My baby brother is in a critical care unit following an accident on the highway late last night. From what I know he is stable after some surgery to address an internal bleed, looking at a recovery measured in months. I need more coffee. Update* He is stable. Progressing well. Off the ventilator, off most of the stabilizing meds, pain is well controlled without rhino tranquilizer. This brother is the black sheep who left home as a teen after months of fighting and screaming matches to go live with his girlfriend and her family. Before he came off the ventilator he wrote a note to the nurse asking her to call his 'adoptive family' and have them come. Drama has ensued. I think I have felt almost every emotion humans are capable of feeling in the last 48 hours. I got 3 hours of sleep last night before getting to the hospital at 3:58AM today.
Moved to a stepdown unit today. Back brace in place purely as a preventative. Twice daily visits from the respiratory therapist to make sure he is recovering breathing capacity at the expected rate. Low addiction-potential pain pump in place in lieu of rhino tranquilizer. Beginning discussions of how to begin rehab and physical therapy. A visit from the police officer who was first on the scene. Two other cars involved in the crash. He was hit by a Tahoe doing about 65 MPH. Both of the other drivers are fine, their cars are scrap. He was the one at fault via 'too fast for conditions.' I don't know what is next.
What’s next is recovery and accountability. You know what you can and can’t control. You can slap your lil bro around after he gets off the back brace.