I haven’t written a post in AGES. So much has happened but the most important – my brother, my superhero, was in a motorbike accident on Tuesday this week. Now I don’t know if where you are from that is a big deal but in South Africa that is a BIG deal. Cars on our roads are NOT motorbike conscious and that is exactly how my brother ended up having a broken back and laying in hospital.
My Boet had a bike like this… only matt black.
It all happened because my brother left with his wife’s car keys and was on his way back home to give them to her. You know, so that she won’t be stuck at home for the day. This also happened to be the day it SNOWED in Gauteng. A car just drove out in front of my brother and he slammed on brakes, flew off his bike, bounced off a car and landed on the windshield of another car. He was going a measly 45km/h… so before you think ja no he was probably speeding. Nee dit is sooo nie waar nie. People are very quick to be like, ja no bikes are extremely dangerous and that bikers are arrogant and what not. No they are not really more dangerous than the idiot who can’t be bothered to CHECK for bikes. They are a part of our roads people… DEAL WITH IT!!! And it is usually the less arrogant bikers who end up with a broken back.
Anyway, my brother was in REALLY bad shape on Tuesday night when I went to see him, all drugged up on morphine and in so much pain that he couldn’t even sleep. He had an oxygen mask on and pipes and wires everywhere. He also had 2 IV’s one in each arm. He had trouble breathing as he was in so much pain, it was sooo difficult to see my big strong brother so weak. Now you need to know my brother to know that for him to feel pain is insane to begin with. He does physical work and at work he is known as “Mr. Massive”. He might not look strong but believe me he is. (I am not even being a little bias, WELL maybe a little)
Johannesburg General Hospital… HUGE place right in the middle of JHB… What a schlepp.
Oh and I failed to mention that he is in a government hospital. That (to the non South African readers) means that there are no luxuries, such as being in a different room as the guy whose whole leg had been cut open and his face looked like it had been dragged on a tar road. Luckily the doctor care is as good as the private hospitals, the other care needs a lot of touching up tho…
Now to get to the miracle part, my brother has broken his L3 vertebrae and there are bone fragments in his spinal cord. He is not paralysed and can feel his legs. DO YOU REALISE WHAT A BIG DEAL THAT IS?! The orthopaedic surgeon has assessed him and we are waiting for the neuro surgeon to come and give a second opinion. So far it looks like they might not operate… PAUSE FOR EFFECT… Which means that he might go home to heal in comfort. When I saw him yesterday he was not even attached to any type of machine and did not even have an IV in his arm. He had turned himself to lay on his side so that is pretty dang amazing. They are going to give him a brace to restrict his movement. Who do you know that have broken their back and aren’t paralysed? Who can move and even maybe go home in a few days to heal? GOD IS AWESOME!!! And the support from our church and friends is so overwhelming. People were standing in line to visit him yesterday.
I feel so honoured to be living in a real life miracle!! Thank you Jesus.
PS… I am writing this piece a day later…My brother kicks Chuck Norris’ ass! He got discharged out of hospital yesterday. The neuro surgeon said that bone fuses with bone and that it was a compressed fracture. Meaning L3 is panckaed between L2 and L4. Lets do the math here quick… that is FOUR days after he BROKE his BACK!! Our heavenly Father is amazing and awesome and has truly got our back (no pun intended)
Chucky… Not even the gun would help you now.
lukraakvars 