After calling 911 it seemed like the longest wait of my life. Time really went by at a snails pace. When the paramedics arrived they like me figured I just had strained my neck. This was before thier assessment of my spine. Once they did this it seemed like they had a switch go off in them. No more joking or casual talk. The level of intensity on thier face was immediate. They strapped me to they back board and placed a c collar on me. My pain level was so intense I started to make me shiver. They put me in the back of the ambulance and started out to harbourview. They gave me morphine to help with the pain but it only took a small edge off. But it was just enough to make it bearable. The drive was so horrible, we really need to pave our roads better.
Once we arrived in the ER I was seen very quickly. The initial trauma X-rays were very blurry from the swelling and they could not tell what had happend. I needed to wait till they could do an MRI and more X-rays. Finally they were able to get better films and pictures which showed I had broken my c-1 vertebrae in 4 different spots. Two on each side. They were not sure if surgery was an option or not considering where and what I had broken. It was a 50/50 decision as to what to do. The first step was to imobilize my neck and place me in a halo. This is a vest that goes around your chest with metal bars extending up to a ring around your head that is secured to your skull by 4 titanium pins. The pins are screwed into the ring and push on the skull and held by tension. I will need to wear this for at least 3 months. After spending 4 days in the hospital I was released and able to go home. I was able to walk to the car and out of the hospital. For that I am very blessed.
No comments:
Post a Comment