May 10, 2011⁣⁣
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A full body CAT scan was done the day I was admitted so that they could begin assessing my injuries. The first scan showed no signs of brain injury except a concussion. It showed that I had a fractured hip, broken tailbone, 3 broken ribs, a broken nose, concussion, lacerations on my kidney and severely bruised lungs. They tied me down and sedated me. They were mostly worried about my lungs at that point. They suctioned out the fluid when they could.⁣⁣
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The next day, I was still unconscious. They didn’t understand why I wouldn’t wake up because the CAT scans didn’t show the extent of my brain injury. I had another CAT scan done which now showed bruising of the left frontal cortex of my brain and some bleeding that created pressure on my brain and skull. They thought that they may have to relieve it by boring a hole into my skull or removing a section of skull, but thankfully did not.⁣⁣
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This bruised left frontal cortex should not have prevented me from waking either. So they attempted to wake me again, this time by forcing me to breathe on my own (wean from oxygen). ⁣⁣
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My mom says the hospital staff wouldn’t let her in until after they tried weaning me off of oxygen. They didn’t make a big deal of it at all afterward. They just said I wasn’t ready for them to extubate me. My mother and I read the medical reports later to see what had happened.⁣⁣
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On May 10th they weaned me off of oxygen, because they saw no reason why I wouldn’t breathe on my own, but they still didn’t know the extent of my brain injury. I became extremely agitated when they turned down the oxygen - I bit down on the tube in my mouth that provided oxygen. It was a soft plastic tube, and they should have used a rigid tube or a bite guard because my involuntary reaction blocked ALL oxygen to my lungs. My oxygen level dropped to 60% (95-100% is normal). I was quickly sedated and resaturated to 98% within a minute. I was moving all 4 extremities prior to this. Now I was no longer moving the left side of my body. I must have had a hypoxic stroke (stroke due to a lack of oxygen).⁣
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To follow my healing journey, visit feedabrain.com/recovery ...

Last night, the sun set, closing out the 9th year that I had been alive since briefly departing.
9 years ago today, a fall from a rooftop water tower scaffolding left me in a coma for 12 days before serious complications arose with the need to induce a second coma.
If I were to do it over again, would I have stayed home on that fateful day?
Absolutely not.
It's all good.

Many doors have slammed shut...
and other doors have swung wide open.

It was painful and powerful. And through it, my mission has become clear.
I look at all of the meaningful things that have happened.
I am so appreciative of it all.
All of it is good... ALL of it.

It's ALL good!

It is an honor to be a neurotrauma medical advocate.
It is an honor to provide partnership for folks who have a loved one in a medical crisis.
It is an honor to circumvent the standard of care when it makes sense to do so and to consistently get my clients the treatments they choose.

I am so lucky.

I am so lucky to have made it out from underneath that scaffolding alive.

I am so lucky to have woke from my 12 day coma.

I am so lucky to have so many good friends and family by my side through it all... through the thick of it.

I am so lucky to have pulled through when I almost suffocated due to a closing airway that the hospital staff was foolishly throwing anti anxiety drugs at.

I am so lucky to have regained my ability to walk.

I am so lucky to have regained my ability to talk.

I am so lucky to have regained my ability to swallow.

I am so lucky for being able to communicate after my brain injury.
I am so lucky even to have regained my ability to breathe on my own.

I am especially lucky for the comrades I have found… who have helped me to turn it all around.
I am so lucky to have found my angel.

And.. I believe that luck is a skill.

I am so lucky to be lucky!

I love you!

I love all of you!

And I love all of all of you! “𝘐𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.”
-𝘔𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘦𝘭 𝘑 𝘍𝘰𝘹 ...