A lot of before my car accident I don't remember, but sometimes I will have bits and pieces floating around in my head. Or I'll have pictures (photographs) of my life before, too, and that will totally spark my memory back to "the good ole days."
I was a senior in high school, and it was pretty close to my high school graduation. A few weeks before. It was June 8th, 2000, and my graduation was on the 26th of that same month. I had my classes for the day, and my friend, who is also named Jen, asked me to go with her to her boyfriend's house. I had no clue where he lived, so I decided to follow Jen- definitely a BIG mistake. Jen turned left off of Maple Hill road onto Route 9, and I felt that I had to be like glue to Jen. I saw there was a big blazer coming on the left side (everyone had to remind me what it was) and I thought I had enough time. I obviously didn't.
In a sense, it was a miracle, just as everyone else who sustained a TBI had witnessed for themselves. You see, I was fortunately not wearing my seat belt which did save my life. I was driving an '87 Toyota Corolla which was very tiny. If I was wearing my seat belt, I would have been decapitated immediately. I was thrown to the passenger side of my car, and I broke my ribs, my collar bone, injured my whole left side, and sustained a traumatic brain injury. I also have scoliosis, so I thank the Lord that no bones got thrown or went out of place in my neck. I was then immediately flown to Albany Medical Center, and I believe that on the way there the EMTs gave me a tracheotomy to stay alive. I was unconscious and couldn't breath for myself.
Days passed, and nothing seemed to improve on my body, so they decided to give me a food tube. I was in a coma for a month and a half, but at least I had gotten some needed sleep. Sunnyview (the rehabilitation hospital that I stayed at) was the greatest place because it definitely helped me improve on everything. Although there was one day after the incident that I did run away from the hospital and thought I could get home, it really was like "heaven on earth."
God did keep me here for a reason, and I hope that everyone knows the same about themselves if they ever go through a close to death situation like this one.
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