My Motorcycle vs. Car accident
Hello, I’m Michael and I am 8 years from my Date of Loss. Although it has been some time, I’m reading stories and responses and for the FIRST TIME believe that there is understanding of what I have and am going through – still. I am humbled by the stories and for all of the survivors I would say – you are all much stronger than you know.
My story…
Is a little complicated and so lucky that things happen that shouldn’t have. I guess I should start with prior to? I had a rehab counselor who would tell me that I operated at such a high level that even if I made a full recovery I would only be 80% and most people wouldn’t understand because even at 80% it will still be more than some. I didn’t understand at the time but do so clearly now. Not to toot horns but my reality was – I lived in Las Vegas and worked at UNLV (as my career). I was the West Coast Region expert in my field. I was a marathon runner and a conditioning coach for a D1 football team. I played in and coached 4 softball teams and now it still hurts to walk up stairs. I was a touring headline DJ and had worked in 3 countries and 8 states. All of course changed Saturday August 20, 2005. I am not still angry but sometimes still very sad.
I was going straight through an intersection at 55 mph. You know the signs that say “Left Turn Yield on Green”? She didn’t yield and made a left right in front of me and I hit her so fast full speed there was no time to brake – no skid marks. I was on a sport bike. The impact shattered my motorcycle helmet and threw me about 100 feet through the air. My Dr. said I was fortunate I “ragged dolled” because when i went over the handle bars I hit the car and it knocked me out which prevented more serious physical injuries. I was out for about a week and this is where my story gets so lucky…. The accident happened about a half mile from the fire station and paramedic (who was covering for someone else) happened to be dating a nurse at an area hospital. The Paramedic elected to take me to the hospital his girlfriend worked at because he was aware they had a neurologist on site and not on call. One of many subtleties that saved my life. I was dead on the scene and revived in route but in a coma for 5 days. My most severe injury was a Traumatic Brain Injury. Even after I woke from the Coma I didn’t know who or where I was for months after. To complicate things my personal effects didn’t make it to the hospital and I was John Doe. My Friends, family work just knew I took my bike out and never came back. They launched a city wide search believing that I was dead. A friend who is a Las Vegas Metro Officer had the police helicopter circling the desert looking for a body. I was sleeping. I did have some additional minor extremity damage – a broken shoulder broken hip break, severe nerve damage, broken wrist, road rash, and my body also has trouble regulating automatic functions (like temperature). My TBI caused memory issues as if someone just erased pieces of my life.
I would say the most difficult are the mental emotional aspects and the struggles within. I don’t mean to ramble and I’m not sure what I’m supposed to say. I think I could help. I want to. I went through Kubler-Ross’s stages of death and dying to the extreme. First I thought it wasn’t real and it would eventually get back to how it was. For years after I was Angry. So angry at the world. At what I was going through and no one understood. At why me and my friends and family were so patient and understanding but not everyone was. I would get emotional and just cry at random things from not being able to remember people’s names to not having chocolate milk. People would tell me I got second chance and that was so difficult to cope with the pressure of having a second chance when I couldn’t always dress myself… I could fill pages of all the little things during and after. I was Trauma ICU for 2 weeks. My sister-in-law’s friend from college was an FBI agent in Las Vegas. He found me after 7 days. I was in the hospital for a few months and then a Rehab facility for a few more before being released to my fathers custody and an outpatient rehabilitation program for TBI. All love to the Nevada Community Enrichment Program (my best friends good friends dad was the head physician -how I found the program). Then just let go to deal and figure it out. I’m so happy This is here.
80%
Eventually, I went back to work. I relocated to the DC area when I could to be closer to family. I still feel the pain and still have challenges. I’m ok with that. Last year was the first time since 2005 that I didn’t take a sick day and stay home, shut myself in and not talk to anyone on August 20… Still a process.
