Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Watson Family 2008-2009 Christmas letter
The last two years have been varied and challenging, and we have had to make many changes in our lives. In 2008, I lived in our home for just eight days before leaving for a temple installation in St. George Utah. On the trip back to Salt Lake, about half way home, our driver fell asleep on the freeway and rolled our van. I was taken by ambulance to Fillmore, Utah and then flown by Life Flight to the new IMC hospital in Murray, Utah where I spent nine days in a coma.
When they woke me up, I was informed that they were going to amputate my leg. I said "No you’re not," to which they replied "You can keep your leg and be laid in the grave with it in two days, or lose your leg and save your life." Due to some divine intervention, I allowed them to take my left leg above the knee which saved my life. I spent a total of five months in 2 hospitals, and finally got to be reunited with my family. I could not return to our 2 story home, so we moved to an apartment in downtown Salt Lake where we lived for seven months. In late July, I started physical therapy and the process of getting back to work. I started working 10 hours a week, and going to physical therapy three times a week to see if I’d be able to walk again. After 10 months of physical therapy, it became very obvious that walking would probably not be an option for me. I had severe nerve damage in my right leg, which means that not all the muscles fire. I do not have sensation in most my foot and ½ my leg, which makes it very hard to walk and I don’t have the strength. I now get around in a wheelchair.
When I was getting ready to leave the rehab hospital, we realized our two story home of 16 years would not work anymore. In June 2008, we started the process of getting it ready for sell. By late July we listed it. Unfortunately, it was a terrible real estate market. After 7 months and greatly lowering our price, we sold our home. We had found a really nice one story home in Lehi, Utah. It is quiet and peaceful and I can get around with wide doorways and halls. I commute on the Express Bus to Salt Lake about 30 miles away.
Our youngest daughter Mary has just a finished her 2 year degree from BYU-Idaho and will be with us for a little while. Shawn our oldest boy is living here with us and is a great help to me. Barbara still struggles with her migraines’ but is getting out and doing things around the home. She loves to go to Thanksgiving Point Gardens which we live next to. Our daughter Nicole moved back to Utah recently, and we love to see her, Taylor and our granddaughter Rosie. Our son Jacob lives in Sandy and is going to school full time in Mechanical Engineering.
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