Prayer for Charlie

[Bill Ricca]

Charlie may the good lord be with you and your horse. I know what it is like to be kicked and my fingers are crossed and my prayers go out to you.

Get well quick.

[BHP]

Get well soon, Charlie. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

[Jim Nasium]

Dadgummit Charlie, you ought to stay away from those "hay burners" !!
Wishing you a speedy recovery!!

Ronnie aka Jim Nasium

[jmoore]

I reckon a wee bit extra prayin' wouldn't hurt me none. The Boss Man sometimes isn't too subtle when He's trying to get your attention!

[Harlan (Deceased)]

Charlies wife sent this email to me last night, but I think it was meant for all of us.
I sent her an email asking if I could pass it along, but she hasn't been able to respond. I'm sure she has her hands and mind very full.

Note: Charlie was terribly injured in a car accident when he was younger. (Muscle Car madness - None us every did that sort of thing!)

Broken and shattered bones, numerous internal injuries, etc...
He ended up in the hospital for many many months and they said he'd never be on his own again and would not be able to walk again. (They were wrong)
He left the hospital on his own and swore he'd rather die than ever go back.


Hello Harlan,

This is Charlies' wife Edye.
He's actually mentioned your name while semi-conscious. You two must be quite the pals. When he's somewhat coherent he's asked me to check his Emails and the carbine forum. I can't help but feel I'm being played as the 2nd fiddle to his carbine buddies! I found him sleeping with a carbine barrel today. You guys are out of control !!

I wanted to pass along a update on him. He's having a hard time with not being able to be mobile. His partner and field supervisor have stepped up and are handling the current on going projects. Naturally they have the Christmas rush going on at the moment but so far so good. He has always taken great pride in seeing that all schedules are kept as promised. Just yesterday nearly a dozen blue prints were delivered for estimates.
If you knew him like I do you'd realize how fiercely independent he is. He's just not the type to sit still, so having to stay perched in a hospital style bed at home is by far the hardest part for him. He was really surprised at your post and replies from the fellow members on the forum, but when asking him about it later he didn't recall. I'm sure the medicine is to blame.

Doctors said a kick like he received should have killed him as it would have most anyone else. I begged him to stay in longer for observation but with his past history of long hospital stays he refused. My daughter and I were there when he was kicked, it was a dreadful sound I'll never forget. He was unconscious for nearly 35 minutes. This particular horse stands nearly 17 hands and weighs in over 1400 lbs. After being kicked and while on the ground the other horse he was leading in actually ran over him stepping on his head and back in the process. But thankfully God was looking over him and he's doing better. They are keeping him heavily sedated with a morphine drip along with Demerol, to keep him immobile. They know how he is and knew he would start trying to get moving around too soon. Thus he can stay awake only for very short periods. His lung damage and it's collapsing was something that didn't show up at the Trauma center after the incident. They feel it must have been a weak area damaged from the kick and tore from a coughing incident. His lung must have filled with fluid as he was complaining of the pressure on his chest shortly before throwing/coughing up a lung full of fluid. Visiting nurses are here 3 times every 24hrs. Also his good friend and local Doctor stops by a couple times a day. All indications at this time are that he'll make a full recovery.

I want to Thank You and his other 'Carbine Pals' for your thoughts and prayers.

You all look to be a tight knit group. I can see now his devotion to the forum and his fellow members. I'm still working on the craze over these small rifles, maybe someday I'll fully understand.

With Kind Regards,
Edye Holland

[Tired Retired]

You ever seen how big that yankee boy is Ed?

He'd stomp us like a couple of Texas cockroaches if we got near his ribs!
We'd be flatter than those armadillos on I-20 W!

Harlan, On second thought, I think we need to leave that yankee's butt alone.

Miracles do happen and prayers are answered.

Now, who's gonna sneak up and take the carbine barrel away from him while he's sleeping?

[Curt]

Oh that sounded a lot worse than the initial e-mail he sent me.

[jimb16]

Charlie would naturally downplay his injuries. Its the kind of guy he is. And he's stubborn enough to be back here before he's ready. So here's a note to Charlie........STAY IN BED, REST AND GET WELL! THERE'S PLENTY OF TIME FOR US, LATER!

[JimF4M1s (Deceased)]

I agree with Curt the initial e-mail he sent me downplayed his condition. Then I got another about the collapsed lung and knew it was serious.

Also agree with JimB. Charlie, rest up first and formost. This forum will be here when you are well.

I was suprised it was a barrel and not a stock he was sleeping with.

But I was pleased to see that the Dr's expect a full recovery. Geeze he had just come back from taking his disabled Viet Nam friend hunting.

Good guys can finish first.

[Harlan (Deceased)]

Jim and all of Charlies many friends-

I believe Charlie will 'finish first' too.

He's a real Christian and always cares for others beyond his own self. He's an honest and caring man with love of family, his wife Edye beyond anything, love of Country and love of veterans.

He tried to tell us his real condition in the short emails he sent us after he forced himself out of the hospital against doctors etc, but he played it down as he always would do talking to his friends. I know now he didn't want us to worry about him while he is away trying to deal with this.
I answered his emails he sent and he didn't respond. He always did before quickly, and I felt something was wrong.

I have no idea how he was able to email us when he was first home from the hospital much too soon. (He hates hospitals and got up on his own to get out)

Edye is now reading the carbine forum posts sent to Charlie that we write and then she's reading them to him.

He's still in and out of consciousness right now in a hospital bed in their home and he's nowhere near his computer or able to write us back.
I know he's happy to be at home regardless.

I didn't know how bad this was either, and can barely comprehend the pain he's going through.

He has a wonderful sense of humor, a wonderful 'high school sweetheart' wife whom he loves and always told me is the love of his life taking care of him, and he'll laugh later. His injuries and mostly the horrible pain will take a long time to recover from.

I know he'll be back.