Sly Bald Guys Forum
Various Non-Bald Discussions => General Discussion => Topic started by: karissaelaine on August 28, 2012, 04:20:41 PM
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Has anyone had a near death experience that has effected them in a major way? I don't mean the exaggerated near death experience, I mean a very real experience.
2 years ago I was in a really bad car wreck. I was inexperienced and was going too fast around a turn, when I hit a 1 ton truck head on, with my tiny Ford Escort. I was cut out with the jaws of life and taken to the local hospital, where they debated air lifting me to a bigger city. I was in the hospital for 5 weeks with a broken right leg and foot, broken left ankle, and collapsed left lung. I had surgery on my leg and ankle and now have an 18" rod in my leg, along with a plate and screws. I have since had the metal removed from my left ankle, as it was causing me a lot of pain. I also has surgery on my lung because after 2 chest tubes it wouldn't heal. I am a lot better now, although I do have pain in my leg often.
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Wow, Karissa....That's just amazing.....and you lived to tell about it....Thanks for sharing!
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Hi Karissa: I am glad that U are doing better. Wow.... U are a walking miracle to survive that accident.
WARHAWK O0
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No personal death experiences here, however I'm a retired firefighter and I'm currently working in a children's hospital, so I've seen my share of tragedy and dispair. I can tell from your wreck that you are a very lucky young woman. Kudos to you for enduring the pain and rehabilitation to emerge on the other side whole. You definitely have someone looking out for you. By the way, I love your shaved head, modeling yet?
Take Care,
Lee
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Thanks everyone! It was a very difficult time for me, emotionally and physically.
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Thank you Karissaelaine for sharing this, I'm glad your much better now. I have not had this kind of experience with a vehicle, but did with a firearm but have no photos of it.
Believe me it was bad enough at the time.
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To answer the original question about "near death experiences" Back in October 2009, I was working overnight at the grain plant on barges.....within two hours of the end of the shift, the hoist holding a 15-ton barge cover failed....I was on the outer end of the barge slip which is separated from the river.....I just remember someone yelling "look out!" and I think I lost consciousness. When I came to, I was floating in 15 feet of water (I was wearing a life jacket and hard hat) I was bleeding on the right side of my face and missing three teeth but I was able to swim and grab a rope on the other side of the barge slip...The tugboat crew pulled me out of the water, and I was able to remember everything except when I actually got hit in the head. I got 14 stitches in my face and I lost four teeth (the fourth tooth was so damaged it could not be saved). The company did take care of me though, paying all of my medical bills and "breaking me off" a little. By the way, I only missed two weeks of work, but I'm thankful that I was able to swim and that this didn't happen in the main part of the river!
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No personal experience, but I have lost friends who died much too young for one reason or another (some their own doing, some not). Having been "this close" to that experience has had a profound impact on me to focus on the positive, seize the opportunities available, and be a good role model for others when I can.
But congratulations to you. How could that NOT have a huge impact on your entire outlook?
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I am glad to be getting so many replies that say "I have not had a near death experience", with the exception of SlySirHarry and J_B. I hope you have both recovered emotionally and physically.
I also feel like I am not the same person I was before my wreck. I used to have so much energy and now I feel like I have none. Seeing that I am 18, it may be some sort of hormonal change, but it has only been since my wreck. Coincidence?
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Karissa, that's an major amount of damage. I'm gald to see that you were able to recover from it.
The closest I've come is falling asleep at the wheel after being up for way too long. I woke up after drifitng to the left side of a double wide lane and over corrected and turned the car perpendicular to the road. I went over the side of the road and hit an embankment that wasn't too far of off the side of the road. I was wearing my seat belt but there was no air bag in this car - too old. Fortuneately it was late at night and there was no other traffic. I was able to climb out of the car and hail someone down to call the cops and my parents. No injuries but it made me really aware of how quickly things can go wrong in a car.
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Yes, indeed you are very lucky to be where you are today. It took a lot of strength, determination and courage for you at get yourself through that very hard time in your life...you are a very brave woman. It may take awhile longer to get through the emotional pain.
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No injuries but it made me really aware of how quickly things can go wrong in a car.
Very fortunate for you Doug.
Stories like this (and Karissa's which started the topic) are strong reinforcement to life every day to the fullest, because life change "change in an instant."
Which makes understanding your priorities really important.
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I crashed a kite buggy at around 70-80kms an hour and spiral fractured my right tib and fib so my foot was backwards and my leg pointed out at 90 degrees from the break (mid lower leg), I was very lucky not to break my back due to the way i impacted but I was full non weight bearing in a full leg cast for 8 months, I was 14 so they refused to plate as it may stunt the growth in that leg. Subsequently my leg began to bend and grew multiple bone calluses in order to stop itself from breaking when I walked. I eventually went back in to the doctor, although we had moved countries by this point, the x-rays showed that it had worn away most of one half of my ankle due to the botched first surgery attaching my leg at 15 degrees from straight. I then had a corrective surgery with bone graft to replace all the badly formed calluses and worn ankle, and a 30cm long plate was screwed in to hold it together. I nearly died from a massive allergic reaction to the drugs and general anaesthetic, I was lying in the recovery room coming to, I couldn't move or see very clearly by the doctors were standing around me saying I wasn't breathing, but I couldn't make my body do anything, it took a horribly long time for me to finally gasp for air, that is the last thing I remember for about 3 months, the drugs wiped my memory clean. Again 8 months non weight bearing and they messed that up as well etc etc blah blah blah and I had to have another surgery. I am now 23 and just able to use my leg properly again having had the last surgery a year ago.
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Slyfine -WOW. that is an amazing story. When I was in my wreck my ankle was twisted backwards under the seat, but your story, wow.
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I reckon we're just both lucky to have been able to stick around. It will get better, the energy levels pick up after a while, it's a big thing for your body to go through, and by the sounds of it you're doing great. Has your breathing ability gone back to normal?
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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. :o 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.
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woah Bill, someone is looking after you!
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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.
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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!
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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holly moly. good you are still alive.
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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...)
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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. O0
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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.
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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!
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No such experiences for me, but I'm glad that you guys who have had such instances are doing well today. O0
Thanks for sharing your stories, everyone.
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I was born with the umbilical cord around my neck
I was too, I've never thought of it like that... pretty crazy when I think about it like that!
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I was born with the umbilical cord around my neck
I was too, I've never thought of it like that... pretty crazy when I think about it like that!
That makes three of us!
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I didnt expect so much response on this topic. I am very glad everyone is now doing okay. I will most likely make an appointment with my doctor to ask about my lack of energy.
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I didnt expect so much response on this topic. I am very glad everyone is now doing okay. I will most likely make an appointment with my doctor to ask about my lack of energy.
I think that is a wise decision, hopefully your doc has some answers for you O0
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I have never had a “near death” experience, but I have had 2 serious car crashes, 3 motorcycle accidents and my son and I were hijacked at gun point in my driveway in 2008. I remember lying on the tarmac while my wife and daughter were in the house, watching through the window, with a cocked gun to me and my son’s head. They searched me, found my wallet, removed my police badge and asked me “Where is your gun?” I was waiting for the gunshot to my head, as many people are shot during hijackings here, and we have the highest police murder rate in the world. But I remember praying “God, please, I don’t want to die now.” Fortunately they left in our motor vehicle with cell phones and cash and we were spared, That was scary!
The average life expectancy here in SA is 43 for women and 42 for males. (HIV is the biggest factor killing thousands rapidly.) Sadly, we live in the highest murder capital outside of a war zone in the world. I feel privileged to have passed that age, and I consider every day of my life a bonus. There are so many elements out there that can easily take your life, crime and disease the biggest two factors. Life is precious...
Thanks for sharing your stories...
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I was born with the umbilical cord around my neck
I was too, I've never thought of it like that... pretty crazy when I think about it like that!
As was my son back in March. they wouldn't let me cut the cord because of that fact, but of course it was more than worth it to make sure he came out okay. Glad you guys did, too. O0
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Glad to hear your son was too!
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wow Waine, that's terrifying even to read, so glad that you came out unscathed, although I'm sure the mental effects weren't over so definitively. I didn't know you were a police officer, but I want you to know that I appreciate the work you do. If I wasn't a full time musician, I'd be a police officer.
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wow u live to tell O0 ::) :@`
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Wow!!!
Reading your stories has brought me to a reality check of just how precious our time of living truly is.
I myself had many close calls but so far been blessed from living through a traumatic physical experience.
Once when driving at night up the crest of a hill, I suddenly came to what was a head on collision.
The car in front of me ran over a young girl who was thrown from her seat and landed on the highway.
I didn't realize what was happening. It was so unexpected at 50 mph. Just then I see the two vehicles smoking.
I stopped to help but she was bleeding from her ear. Broken bones pierced her skin. Other drivers stopped and prayed. She was too far gone and we watched her breathe her last breath.
The driver of her car was a young boy who must have crossed the center line at the crest of the hill going down. He sat at the drivers seat with his eyes wide open. No vital signs No blood.
The other vehicle a small pick up carried two men which appeared to be coming home from a full days work judging by what their clothes looked like. No seat belts and the passenger was practically upside down.
No vital signs and no apparent physical damage.
All four have just perished.
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I'm so sorry you had to see that, and I pray that they are all at peace now, and my prayers are with their families