Good friend, bad accident.

I own a 67 Beetle that I like to putt around in. I have really met a lot of nice people. The VW community is great. Last week, a friend was in a very serious accident. Broke both ankles, tibia, 7 ribs, nose and both eye sockets. Had he been in a modern car, he would have simply gone home with a small airbag burn. When people tell me they don't build cars like they used too, I always reply "thank god!".

His car was a 58. Drum brakes. No seat belts. No safety features. My 67 was the first year for seat belts from the factory!

I thought I would share this as I personally find the evolution of the automobile interesting.

Keep my friend in your thoughts. Right now he needs a lot of support.

 

I try to be very careful when driving my 67 Beetle. Always giving alot of room. The drum brakes just don't stop you very well. Unfortunately, other drivers treat the Beetle similar to the Prius. They see you and automatically assume you are going slow. Go around you, cut you off, and hit their brakes because there is a car in front of you.

I was driving the Beetle to work on Fridays (about 80 miles round trip), but have since stopped doint that.

He is still in the hospital. I will be going to see him today. I talked to him over the weekend, and he actually sounded great. He is still in alot of pain, and has a long way to go, but he sounded much better. He had been really depressed.

Thanks for all the well wishes.

Bret

 

I went to see him in the hospital today. He has been in for 12 days now. He looked really good, and sounded great. He was smiling and laughing. The insurance company made him an offer on his car today, and it was actually a very generous offer. He was very pleased with how they have treated him. I believe he has Met Life.

Tomorrow may be the day he gets to go home. They have him set up with all the stuff he will need to function. I am concerned though that they are letting him go home when he still cannot go number 1 or number 2 on his own. Does anyone have any experience with this? Do they let you go home when you cannot go to the bathroom?

 

Well, he is going home today. He still cannot go pee, sending him home with a catheter. Still cannot poo, will have to have enemas. I don't get it. I have never heard of a hospital sending someone home who cannot even go to the bathroom. They should have told him that he was not going home until he went on his own. I guarantee you he would have figured out a way to go.

His wife is off work helping him recover and he has a teenage daughter to help. Unfortunately, they live on the second floor. They are going to move into a first floor apartment next month. I told them not to worry about the move. I will figure out a way to get it done. Atleast then he can get out of the house and make use of the wheel chair.

 

He must be doing better. I saw a pic of him riding a scooter around WalMart. lol I just hope a pic of him with his catheter and pee bag don't end up on one of those "People of Walmart" emails.