Spinal Injuries.

**Grahameeboy** · 25th November 2006, 07:35

Yep, you often find that disabled people and parents are more content than others.....I guess those who do not have the pain that some of us do, don't realise how lucky we are so we want more out of life and are often dissapointed but in Jim2's situation and others you just take day by day so there are no dissapointments and you get on enjoying what you have and like today my Daughter, was lying in bed with me and just said "you are the best Dad in the world"......the pain I have just dissappears and I am sure the same goes for Jim2 and others......

**Dooly** · 25th November 2006, 08:22

Life can be a real bastard with what it deals up to you sometimes.

Sounds like many here have faced and battled major trauma.
Its a tough mental battle getting through it. People react in different ways.
It affects not only the victim, but the family as much, but you just have to deal with it as best as you can.

I'm still suffering now 12 years later from my accident in a car.

Head on impact into a concrete bridge, very similar to that TV ad were the young guys in the Subaru wagon hit the bridge.
Was'nt wearing a seat belt.
Woke up 6 weeks later in ICU in Hastings hospital.
I had been in Napier hospital for 3 weeks, can't recall that, or anything actually except the seconds before impact, think......'oh fuck'.
The family were called up twice to say I was going to suck the kumara.
Punctured both lungs, internal bleeding, broken jaw, wrist, knee caps, LH femur totally destroyed, hip ball and socket ripped from body, broken leg, 9 broken ribs, head injuries, yadda, yadda, yadda etc etc.
The worst part was the tracheotomy and the ventilator, which was in 3 months.
If anyone has had one of those you'll not recall with fondness nurses inserting long thin tubes down the trach tube right into your lungs to suck the fluid out.
It could need doing once an hour, or 30 times and hour, with a nasty gurgling sound.

Lying in ICU for months, counting all the squares on the ceiling, connecting all the dots on the walls was so much fun.
Not being able to talk to anyone due to the trach. Having to use a white board to write words to folk after a few months.
Seeing dozens of young and old folk wheeled to the morgue after dying next to you etc.
I think I still hold the record in Hastings ICU for blood transfusion use and antibiotics.

30 operations later including chest ones and multiple fracture ops, which some were to fix the original surgeons fuckups where he left screws poking into my nerves etc.
They did'nt think I would walk again, and were humming and haaing about taking my L leg off for ages.
Come back operations months afterwards for infections, metal removal, and a few years on crutches

But hey, I got through it, life goes on.
A legacy of it all is bad arthritis in my L hip, I can't run at all, can't crouch or kneel, immense pain from a smashed tail bone, and other bits and pieces.

A funny thing when I was nearing the end of my stay, and was in a general ward.
My orthopaedic surgeon who is a really good down to earth bloke said to me qiuetly.....
'Mate, after all of these operations to get your bones right, I'f I ever find out you've brought a motorcycle.......I'll fucking kill you.'

Best wishes to all having problems.

**TonyB** · 25th November 2006, 08:34

Originally Posted by Dooly

My orthopaedic surgeon who is a really good down to earth bloke said to me qiuetly.....
'Mate, after all of these operations to get your bones right, I'f I ever find out you've brought a motorcycle.......I'll fucking kill you.'

I can see his point, but the accident happened when you were in a car!!

Reading through some of these posts confirms what I have always said to my mum- I've got it pretty good, compared to a lot of people my problems are minor.

**Ghost Lemur** · 25th November 2006, 14:38

Originally Posted by Dooly

A funny thing when I was nearing the end of my stay, and was in a general ward.
My orthopaedic surgeon who is a really good down to earth bloke said to me qiuetly.....
'Mate, after all of these operations to get your bones right, I'f I ever find out you've brought a motorcycle.......I'll fucking kill you.'

Did you send him a pic of you on your bike?