Thanks for the kind words, everybody. Sometimes a kind word makes a lot of difference in a person's life, and now is one of those times. Happy new year wishes to everyone for a prosperous 2008!
P.S.
An interesting addendum to my story: Earlier in the day (of my crash), I took my mother out to the shooting range for some practice and to get her familiar with a pistol that I plan on giving her for self-defense (9x18 Makarov PM). She hadn't fired a gun in more than 20 years but she took to it like a pro. I took along my CZ P01 for some practice as well.
On the way home from picking up my wife from work, the crash occurred. The two handguns were in a black pelican case in the back seat. While I was in the emergency room (and having my femur drilled and pinned without any @$#% anasthetic) a state police officer arrived and offered to retrieve my pistols from the wreck, which had already been towed. He was a really friendly guy, and now that I'm out of the hospital he'll be dropping off my guns tomorrow. Really glad to have 'em back!
Also, I have plans to create leather saddlebags for my walker to keep my Makarov PM in. Now that my wife and I are both effectively disabled, being armed seems a better idea than ever. You know, just in case some punk decides that we look like an easy target...
Cheers,
ishi