The irresponsible decision by one person to drive a vehicle without
insurance, has created an unbelievable aftermath. Surprisingly, he
suffered no consequences for his decision. I however, did. My living
with Factor V-Leiden lessened my chance of a normal recovery.
Struck By An Uninsured Driver
The
morning of April 4th, 2014 changed my life dramatically and forever. A
short trip to the local store, less than a mile away would leave me
disabled. The return trip and being hit by a mini-van sent my world into
a downward spiral. With in minutes my world went from prosperous to
mid-life crisis. I went from being an active grandmother, looking
forward to the next stage of my life; to a weak, wheel chair bound and
hopeless burden on my family. This was reality. This was life. The
future was unsure, the outcome unpredictable, and with no promises of
recovery or being financially sound again.
Trauma Wards and Surgeries
From
the first ambulance to the first surgery, seemed like forever. The
first four days in the trauma ward is lost and forgotten today. Bits and
pieces that I do remember were mostly discussions with surgeons and
nurses. I have Factor V-Leiden, meaning I inherited a bad gene in my
DNA.
So much damage needed repair, the thickness of my blood was an issue. Every injury had blood pooling around it and the bruising was extensive on my back, rib cage and breasts. I was 80 % more likely to have a blood clot, a thrombosis or venous thromboembolism than other women my age. And I did as the result of the surgeries and immobility. A surgical team of two brothers, were willing to attempt to piece my knee and shoulder back together. But, with a condition. I had to understand, that there was little bone left to work with, that I would need more surgeries in the future and a lot of physical therapy. Life from that point on would never be the same. I will always walk with a limp and a slower gait. And there were no promises that my shoulder and left arm would ever recover. The Factor V-Leiden complicated surgery and therapy. Causing the doctors to postpone surgery, twice. My blood was too thick due to the Factor V-Leiden and I had to take mass dosages of vitamin K.
One
surgeon removed crush tibia bone, from below my knee. Pins, a rod, and a
metal hinge like device are now my knee. The therapy was brutal. A cast
immobilized my ankle to my upper thigh. It would be six months before I
could put any pressure on my left leg. I developed two major venous
thrombosis in my left leg. And another in the muscle tissue of my
injured left arm. After more than 200 hours of physical therapy, I am
able to walk using a cane. I move at a slower pace now, my gait is slow.
The socket that the ball sits in to rotate, shattered into three
pieces. The muscles died or mangled. With screws, pins, rods and cadaver
bone, my shoulder was rebuilt. And after 6 months a shoulder
replacement took place. Between the two, there were hundreds of hours of
physical therapy, doctors visits, follow-up visits, blood work, X-rays,
and speech pathology visits. Today, I sport a partial shoulder, I can
pick up 4 pounds and have 20 % usage. I am now cleared and expect my
next visit in a year. Since I am now on blood thinners for the rest of
my life, I will have blood work done, monthly. If my blood thins or
thickens, there is a higher chance of thrombosis, or blood clots. I
threw six during the hospital stay, three afterwards.
So much damage needed repair, the thickness of my blood was an issue. Every injury had blood pooling around it and the bruising was extensive on my back, rib cage and breasts. I was 80 % more likely to have a blood clot, a thrombosis or venous thromboembolism than other women my age. And I did as the result of the surgeries and immobility. A surgical team of two brothers, were willing to attempt to piece my knee and shoulder back together. But, with a condition. I had to understand, that there was little bone left to work with, that I would need more surgeries in the future and a lot of physical therapy. Life from that point on would never be the same. I will always walk with a limp and a slower gait. And there were no promises that my shoulder and left arm would ever recover. The Factor V-Leiden complicated surgery and therapy. Causing the doctors to postpone surgery, twice. My blood was too thick due to the Factor V-Leiden and I had to take mass dosages of vitamin K.
The socket that the ball sits in to rotate, shattered into three
pieces. The muscles died or mangled. With screws, pins, rods and cadaver
bone, my shoulder was rebuilt. And after 6 months a shoulder
replacement took place. Between the two, there were hundreds of hours of
physical therapy, doctors visits, follow-up visits, blood work, X-rays,
and speech pathology visits. Today, I sport a partial shoulder, I can
pick up 4 pounds and have 20 % usage. I am now cleared and expect my
next visit in a year. Since I am now on blood thinners for the rest of
my life, I will have blood work done, monthly. If my blood thins or
thickens, there is a higher chance of thrombosis, or blood clots. I
threw six during the hospital stay, three afterwards.The True Costs of Uninsured Drivers
The
True Cost is unimaginable. There are the monetary losses, from loss of
work. The loss of hours of life spent in therapy, travel, and doctors
visits. Hours lost that could have been play time with my grand child,
or a walk for my dog. The loss of my self-respect, when I had to have
help in the bathroom, in the shower, washing my hair and dressing. The
damage to family ties. The loss of my self-sufficiency and being
dependent on others. Days and months of time lost while healing, that
can never be recovered. These are the true costs created by uninsured
drivers.
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