On the other side…

‘Usually an insect will enter into a Cocoon so that they will be protected from a harsh or unfriendly environment.’

So…the accident happened in late Aug 1983. I was 12. I think I was in the hospital for about 6 weeks, including my 13th birthday. Here’s one of the only pictures I have from that day. As crazy and tragic as everything was, I have to tell you how happy I was during my hospital time…at least the parts I remember.

See, I went from car accident to hospital and I don’t recall anything of the actual event. My last memory on that quiet Sunday was stopping at a McDonalds approx 5-7 miles from the site. I gained consciousness 2 days later and awoke in ICU. I missed the funeral.(this would come back to haunt me, literally!)  I never saw anything or had to deal with anything. I was healing and friends & family came to visit all the time. I had an AMAZING group of nurses, doctors, and fellow patients who I became close to. Whenever I look back on that time in my life, all I remember is love. Feeling so loved. It was like I was in a little cocoon…being protected from what lie out there in the big, bad world.

The picture above was my birthday present from the nurses, (i think). It was my very first boom-box. A JVC Single Tape Deck AF/FM Boom-Box. Man, I loved that thing. The staff also rented the FLASHDANCE video, wheeled my bed into the “game room” and a bunch of us enjoyed movie afternoon. An awesome birthday.

Too bad the above picture doesn’t show my full body. Both legs were in traction from broken femurs and I also had broken left arm. By the time the photo was taken, the pin was removed from my arm and I was undergoing physical therapy . I had actually crushed my elbow so full extension was the main issue. Docs had removed chest tube from my collapsed lung and removed the staple stitches from abdomen area where they had removed my spleen. When I had gained consciousness in ICU and looked at my stomach area and saw the staple stitches, I was mortified. It looked like there were insects on my stomach in the formation of a sideways T. Creepy, ugly, mysterious. Maybe if I get brave enough, I will take a photo of the scar and post. Hey, you gotta show your war wounds, right?? I love scars!!

So, now you know a bit more of what happened and why i feel so freaking LUCKY!! and Blessed. Do what you gotta do. Live how you want to. Don’t let anyone ever stop you from doing what you want to do…most of all YOURSELF.