around 5 a.m.

I could hear him groaning in the night but he did okay.

I set my alarm for 8 so I could get up and get his prescription filled. I knew I was going to have to call his mother...and tell her what had happened. I didn't want to scare her but I knew when I was at the hospital that I had to tell her as soon as possible. I also had to call some of our friends and explain that Cortney wasn't going to be able to be at their baby blessing that morning.

We spent the morning sleeping on and off. It is super weird to not have our kids here. I miss them...but there is no way I could do what I need to do for Cortney if they were here. He is in so much pain the kids wouldn't even be able to be around him. Cali kept the kids all day and put them to sleep at her house tonight. They are having a great time...but man the house is quiet without them.

A couple of times today Cortney was overwhelmed with pain. Nothing I do helps the pressure he feels in his collar bone. You can see the bone sticking straight out. Times like that scare me. I don't like feeling out of control.

I just have to write that I feel so overwhelmed with LOVE for my family. I spent the whole day talking with friends and family that heard the news. Jory came over with food for us today. And my brother in law Cameron came over with a frozen lasagna and other assorted food items. All my brothers and sisters have been telling me that anything I need they will be there to do it. I know that too. It makes me feel so much better. That really is what life is all about. Family. My mother and father in law are coming tomorrow. I know there is tons I will have to do so that will be helpful. He has to see an ortho specialist...hopefully he will be able to get in to the doctor tomorrow.

Phew...that was too long. I am exhausted.