Montana Orange Soda
Tuesday morning my husband’s name became Montana Orange Soda, Unidentified.
I work in a call center. I felt in my pocket, my phone ring/vibrate, then a buzz. No one leaves a message, and texts feel different than that.
After my call, I walked off the floor (no phones allowed), to read a poorly dictated message including the words nurse and motorcycle. My gut sank. I called back right away. A nurse, who knew my name but not the name of the person she was calling about, told me my husband, Montana Orange Soda, was badly injured.
On the 3.5 hour drive to the hospital in Minneapolis, every scenario went through my head. The only one I suspected could be true comes from an eyewitness to an accident in the area where it likely took place.
“I arrived at work at 10:39am (I made a call from our parking lot that’s how I know). So right before I entered the frontage road, cars were stopping even though it was a green light. As I entered the turn lane to enter the frontage road I realized there was an accident with a motorcycle. The motorcycle was like in the intersection and the rider was 70-100 feet away from the bike (he was laying east of the bike on 62). He looked to be wearing black pants and I was certain he had a helmet. There was a lot of glass in the intersection, too much glass to be just from the bike (in my opinion), there was probably 7 cars pulled over with people out surrounding the motorcyclist. I couldn’t see what car may have been involved as there were multiple cars stopped trying to check on the person, and I was just trying to get on the frontage road.”
When I got to the hospital, I was looking through Brandon’s belonging for clues when I found bone fragments the size of my whole thumb, in a specimen cup.
Brandon is hurt, badly. He wears gear every day he rides. Helmet, jacket, gloves. That is what saved his life.
His head, spine and neck are unharmed. He was not even in a neck brace when I saw him, but everything else is broken. Both arms, both legs, pelvis in several places including compound fractures which I assume is the source of the bone fragments I found in his backpack. Also, severe injury to his groin, ankles, and wrists.
He has had several surgeries now, as of day 4. He has about 5 more that need to be done, unless they can combine them.
This will be many months or years of recovery but he is here because he wears protective gear. I will do my best to keep people updated on his condition.
Brandon is an amazing soul with a kindness that is rarely found, and that is why I love him.
I have said “this is not ideal, but we can do it” a lot recently. I guess we will just add this to the list.
For Brandon’s recovery purposes no visitors at this time unless okayed by family.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/brandon-lauer-recovery-support?qid=06054e488621a100d5792c8b17e05dea 
