Early Grateful Dead keyboardist Tom Constanten is in stable condition today, following a major fall that required immediate surgery last week. According to Constanten, he was getting out his car when he tripped on some uneven, wet pavement and fell into the concrete. Fortunately, 911 was called immediately, and an excellent team of doctors were able to perform a quick and life-saving surgery.
Constanten tells the story in the public Facebook post below:
Fell down and broke my neck last Wednesday.
Just like they warned me about as a kid.
I’d driven up to the Post Office at the top of the hill to mail off a bill, and, knowing there was heavy rain in the forecast, figured it would be better to mail it off inside. I parked the car, and on the way in a bit of uneven pavement tripped me up. I fell, face first, onto the concrete.
I am so very grateful for the woman who spotted me right away and called 911; for the ambulance crew, who got there so fast; for their professionalism and teamwork; for the uniformly excellent care at Novant Presbyterian Hospital; for the skill of Dr. Healy, the neurosurgeon who performed the procedure that pulled me out of the darkness and into the light, for Dr. Guignard, for the anæsthesiologist, Dr….well, I’m spacing on his name, maybe because he did such a good job. For the surgeon who stitched up my forehead.
For the nurses, Beverly, Brooke, Brittany, Iseta, Julio, Cliff, Ali, Amelia…
I get back to the house, and the first thing I’m aware of is a forest of wonderful friends near and far showing such unbelievably warm support. I’ve experienced it before and, even though I have no idea what I might have done to deserve it, I felt the lift and reassurance.
There have been rough patches in my life these past fifteen years, and it’s helped me get through it.
Many times I thought of checking out, but my heart won’t buy it.
The attitude of gratitude is in full bloom in this garden.
[H/T Jambands]