Car Crash 5.5.22
Back on May 5th of last year, I had a incident that almost killed me.
Leaving a large mixed aged birthday bash that was being held in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria. I was discussing with Liz the benefits of heading home with me versus driving separately, she refused saying she would head my way after picking up her car, laptop, and taking a quick shower. With her being 7 months pregnant at the time, she realized she needed some healthy self care before heading my way. While I was headed home alone going Southbound on the George Washington Parkway, around 8:30 PM the night was getting dark. With a sober mind, positive thoughts about the future, driving my Toyota Camery, my spirits were high. For I was soon to be a father, and was making fast progress on studying for a difficult IT exam. Everything was coming up roses.
Suddenly the next thing I saw was a flash of light, followed by headlights headed right towards me. With no where to divert nor time to react, I was hit on the front drivers side by another driver who crossed over the painted median on a undivided highway. After impact my mind was jarred, and felt like the old familiar feeling of a concussion. While slowly looking around I noticed my car tire was in the road, followed by the slow growing pool on my left hand. It was around this time that I started to feel the pain of the event. With sharp stabbing pain in my lower-mid back as well as sharp pain in my neck, I started to be concerned. This same time I was struggling to breathe. My chest felt as if I were bloating and expanding, with air becoming harder to inhale. It was then I knew I was in danger.
I was hit so hard my car went up a embankment. Car aftermath.
I started to muster up the strength I had to just yell help. Prior to this, I can’t recall when I last shouted for help… Lucky for me I was greeted at the right time by the right person, a man named Jared who happened to be a off duty police officer. He took charge of the situation, attending to my medical needs. He stayed and talked to me as we waited for the paramedics. Calling up Liz, and family to tell them what had occurred. In this time frame, I had heard from another driver that the Suspect was driving aggressively, fast and possibly under the influence. I recall asking about the other driver, but was told he was up and walking around like he was fine. When the fire department and ambulances arrived there was an attempt to open my door. But the door was so badly damaged it would not bulge.
With the risk of a neck injury it was quickly realized that I would need to be removed from the vehicle with the jaws of life. This is a wild experience when aware and injured. Having spent much time around large equipment and tools, I know the dangers of being too close, along with what can randomly go wrong with such powerful types of equipment. Once the door was off, I assessed that there was really something wrong. I could not feel below my knees. It was at this time things sped up.
Next thing I knew I was in a neck brace and put upon a stretcher. No time was wasted as we rushed to Inova Fairfax Hospital. In the cab it was assessed that there was no feeling in either of my arms below the elbows. With severe injuries and pain I was offered the best of morphine or ketamine, my choice. “Fuck That’, I said. I needed some sense of control while I was struggling to live, breathe and retain composure. Once in the hospital, I was wheeled into the trauma unit, waiting to see what would happen next. As it became harder to breathe, I started to shake. At times it would be uncontrollable. I fought for control through simple force of will, thank God that I had the knowledge of meditation and mindfulness. I was able to bring myself back to the present moment and access if I was truly cold or going into shock.
In those shaking moments it was dawning on me how scary my predicament was, fighting for control of my body and mind was exhausting. Each time I wanted to give into shaking and losing control. I feel that had I lost control, things could have become worse. When it started to get unbearable, a nurse appeared and started to do touch tests on my body. It was assessed by the nurse that my legs and arms were still lacking feeling; nothing had changed. The nurse said “I feel I should call it”. With no understanding of this meaning, she did call it.
“Next thing I know”. I am being pushed into a bright room, with my mind struggling to figure out what is occurring. Shit, I’m in surgery, I thought. My clothes are quickly cut off and I am as naked as the day I was born, tests are being done all over as I am having electrodes attached, needles inserted and other scans done. It was at this time, through a scan, it was realized nothing was broken and nothing was out of place. Thank God, no surgery was needed.
As I lay there in almost a full panic, I realize my blood pressure is the highest it has ever been, because I can see the monitor. Often I am around a 110-125/80 range at the doctors. While there on the table it was 219/110. The crisis was real, the surgeon told me it was normal and they would monitor it for a few minutes to ensure nothing escalated. Nothing worse happened. I would end up spending the night in the hospital, and being released the following day.
As I have been trying to recover and regain health, it was assessed that I suffered from many injuries, they were just not life threating. Those injuries are, nerve damage in my left arm, chest hernia, 6 slipped discs in my neck, 3-5 bulging discs in my spine, disc degeneration, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) which was a concussion that made it feel as if for months it was groundhog day. The recovery is still on-going, I am able to walk now, and wash myself, but some tasks and days are better than others. Pain in the spine along with insomnia, PTSD, migraines and more are ever present, just a roll of the dice to see which I may have at any moment.
I have not given up on my recovery, and I won’t. It will be a ever present reminder for me to hold onto the health I have and to improve where I can. Tomorrow I will explain the real twist of this case. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
-Brent