Peterson continues to recover from injuries
Staff reporter
Six weeks.
That's the length of time one might take for a long vacation.
Six weeks.
That's the typical length of time people need to recover from most major surgeries.
Six weeks.
To a child, that's an eternity.
For Callie Peterson, and more particularly her family, it has seemed like an eternity because that's about the length of time she was in a hospital.
The 34-year-old rural Marion resident and mother of two was in a near-fatal car accident the morning of Feb. 22, when Callie was driving her mother's Kia Rio passenger car on a county road and collided with another vehicle.
On April 1, Callie was dismissed from St. Luke Hospital after three weeks as a patient. Prior to that she spent a little more than two weeks at Wesley Medical Center, Wichita.
"I had gone home (Feb. 22) for something and was driving back to town to go to work," Callie said. "I remember seeing the truck and thought 'Please don't hit me'," but they did collide, and in a split second, Callie's world changed.
Callie's full-size pickup truck was in need of repair so she was using her mother's car that day.
Upon impact, Callie's body met the air bags that deployed. From there, the impact continued to bounce the slender woman around in the car, causing the life-threatening and life-altering injuries.
When the crash was over, Callie remembers trying to crawl out of the car.
"I heard Tom (Thomas, the driver of the vehicle) saying 'Don't move'," she said.
Within minutes Marion EMS arrived and an air ambulance was dispatched.
"I remember hearing the helicopter and I remember being in pain but I don't remember the actual pain," Callie said.
The entire time, Callie said she couldn't see anything because she couldn't focus, even though her eyes were wide open.
The helicopter landed in a field near the crash site at 190th and Wagon Wheel. She was quickly whisked to the helicopter and transported to Wesley Medical Center, Wichita.
"I remember the helicopter landing but I don't remember anything again until after my first surgery," Callie said. She recalls trying to wake up from the anesthesia and feeling like she was unable to, which petrified her. From that point on, she didn't want to be alone in her hospital room.
Sister-in-law Brenda Larson, who was called to the scene of the accident, was concerned at the time that Callie might have brain damage because of the laceration in her head.
"I'm scarred from head to toe but the doctor said I should make a full recovery," Callie said, with no apparent brain injuries.
The doctors were astounded, Callie said, with how quickly her head wound healed.
Her injuries included the head laceration which was to the skull, a broken neck which required two vertabrae to be fused, a broken collar bone, two broken hips, a broken pelvis, two broken knees, a broken ankle, collapsed lung, a lacerated liver and spleen, and internal bleeding.
"My right leg was mangled," Callie said. "They actually set it while it was being X-rayed."
In all Callie had four surgeries within the first five days after the accident, one lasting more than eight hours. She will probably have a couple more when screws in her right ankle and a metal plate in her neck are removed.
Although still confined to a wheelchair at least for the next six weeks or so, Callie is upbeat and positive that she will be on her feet sometime soon.
The active horsewoman was known for her prowess in a rodeo arena, winning prizes for roping. She traveled around the country for the opportunity to compete.
"I realize that my ranch rodeo days are over," Callie said, matter-of-factly. "I don't want to risk re-injuring my body.
"I'll be happy just to ride again and I'll enjoy watching my sons ride."
The word "miraculous" has been used a lot when describing Callie's survival and recovery.
"I was told that I had stopped breathing three times (before arriving at Wesley)," Callie said. She believes there's a reason she's still here.
"I feel like God has given me a clean slate. He's saved me for a reason."
Knowing there is more life ahead of her, Callie said it has made it easier for her to take the injuries, pain, and recovery time.
For now, Callie and her two sons, Justin, 12, and Jacob, 7, are staying with Callie's brother and wife, Seth and Brenda Larson, rural Marion, at their home.
Still requiring assistance, it's fortunate that Brenda is a registered nurse and in tune with Callie's needs. Callie does all right, transferring herself from a chair to the wheelchair and back, but still is required to keep her right leg straight. Just recently she was able to start using her left arm with the healing of her collar bone and neck.
Minor changes have been made at the Larson farmhouse. Volunteers placed a wooden ramp at the front door. The congregation of Marion Christian Church, where Callie and her family are members, remodeled a bathroom on the main level, making it more accessible for a wheelchair.
Fortunately, the open floor plan of the main part of the house makes it accommodating for a wheelchair, and allows Callie to have freedom of movement while her boys and the Larsons' two sons, Kyler, 4, and Wade, 2, watch TV or wrestle around as boys often do.
Looking at Callie, she looks like she always has, healthy and fit.
"Being fit has helped me to bounce back quicker," she said.
An independent woman who was used to doing for herself and children, the toughest part for Callie has been letting other people take care of her.
"Now that I'm feeling better, sometimes I forget that I can't just get up and walk," she said.
Gratitude
"I don't know how to put into words how appreciative I am of everyone," Callie said.
She knows the high caliber of EMS volunteers who responded to the wreck is one of the reasons she's still here today. Having access to a helicopter ambulance and crew also saved her life.
The care she received at Wesley was great, she said. Callie remembers hearing EMS technician Gene Winkler coming up the hall to transport her to Marion.
"I remember saying, 'There's Gene and I'm going home'," Callie said.
She is particularly indebted to everybody at St. Luke Hospital (Marion).
"They were so good to me. I never dreamed a hospital stay could be so pleasant."
Since her accident, Callie has received more than 250 cards from well-wishers.
"I've never been on the receiving end before and really appreciate everything," she said.
Callie's plans include returning to her business, Signatures hair salon in Marion, and is grateful to her employees who have kept the business going.
She also is thankful for the support from her family, most particularly Seth and Brenda, who opened their home to Callie and her children.
"I can't imagine going through this without their support," she said.
The Peterson and Larson families know there were many church congregations praying for Callie's recovery, and Callie believes that also helped her.
"I have a lot of heroes in my life," she said. "Everyone has been just awesome."
The next steps
Callie will be examined by her doctor in Wichita who will assess her recovery.
"I can't wait for him to see me. I think he'll be surprised at how well I'm doing," she said, with a twinkle in her eye.
After May 23, three months after the accident, Callie may be ready to make the transition from a wheelchair to a walker. Because she is doing so well, she probably will be able to receive physical therapy at the Marion hospital instead of having to go to Wichita for the two or three-month stint.
She was to wait at least three months before putting any weight on her leg and pelvis. Callie also is required to sit up straight with no bending at her waist and no bending her knee.
So, from the sound of it, Callie has a few months yet of recovery but she's not going to let it get her down.
"I don't feel sorry for myself because I don't want to disappoint others and God," she said.
So, six weeks can seem like a long time when someone is recovering from serious injuries but actually it's a relatively short time, considering the distance Callie has come in that time.
"This whole experience has made me look at what I have and not what I don't have," Callie said. "Life can change in a split second and I believe this has changed me for the better."
