More Details from 9-12

As you probably know, I briefly tell the story in FAQs and My story. I don’t go into details. I wrote in a journal the months following my hospital release and I started sharing that here, back in September. My wreck happened at 7:28 pm on September 12, 1999. That moment “changed” me in ways I hope you never have to experience, but I am grateful for everything it has taught me about life and who I am.  At 7:29 I was alive and “still the same” person I was less than 2 minutes before. I’ve often said I was “changed, but still the same”. You will now see that as a tagline in my blog title. Please keep in mind that I wrote this a very long time ago.

If you didn’t read the first part of the post you probably need to do that now. Starting in the middle of story rarely makes sense.

Finally I stopped. All during the time visions of my entire life flashed before my eyes. (I know it sounds cliche but it’s true!) It took a few seconds for me to open my eyes. I’m not really sure if I blacked out. I think I dazed out.  After a couple of minutes I started screaming for help. Sarah ran over right away.Then I heard my Sister-in-law (SIL) calling my name. When I answered all she did was tell me she loved me. Over and over. Sarah stayed there the entire time, holding my hand, doing all she could to comfort me. The paramedics arrived after what seemed like forever. A woman no one was ever able to find made the call from her cell phone. During the time I waited I cried out in pain and fear. I could not move the lower half of my body. I also begged Sarah to call a paramedic “Friend”. She promise she’d have someone call when the ambulance got there. When they arrived they slipped a backboard under me and they took my SIL and me to the nearest hospital. It was a long and painfully bumpy ride. I remember them rolling me into the hospital and asking me weight and height. Then I remember waking up in a private ER room and my “Friend” was sitting with me. He was also a paramedic and used his status to see me. They were only allowing family. I kept dozing in and out and when I woke up again my brother and step mom were in the room. I asked my brother to leave and then cried when he left because I wanted him back. I thought I was going to throw up so my “friend” turned the suction tube on and that scared me. I didn’t throw up. The hospital wanted to keep my jewelry but my “Friend” made sure Sarah got it instead. He had to leave on a call and I feel asleep again and woke to his voice in the hallway. He was coming to tell me they were taking me in a helicopter to Galveston. No he could not go. He introduced me to his friends that I would be riding with. They promised to make the ride comfortable. When they wheeled me into the hallway I saw so many people there to support me. I’ve never been in anything so loud or rough in my life. The helicopter was terrible. I kept shaking but the medics were great and gave me something to sleep. Before I knew it I was in Galveston and there were so many people. There were easily a dozen doctors checking every part of me. I yanked the breathing tube out of the throat and they had to tie my hands down. I remember all the reflex tests. Can you feel this. Yes. Can you feel this? No. what about this? no. This? No.  IT was all gone.

That’s all I have in the journal. I will have to jog my memory and see if I can remember any more details to share with you at a later date.