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Date:         Wed, 24 Sep 2003 13:44:26 -0700
Reply-To:     Jeffrey Schwaia <jeff@TSSGI.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jeffrey Schwaia <jeff@TSSGI.COM>
Subject:      Re: Am stuck in a wheel chair (not a funny post and its not
              friday...)
Comments: To: vw4x4@FYI.NET
In-Reply-To:  <3F71A5EF.7020207@fyi.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

It all depends... I have a very good friend in Germany who crashed into a field of freshly cut trees. His spine was cleanly severed about halfway up his back but his helmet saved his life. Before the accident he was a marathon runner and extremely active. After the accident he became a marathon wheelchairest (excuse my liberties with the English language) and a European champion at handicapped table tennis. He lives a very active life and is gratefull for every day. Life is what you make of it...

Cheers,

Jeff

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf Of Eric Zeno Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2003 7:11 AM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: Am stuck in a wheel chair (not a funny post and its not friday...)

Clearly this guy has struggle to make a full recovery. My friend was not so lucky, and will never walk again. This was after a 2 year hospital stay.... Helmets save ther lives ... was it worth it?

Gotta run.... Eric

John Rodgers wrote:

> Ben huot wrote: > >> Before you read my long post I invite you to look at one picture: >> http://www.desert2002.com/crash_moto/moto_crash3.jpg >> > Ben, I'm indeed sorry to hear about this. It's good to know you are > still here with us. And I wish you a speedy recovery. Sounds like you > will get there OK in time. > > You are indeed lucky. The type of incident/accident you experieced > could have been a lot worse, or even taken your life. It is terrifying > to know that you have done all you can to be safe, and yet the situation > be out of your control. > > Here is a true story, one that I was closely associated with, and very > close to your experience, ie, type of accident. > > Regards, > John Rodgers > 88 GL Driver > > My business partner's son, Ken, was cruising - admittedly going fast - > on his Yamaha down a four lane street with an island in the middle, in > Anchorage, Alaska. A car suddenly pulled out from the right side after > running a stop sign at a side street. The car was headed across the road > to the other side of the fourlane. It happened so fast that Ken had no > time, and T-boned the car in the left front fender. He struck the car > with his right knee, and the impact drove his femur straight back, > shearing the ball off the bone and simultaniously tearing the whole > thing from the socket in his hip. The now sharp bone end was forced > backward, severing the sciatic nerve in his right hip, through the > muscle of his right buttock and then severed the anal sphincter from the > rectum, and the bone end continued traveling until it punctured out > through the skin. The blow also broke his right hand. > > Ken was thrown over the hood of the car completely across the highway. > As he sailed through the air, with his right leg now disconnected at the > hip, ie, no bone and ligament to hold it in position, the leg just > flailed around, flopping every which way. The flopping action while > sailing through the air caused the sheared femur to retract from the > buttock, and now it acted like a spike being punctured through the > inside of his body, piercing the liver in several places, and puncturing > the spleen and the intestine. At the point of impact with the ground > there was a fireplug, and he hit the fireplug head first and fell to the > ground. He had on a helmet and the helmet split wide open right down the > middle. Somehow, at that point he also broke some bones in his left arm > and hand. > > A police car was sufficiently close behind so as to witness what was > about to happen and he reported that he had already picked up his > microphone to call the emergency vehicle by the time the impact took > place. Fortunately, the emergency service was one block down the street > and they were there in moments. Additionally, the hospital was only a > couple of blocks away, and these two facts save Ken's life. Had there > been any delay he would have died. > > Ken's heart stopped six times on the way to the emergency room. And did > so several times in the emergency room. They couldn't understand why > there was so much blood loss until hey got him into the right position > and discovered all the liver and spleen damage. If I recall correctly, > he got something like 22 units of blood before they were able to > stabilize him. > > He was in the hospital for 3 months, most of it on a Morphine cocktail, > fed through tubes in his neck and his nose, all the while laying on a > bed that had little air bladders that inflated and deflated every few > seconds, to keep his skin stimulated and prevent bed sores. Those beds > alone cost $20-25,000 each. > > The broken ball on the end of the femur, was put back together - it was > in three pieces - but it died, and had to be removed. Due to the damage > of the gut, and rectum, a raging infection set into the hip and there > was more tissue death. They were giving him the most powerful > antibiotics known, but were losing ground. About every day they had to > go in and remove dead tissue and repack the surgical openings. > > Finally Ken's mother asked the prognosis, and was told if things didn't > change dramatically in short order they would have to remove the leg at > the hip. She asked if this would save his life. The answer was, they > didn't know, given the infection and the lack of progress in fighting > the infection. > > At this point, to the consternation of the infection control doctor on > the case, she had him treated by a physician who beleived in "ozone > infusion" for infection control. Some of the professional medical staff > pitched a bitch, and one even quit the case. This was not mainstream > medical treatment, but it worked. In two days pinkness returned to the > area and then the infection began to clear. > > It was months before Ken was able to get out of the hospital. In the > meantime, he had many surgeries. A colostomy was done as a result of the > severing of the anal sphincter muscle, and they went back in and > reconnected that and removed the colostomy. Now all seemed OK in the end > of things. There was much physical theraphy. He was not a candidate for > hip replacement due to all the infection that racked the area. The docs > were afraid to disturb the area for fear of creating new problems. > Unexpectedly the femur fused to the pelvis, enabling Ken to walk without > crutches, albeit with a severe limp, as his right leg is shorter than > his left by two inches, but the fusion gave him some rigidity at the > hip. He wears a lift on his shoe, and goes pretty good. > > Ken's recovery to any kind of reasonable function took well over a year, > and the event altered his personality. Before the accident he was one > laid back dude, but afterward he was short tempered, and delighted in a > little meanness. This was the result of oxygen deprivation when his > heart stopped, plus all the shock to his body and the drugs. The glad > side of that however is that he was alive, and even though it took some > time, about 5 years, he was his old self again in terms of personality. > > Things turned out OK for him. He met the right girl, is now happily > married and has kids. Runs his own business... > > Still has his motorcycle ........but he never got back on one again. He > kept the mangled machine and it sits as an ornament in his garage/shop. > Actually, he cannnot ride, due to the rigid hip. But I don't think he > ever had any desire to get on one again. > >


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