Near Death Experience!? Possible graphic images!

[BillOnBass]

Karissa, Harry, and Slyfive - I'm happy you're still with us!  It's rough to go through these things, but the important thing is that you're alive and making the most of it!

When I was 16 I was riding with my friend to school.  We were already late and stopped to get a full tank of gas.  He was speeding: going about 70mph around a decently sharp corner on a country road with a speed limit of about 45-50mph.  There was a line of cars coming the other direction and since we were hauling ass he moved over to the shoulder a bit.  The rear passenger tire caught the dirt and he over corrected left which spun the car sideways over the other side of the road.  We were completely sideways and passed between a tree and a telephone pole with about 1 to 2 feet of clearance on the front end of the car.  Right after that we hit an embankment in someone's front yard that flipped the car 3 times.  Luckily we landed on the wheels and the multiple airbags left us unscathed (somehow).  Then... I look back and the back of the car is on fire.    The doors lock automatically when the vehicle goes above a certain speed, and they failed to unlock when we were trying to escape.  I got my seatbelt off and saw the driver window was shattered, so I crawled through it.  My friend was in shock and his seatbelt wouldn't unlatch.  As I was pulling him through the window the seatbelt either broke off or unlatched, I don't remember.

We walked in a daze to a swingset in the front yard and sat in the swings while watching the flames consume his car in under 10 minutes.  I later found out the hood of the car was found in a field about 70 yards away from the wreck and the full gas tank was found lodged in the ground about 10 feet behind where the car landed.  Who knows what would have happened had the gas tank stayed attached...

The pictures of the wreck and the story behind it were later posted in the dealership where the car was purchased to show how safe their line of cars is.  The pictures look ridiculous.  The white car was completely black from soot and looked like it had been through a car compactor.  I tried to find some pics on the net to no avail.

[Slyfive]

woah Bill, someone is looking after you!

[Sir Harry]

Wow, folks....the things you learn about people....While these kind of experiences can get you down, I think sharing your stories with others that have been there can be therapeutic, and that you actually learn things about yourself that you never knew.....Glad that all of you are still here and thanks for sharing. God bless all of you.

[Beardman]

Wow, I've never had a near death experience... well none that I can think of that really stuck out as being that bad. The worst I have done is hit myself in the leg witha  chainsaw when I was felling a young dead tree at work, basically inexperience and a lack of supervision was to blame there. I was lucky to only come out of that with 3 stitches because I let go of the trigger hand as I saw that it was actually falling towards me.

The other one was just the other month when I hit myself in the head with the pointy end of a Mattock after it clipped the chain mesh fence I was working beside and it sprung back and hit me on the top of the head, no stitches required there, only because it's apparently really difficult to stitch the head, so they just steri-stripped it.

But they are the closest things I have had to near death experiences, and pale in comparison to you guys... so glad you are all still here with us to tell your tales!

[karissaelaine]

Flyfive- My breathing has been back to normal for a while now, at least when I am just around the house. Forget about hiking, I run out of breath insanely fast (my legs couldnt handle that anyway). I feel like my energy should be back though. It was 2 years on August 4th. Has anyone else gone through this?

[karissaelaine]

Bill, that is incredible that you could still think clearly. I was in complete shock after the collision. My worst fear was my car catching on fire, because i was stuck until they cut me out an hour later. Of course, with that kind of impact, the engine was smoking from all the fluids. I couldnt imagine standing back and looking at a car while it went up in flames. I will have to say though, his seat belt most likely unlatched. They can take a huge beating without ripping. I know my chest and hips were both severly bruised from mine.

[Slyfive]

Flyfive- My breathing has been back to normal for a while now, at least when I am just around the house. Forget about hiking, I run out of breath insanely fast (my legs couldnt handle that anyway). I feel like my energy should be back though. It was 2 years on August 4th. Has anyone else gone through this?

It took me a year to fully recover from the anaesthetic alone after the penultimate surgery, so although it seems awful it's not improbable that it's a normal recovery would take as long as it has for you. Another thing to consider is that stress to the body can cause iron absorption issues and even manifest celiac disease in those who are genetically predisposed. You also now have a whole leg less of bone marrow due to the rod, so your body will take a long time to get back up to speed.

[karissaelaine]

Slyfive, what you said makes a lot of sense. I just had my latest surgery last December. I just hate feeling like I am still not over all this. I am just ready to put everything behind me

[Slyfive]

I am just ready to put everything behind me

Don't worry, it will improve. You may never have the same control and strength in your leg but you will be able to do most things unrestricted again, I'm no medical expert but the tiredness may also be caused by sleep apnoea due to the lung damage, it would be a good idea to check with your GP. A very close friend of mine has ME and is often fatigued even more by sleep apnoea as he has period of up to a few minutes where he stops breathing in his sleep.

[Paul the Headblader]

holly moly. good you are still alive.

[Slynito]

holly moly. good you are still alive.

That is so true, Paul.

I was in a crash once in a foreign piece of crap with a sun roof. I was driving in the middle of the night in a rain storm and rounding a curve. Suddenly the road was 6" deep in water and I started skidding and went off toward the ditch. The car rolled twice and came back on it's wheels. My girlfriend and I were 10 meters apart all banged up. She had some back pain and I had three broken ribs and minor cuts 'n' bruises. The car had no seat belts (before Nader) and we luckily got dumped out through the sunroof. People said it would have been much worse if we remained inside the car. Lesson: slow down and don't fool with Mother Nature. (Imagine if I were texting or on my cell...)

[xnewyawka]

Karissa, looking at the photo of your totaled vehicle, it's truly amazing you survived it. A very horrible accident, I can't imagine what you must have gone through.
Sounds like you have a new outlook on life, and I am sure things will get better for you. Hang in there, and get any help you may need with healing fully.
I wish you the best.  

[Tyler]

I was born with the umbilical cord around my neck and had 4 open-heart surgeries by the time I was 4 years old; I figure I've had 5 near death experiences.  I believe that coming close to death is one of the greatest blessings as it teaches you how much you should value life while you have it.

[-Doug-]

I believe that coming close to death is one of the greatest blessings as it teaches you how much you should value life while you have it.

Preach!

[Natedawg]

No such experiences for me, but I'm glad that you guys who have had such instances are doing well today.  
Thanks for sharing your stories, everyone.