Welcome to Dee Dee's CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.
On Friday, October 19th, Dee Dee was so looking forward to going on a fishing trip at Lake of the Woods with her special friend Mark and another friend, Kenny. Sadly, shortly after they left home they were involved in a very serious accident north of Olivia. Mark died in the accident. Kenny was treated and released. Dee Dee was airlifted from the scene to North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale (Twin Cities). She has many broken bones, some will require surgery while others will need time to heal. Fortunately, she did not sustain any brain injuries or internal organ damage. Her biggest injuries at this time are bilateral femur (thigh bone) fractures. She had surgery soon after she arrived at the hospital to stabilize the fractures with external fixation devices, with the goal to do a more permanent fix after a few days. While in surgery for her legs, the eye surgeon inspected her left eye (she fractured the bone on the base of the eye), the eyes appeared to be intact and functioning normally. She also had a large laceration on the left side of the head that was stapled together during surgery. Her other injuries that will not require surgical intervention, but time and patience include: pelvic, rib and sternal fractures. After surgery she was taken to the trauma ICU where she was kept sedated and intubated overnight to help her rest and recover. The next day, mid-morning, her sedation was turned off and she was extubated. She doesn't remember anything from the accident, which is a blessing. Little by little she has been asking questions about the accident and we tell her what we know. She learned about Mark passing away and was completely devastated, they have been best friends and he was the love of her life. She is trying so hard to be strong; we cannot even begin to imagine what she is going through emotionally and physically. Other than grief, she is dealing with a lot of pain. The nurse was able to get her pain regimen changed which seemed to help. It's really tough because taking away her pain with pain medications makes her more drowsy and puts her at risks for other complications, such as pneumonia and delirium, which we want to try hard to prevent, so it is a careful balancing act.
She has a very long road ahead of her. They anticipate a few weeks at North Memorial and then transition to rehab. She will not be able to stand on her legs for several weeks and then a lot of physical therapy. This is only a basic timeline and only time will tell how things will go, we will take it day by day. She is always telling us the love she has for everyone and we tell her about all the love she has been shown from family, friends and communities. She is SO appreciative of that love and the thoughts and prayers being said for her! We ask for continued prayers throughout her recovery. Also please remember to pray for Mark's family and friends and for Kenny as he continues to processes everything. Also remember the family and friends of the driver in 2nd vehicle who was also killed in the accident.
To ensure an environment that enhances her recovery, the hospital limits visitors. All visitors should check in with her sister Dawn before making any plans. If you'd like to send cards, you can send them to:
North Memorial Health Dianna Johnson - ICU 3300 Oakdale Avenue North Robbinsdale, MN 55422
Thank you again to everyone who has reached out with kind words and prayer. The road to recovery will be long and hard, but your prayers and positivity mean the world to her and will help tremendously.
One year ago this week, October 19, my life was forever changed after a tragic accident, killing my best friend Mark Tanhoff (Blessed be his memory). I would like the thank those, whom I call angels, who were there at the time of my accident: Olivia and Renville Ambulance Services, Olivia and Danube Fire Departments, Olivia Police Department, Renville County Sheriff’s Department, MN State Patrol, Meg Kubesh, North Air Care and many others who had a helping hand that day. Also many thanks to those who have been so involved in my recovery: North Memorial Hospital, Dr. Woods and many other specialists, Dr. Newcomer, Rice Therapy Suites, Renvilla Nursing Home, Divine Home Care, Big Stone Therapy and Woodland Center. And last but not least a special thank you to my family, friends and community for your prayers, support and time throughout this journey and as I continue my recovery.
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