NISWONGER RECALLS DAY OF CRASH, RECOVERY

Dan Niswonger remembers the day of his accident -- Saturday, April 2 -- as a beautiful, clear but coolish day.

He was working traffic control for a 5K run near the Show Me Center on his motorcycle.

The race was about two-thirds completed, and he was returning to the lead to make sure the winners would not be impeded by traffic problems.

He was following a van slowly, and accelerated to go around the vehicle. At the time of the accident, he was probably traveling 25 or 30, and the van was going about 5 mph. The van turned and the two collided. The accident occurred at the corner of Sprigg and Emerald.

"People told me that the motorcycle and I were thrown in the air, but I don't remember it. I hit a utility pole with my head. I had a helmet on, which saved my life. I hit a guy wire around my waist."

His injuries were extensive.

"I did wake up as I was on the pavement. I remember so well a cool breeze blowing over my body and I knew my clothes were off. At the time, I didn't know how bad I was hurt. I was worried if I had the good sense to wear good underwear."

A doctor, Dr. Russ Felker, and emergency room nurse, Barbara Mueller, in the run quit the race and tended to Niswonger immediately.

After two days at St. Francis Medical Center, he was shipped to St. Louis. "That night, they had to bring me back twice with CPR. When I went to St. Louis, they gave me a 10 percent chance to live."

The first of 11 surgeries occurred that first Wednesday. More than 60 friends traveled to St. Louis to wait with his family.

The first couple weeks were touch and go, but Niswonger hung on to life. He woke up one day to find metal rods coming from his stomach attached to an arch. They were screwed into his crushed pelvic bone. The pain was so intense he was allowed an additional morphine dose every seven minutes.

"For several weeks, I didn't know how bad I was. Then an article came out in the newspaper where my trauma doctor had said I was on my way to a full recovery. I was on cloud nine. Then my other doctor came to tell me that they were still trying to save my life. I never knew my life was in danger. He told me there was still the possibility I could lose my leg. That was a pretty low day."

He came back to Cape Girardeau for five days, but the infection in his body kept spreading.

"My wife was back at work one hour when they called to say they were taking me back to St. Louis. After another surgery, the doctors gave me two choices: I could live or I could die. They told me if I kept my leg, I would die. When those are the choices, the decision is easy."

After the amputation, the infection was controlled. Niswonger began the long road toward recovery.