WHEEL WORLD NEWS
November 2018
11
in the ICU, I was a C2 quadriplegic. There was a policeman by my bed. I could not speak. I was freaking out and just started crying. I was terrified.
I had to fight for my life for five and half weeks. I was so unstable. I had a huge hole in my neck from a dirty gunshot wound. My doctors said it was a miracle that I lived. My entire body had to recover. There was a small window of time for the doctors to do surgery to help with the infection. He called my family to my bedside. He didn’t expect
expect me to live. He did an arterial graft from my shoulder up to my neck. He then closed the wound with a skin graft from my left thigh. My recovery had only just begun. I was flown to the Craig Rehab Hospital in Colorado where I stayed for six months. I could only sit up for 2 minutes because I would pass out. I had to learn how to swallow, drink and eat. I had to learn how to speak with my trach. My first family outing at Craig was to the movies. I cried the whole time because I was so cold and uncomfortable. I had to learn how to live my life in a wheelchair and learn all the health issues that comes with being a quadriplegic.
Continued...
to live my life in a wheelchair and learn all the health issues that comes with being a quadriplegic.
After my injury, my life changed drastically! I used to be able to get up in the morning, have a cup of coffee, read the paper, take my shower, put on makeup, blow dry my hair and go to work! I was able to take my children to school and to all their activities. I could hug my children with my arms, I could make their school lunches and tuck them in their beds at night. Now I require 24 hours nursing care. Losing my independence was not easy as most of these things are accomplished with the help of my nurses and family now. However I thank God every day that I have been able to watch my children grow for the last 21 years.