Recovering

Deb was released from the hospital in Bismarck and I returned from Chicago to pick her up and bring her back. She is now recovering at our home in Illinois. One thing I've learned is how wheelchair INaccessible the house is. But she is managing and each day getting a little better physically. Psychologically, she is having a hard time adjusting to remaining inactive. It's difficult for someone who was so active to now be confined to a bed and/or wheelchair all day and night.

On a different note, we are adjusting our schedule due to the accident and have had to cancel several shoots. We (I) will be shooting a small ride close to home on Saturday for the Aurora Chamber of Commerece. Deb may be out manning the booth and slideshow after the ride, but certainly not shooting the ride.

Again, I want thank everyone for all they have done and continue to do for us. The offers of help and support have been overwhelming and greatly appreciated. North Dakota ABATE, Greg Zook (who holds the record for the most phone calls asking how Deb is doing), Nancy and countless others were all there when we needed support. It's nice to know that good people still exist.

More Surgery

Deb came through her second surgery well. The surgery reconstructed her lower knee by putting in plates and screws to reattach the bones to a stable surface. She is going to be laid up for a long time so but at least she will be able to walk again as long and the recovery goes well.

We still have several events to shoot before the major riding season is over. I'll be doing those alone. If she is able, Deb may be sitting at our display but it's going to be a while before she can shoot.

Sturgis Pics

Spending so much time in the hospital has given me plenty of time to work on our pictures from the Sturgis Rally. The unedited files are now up on our proofing site (event pics). We'll now go through them and pic out the best for our Fine Art Gallery > Sturgis Picks. Make sure you come back and check them out. In the meantime, see them all by clicking on "event pics" and go to the Sturgis 2008 Gallery. The proofing site also contains a gallery dedicated to the Sturgis Police. Eventually, we'll take the best and put them into the "Sturgis' Finest" gallery in our Fine Art Gallery section of our main web site.

Progress

Deb is doing much better today and has had many visitors. When she's not talking to friends and family, she is working on her laptop, rearranging appointments, and yes, working on booking future weddings and portraits. She is already planning a trip back to Chicago to shoot a motorcycle ride with me in a few weeks. Of course, all this is dependent on the surgery she has tomorrow to try and reconstruct the bones connected to her lower knee. It appears the swelling has gone down enough for them to begin the procedure tomorrow morning. The doctors say it will be a long recovery, but knowing Deb, if the docs says 6 months then it will probably be 2 months for her. Hopefully, everything will go well tomorrow. . . .

Additional Info

First Deb's progress: She had her first surgery on her knee yesterday which was a prep for future surgery hopefully on Monday. A device was screwed into her upper and lower leg bones to stabilize the leg and hopefully reduce swelling. They will attempt to reconstruct the knee on Monday. She's doing OK but very upset about missing her work and other recent developments regarding the accident.

The state of South Dakota has charged her with disorderly conduct and she has to make a court appearance early in September (like she's going to able to do that). Additionally, according to the insurance company, the "honorable" ex-cop who hit her is planning on filing a law suit against Deb, apparently to recover the cost of a highway peg that was damaged when he hit her. . . Can this get anymore bizarre? What is wrong with people? I honestly don't know how this guy can sleep at night. I'm sure his mind is so clogged with thoughts about that damaged footpeg, that it's keeping him up at night. Poor guy. Maybe I should organize a benefit for him and collect highway pegs from other bikers and send them to him. Maybe it will give him some peace knowing that we too are concerned for the condition of his peg and hope for a speedy replacement. Maybe then he could have some concern for the person he almost killed.

First things first

I'm sorry I have to start our new blog with this, but considering the circumstances, it seems appropriate. (Thanks to Greg Zook of Zook Photo for the picture)

As some of you may know, Deb (my wife) had a terrible accident outside of Rapid City during the Sturgis rally.  I'll explain what I know, and speculate about the rest.  I'm obviously biased but I know my wife and I know how she works.

We were shooting a charity cancer ride for the Top 50 Rally Park and had parked our vehicle about 1/2 mile from the intersection of 385 and 44 waiting for the ride to come through.  Deb went to the intersection to wait while I stayed down the road (44)  about 1/2 mile.  Apparently (or so the guy who hit her says) she darted out into bike traffic to cross the road and was hit by a motorcycle.  The guy who hit her ( a retired cop) says he did everything he could do to avoid her, such as honking the horn and swerving off the road, but couldn't avoid hitting her.  When I got to the scene, she was lying on the shoulder of the road bleeding from the head, nose and mouth and was unable to move.  Apparently, she was hit in the knee by the guy's highway peg which pulverized her lower knee, spun her around and hit the pavement with her shoulder and head.  Her shoulder was separated and she sustained a large cut on her head, and consequently 2 subdural hematomas (bleeds into the brain).

She spent 5 days in the Rapid City hospital and was then transported to a hospital in Bismarck ND where she will undergo several surgeries to reconstruct her knee.  Luckily, the bleeds into the brain have, as of now, not caused any brain problems but she is still being observed.

The financial toll this will take on us will be astronomical.  But the most devastating effect of all this is that Deb's other photography business (Deborah Kates Fine Photography) and all the work she has put in to building that branch of the business will have to start over.  As far as we know now, most, if not all of the work she has booked for the next few months will have to be cancelled and deposits refunded.  I will attempt to do as much as I can to fill in for her, but many people who hired her, hired her because they love her work and want her shooting style - not necessarily mine.  I'm sure after all is said and done, many will cancel and of course we will honor that request.

Deb's will and work ethic are stronger than I have ever seen in anyone.  And, those of you who know her will agree with me.  Her abundant positive energetic attitude will pull her through this.  But in the meantime I have watched her struggle for survival and that struggle is testing her will.  And at times I wonder whether her will is strong enough to help her overcome this.  In rare moments, she has expressed hopelessness and devastation.  But it doesn't last long before she's back to her optimistic self.

I don't believe the story the guy who hit her (the ex-cop) gave to the highway patrol and I don't believe the same story (surprise) his friends also gave.  I know my wife as a person and as a professional.  She did not walk out into traffic as the "honorable" ex-cop says.  I know her.  We are professional motorcycle photographers who have been doing this for years.  We are always concerned about out safety and our fellow bikers' safety when we shoot.  We are also both bikers.  These things have instilled in us a healthy respect for motorcycles and we are constantly thinking safety.  My wife would never walk out into the path of oncoming bikes.  No matter what anyone ever tells me, I will go to my grave believing this.

At times my anger seems uncontrollable.  But it gives way to sorrow when I see my beautiful wife laying in a hospital bed with tubes and devices connected to her.  The out-pouring  of support from our biker brothers and sisters has been tremendous and for me has been the source of much needed support.  They know Deb too, and they know she would never do such a thing.  I'm sorry this is going to create a "biker vs biker" situation.  But then again, no self respecting biker would nearly kill someone then lie his ass off the protect himself.  My opinion is that Sturgis is full of many good honest bikers.  Unfortunately, it also has a lot of inexperienced "posers" who, for a week, get to pretend to be a real biker and eventually hurt someone when their motorcycle skills are challenged.  So, this is not a real biker who almost killed by wife, but an imitator.  And in that I take some comfort.

My sincerest thanks goes out to everyone who has shown their support.  I especially want to thank Janet and the entire North Dakota ABATE organization who stepped up to the plate and displayed what real bikers are like.  Without them I don't know what  would have done.

More to come . . .