Where to start with this Story
I am going to share a story about an event that made a huge impact on my life on May 3, 2008. I am a very outgoing and hard working person. I received my Bachelor Degree from the University of Nebraska (Lincoln). At the time just before my accident I had been accepted back to the University of Nebraska (Lincoln) to start working on a Graduate Degree. In the following, I will share about the accident, outcomes, and my life now in my recovery time; after the Traumatic Accident almost took my Life.
Friday May 2nd was a nice day & night with friends, but the early morning of Sat May 3rd did not turn out well for me. It was a rainy Late Friday night, and on our way home our car went in the ditch in front of the driveway at my home {just outside the city limits on SW47 and West Ast}. We were out on West A Street assisting the tow truck who was not using his emergency lights, when a car coming toward us did not see us or slow down and struck me from behind at 55mph. I was struck in the back of my legs, my right shoulder hit the windshield, the right side of my head hit where the roof meets the windshield, and I flew 100 feet in the air and then back to the ground.When the accident happened, two of my close friends were with me. Thankfully one was a Dr. and the other was a Firefighter EMT. They knew how to lay me out before the EMT arrived at the accident. The right side of my skull was open and my carotid artery was torn, resulting in me choking on my blood. I had multiple skull fractures and my Tibias in both Legs were shattered very badly. This was critical because I had to be brought back to life at the accident site while I was waiting to be rushed to Bryan LGH Hospital. When I arrived at the hospital, they began working on me. My injuries included an Epidural and Subdural Hematoma, torn carotid artery, broken humerus, and the tibias in both of my legs were broken and shattered very badly.
The primary focus at this time was my head and its injuries. My first 20 surgeries were on my brain, head, and neck. The next 19 surgeries were on my arms and legs. In total, I underwent 39 surgeries in the first 3 weeks in the ICU {in total I am at 98}. If it were not for God, my Dr’s, Friends and Family I would not be hear sharing this story with you.I was in the ICU for almost 3 months and coded 5 times in the first week. I began to awake and respond to people after 2 weeks in the ICU, but had no Idea what had happened to me, who I was, or who my family and friends were. This was due to my Epidural and Subdural Hematoma. It took a lot of time for me to be able to remember family and friends. Each day was new for me, and I had to be told everyday what happened to me and what my injuries were, but I did not understand what they were telling me.
After the almost 3 months in the ICU I was moved to Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital, while I was waiting to go to Quality Living Incorporated in Omaha. Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital helped a lot but my brain and living skills were hard for me to remember. I would be taught skills every day and would forget them by the next day and have to be retaught. On August 29, 2008 I was moved to QLI. Once I arrived at QLI, I started to realize what had happened to me and what my injuries were. If it were not for the great help QLI gave me I would not be back to Micah J. Fulmer. {Speak about my activities at QLI and Golf accident} After 11 months at QLI I was able to come home and wait for my last major surgery on my right leg which was a major surgery, which would put me back at Bryan LGH for 3 months.With all of my surgeries and healing almost finished, I was able to drive and start working on my Graduate Degree at the University of Nebraska again. At this time, I work with and receive support from a number of people at the UNL Barkley Center (east campus) and Students with Disabilities (city campus). I also found the Love of my Life and got married on February 22, 2014, and on June 26th 2015 we had our first Baby Boy Morgan James. It has been a long journey for me, but I have made it through a major accident with serious and Life threating injuries and am here to tell you about it 7 years and 11months and 26 days later!. {10/11 news story}
There are still little things that I go through with my Life and Disabilities that I just do not understand. A good example of this happened to me in the first part of summer in 2014. In my head I think I am 100% and I can do all things that I did with my life before the accident. I try not to think about the bad things that could happen to someone doing any activities, but this is something I need to always hold close to my mind. My example is I have been wanting to ride my bike again just on the bike paths and on campus, but have not been on my bike since the accident so I bought a new bike. Before I bought the bike I spoke with my Orthopedic Dr. he said that it might be ok, but did not seem upbeat about it and did not think Any activities like that would be safe, because if I injure or break either of my legs again the chances for me to be able to keep the leg would be minimal due to the infections I am apt to catch again. With that in mind, one thing that always drives me to the place I am at now is keeping a good sprit with my health and disabilities, and whenever I get down I always remember two inspiring quotes and the meaning of “HOPE” in one of my Grad. Business Classes at the University of Nebraska: and from these quotes and the meaning of HOPE, I will share one statement and pome I have written: And with these in my mind I was able to finish the Lincoln National Guard Marathon last year which was on May 3, 2015 and my 7 year Ann. of the Traumatic Accident in which I almost lost my Life and Legs forever. I also was awarded the 2016 Brain Injury Association of Nebraska “Spirt of Nebraska Awarded” “You may encounter many defeats but you must not be defeated. Please remember that your difficulties do not define, they simply strengthen your ability to overcome”-Maya Angelou “True courage is being afraid, and going ahead and doing your job anyhow, that is what courage is” – Norman Schwarzkopf; Decorative General and Commander in Chief HOPE=Mental Willpower+Waypower to achieve goals. *meaning of hope for Organizational Behavior Theory-University of Nebraska-Lincoln The story of Everyone’s Life is different, things can happen in a split second that can change a person’s life forever. Some things can be great and some can be Traumatic. In my case my split second was Traumatic, but with the Grace of God, Dr’s, Family and Friends, I am moving on from a Traumatic accident on May 3, 2008 in which I suffered a severer Traumatic Brain Injury and survived.{This last quote is one have written and I owe my thanks to God & Dr. Burton & Heather my Trauma Dr. and Nurse, Dr. Kent and many other Dr’s with Nero, Dr. Samani & Kendra my Ortho Dr. and ortho.nurse and many others at Bryan LGH West ICU}
“The day starts with the sun!
The evening begins with the Moon!
Your Life begins with Hope and Glory,
Nothing will ever get in its way,
Not even a Disability!!!!!!
Always keep a Great Sprit with life, and Hope and Glory will always be there Forever”!!!!
