My injuries.
For some reason unbeknown to logic people actually WANT to know the gritty details of my injuries....so here, knock yourselves out.
I was involved in a head on collision with Dodge Ram pick up June 21, 2004, I was only sixteen. I don't remember anything from the crash, all I remember is the day before I dyed my hair pink, then I woke up two weeks later in the hospital, what I'm about to say is hearsay. I was heading back to the barn on the old roads, going speed limit of 55 mph, I must have dropped something, because the driver of the car behind me said I dropped down before I swerved over the double yellow line, when I popped up, it was too late. The truck came up the hood of my Plymouth Neon, literally stopped on my skull, did a 360 and landed on its wheels while I spun out. The car in front of me was a first responder, so she called the fire department; I got airlifted to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. My list of damage includes: fracturing my spine, shattering of my left femur, breaking my clavicle, shoulder blade, shattering my left eye socket, shattering my nose, fracturing my skull, oxygen and hematoma on my left frontal lobe.
My leg was so badly broken that they were considering amputation, my doctors didn't know what to do, how to save it. So they prayed, tried something, they put a metal plate in and a sh!t load of screws, hoping my femur would regenerate. I only had 5 solid pieces of bone left; it re generating in the spaces was my only hope. Two weeks later, I had surgery on my left eye to reattach it to the socket as well as facial reconstruction surgery, so I can now say that I've technically had a nose job...though it looks EXACTLY the same as before.
It was 3 long months in the hospital, my entire summer break between junior and senior year of high school. But it was cool, because my friends visited me once a week, even some of my favorite teachers!! You know you're a good student when a teacher you had two years ago brings you a card and a stuffed animal.
I had to go through both vision therapy (to get my eyes to start working as a team again) and physical therapy (shoulder and leg, though leg took priority after 4 visits). Then right after graduation, I had to get surgery done on my right eye because it was becoming over dominant, basically they manipulated the muscle so my vision would even out. (At a solid 20-30 now, WOOT!!)
More vision therapy, and physical therapy...then my leg just hit a plateau, (2 years after accident) it was hurting just to walk, so we switched orthopedic surgeons because the other one had a 'God' complex, and it turned out we needed to take out the plate and screws because they were excavating my knee cap and the end of my femur! So Dr. Stein took out the plate and screws, which I got to, keep by the way.... Anyways, more physical therapy.
Riding, well I used to be this bad@ss three day eventer, I jumped anything that would come in my path, I had a need for speed which could not be denied, and I had to give that up. I had to switch to just dressage, which sucked, but I grew to love it, and it has helped my mentality so much. But then, it hurt just to get on my horse. I couldn't straighten my leg all the way without immense pain. It felt like I was popping ligaments and tendons just trying to walk! Back to Dr. Stein I went.
X-rays, now this is why Dr. Stein rocks out loud, he took one look, and then told me he didn't know what to do. The only thing he could think of was knee replacement, but I was only 19 how could they do that? That would be subjecting me to a wheelchair for the rest of my life by the age of 30. So he referred me to Dr. Reis at UCSF, the head of orthopedics. Dr. Reis doesn't see anyone under the age of 21, but they made an exception for me.
More x-rays...Turns out my leg wasn't strong enough without the plate, and my femur healed wrong, it shifted back behind my joint, so it was hooked under my tibia. (I'm an overachiever in the medical department, I know) On the spot, Dr. Reis came up with an experimental surgery that just had to work, he couldn't subject me to a wheelchair, and he just couldn't!!
He took a measured slice out of my femur, realigned it, attached a metal rod to the entire length, smoothed out my patella, and added a concave dish to the end of said femur so there would be less friction in my movement. That surgery was done on May 21, 2007 and I'm still going to physical therapy, because this HAS to work. He's in a frakking medical journal because of me!
He took photos of the surgical process and gave them to me; they're on my facebook in the album "Knee surgery #3" check 'em out!
The injuries I've accumulated over time, apparently I have a personal vendetta against my left side.
I always injure my left side, I've broken my left arm 5 times!
When I was 2 (I laugh hysterically whenever I tell this story) I had one of those playschool fire trucks and I was driving it around our kitchen, but our kitchen has these steps that go down to our living room, I decided to go off roading, forgot to take into account that the stairs are cement with tile on top, and 2 feet away from the base of the last step is a large brick hearth for our wood burning stove. Broke my carpal bones (more commonly known as your wrist).
Second time: I was at my gramie's house and I wanted to take a nap on her bed (was 4) and tried to get up onto her bed, fell backwards landed on my left arm and...are elbows supposed to bend that way? I went to the hospital, and the doctor put on a hot laid cast, without enough padding underneath, and I wound up with third degree burns on my forearm and behind my armpit. Mom sued his ass, he got fired. *hearts her awesome mom*
Third time: Was 5, at gymnastics practice (scary thought I know) and I was getting ready to do a handstand on the balance beam, I was in that in between stage of bending forward while kicking my legs up and someone called my spotter's name. She whirled around and knocked me off the beam with her arms. I broke my forearm that day.
Fourth time: Was 15, just got on Joe, and he was feeling his oats that day, but I didn't have time to longe him, so I figured I would just ride through his quirks. He threw his temper tantrum, and I was riding it out like the rock star I am, but then he pulled the dolphin leap...he reared up, propelled himself forward in an arc like he was jumping a massive fence, midair he twisted his body and ducked his head creating a corkscrew motion...I went flying! I tucked my shoulder and somersaulted off the way I was taught to help minimize injury (I fell from a height of about 8 feet, I was going to do damage.) SLAM!! Into the gravel! I split my left pinky knuckle. (Hairline fracture all the way down the length of my large metacarpal).
Fifth time: Well I described the car accident, but breaking my clavicle and shoulder blade totally counts as breaking my arm!
*gives look that dares anyone to defy her*
I was involved in a head on collision with Dodge Ram pick up June 21, 2004, I was only sixteen. I don't remember anything from the crash, all I remember is the day before I dyed my hair pink, then I woke up two weeks later in the hospital, what I'm about to say is hearsay. I was heading back to the barn on the old roads, going speed limit of 55 mph, I must have dropped something, because the driver of the car behind me said I dropped down before I swerved over the double yellow line, when I popped up, it was too late. The truck came up the hood of my Plymouth Neon, literally stopped on my skull, did a 360 and landed on its wheels while I spun out. The car in front of me was a first responder, so she called the fire department; I got airlifted to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. My list of damage includes: fracturing my spine, shattering of my left femur, breaking my clavicle, shoulder blade, shattering my left eye socket, shattering my nose, fracturing my skull, oxygen and hematoma on my left frontal lobe.
My leg was so badly broken that they were considering amputation, my doctors didn't know what to do, how to save it. So they prayed, tried something, they put a metal plate in and a sh!t load of screws, hoping my femur would regenerate. I only had 5 solid pieces of bone left; it re generating in the spaces was my only hope. Two weeks later, I had surgery on my left eye to reattach it to the socket as well as facial reconstruction surgery, so I can now say that I've technically had a nose job...though it looks EXACTLY the same as before.
It was 3 long months in the hospital, my entire summer break between junior and senior year of high school. But it was cool, because my friends visited me once a week, even some of my favorite teachers!! You know you're a good student when a teacher you had two years ago brings you a card and a stuffed animal.
I had to go through both vision therapy (to get my eyes to start working as a team again) and physical therapy (shoulder and leg, though leg took priority after 4 visits). Then right after graduation, I had to get surgery done on my right eye because it was becoming over dominant, basically they manipulated the muscle so my vision would even out. (At a solid 20-30 now, WOOT!!)
More vision therapy, and physical therapy...then my leg just hit a plateau, (2 years after accident) it was hurting just to walk, so we switched orthopedic surgeons because the other one had a 'God' complex, and it turned out we needed to take out the plate and screws because they were excavating my knee cap and the end of my femur! So Dr. Stein took out the plate and screws, which I got to, keep by the way.... Anyways, more physical therapy.
Riding, well I used to be this bad@ss three day eventer, I jumped anything that would come in my path, I had a need for speed which could not be denied, and I had to give that up. I had to switch to just dressage, which sucked, but I grew to love it, and it has helped my mentality so much. But then, it hurt just to get on my horse. I couldn't straighten my leg all the way without immense pain. It felt like I was popping ligaments and tendons just trying to walk! Back to Dr. Stein I went.
X-rays, now this is why Dr. Stein rocks out loud, he took one look, and then told me he didn't know what to do. The only thing he could think of was knee replacement, but I was only 19 how could they do that? That would be subjecting me to a wheelchair for the rest of my life by the age of 30. So he referred me to Dr. Reis at UCSF, the head of orthopedics. Dr. Reis doesn't see anyone under the age of 21, but they made an exception for me.
More x-rays...Turns out my leg wasn't strong enough without the plate, and my femur healed wrong, it shifted back behind my joint, so it was hooked under my tibia. (I'm an overachiever in the medical department, I know) On the spot, Dr. Reis came up with an experimental surgery that just had to work, he couldn't subject me to a wheelchair, and he just couldn't!!
He took a measured slice out of my femur, realigned it, attached a metal rod to the entire length, smoothed out my patella, and added a concave dish to the end of said femur so there would be less friction in my movement. That surgery was done on May 21, 2007 and I'm still going to physical therapy, because this HAS to work. He's in a frakking medical journal because of me!
He took photos of the surgical process and gave them to me; they're on my facebook in the album "Knee surgery #3" check 'em out!
The injuries I've accumulated over time, apparently I have a personal vendetta against my left side.
I always injure my left side, I've broken my left arm 5 times!
When I was 2 (I laugh hysterically whenever I tell this story) I had one of those playschool fire trucks and I was driving it around our kitchen, but our kitchen has these steps that go down to our living room, I decided to go off roading, forgot to take into account that the stairs are cement with tile on top, and 2 feet away from the base of the last step is a large brick hearth for our wood burning stove. Broke my carpal bones (more commonly known as your wrist).
Second time: I was at my gramie's house and I wanted to take a nap on her bed (was 4) and tried to get up onto her bed, fell backwards landed on my left arm and...are elbows supposed to bend that way? I went to the hospital, and the doctor put on a hot laid cast, without enough padding underneath, and I wound up with third degree burns on my forearm and behind my armpit. Mom sued his ass, he got fired. *hearts her awesome mom*
Third time: Was 5, at gymnastics practice (scary thought I know) and I was getting ready to do a handstand on the balance beam, I was in that in between stage of bending forward while kicking my legs up and someone called my spotter's name. She whirled around and knocked me off the beam with her arms. I broke my forearm that day.
Fourth time: Was 15, just got on Joe, and he was feeling his oats that day, but I didn't have time to longe him, so I figured I would just ride through his quirks. He threw his temper tantrum, and I was riding it out like the rock star I am, but then he pulled the dolphin leap...he reared up, propelled himself forward in an arc like he was jumping a massive fence, midair he twisted his body and ducked his head creating a corkscrew motion...I went flying! I tucked my shoulder and somersaulted off the way I was taught to help minimize injury (I fell from a height of about 8 feet, I was going to do damage.) SLAM!! Into the gravel! I split my left pinky knuckle. (Hairline fracture all the way down the length of my large metacarpal).
Fifth time: Well I described the car accident, but breaking my clavicle and shoulder blade totally counts as breaking my arm!
*gives look that dares anyone to defy her*