I lived most of my life in southern Oregon, but moved to St. Louis, Missouri in 1999. One June 23, 2002, I was riding my Harley Davidson Heritage Softtail out to the family farm, about 60 miles from my home. I don't remember the accident, but from what I understand, my sister-in-law decided to run into the local town to grab a couple of extra things for the BBQ. Two miles outside the farm, she saw my motorcycle lying on the side of the road, and then me down the road. There as a deer with a broken leg laying next to the bike. It appears that the deer jumped in front of me, I was only going 40 mph, which tells me I knew there were deer out there, even though it was early in the day, around 4 p.m.
My sister in law decided to go get help, since cell phones don't work out there. My two brothers stayed with me until the medics arrived and then had me airlifted to a regional brain injury trauma center. Besides a major brain injury, I had broken ribs which had lacerated my lung and spleen, lots of road rash, and broken bones in my left shoulder. I was on life support during the travel to the hospital. Once there, the neurosurgeons told my family the bad news, cerebral bleeds and little hope -- that I would be gone by in a few hours. My brother mike told everyone, that if there was anyway for me to fight from inside and live, he knew I would. I received exceptional medical care, including a second, chemically induced coma to help my brain heal. When I first woke up, I was blind in my left eye and paralyzed on my left side. Time has given me my sight back and lots of physical therapy has gotten me walking (you'd never know I was in a wheelchair) and moving my left arm.
After only 3 months, I am returning to work. I work as the assistant to the Dean, for health profession programs at a university in st. louis. I will be able to share a new perspective with our graduate students in rehab counseling, OT, PT and nursing. I am a single woman (divorced before the accident), who definitely needs to work for financial and health benefits, so this is definitely amazing. My daughter is 26 and has been wonderful, living at the house with me, putting her life on hold to make sure I am okay. I don't know what would have happened to me if my brother, sister-in law and daughter didn't take such good care of me legally, medically and with day to day living issues. Truly amazing. Makes me understand how important it is as we get better to be there to help others when we can.
I will continue to deal with the fall-out of this unfortunate accident in my life. I believe God must want me to do something special. Hope I recognize what it is and act on it. There is always hopenever lose sight of it. Peace and love.
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