Yesterday around 11:30 Chad cut his left hand on a table saw while he was at work.

Thankfully, he has very capable co-workers who jumped into action to help Chad right as the accident happened.

Chad (yes, himself) called me on my cell phone around 11:50, and said, “Mom, I need you to come, I cut my hand on a saw and my boss wants me to go get checked.”

He was extremely calm – that and his choice of words gave me my own opinion about the accident – that it must not be that bad!

I still left quickly and I arrived at Chad’s work by noon, as he works very close to our home.

Thankfully Addie Mae was home and she stayed with the others kiddos.

When I arrived on the lot I was met by Chad’s boss’s son and was told to follow him – which I did.

Chad’s boss and co-workers helped load Chad into the front seat of the van.

They had a bandage over Chad’s hand and a tourniquet on his wrist.

We got to our local hospital in about ten minutes and a nurse met us and took Chad inside.

Right away the nurse and the doctor started working on taking the bandage and tourniquet off Chad’s hand and wrist.

I stood there looking on and saw the injuries for the first time.

I think I knew right away that things had just drastically changed for us – for that day, for this week, and for our summer.

Chad was extremely calm even though he was in a lot of pain.

I found it easy to remain calm too, and appreciate a doctor who looks at an injury like that and immediately says “It could be so much worse! Thank goodness you still have your fingers. One fourth of an inch further and they would be gone.”

Yes, PRAISE GOD.

Praise God, Praise God!

They gave Chad a shot of pain meds and then we sat for 30 minutes while they soaked his hand to clean it.

I took this photo during that time – one, because it was my view – and two, because as I looked at his feet and watched Chad handle this huge trial I realized that my boy is becoming an amazing young man.

After soaking Chad’s hand, the nurse cleaned it some more, and then the doctor came in and numbed one of the four fingers that was injured so that he could explore the wound to make decisions about Chad’s care.

That was NOT fun.

It took just a minute of the doctor exploring that wound before everything quickly changed.

An IV was started for antibiotics, Chad got a tetanus shot, phone calls were being made to have Chad transferred, and the reality of the severity of Chad’s injury struck us both.

That’s when we both cried for the first time.

It was a much needed release, and definitely ok to be sad that this had happened!

They got Chad bandaged back up to make the trip to UW Madison where Chad would see a hand specialist and have surgery to repair his hand.

Chad was smiling once they put that splint on because it cut his pain level in half.

So thankful!

At this point Blake left work and headed our way.

Around 4:00 we were discharged from our local E.R., met Addie and the other kiddos in the parking lot for quick hugs and to grab food and supplies, and got on the road to make the two hour trip to Madison.

We arrived around 6:00 and headed in through the emergency entrance like we had been instructed to do.

Everyone we met knew we were coming, and they paged the surgery team within minutes of us being there.

More decisions needed to be made, so they unwrapped Chad’s hand.

We cried some more, not gonna lie.

The surgeon decided to do a first “surgery” right there in the E.R. by giving Chad a BIG pain med through his IV and by doing a numbing block to each one of his fingers.

We got to travel with his IV port still in his arm and I am so thankful it was still there and useable!

The numbing process was a lot.

So many shots. Oh my heart.

The nurse brought in an IPad to try to distract Chad from all that was going on.

While we waited for the numbing block to take its full effect he and Blake watched fishing videos.

They laid Chad flat for the surgery so he would not be able to see.

The surgeon did a lot of cleaning of Chad’s wounds.

There is a huge concern for infection because of how deep the wounds are and because they were made by a table saw in a wood shop.

After getting it all clean you could really see the damage very clearly.

The surgeon started telling us what he was seeing in each wound on each finger, and as the list grew I knew this was far from over.

Chad has tendons that are exposed and injured, his pinky is fractured, and all of his joints are exposed as well.

We were told that he will have to have surgery in an O.R. this coming week to do a proper repair.

For now the surgeon closed the wounds, dressed them, and put Chad in a cast.

We were SO glad to have that part over with!!

It was 9:00 p.m. by this time, so we sent Blake after some food.

Chad was finally allowed to eat!

Chipotle was the unanimous decision for some yummy food and it was pretty close by.

I wish I could tell you it was delicious, but I don’t remember chewing or tasting it because I ate it SO fast!

Chad was needing another big dose of antibiotics before we could go home.

While we were waiting on that (and our discharge instructions), a nurse came in and moved us to a waiting room because the E.R. was SO busy that they needed our room.

Finally at 11:00 p.m. we walked Chad out to the van and headed home!

We got home at 1:15 a.m. and went straight to bed.

Chad had a restful night last night and his pain was managed well.

It was so good to be all together again this morning!

We are keeping Chad still and quiet until we return to Madison this week.

We do not know exactly when yet, but will know on Monday morning.

I have a bazillion questions for his surgeon!

I cannot publish this post without trying to find the words to express our humble appreciation for the OUTPOURING of support, prayers and love we have had yesterday and today.

When we knew Chad was being transferred to UW Madison, I put a post on Instagram asking for prayer.

IT TOOK OUR BREATH AWAY TO SEE SO MANY STAND IN PRAYER ON OUR BEHALF IN OUR TIME OF NEED.

You all, THAT is what the body of Christ looks like – caring enough about someone else’s trial to take the time to storm heaven’s gates on their behalf!

Prayer is SO important!

I do not even know how to properly say thank you.

But thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

We needed you all so much.

We felt each prayer. Really we did.

We felt hugged and held with each comment, message and text.

Again, thank you.

Please keep praying!

For Chad’s heart as he struggles with the feelings that he let his boss and the co-worker that he was working with down.

For the reality that is setting in about how much this summer just changed for Chad and for us.

For the surgeon (whom we LOVE) who will try to repair Chad’s hand to full function.

For pain management.

We know the truths from God’s Word and we are focused on them.

That our every response will glorify HIM!

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9