You know she never really wanted to drive. Like I said we walked just about every
place we wanted to go, or there was a bus just a few blocks from the house and
the "J" car not that much farther. When Dad was killed in the accident, she was
pretty limited as to how to get to the Market and bring back the amount of the
things she needed. Ron was working, and by then Willetta didn't drive because
of her eyes. I was way out in Whittier and was not available on a daily basis, so
she really needed to drive. The car was never replaced after the accident and
Mom wasn't interested in buying one, so Slim, would come and take her.
He lived close, and wanted to help her as much as he could. That is how they
got together, and finally married, but that is another story.
After they were married and Slim had a good car, she decided she would try
her hand at driving, and I was elected to be the one to teach her. I would come
into Huntington Park and we would take Slims' car and drive around so
she could get the hang of things. It was an automatic, so she didn't have all
that much trouble. One day when we were out for a driving lesson we had made
our way as far, in traffic, as South Gate, CA. She was doing great, and
getting confident that she could handle the car. It was a big Mercury. A much
heavier car than Dad had ever had. It handled well, and was comfortable to
drive. (Now a note here - this was still the days before seat belts.) I told her it
was a good place to try a left hand turn, we were in a residential area and
there was little traffic to bug her. She waited for a couple cars to go by and
started her left hand turn. When she was well into it, the car lurched forward
at a high rate of speed, I told her to put on the brake, but she didn't have time.
We jumped the curb which threw me across the car into the steering wheel.
It shoved her into the door with force and knocked the wind out of her. The
car was heading for the front of a house, which fortunately had a high
cement porch. The car glanced off the porch wall which turned the car away
from the house and over the steps where it came down on a picket fence the
motor was still churning away at high speed. If we hadn't had been hung up
on that fence, we would have torn out every front yard on the block.
The people in the house came out, having just left the porch before we hit it.
Lucky for all of us that was the case. They helped Mom out of the car. She
was hurt and having difficulty breathing. I was hurting as well. My arm had
gone with force into the steering wheel, and I thought at first it was broken,
but it was just bruised badly.
We called Ron, I believe, and he took Mom to the Doctor. In the accident she
was in with Dad she had had 9 ribs broken. She had done it again, only not
as many this time. The Doctor said he would not bind her up as they had
learned that really didn't help them heal any better. She was put on bed rest
and so was down again.
They hauled the car way and when they examined it they found the linkage on
the carburator had come loose and the car had been put into high grear and
away it went. The only thing that could have stopped it was cutting the motor,
or being hung up on that fence. It was totaled so Mom bought Slim a new
car. One that was smaller, and easier to handle.
The story still has more to tell. I saw Mom home and got her settled. I was
still hurting quite a bit, but didn't want her to know. I knew if she thought she
had hurt me she would never drive, and it was important that she learn. I
left her and drove out to get Jay from work. I guess it was just sheer will power
that got me that far. When I went into get him - the minute I saw him I passed
out. Lucky I was close enough to him that he was able to catch me before I
hit the ground. When I came around, he asked what was the matter. I told
him we had been in an accident, and I didn't feel well. He put me in the car
and took me to Mayo Smith our Doctor and he ordered me to the hospital,
but I refused to go. He told me I had internal injuries that were serious and I
needed to be in the hospital where they could take care of me. I still refused
saying I knew my mother would never drive if she knew I was injured. He
told Jay to take me home and put me to bed. Someone had to keep an eye
on me at all times. If I passed out again, they needed to get me right to the
hospital because I would need emergency surgery within a short period of
time or I would bleed internally.
Well, I was determined. Jay called the Elders, I was a member of the church
by now. David Dimmick and Ron Johnson came and administered to me. I
stayed quiet and either Paul, Dawn or Jay kept an eye on me. The kids were
to set on my legs to make sure they didn't miss any change in me. Jay just
held my hand. I had Jay take me into see Mom in the evenings so she had
the idea that I was just bruised up and not hurt too much.
Within a short time I had a large swelling in between my two breasts. It grew
to be about the same size. Mayo warned me again. It was my spleen and it
was filling with blood and would probably rupture causing my death. I was so
set in my way that I would not go into the hospital. I can't remember how
many days it was. I was laying in bed one evening and got so sick, even my
hair felt sick. I know that sounds silly, but that is how it felt. I didn't get sick
to my stomach, I was just "sick" all over. I called to Jay and said we had
better get to the Doctor. We went to Mayo and he was shocked. The spleen
had drained itself. When all that stagnant blood hit my system, it made me
feel sick all over. I have never had any trouble with my spleen from that day
too this! (Blessings of the Priesthood).
Now - the spleen is a blood filter. It is the last one that the blood is filtered
through in the body. The most important to a fetus and unborn child, but of
no practical use after birth. Or at least none that they are aware of. It is the
one organ when damaged by trauma causes internal bleeding that usually
causes death from hemoraging, unless surgery can be performed quickly to
remove the organ. People can live healthy lives with them so long as they
aren't injured. That slide across the seat and slam into the steering wheel
not only bruised my arm, it bruised my left lung and spleen. I would have to
say that my concern for Mom and my faith along with a Priesthood Blessing
brought me out of what could have been a much more serious cituation.
Mom learned to drive - Slim finished up the job of teaching her, and all was
well in the end.
Written this 4 day of February 2009
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