Spinal Cord Injury
On August 25, 2002, I was hanging out with my friends for a planned car cruise through Skyline Blvd, Highway 9, and Highway 84 with the now debunked streetracing.org. These are local windy road that lots of car/motorcycle enthusiasts would drive and enjoy on the S.F. Peninsula. If I remember correctly we had 100+ cars that day for a beautiful "cruise." I use parenthesizes for cruise because we exceeded the speed limit much of the time as most car enthusiasts would where driving together. After about 30 minutes we decided to stop for a break and we parked. Since I was a passenger and not driving, I jumped out of the car and jumped on top of a barrier. Little did I know, we were actually parked on a bridge and I freaked out and fell about 30-40 to a dry creek bed. When I landed, I knew already that I was paralyzed because I couldn't feel my legs. If I remember correctly, I was fully awake, feeling all of the pain. I remember looking up and seeing my friends faces, faces full of fear, full of pain...something I hope I never see again.
Paramedics were called and I was injected with some WELL NEEDED morphine. I pass out due to shock. I wake up for a short instance while I was being carried out into the ambulance, I pass out again. The next memory was being carried into a helicopter at the local high school football field. What a great way to have my first helicopter ride, right? In the air I was told I was going to Stanford Medical Center but I was diverted to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (SCVMC) in San Jose. I arrive at SCVMC and into the emergency room where they stabilized me and eventually transferred me to the ICU. Fortunately for me, SCVMC has one of the best trauma units and one of the best Spinal Cord Injury units in Northern California. While all of this was happening, my friends contacted my sister, my girlfriend at the time, and other friends and family. I don't remember how many people were in the waiting room but from the pictures, it was well over 30 people. This support from my family and friends has carried me through my "rebirth."
In the ICU, I was in this contraption, this "bed." I don't know the name of the hospital bed, but it rotated in a 360 degree horizontal head-to-feet axis. If you watched the movie Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, you know what I'm talking about. In the movie Bruce Lee was also in a bed similar to the one I was in after he broke his back in a fight. I was strapped into it and it would rotate every few minutes throughout the day and night. If I fell asleep looking at the ceiling, at times I would wake up facing the wall, other times facing the ground...very annoying. The purpose of this bed was to prevent pressure sores as I waited for my surgery which was one week after my injury.
In my first discussion with my doctor, he shared the dreaded news that I already knew. I had a compression fracture in my thoracic region of my back and some broken ribs. The fracture in my spine was at T7/T8 which partially severed my spinal cord causing a complete ASIA A spinal cord injury (SCI). The American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale grades the level of impairment of a SCI from ASIA A, complete impairment below the level of injury to ASIA E, which is normal or no impairment. To clarify, T7/T8 is approximately where my sternum is. From that level down, I have no sensation or motor function. I do have a small band below T8 that has awkward or prickly sensation, which is more bothersome than good. What does this really mean in layman's terms? Below my injury level, I have NO FUNCTION that I can control. I can't use my legs to walk, urinate normally, or have normal bowel movements. Now you're wondering, can he have sex? Yes, I can have an erection thanks to pharmaceuticals such as Viagra and Levitra.
Here's an infographic that I've found on internet so you have an idea of what I'm talking about.
One more week passed and now I'm transferring to my in-network hospital in Berkeley at Alta Bates Herrick hospital. I met my favorite physical therapist, Kelly R., and he pushed me to my limits in physical therapy. He gave me a great foundation in which I can conquer all obstacles that I face. He gave me the encouragement and support through my frustrating days. To this day, Kelly and I speak often and I even help him teach in a PT class at Samuel Merritt College about SCI and the student have an opportunity to practice the ASIA exam on me and ask me personal questions to gain knowledge of my perception of life as a person that uses a wheelchair. After about three weeks at Herrick and I'm discharged.
Crap...where do I live now? My apartment isn't wheelchair accessible because it's on the second floor. My parent's house that my sister and I owned is not wheelchair accessible. My sister and I decided to live together and rent an apartment in Jack London Square in Oakland but was not ready until the first of December. Now I needed to find a place for two weeks. My god-mother Joanne was nice enough to have some ramps built in her house and allowed me to stay there until we were ready to move into our apartment. She had a guest room with a bathroom that was somewhat accessible. It worked until we moved into our apartment.
At this point, it was been about 3 months from injury to moving into our apartment. My sister was my largest supporter. She stayed with me at the hospital almost every night. She would go to college, then work, then would sleep on the little pull out bed next to me in my room. She would study for a few ours then do it all over again the next day. She gave me a shoulder to cry on, she gave me encouragement through my frustrations. Lynda was there every minute that she could and I appreciate all of it. I owe her so much and I will never be able to repay her for it. This process made us very close and I'm happy to have such a wonderful loving and nurturing sister. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, she and my mom are so much alike. I love you Lynda.
So, that's what I went through when I became a paraplegic. It's crazy to think back and remember all of this. It has been twelve and a half years since my injury and I'm still living and enjoying life. These first three blog entries are to give you an idea of what I've been through. I have a B.A. in Sociology and a Master's of Social Work degree, I find it important that you know and understand my past to understand who I am as a person. This blog will continue to share my vulnerabilities, and accomplishments as I face life as an individual with a SCI.
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