In 1983 my life was turned around and headed in a downward spiral that would not stop for several years. I was on a country road. I was slowing down to make a turn. I was headed north turning to go east. I woke up under the dash on the passenger side of the vehicle in the ditch line headed south.
The accident was investigated by the state patrol. The patrolman never notice I almost passed out when I bent over to look under my vehicle to see if it could be driven out of the ditch it was now sitting in he was to busy with his paper work.
The pickup truck that had hit me was 2500lbs over weight. He had a load of rock in the back of his truck.
I was asked if I was wearing my seat belt and because I woke up in the passenger side I had assumed I hadn't been. This was wrong. The seat belt latching system had broken. Sometime after the accident I discovered if I pulled on the seat belt hard enough it would now disengage.
I don't know why the trooper did not notice all the trouble I was having. I guess he thought I was just shook up. I was walking and talking so there can't be a whole lot wrong with me. I was so screwed up from hitting my head at the time I did not say anything to the trooper about how I felt. I guess I just wanted out of there.
I had hit my head on a piece of metal support that ran along the driver s window. I put a dent in the metal support with my head. The seat got twisted out of shape and several welds in it broke. I didn't know all of these details until further down the road in my life.
The next day I thought all that was wrong with me is I had a stiff neck and a sore body. That Monday I went to the doctor and all he did was prescribe some painkillers and muscle relaxers. I was walking and talking so I did not need anything else.
On occasions I would pass out and the only way I knew this had happen was the bump on the back of my head. It would also mess with my memory. I would be screwed up with mental processes also. My Doctor at the time dismissed my telling him of this and left it out of my medical record so I found out later.
I was diagnosed with chronic pain from the accident and sent to Swedish Hospital to learn how to live with the pain. I was hoping I would past out there. They put me on a medicine called Tegretol to help control the pain. The Tegretol had an unexpected side effect. It hid the seizure disorder I had gotten from the accident when I got my head injury. So no one knew how bad I was really hurt. The doctors wouldn't take my word that I was blacking out.
A few years down the road after I had lost my job and my long-term disability had run out. My attorney told me we didn't have a good case against the person who had caused the accident. Why I don t know to this day. The attorney ended up with far more money than I from the settlement. He loved that fact. I was starting over from scratch.
I went back to work the best I could and in April of 1991 my life took another downward turn. I fell into a coma from seizing for over twelve hours before anyone had found me. It was from the head injury I had received in the 1983 accident. Now I have worst brain damage and unable to work.
I left out some parts of my story. Some day I may put them in. It has been a long angry battle for me. I did not start out to be angry. I was an honest person who was not believed and for that I have paid over and over again with my life and quality of life.
To the Doctor who did not believe me, the person who hit me, and you dishonest people out there who have abused and continue to abuse, and lie to further your own selfishness. I hold all of you partially responsible for my condition and how I struggle to live now.
Some might say that is unfair of me. Stand in my shoes and look back at all that has happened. You might then be able to understand how I got to feel this way.
Footnote:
To: The Medical staff at the University Of Washington Medical Center Head Injury Department. Thank you for bringing Alan back as far as he has come. Without your help Alan would have been lost forever.
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