Broken Neck Part 2

I was finally able to go home. Now don’t get me wrong. As a 14 year old in the children’s hospital I was having a good time. I was able to play video games, have friends and family over all the time. I got so many toys, comic books and candy that it looked like I was the most popular kid on the wing. But whatever fun I was having, it would be years before I realized the impact this accident would have on the rest of my life. The simple things that we take for granted every day were never the same. I had to learn new ways of living.

Up until my first night in the hospital I was a stomach sleeper. I would lay down on my front, pull the blankets up around my neck and then sleep with either ear on the pillow depending on my mood. I had to learn how to sleep all over again. The first night I did not sleep well. It wasn’t the hospital or even the hard bed; when I used to have trouble sleeping, I would move to the floor and sleep on the carpet. The problem was sleeping on my back. Having that feeling of my eyes rolling back and the snoring drove me nuts in the first few months. I also had a drooling problem and without the help of gravity, that had nowhere to go. Learning how to sleep again was really annoying.

Safety was a huge concern for the doctors and my family. Having such a severe injury required a complete change of routine. I couldn’t have a shower just in case I would slip and fall. It also meant that I could not have a bath unless I had help. In my stubbornness, I refused to let anyone see my naked body. The only option left was a sponge bath that I administered myself. Washing my hair was a unique challenge. To be safe, my Mom washed my hair, but my Dad came up with a brilliant system to make it work. He got a basin to collect the water, took a garbage bag and cut a drain hole on one of the bottom corners. The open end was positioned around my head and neck, allowing the water to flow down through the bag into the basin. It was really well done.

There was also an issue with smell. I spent most of my time doing nothing during the summer playing video games and watching movies or TV. I was not very active so the issue was not what you think. The problem was with the chin support. Having something against your skin 24 hrs a day was gross. My chin and the support started to smell like really stinky feet. I hated it. The smell was always there. After a few months I was given a replacement pad which I tried to keep as clean as possible. There are still some times when I can still feel the grim, especially if I get a whiff of that smell.

The concern for my safety went beyond just daily routine. I was no longer able to play any contact sports. It was obvious that while my neck was healing, I had to avoid any mild form of stress or trauma to my body. After I healed, my neck was not properly balanced, (I’ll explain that in part 3). This prevented me from playing football. I think I would have made an excellent football player. We will never know now.

I should mention that I also no longer took public transit. I never fully understood why I couldn’t ride the bus. Over the next 2 years, up to the time I got my driver’s license, my Mom became my chauffeur. I got rides to and from school every day. The only theory for this change was just for my Mom’s sanity. I did and still do appreciate everything that my Mom and Dad did for me during this time of my life.