In life, sometimes there are bumps in the road. Sometimes, big potholes to brave as we cautiously drive down that roadway, attempting to navigate our future.
For Tyler Wick, age 21, bumps and potholes in the road are more than metaphors. As a truck driver for Sawtooth Lumber, he has hit many dips and ruts on deliveries. But none like the one he hit on Nov. 14.
Wick was driving on Trout Lake Road, hauling a heavy load of lumber when he hit a pothole. He immediately felt pain in his back.
A lot of pain.
Hunched over, waves of agony overcoming him, he slowly drove back to Sawtooth Lumber and reported to his father, Steve, who manages the business, that he needed help.
“My dad took me to the emergency room at (North Shore Health) the hospital. The doctor said my back might be broken and I was taken by ambulance to St. Luke’s Hospital,” said Wick.
At St. Luke’s a team of health care workers and doctors identified three breaks in Wick’s back. Surgery was necessary but had to wait until the swelling in the injured areas went down.
Subsequently, Tyler underwent many hours of operation. Doctors placed two steel rods and nine screws in his back. They outfitted him with a protective shell he has to wear when he’s up and moving about.
Now it is time to rest and heal. He has many days of therapy and rehabilitation ahead of him.
On Thanksgiving Day, from his hospital bed, Tyler said, “Today I am thankful for my family and friends keeping me in their prayers and thoughts for a quick recovery. I am grateful for the medical staff at St. Luke’s who took my broken body and pieced it back together, helping me regain my life. And, I am thankful for my ability to walk.”
Tyler came home on Sunday, Nov. 26. “They were originally going to keep him longer but he was progressing fast in physical therapy. He was ahead of schedule so they released him to come home,” said his father.
Just how long his recovery will take is unknown.
As much as he has gone through and will continue to go through, the doctors at St. Luke’s told him his injuries could have turned out worse.
“They said I was lucky,” Tyler said.
As far as driving a truck for a living—something Tyler loves to do and has planned to do for his career—that too is unknown. He has been told it may be tough to resume his job if his back doesn’t fully recover. For now, Tyler said he feels thankful for the help he has received from the medical staff in Grand Marais and Duluth.
“I’m going to follow whatever (rehabilitation) plan the doctors give me. My goal is to drive a truck again,” said Wick.
In life, there are bumps in the road. Tyler Wick hit one, and now he is making his way back with a lot of help from his family and friends. His journey may take a different route than he first thought, but for now, it is just a fork in the road. After all, if a road closes, as any good truck driver knows, there is always a way around it. It may be a detour, but there is always another way forward.
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