"We've done the impossible, and that makes us mighty."

So I was hurt.  I was hurt, my memory of the events was missing, and I had relocated to another state, another time zone.

All in all the experience was disorienting.

From the day I arrived at Craig my memories became much clearer.  In order to make sure if my injury was complete or incomplete they had to test if I could feel all over my body.  In order to do this, they touched a feather and poked a small needle literally all over my body.  The result was that I couldn't feel the feather at all.  But I could feel the needle... in places.

That was it.  Just the tiniest pinprick.  It was enough.  It meant that my spinal cord was NOT severed.  It meant that there was a chance I could walk.

Spinal cords are very VERY complicated.  My injury was just a bruise, but spinal cords don't heal quickly, or even sometimes at all.  The fact that I am not walking today means that my spinal cord is still bruised. There's a damaged portion that prevents all of the information from passing through my nerves.

Craig itself is divided into three floors.  The first floor is all outpatient.  The second is specifically closed-head injuries.  The third is for spinal cord injuries.  Even among those of us on the third floor there are two groups: Paraplegics and Quadriplegics.

Remember on my second post I said that I had broken my neck as well?  Well that was discovered after I had another set of x-rays and the like once I got to Craig.  Nurses and techs came rushing in while I was doing some preliminary physical therapy and told me to stop moving and lay perfectly still.  Apparently it was a small miracle that I hadn't been more injured.  Had my spinal cord been damaged at the C2 level I would not only have been a quad, but the injury would have restricted some of my ability to breath, meaning I would have been on a respirator.

Originally I was only supposed to be at Craig for two months, 60 days.  But having a broken neck slowed things down.  It was going to be closer to three months before I'd see home again.

Fortunately, I had some company.  I resisted at first but eventually I made some great friends.  We were a weird bunch, and all injured differently.  I have to say that I would not remember my rigorous time in the hospital so fondly if it weren't for them.


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As I close my post today I would like to mention once again that I thank you all for supporting my efforts here.  Please share this with as many people as possible, especially those that may have been recently injured.

Also, I encourage you to ask questions and leave comments.  Ask anything.  If it's too personal, which I doubt it will be, leave a method for me to contact you privately, and I will do so.

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