STICU at NHRMC

First of all let me start off by saying a big Thank you to to Mrs. Pam Roberts and her husband.  They were the first ones on the scene of the accident.   And who could forget Ms. Jeanene Green, Mr. Richard Johnson, Mr. Amos Bedsole, and Tar Heel Rescue Squad.  If it were not for these people, their knowledge and training,  and their quick decisions I may very well have not made it to the hospital!

Now to continue from yesterday!  I was in the Surgical Trauma Intensive Care Unit better known as the STICU with some of the World's best doctor's - my diddy has often said that he would put them up against any doctors that Duke or Chapel Hill had to offer.  They assessed my situation and right away every doctor I had started praying over me.  I had several surgeries I dont remember how many total but the outcome was that I had a halo placed on me, had metal plates in my head (and unfortunately I can not pick up any radio stations lol) and was fused from C1-C6 (the first 6 vertebrae under your skull), a metal plate and screws in my jaw, a rod fom my hip to my knee in my right leg, plates and screws in my right knee, another rod from my knee to my ankle in my right leg, a tracheostomy,  and a feeding tube put in.  I don't think I forgot anything.  All the while I was spiking fevers and fighting infections left and right.  I wasn't awake for most of this and I'm going on stories that my friends and family have told me.  They told me when I was awake that I would not let them turn the tv away from BRAVO and the Real Housewives of New Jersey (one of my guilty pleasures.)  I was in ICU for three weeks. For the better part of that 3 weeks I could not talk.  Made up a way of communication with me.  I would spell out things my blinking at letters as they recited the alphabet.   Im so glad they paid attention in Kindergarten because that game was a life saver.  Luckily I did not have any type of brain injury.  One of the first things I was eager to tell my family is that they had called me the day of the accident to tell me the dress for my sister's wedding was in and that somebody needed to pick it up.  I didn't let my high maintenance lifestyle go down hill while in the hospital friends and family washed my hair... did microdermabrasion on my face and Ginger and Emily even painted my toenails!

I don't remember at what point I realized I was paralyzed but I realized it on my own and luckily for my family they didnt have to go through telling me.  I realized it pretty early on but the reality did not set in until later which will come in another blog post.

All the while the out pour of support for my myself and my family was AMAZING!!! My work family from Verizon Wireless was constantly there.  My Church Family from Tar Heel Baptist were faithfully there and praying and providing my parents with whatever they needed.  The community in Bladen, Brunswick,  & New Hanover counties in general were tremendous.  I nor my family can not say "Thank You!" enough.  

The picture below is of myself, my parents, my husband and my 2 main doctors in the hospital Dr. Huffmon (neurosurgeon) and Dr. MacIntyre (orthopedic surgeon) and the head of the trauma unit that was assigned to my case Mrs. Karine Eason.