Oops

This is what Hubby said when I arrived to see him in the intensive care unit of Regions Hospital 36 hours ago.

He was in a motorcycle accident about 8pm Sunday (it's now almost 8am Tuesday). He was not speeding or acting crazy, it was a freak fall. He was airlifted to a local trauma hospital within an hour and a half. A CT scan confirmed he broke his neck at C4. They didn't keep him in ER long- he went straight to ICU. He had surgery at 1am - corpectomy C3 to C5 anterior cervical fusion with cage and plate. The neurosurgeon came out about 4am and said everything went as well as could be expected and that he was very healthy. He'll need posterior fusion later in the week. He did not have any feeling from chest down when he came in but Dr said it will take several weeks to know long term and the conditon of his spinal cord is critical. We're waiting for results of MRI. He is receiving awesome care - steroid protocol for spine profusion, cuffs on his legs and a filter implanted to help prevent blood clots, pain management, etc. Breathing is the primary concern now and though he's on a vent he is 'over' breathing a bit on his own. That's good, it shows he's a fighter and will come through this with a fighting spirit. He desperately wants the tube out so they keep him partially sedated. He is alert now and then, able to nod up and down or back and forth to indicate if he agrees with questions. He's not in any pain. I rub his forehead and scalp with a cold rag. I tell him how many people - a virtual parade - have been to see him (not everyone makes it back to his room so we've often had a mob in a hallway) and that everyone is pulling for him.