Who I am

I am an athlete. I am 49 and I will be an athlete until I die.

What I'm overcoming

Serious injuries to pelvis and neck

Date of injury

2005-10-08 00:00:00

My Story

I awoke to ask my wife, "will I walk again?" Those were some of the first words I can remember asking after two surgeries. The first life saving surgery to repair my internal bleeding from a ruptured bladder and a second surgery to try and repair my severely fractured pelvis. It all started with a question from a lady at church. Why don't you come to Jasper TX with us to help clear trees due to hurricane Rita? I contemplated the offer asked my wife and off we went. We arrived in Jasper TX late Wednesday night. The town was dark with no electricity except for the few locations with generators. For the next two days our job was clearing large red cedar trees. The smell of these trees was intoxicating. The smell reminded me of the little green tree air freshener one hangs on their rear view mirror. For two days I had cut down and cleared many trees while wearing gloves, jeans, a long sleeve shirt, ball cap, and protective eye wear. I thought it a little strange that on the third day there was a helmet with eye protection and a face shield that several people wanted me to try out...I said, "Ok" and tried it out on the first tree of the day. The first tree. This tree would have stood about 35 - 50 feet high. The tree at this point was broken in half with the top of the tree on the ground and the middle still attached to the base of the tree about 15 feet in the air. I had my 24 in chain saw ready and cut a wedge away from the fallen top half of the tree. I thought...Maybe I should be careful... So, I turned to my partner helping me and said. I am going to cut the base of the tree. The top part of the tree is still attached to the base. If it starts to budge or move, I want you to put your hand in the back of my pants and pull me out of the way... Now you are probably wondering why someone would attempt something like this...We had done it successfully for two day and was always able to cut the base and have no issues with the top part of the tree. Before I could even get the blade of the chainsaw in the base of the tree. The top part of the tree came down 15 feet on top of my head, slid down my back and landed on my pelvis. All I remember is everything going black. I was told later that the tree was sitting on me for four or five minuets. I regained consciousness with people telling me to be still. I did not listen as I turned from my side to my back. Everyone was relived that I could still move my legs. I stayed still laying on my back. A person passing by saw the accident and came and said a very moving prayer on my behalf. The ambulance arrived along with the lady in charge of the relief effort that had asked me to go in the first place. When she arrived, she took control. She had some medical training and stabilized my neck and did not allow me to move. The medical team went to work on me strapping me to the gurney. As I was being placed into the ambulance I ask her, my friend, to join me. They allowed it and off we went to the Jasper TX hospital. When we arrived the old doctor in charge started to assess my injuries and quickly learned that their hospital was not going to be the right place for me. My blood pressure was dropping. I was swelling with the blood from my ruptured bladder and no solution. The country Dr. decided to call another hospital to get advise. He finally got some advise from the medi-flight crew to place a sheet around my pelvis and tie it as tight as possible. This helped as my blood pressure stabilized. Off we went to the next hospital...only to find out when we arrived there that there was nothing they could do as well...Off to the next hospital. A trauma one hospital. I had run over 10 marathons and completed several adventure races over the past eight years. Before that I was a basketball official for over 20 years. My major in college was Physical Education and part of the training was to always stay fit. Now I was in for a real challenge. Through friends my wife had been flown on a private plane to the trauma one hospital. When she arrived the only thing I could say to her before they wheeled me into surgery was "Sorry". After the first surgery the doctor came out and talked to my wife. "We fixed everything in your husband that was going to kill him in the next 30 minuets." She never had a clue I was that bad. I had a concussion, a broken neck, broken ribs, a punctured lung, ruptured bladder, numerous nicks internally because of the explosion of my pelvis, and a tale bone that looked like a spider web of breaks. There are many details to the rest of the story that I will not go in to except one. After 30 days in the hospital and rehab I was able to go home from the hospital...my fourth hospital as I was flown home after four days from the trauma one hospital in TX to another trauma one hospital in OK. I would have to stay off of my feet for 12 weeks. Wear a neck brace for six weeks and have a catheter for nine weeks. I thought everything was going to be fine. 16 weeks after the accident I started to develop a shooting pain down my arms. After four weeks I was unable to go to physical therapy (which I some much enjoyed), sit up or even walk from my bed to the bath room with out nearly passing out in pain. After an MRI of my neck, it was discovered that an infection had eaten away my C6 vertebrate. An immediate emergency surgery of my neck relieved the pain, a second surgery to stabilize my vertebrates, 10 additional days in the hospital and for the first time in six weeks I was feeling good. I guess feeling good is relative. I had lost 50 pounds. From 185 to 135. I started to walk again with the help of a walker. I graduated to a cane quickly and then altogether off of the cane. The next order of business...RUN! I have lingering issues because of the crushed pelvis' damaging some nerves. These nerves control my inner left thigh and the top of my right foot. I had a friend come to my house early in the morning to help me start running again. I was able to start running up hill and walking down hill. You would think it would be the opposite but because of the nerve damage, my right foot would slap hard on the payment because of the lack of control due to the damage. I have run four marathons, two adventure races and started biking since my accident. I am thankful to all the individual who assisted with my recovery. Above all I praise God for his unfailing love and allowing me to return to form.

My Heroes

The individuals that help my family and me through this trying time.

What I've learned so far

I learned that recovery is not about me! It is about the people and friends that do things for you and allowing them to do things for you. There were so many people that I could think for the little things they did. A mother-inlaw that took care of kids, a friend that shuttled me to therapy, so may meals and nice things that they are too many to mention. I do not see how individuals get through a situation like this without a church family. The believers at the Memorial Road Church of Christ were there for me and my family. God was shown to me every day through their efforts and their generosity.

I Will again

My Goal is to: My goal is to continue to stay physically fit. I will always have issues with my body because of this incident and I believe God is telling me..."it is good enough...REMEMBER, and PROCLAIM. By 2035-12-01 00:00:00

My first milestone is to: By 

My second milestone is to: By

My third milestone is to: By