Tag Archives: Disability

Friday, May 8th, 1992 started like most days. It was a work day, one that would, thankfully, take me out of the office. I loved to get out of the office and today, I was scheduled to do a “live remote,” which meant I had completed the programming and employee training, and I was ready to install the program onsite at the Purple Parrot, a new restaurant which was located on the south end of Marco Island, FL. All they would need to get started was four hours of “live support” from me, “the Programmer.”

My eyes searched the darkness ahead, desperately attempting to focus on anything which might shed light on what had just happened. My head was now stinging from what must have been shattered glass mixed with blood, running down my face. My ears were still ringing from the impact of the two vehicles. I now realized that the oncoming car must have been on the wrong side of the median – in my northbound lane – instead of on the other side of the median in the southbound lane as it had first appeared. Oh, yes, that portion of US 41 was on a curve. I remembered thinking, “What should I do? Okay, I’ll just wait, someone will find me. Surely someone will come.”

I could hear the voice of the first paramedic on the scene now above and behind me as I lay on the gurney, though I couldn’t see his face. His voice was now familiar in the darkness. He asked me how I was doing, then he asked me if I knew the telephone numbers of my closest relative or friend I wanted him to call, and he wanted to know if I was allergic to any drugs. I was aware of the other paramedic next to me who remained silent.

The first surgery that was performed on me was as a result of my blood pressure dropping. The cardiac surgeon on call ordered me up to the “Heart Tower” as the orthopedic surgeon on call was still counting broken bones. His experience would tell him that this type of head-on collision had caused a tear in my aorta, a common deceleration injury.

Every time I go to see my orthopedic surgeon, Dr. D., he tells me the story of our first meeting. “We were standing in the E.R., and I was counting bones and Dr. H. said, “We gotta get her to the heart tower.” He said, “I need supplies, we’ve never done orthopedic surgery up there and there’s no elevator.” Dr. H. then, very calmly said, “Man, you don’t understand. We gotta go NOW. Her blood pressure is bottoming out!” He barely raised his voice, but conveyed the urgency of the situation to him, he said. He realized how close to death I was when he looked at Dr. H.’s face.