Low Carb Cheesecake - with pictures!

I found this recipe on the Active Low Carbers Forum, and have asked "Bawdy", the woman that posted it if I could copy it and she said yes. (Actually she said it was an old recipe that she just replaced the sugar with artificial sweetener)

The ingredients

In a large bowl mix:
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup Splenda (or any flavored SF syrup you like)

First 4 items ready to mix

Blend until combined, maybe 15 or 20 seconds.

Then slowly add:
16 ounces cream cheese (2 packages, softened)

2Tablespoons butter, melted

Mixer in actionAll ready to put into pans

I mix all the ingredients with a stand mixer, simply because I have one, but any mixer and large bowl works.

I love my mixer

Crust (if desired)
1 1/2 cups almond meal (ground almonds)
1/4 cup Splenda,
1/4 cup melted butter.

For an 8-9" cake:
After mixing crust ingredients well, press the mixture into the bottom of a cake pan, or preferably a spring release pan. If using the spring release, be sure the crust covers the junction of the bottom and side of the pan to prevent leaks.

Pour the cream cheese mixture in and bake at 325 degrees for 35-40 minutes. It will not look done when you take it out of the oven, but will firm up as it cools. Place a pan of water on a shelf under the cheesecake to help prevent the top from splitting.

I also make this in ramekins. Some I just use the cheesecake batter, others I add the crust. I prefer this as it is good for portion control. For ramekins, bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes. For these, I use a large roasting pan (or cookie sheet), put an inch of water in the bottom, then place the ramekins in the water.

I also use SweetPerfections in place of Splenda. It's expensive, but well worth it. No artificial taste and you're adding fiber! (SweetPerfections measures just like sugar, and tastes like confectioner's sugar)

The way I like this best is to mix about 1/2 cup of the batter with a sugar free flavoring (I use Raspberry). After filling the ramekins or cake pan, put a bit of the flavored batter on top and use a knife to swirl it in.

Ready to go in the oven
I only make 11, as that's what fits on my cookie sheet.

To serve, top with a little bit of fresh fruit of the same kind. If all I have is frozen berries I puree them and use for topping.

Fresh out of the oven

I entered all the ingredients, including the SweetPerfection, in FitdayPC. These are the numbers:

Total recipe

1 serving (1/12th recipe)

If you add the crust, of course this will change the numbers. Using Splenda will lower the carb count, but also makes the fiber count 0.

1/4 cup fresh raspberries and a bit of LAND O LAKES™ Sugar Free Whipped Heavy Cream.

Week 2 Weigh in

Short Term Goal:




Whoo Hoo!!! Another 3 pounds down!!

Didn't post my weight last week, but had lost 5 pounds then. I'm doing a 20 pounds in 20 weeks goal here, then will set another goal.

Been sticking with my plan, doing good, feeling good!!! Stomach has been great, NO indigestion or nausea, and no belly pain. Arthritis isn't too bad either! A bit of neck discomfort, that's about it.

Got a call from my sister over the weekend, and a follow up call tonight. She's going to have to have her carotids stented, both her internal carotids are blocked, one 90% the other 100%, but blocked, not by plaque, but by scar tissue. The scar tissue is a result of radiation treatments she had about 20 yrs ago for cancer of the epiglottis (the flap that prevents food from going into the lungs).

This is good news and bad news.

The bad news is that, since it's scar tissue, it can recur. The doc is confident that the stent will work in keeping her carotids open, but did also say that the scar tissue can again build up and she may have problems again down the road.

But, the good news is that she doesn't have any evidence of plaque build up! That of course, means there's a very good chance that the rest of her arteries are also clear or mostly clear.

Of course, there's no guarantee, but her chances are better than if they found her carotids loaded with plaque, it wouldn't bode well for the rest of her vessels!!!

She's already on Lipitor, and I'm sure they'll keep her on it, but now they've also put her on Plavix to prevent clotting. Of course she'll have to stay on the plavix for life also.

She's having one more test done, then will be scheduled for the procedure next week.

So, to all my readers, please say a prayer, or think positive thoughts for her.

Long Term Goal:

Stuff

I love the internet...in fact I'm pretty much addicted to it.

I read lots of articles about, amoung other things, health and politics. Today I'm going to post comments about some of the recent articles I've read.



Can Warm Weather Cause the Flu? Medical Experts Expose the Season's Most Popular Cold and Flu Myths
Short answer no. And to add to the article, being cold or chilled doesn't cause colds. It can lower your resisitance, but it doesn't cause it.

Disability community decries 'Ashley treatment'
This bothers me. This little girl, in the hopes that she won't become a big girl, is being given a controvercial treatment. They are giving her hormones to kill the growth plates in her bones, making it impossible for them to continue to grow. And they've also done surgery, a hysterectomy and removal of her breast buds. This second treatment is for 2 reasons, 1 to prevent breast cancer, which runs in her family and 2 to prevent her menses, which her mom says will "scare" her.

Women more likely to survive lung cancer
This is good for women, like me, who smoke or have smoked in the past.

House Democrats Pass Bill on Medicare Drug Prices
This is great news!!! This will allow the Medicare program to make deals with the manufacturers to get lower prices on medications. There are many elders that must decide between medication and foods, maybe this will help.

Danger in the Flesh Patients Infected With Flesh-Eating Bacteria Must Race the Clock to Save Life and Limb
I include this to simply remind people that not only is this infection still causing trouble....it's very serious and is likely to result in at minimum disfuguring surgery and can also easily kill. This is nothing to ignore!!! If you get an injury and you don't like the looks of the wound, SEE YOUR DOCTOR!!!

Doomsday clock to move closer to nuclear Armageddon
It's 7 minutes to midnight again!

Parents of rescued boys express joy, thanks
This is great. In looking for 1 missing child, they found a second.

Bush says critics must offer alternative
Sorry Mr President, you've already been given alternatives, and have rejected them....I guess because you're "the decider"

Everyone, please say a prayer for our brave young men and women who are continuing to put themselves at risk.

Icy weather hits nation's midsection
Abnormal weather seems to be getting worse. This is one subject that really concerns me!

Firefighters Place Wager On Pats Game
It's Boston FD vs San Diego FD. Hope the firefighters in San Diego are ready to pay up!

And, saving the best for last:
'You: On a Diet' -- Experts Speak Out. How Do Analysts Feel About Drs. Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen's Approach to Weight Loss?
Now there is some praise, and some that feel the book tells us nothing new. But this one is the best!

Dr. Richard Feinman Co-editor-in-chief Nutrition and Metabolism Brooklyn,
N.Y.
"Well, I guess that pretty much takes care of the obesity epidemic.
I suggest for their next book: 'You: In Iraq.'"

Can we say sarcasm???


Now, I'd like to add some of the blog posts that are out there.
Dr Michael Eades: Just about any of his posts.
Dr Mary Dan Eades: Again, just about any of her posts. She posts some great recipes too!
Calianna's Low Carb Cottage: Just about any of her posts.
Dr Briffa: Read them all!
Jimmy Moore: Need I say more? Listen to his Podcasts too!
Carbohydrate Addict aka Lady Atkins: Excellent day by day blog of the trials and tribulations of living a low carb life and struggling to loose weight.
Suzique: Both of her blogs, No-No NOLA and Waisted in the wasteland.
The Food Doc: most posts deal with leaky gut, celiac, and food allergies.
Regina Wilshire: Pick a post, any post, you won't be disappointed!!

There are many more excellent blogs out there, and I read a bunch, but these are my favorites. Check them out, I'm sure you won't be sorry!

Well, that's it for today. I weigh in Monday morning, so I'll be posting my results then.

5 things

I knew it was going to happen as soon as I saw the first post.

Jimmy Moore's was the first post, and since then I guess I've read another 8-10 posts. Last one was Victoria's. (Thanks Victoria!)

Yep....I've been blog tagged!!!

OK....so here's the deal. I'm supposed to tell you 5 things about myself you wouldn't normally know, and then tag another 5 bloggers. I'm including links to each of the blogs I tag and I hope you visist their blogs!

So, here goes. 5 things you might not know about me.

1. I'm "the baby" of the family. Yep, the youngest of 4, I have 2 older brothers, and 1 older sister. My oldest brother, Tim (11 yrs older) and my sister, Maureen (13 yrs older) are actually half-siblings, but we were raised to not make this distinction. ( 1 sentence removed by author) I was pretty much the "belle of the ball" growing up, at least as far as my siblings is concerned. As far as I'm concerned, I was treated just like the others.

My brother Tim died as a result of an auto accident at the age of 24. I really didn't know him well as he was a "chronic runaway" and left home for good at the age of 16 (I was 5), after spening a couple of years in "reform school". (2 sentences removed by author) My sister Maureen still thinks of me as a little kid, and often gives me advice, including medical advice (see # 4 below).

Because of the big age difference we really were raised as 2 families, and after the age of 9 it was just me and (removed) at home. While Tim was pretty much absent, and Maureen was more of a mother, (rest of paragraph removed by author)

2. When I was a kid I was a member of a drum corps. Yep, The Amvet Brigadiers. I started late, most of the others had started out in the junior corps, but I started out in the senior corp. This was when I was in junior high, around 1968. I carried a rifle, but mostly stayed with the American flag line, as I really couldn't do all the twirls and throws the rest of the corps did. I was only in the corps for a year, and loved it, but felt like an outsider and gave it up. We had an excellent group and won several contests, but I was only in 1. I followed them for several years, as well as the junior corps, the Buccaneers and the Lancers. My niece was in the Buccaneers for a couple of years and I became one of the "adult" chaperones when I was in high school.

3. I have no middle name. When I was born my parents couldn't come up with a name that went with my first and last (see #5 below), so they didn't give me one. When I was little I was upset when I found out all my classmates and friends had middle names...or actually middle initials and my dad told me to use NMI, which stood for No Middle Initial. Well, I thought that was great, and used it for a while.

Funny, it wasn't until just 2 or 3 years ago that I actually saw this used in "the real world". My current employer uses it for the few people that have no middle name. (I now sometimes use M for Morrison, which is my maiden name, but mostly leave blank) Having no middle name is always questioned when I fill out forms, and I often get weird looks when I say I don't have a middle name.

4. I am a graduate of Framingham Union Hospital School of Nursing, and have a diploma in nursing, allowing me to be licensed and work as a Registered Nurse (RN). Yes, this is the Framingham of the famous Franingham Heart Study.

I graduated from high school in 1972, when the BS programs were just getting popular. My school was a hospital based program. We had several instructors that also taught at Framingham State College and other reputable schools, but they came to our campus and we didn't receive any "college credit" for out work (although many colleges did accept our courses when attempting to get a BS).

Our program was pretty intense, with long hours on both our class room and clinical work. Our program gave us all the "regular" college requirements of Pharmacology, Nutrition, Microbiology, etc and we had a heavy amount of clinical work as well. Each clinical rotation was preceded with an intense class to cover that area, followed by 2-4 days a week working with patients in the hospital. Our classes were from 8AM to 5PM on each day that they were held, and our clinical day went from 7AM to 3PM (30 min lunch for clinical days, 60 min for class days). The frequency was different depending on the year of the program, but a typical schedule was MWF 8-5 class and T-TH clinical from 7-3. We also didn't follow a regular college schedule, working for long stretches without a vacation break....and mostly only a week break. Freshman year we went from December 26 to May 8 without a break!

A friend and I calculated the number of hours we spent in class vs. a traditional college, and found that we only spent the equivalent of 4 weeks less in school. We did in 3 years what BS programs did in almost 4 AND we had at least 2-3 times the amount of clinical experience. It was intense, and hard, and a wonderful program. Upon graduation I found that I'd had an excellent education, having been exposed to more than the average BS grad.

I am licensed in NC and MA, but currently work in the computer software industry. It is healthcare related, so I still use my education, but my license isn't required.

5. My first name isn't Cindy, that's a nickname. And it's not Cynthia either....it's Alcinda, which is the Portuguese derivative for Alice. I am of English and Scotch descent, but my name is Portuguese.

There's actually a pretty neat story that goes along with my name. I was named by my dad, who named me after Alcinda Pereira MD, of the New Bedford (MA) VA Hospital, "the doctor that saved my life". Here's how she saved his life. Dad was in the Army Air Force during WW2 and stationed in the Pacific. Due to stress he began to drink and was unable to stop when he returned home. After sometime being back home, with his alcoholism getting worse, he checked himself into the New Bedford VA hospital for detox. His doc was Alcinda Pereira. He said she was the best doc he'd ever had, and would often consult her for advice in other areas of medicine.

When my parents married they made an agreement that mom would name the first baby, and dad would name the second. My dad told my mom that if the second was a girl he was going to name it Alcinda, but she didn't take him seriously! This was back in 1948 and people just didn't give their kids such unusual names. (It's actually quite popular in Portugal I'm told) Sure enough, when I was born, dad named me Alcinda. Mom had trouble calling me that as an infant, so they gave me the nickname of Cindy.

I went by Cindy most of my childhood, and even teachers usually called me Cindy. I alternated between loving my name and hating it. I was the only kid with an unusual name and got tired of spelling it, and repeating it, and getting junk mail that was obviously for males (I STILL get spam that's obviously for men!).

When I got older I realized how special my name was. I adored my dad, who died at the age of 69 from prostate cancer. He was a very special person to most that knew him, and he gave me a special name for a reason. (As I type this I'm getting teary)

I know use Alcinda for all business. At work that's what everyone calls me. In fact I had a "Cindy" coffee cup that a co-worker was shocked to learn was mine! My RN licenses are in Alcinda, so I've always singed my name with that, or AM, and that sometimes caused confusion. Friends call me both Cindy and Alcinda, depending on their preference.

I love my name. It makes me different. It also makes me know that I was thought to be special enough to be named after a person loved so much.

OK that's it. I'm sure I could come up with a few other things, but I'm only doing the 5 I "have" to do.

I must say thinking of some of these things brought back a lot of memories. A lot of pain and a lot of joy!

OK....so now I have to name 5 people?

Between people already tagged, and that I don't know too many bloggers, this is tough.

1. Emily, of The Furious Dieter blog
2. Sherrie, of the Pinch of blog
3. Dr Mary Dan Eades
4. Suzique, of the No-No NOLA and Waisted in the Wasteland blogs
5. Kate, of Kate's Wellness Blog

KILLING THE MESSENGER - CHOLESTEROL

I found this blog as a result of a link on a message board. This article is very well written and should be read by all who have been or are worried about their cholesterol levels.

In her blog, Kate wrote:

I believe in a healthy cholesterol reading. I mean, I really think that 350-400 is too high.
And even then, I don’t think other factors should be ignored. In lowering a dangerously high level, I took steps to help myself in other ways, as well. So my body wouldn’t keep raising my cholesterol. The main thing I did was lose weight.
But this post is for those people who really do not have a “problem”

My sister-in-law went to the Dr. for a checkup and was told hers was 210.
She was put on Lipitor. She had no idea why, just did it because he’s her doctor and he knows best. Her insurance paid it so great. No problem there. But is this the answer to a problem that isn’t a problem at all? She was otherwise healthy.
Or so she thought.

To read the rest of the post, CLICK HERE.

Last day of the year!!

Recomitting, Starting Over.....

Whatever we want to call it, it's all the same thing. We need, at times, to blow off some steam.....and some of us do that with food. When that happens, we need to recommit to our original plan towards health and weight loss.

For me, this time, the trigger was staying home too long after my son's accident.....combined being cash poor.....and the holiday season.

I was doing great when Bri had his accident. I was quite proud of myself for not eating anything unacceptable on my plan. I worked from home for about 2 1/2 weeks after the accidnet....so far, so good. Then, after seeing the doc.....and going back to work to find homemade cookies on my desk (my boss's famous sugar cookies and the best oatmeal chocolate chip ever)....and having a "holiday breakfast" at work that was 95% carbs....and not having enough money to buy what I want for Christmas presents.....well, it all kinda came crashing down.

At first I was careful, I had some of the treats at the breakfast, but had a good lunch and dinner. Of course I had some of the cookies, but I shared them with my son.

But then things got totally out of control. Today I have had lots of bad stuff.....not just high carb, but junk! Highly processed, empty calorie, high carb junk. Today I was better than I was yesterday. Today I limited myself, "allowed" myself just a little, after eating good, healthy foods.

January 1, 2007 I totally recommit to changing my lifestyle to what I believe is the healthiest lifestyle.

That lifestyle includes

• Following a low carb plan, specifically Protein Power Life Plan
• Protein requirements = 102g/day (102g = 408 calories)
  
• Carb level = under 40g/day (40g = 160 calories)
• Total daily calories at least 1200.
  
• No fruit X2 weeks, then berries to start
  
• Minimal use of dairy and grains
• Nuts allowed up to once a day
  
• Drinking lots of plain water, at least 80% of intake
• Hot coffee with cream or hot tea with milk acceptable
• Sugar free soda max 2 bottles/cans per week
• NO sugar free hot chocolate
  
• Getting into an exercise program I can keep up.....details to follow
• Minimizing the use of processed foods, artificial sweeteners
  
• Looking for recipe to make small amount of mayo, say a cup or two?
  
• Looking for recipe to make small amount of dressing, 1 cup max.
  

January 1, I will measure myself and record the measurements in Fitday PC. I will also weigh myself. I fear I may be back where I started weight-wise.....and I'm sure at least some of my measurements are larger. I will also update my ticker and post it here.

I am starting with 3 challenges.

• Loose 20 pounds in 20 weeks.
  
• January 1 = starting date
• May 21 = ending date
  
• Walk in neighborhood at least 3 times a week
• Try at least 2 new recipes a month. Record recipe, picture, and opinion here.

Still have to come up with an exercise plan I can live with....but walking and biking will be part of it.

Tomorrow starts a new year. I am hoping it will be a better year. 2006 was not a good year overall, so I am really hoping 2007 will be better!!!

Map

Map moved to bottom...please! add yourself!!!

I'd love to see who reads my blog and where you're located!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Update on my son

Well, we finally saw the doctor on Thrusday and there's no new news.

This time we actually saw the attending, not just the resident. The first thing they did was more XRays, which we expected. They took several films, from the side and from the front. They removed the collar before the films, and my son had to bend his neck for the films. He had to bend forward, so his chin was "on his chest" and he had to bend back, so he was looking at the ceiling. No "pushing it", he was told to bend his neck only to the point of pain.

The docs poked at his neck, with and without the collar, and also asked him to move and tell them how much pain he was having. Amazingly, he only had "mild" pain when he attempted to put his chin on his chest, but he also didn't get even close to his chest! His range of motion is very limited!

The doc showed us his films, including the MRI that was done the day of the accident. He has a displaced vertebra, and that's what they're worried about. If looked at from the side, the botton of one vertebra sticks out a tad more than the top of the one below. It's very easy to see on the films, and really doesn't look like much!

The doc explained that this displacement usually indicates that the disc (the cartilage between each vertebra) is damaged, although there was no sign of damage on the MRI. He also said that it may take "a while" before the damage to the disc is evident on MRI.

The good news? My son can pretty much do as he pleases, although obviously driving is still out, as he has to continue to wear his collar 24/7. He can remove the collar for shaving and showering, but otherwise must wear it at all times.

The bad news? There is still a very real possiblity that he will need to have surgery! It seems that this particular injury, unless it stabilizes, can and likely will get worse over the years, leading to a steady progression of worsening damage. This will cause him to gradually curl forward....his head will gradually move forward, so eventually he'll look like he's about to topple over!!!
This is an example, more severe than my son's, of the dislocation that he has. Note the top vertebra is pushed forward. My son't injury is similar, but not as dramatic....and it's a lower vertebra that's involved.

If this doesn't stabilize, he will need surgery. Surgery means a scarey procedure and possibly being in a halo for several months! (Doc didn't sepcify, but looking online for info, it seems 50/50 that he could be in a halo or just continue in the hard collar.)

So....we're still in a holding pattern. Brian's been told he can go back to work, if they'll allow him, but has a weight limit of 5 pounds, and will have to continue to wear his collar. I doubt his company will allow him back with the collar, but he's going to try!

We still haven't seen the car. Brian and a friend will be going this week to see if they can get any personal possessions out of it. His leather jacket, all his DVDs and many of his CDs are in the car. He also has about $300 worth of stereo equipment in the car and is hoping at least some of it is salvagable. He'll get pics when he goes to the tow company. When I see the pics, I'll post them here.

What a day!!!

Early AM Wednesday I got the call that all parents dread.

"Hi mom....I'm OK, but I'm in the ER at Duke. I flipped my car last night"

Needless to say, I grabbed some clothes and threw them on....then grabbed my cell, wallet and keys and ran out the door. He sounded a bit groggy, but he made sense, and I just kept praying all the way to the hospital.

When I got there I practically threw my keys at the valet guy and ran into the ER. You now have to go through the metal detectors and ask a woman if you can go in, where to go, etc. Room 14 I was told and given a stick on visitor's pass.

With a little help, I found his room. Door was shut. I knocked gently and opened the door.

To find my 22 year old son lying flat on his back with a cervical collar on. He had 2 IVs, on in each arm, and he had all the monitoring stuff (heart, BP, Oxygen sensor) on him....but nothing was hooked up!!! No sooner did I walk in, and he says "I'm going to be sick" and started to roll over! An aide handed me a bucket to hold for him, and said she'd get a nurse.

Within a matter of minutes, a nurse came in and started futzing around with his IVs. She asked if he was vomiting, and I said no, just dry heaves. She got him a medication for nausea and gave it to him IV and the nausea quickly subsided.

At this point, I asked how he was and was told by the nurse that she'd get his doctor. My son told me that he was OK, but "they told me I broke something in my back"! I nearly passed out on the spot!!!

Now, I'm a RN and have been for over 30 years. I've taken care of many a back patient, and even worked for almost 2 years with teens and young adults that were paraplegic and quadriplegic. I know how to "log roll" a patient onto their side to (hopefully) not do further damage to their spine. I also know that in auto accidents, especially if the car rolls, that a collar is placed at the scene and is often left on for much longer than is necessary. The nurse, of course, couldn't really tell me anything.

When I asked about his monitors, they did hook things up and got readings. All were within normal limits.

I was able to ask my son what happened, and found that he hit his brakes to avoid a deer and that his car "fishtailed" and "next thing I knew I was in a ditch, upside down. My arm was stuck in the sunroof, and they had to partly lift the car to get me out". While he's telling me this, I noticed that he was moving all 4 extremities, so at least I knew he hadn't done any permanent damage to his spinal cord. He was moving his legs a lot and complaining about his lower back, so I assumed that's where the break was.

Eventually, after he was given pain medication, twice, the doctor showed up. It was an orthopedic resident, and he explained that they had done Xrays and a CT Scan and that my son had broken 2 vertebra in his neck! The doc told me they were "pretty sure" that the break was stable, but had to do 2 more Xrays to check it out. They were going to do a film of him lying flat, then a second one of him standing.

A few minutes later they took him to Xray and over the next 30 minutes or so they took a bunch more films. They didn't stand him, but took the "standing" one with him sitting. Not sure why, I never got an explanation....but it could simply be because of his height, he's over 6'3" tall. In any event, the doc then decided that this wasn't sufficient and now they needed an MRI.

It took a few hours, but they finally got the MRI and decided that his fracture was "pretty stable" and they didn't need to do surgery. Now, a bit of explanation. The facet joint is on the side of the spine, where the separate vertebra are joined. It's what allows the bones to move independently of each other while holding the spine together. The bones are supposed to move, but they're supposed to move as one piece, not two, and if the pieces get displaced injury to the spine and/or spinal nerves can result.

My son's fractures were at the C3-4 level, which is very high, and at minimum would result in quadriplegia, if not also being ventilator dependent. My understanding is that a facet fracture would more likely cause damage to the nerves leaving the spine, rather than to the spine itself, but I'm not 100% sure. In any event. He was very lucky. The break could have been worse....and the results could have been devastating!!! What would be considered "life altering".

Hy son only has to wear a hard cervical collar for 6-8 weeks. He will likely have some problems for life, probably at minimum constant or recurring neck pain or discomfort. A small price to pay for surviving relatively intact!!! He's hurting a bit right now, but really, not as much as I expected!

My son, in his collar.

He's really not upset for me taking the picture, he wanted me to!

He's not sleeping, he just closed his eyes as I took the pic. Looks comfy, huh?

How did the accident happen? What did happen?

My son was driving home, late, from a friend's house. The roads are all "country" back roads, meaning they are generally 1 lane in each direction, lightly populated, and usually posted with fairly high speeds. Where he was the speed was 55mph. They estimated his speed at about 70mph, but he says "no way" and anyone that knows his, knows that he's a slow driver! He's a total car nut, but he also respects cars and doesn't abuse them. He says he didn't drive this car too fast because it was old. He really loved that car!

Before the accident. 1986 Ford Thunderbird. He's only had it for about 8 months, paid for it himself over about 3 months. Had been in the middle of fixing it up....new battery, alternator, sound system.

Anyway, Brian was driving home, and came over a hill and saw a deer right in front of him. He knows he's supposed to just hit the thing, but he reacted (as most of us would) and hit the brakes. When he braked, his car fishtailed, and he over corrected. He skidded across the road and ended up in a ditch. The car apparently rolled over into the ditch, but we're not sure.

He says he never lost consciousness, but it took a few seconds for him to realize he was upside down. He was pinned, but able to move around and looked for his cell phone so he could call for help. He couldn't find the phone, so he set off his car alarm and honked his horn (SOS!!) to get someones attention. Eventually, he's not sure how long it took, someone came and called 911.

When EMS arrived, he said they broke windows and used the "jaws of life" to get him out. They also had to lift the car to free his arm, which was caught in the sunroof. When he was free, he was able to crawl through the side window and said when he got about halfway out the EMS pulled him out the rest of the way. He was then put on a backboard and a collar was applied. From there, he was taken to the Duke ER's Trauma area. After doing the initial Xrays and scans, he was sent to the non-acute area, where he was when I arrived.

I have several concerns about his treatment, and will post more on that.

Will also post pictures of the accident area and the car when I get them.

For now, I am just so thankful and relieved! A mother's worst nightmare....and it all turned out well. I think he had a Guardian Angel sitting on his shoulder that night!!!