Feb 28, 2005. I was driving home and was about 5 blocks from my house when a 19 yr old who was racing in a residential area t-boned my driver side door at 70 miles an hour. I was driving a ’89 Accord. The paramedics got there and call flight for life. They estimated with the extent of my injuries I had a 1 % chance to make it to the hospital alive. I was rushed to Denver General and went straight to the OR. They did 5 hours of emergency surgery, 17 pints of blood. I was so traumatized they had to leave my abdomen open from ribs to pelvis for 1 week afterword. I had 6 brain bleeds, 2 spinal chord injuries, torn aorta, collapsed left lung, bruised right lung, liver, stomach, diaphragm, bladder all were torn. Spleen was ruptured. My pelvis was shattered and my right side was paralyzed. I was in ICU for 6 weeks.
The Dr. said I wouldn’t make it through the night.
I should have brain trauma resulting in non-function of my brain and permanent paralization of my right side. After ICU, I went to another hospital for 4 weeks. Then I went to another hospital for 4 weeks. I was finally cleared to walk after 12 weeks. After 3 1/2 months of hospital I went home to my parents. 3 weeks later the scar tissue down my abdomen scarred shut my intestines dropping me to 93 lbs. I couldn’t digest anything or keep any food down. I had another sx to remove all the scar tissue. After that my hip joint collapsed leaving me in great pain and bed ridden for 9 months. I finally had a total hip replacement a year and 2 months after the accident. 12 week recovery from that surgury. In sep of 06 I went ot school for vet technition. Graduated Sep of 07. I have a foot drop in the right foot and a hip replacement in my left hip. I was 23 when the accident happened.
I am 27 now and have no long term brain injury effects. There is so much more to the story than all of that suffering, pain, despair, but also faith, hope and love. I know God was with me and gave me hope and courage to servive through all of it. I am trying to pass that hope on to others every day of my life, because after all, we only get one chance.
