Driving home on a Thursday night about a year ago, my flight had been canceled due to inclement weather, my husband, Matt was driving me home. We were driving south in the slow lane on our local highway and it was raining. Chatting on the phone, I had no idea what was about to happen when suddenly the truck we were driving in started to hydroplane. Matt did his best to control the vehicle while it slowly started to spin around the major highway.
I felt like I was in slow motion as the truck proceeded to flip repeatedly across all lanes. The feeling of being upside down frightened me (kind of like being on roller coaster ride; I tried to anchor myself to the vehicle by holding low on my seat belt, upon doing this I unbuckled myself so on the next flip I was ejected through the sunroof and flew through midair. I landed flat on my back on the grassy median separating the south bound lanes from the north. Matt stayed in the truck and landed upside down in the fast lane on the other side.
What Just Happened?
Miraculously, especially for a Thursday night around 9:30, no other cars were involved. I laid there in the muddy bank, smelling like motor oil, feeling the rain hit me in the face, paralyzed, trying to comprehend what just happened? I could hear Matt yelling for me, I quietly repeated several times “I’m here.” When he finally found me, he had a look of shock and terror on his face. He started to pat me down, looking for my cell phone to call for help. It, along with everything else we had was now spread out across the lanes of traffic that was starting to accumulate. I began to whisper, “Don’t touch me,” I was in so much pain my body was numb.
Thankfully, some good Samaritans who were driving and saw this horrible ordeal, had stopped to offer assistance and had immediately called 911. About a half a dozen men stared down at me, one kind man took his shirt off and placed it over my shivering body. I replied that I was okay that I just wanted to stay put for now. I didn’t know it, but my head was split open in a very gruesome sight, enabling the men to see a lot of blood and the white of my skull. Minutes later, we heard the sirens. I was put on the stretcher with a neck brace and back board. I was driven to the local hospital. (The accident happened right before our exit, a couple miles from our house.) Shortly after, I was med-flighted to the nearest trauma hospital a half hour away. I was stitched up, sedated, and monitored closely. The next couple days was a blur full of tests, an array of X-rays, and other procedures.
I had broken my lower back, suffered a concussion along with temporary brain injury, and received lacerations over my arms, legs, and the entire length of my forehead, just missing my right eye which needed almost 100 stitches to repair. I had complications with the pain medication and was taken off them entirely. I was unable to eat, use the bathroom, walk, or even roll over without being in excruciating pain. I think the outpouring of support from friends, neighbors, hospital staff, and my entire community, including strangers, got me through the next two weeks.
It took some time and a lot of therapy before I started to walk, unassisted. I was out of work for months and continued with physical therapy for a year. After I was released I had several surgeries to repair my head and eye brow area. I started to feel ill. After some tests, it was discovered I still had a lot of foreign debris in my head so I had a few more operations. Then I started to feel sick again with high fever, I had bacteria from the soil inside my head so I was put on many rounds of antibiotics and another surgery to remove more of the matter. Then my head wounds got infected, more antibiotics and sickness.
Lessons on Life
After many doctors’ appointments, I still suffer from dizzy spells, migraines, and lack of energy at times and have hopefully had the last operation to remove debris (but it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.) My experience has taught me a lot about life. First, that so much good can come out of something bad. A positive attitude is a must and to have gratitude constantly. I am grateful to be alive. I am grateful for all the people and support in my life. I am grateful for my best friend, who did so much without asking. I am grateful for my husband, who bathed, dressed, and cared for me. I am grateful for my son, who brought me icepacks and hot tea. I am grateful for my daughter, who brushed my hair when it was a rat’s nest. I am grateful for all my family, friends, strangers and an entire community who filled me with love, strength, and support which enabled me to get through the most difficult times. I am blessed and happy to be me.
Deanna is a such a courageous woman and we thank her for sharing her story with us. We wish her continued positive healing in her ongoing recovery. It’s not just a matter of surviving the collision, it’s also the months and years that follow.
Are you interested in sharing your story? We want to hear from you! Send us an email at: info@crashsupportnetwork.com and it may be published on our website or in our quarterly newsletter.
The Crash Support Network is a unique website consisting of an online support group, a Crash Survivor Blog written by a survivor, our Sharing Our Recovery Newsletter, informative articles and a Virtual Crash Memorial. Our website is based on relationship-building and puts the needs of survivors first by creating a helpful resource for victims and survivors of motor vehicle crashes.
