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Ree Drummond reveals husband fractured his neck in firetruck crash

"Ladd was stiff but able to walk around immediately after the accident, so he refused medical attention," explained Drummond in her blog post.
Image:
Ree Drummond during an interview in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, on June 14, 2017.Sue Ogrocki / AP
/ Source: TODAY

Ree Drummond has good news for her fans about her husband Ladd and nephew Caleb: They're "going to be okay."

Five days after the mutual firetruck crash on the Drummond property that injured both men, the Pioneer Woman has written a long blog post (including photos of the wrecked vehicles) detailing what they — and she — have been going through since the accident occurred.

Image: The Pioneer Woman Magazine Celebration with Ree Drummond
Ree Drummond and husband Ladd at The Pioneer Woman Magazine Celebration in New York City in 2017. Monica Schipper / Getty Images

As you may remember, both men were out in separate firetrucks, trying to put out fires on their northern Oklahoma ranch, but smoke and debris made visibility difficult. Caleb, 21, was transported to the hospital with multiple injuries, while Ladd, 52, chose to drive himself there for medical care.

"Ladd was stiff but able to walk around immediately after the accident, so he refused medical attention," explained Drummond in her blog post. "This was partly because he wanted the paramedics to focus on Caleb, partly because he was still a little stunned by the accident, and partly because cowboys don’t like to admit when they’re hurt."

Drummond said she'd gotten the call about the accident from Ladd as he was driving himself there, "(A)t which time I promptly lost all feeling in my knees before running out the door and heading to town. I’m putting everyone in my life on notice: I’m about to stop answering the phone around this place."

We'd heard of Caleb's injuries in previous reports, but Ladd apparently "broke his neck in two places — and evidently one of the two fractures was very close to being catastrophic," she wrote. "Have I mentioned cowboys don’t like to admit when they’re hurt?"

After a transfer to St. John's Hospital in Tulsa and surgery, plus some roads and "other hardware," Ladd is apparently "fixed now." He will have to wear a neck brace, however, which she noted will change his appearance for their 23-year-old daughter Alex's wedding. But ever the problem solver, Drummond knows how to make that all better.

"I will bling out the brace," she wrote. "(B)ut we are just grateful he will be here for Alex’s wedding."

Overall, Drummond seems to be bearing up well; in part, she says it's because "we are Steel Magnolias."

She added, "I guess if you’ve lived enough years as a wife, mother, sister, daughter, you’re going to develop the ability to power through crises without crumbling. I may still have a crumble ahead, don’t get me wrong … but right now I’m firmly in Steel Magnolia mode. Does anyone need me to fight any battles for you or stand in front of a freight train on your behalf? My energy is fully engaged and I am happy to assist. Better take me up on it before I decide I need a nap."