Frosty, thank you for the welcome! =)
Yes, I earned my membership to the club while doing a security round during sunset hours. I'll share the story for those who might be interested.
On Saturday, November 22nd 2008. I was assigned OOD (Officer of the day) duty which means I'm responsible for all the logistical aspects and security of the base for that day. Uneventful day during normal business hours. During sunset hours getting ready to do my final security round I put my food in the microwave to leave heating up before I go do my round... and that's the last thing I remember before phasing in and out of consciousness with a massive headache inside an ICU. With nurses and doctors all around me.
Now, according to third party eye witness accounts...
Sunset at the time was around 1740 or so. This was the time I began my last security round. Around 2300 there was an engineer leaving the Civil Engineering building. As he was heading to his car he heard a phone ringing. Thinking someone dropped their phone before leaving for the day he followed the ring tone. Walking on the parking lot behind some shrubs he found the wreckage of a John Deere Gator utility vehicle flipped upside down, with me pinned underneath, laying in a pool of blood, trying to reach the Duty Phone which was around 3 feet away from me. According to this person, I was adamant in answering the phone, I needed to answer the phone, there was an issue that needed my attention. (I cannot recall this). He dialed 911, an ambulance and firefighters were dispatched. Upon their arrival, after freeing my mangled body from the wreckage they called in an airlift since they feared an ambulance ride to the hospital would not be sufficient to ensure my survival. Helicopter arrived and I was airlifted to the Miller Neurological School of Medicine. I began turning on the memory tape recorder after I was stabilized in the ICU. In there I was greeted by some of my peers, my Commanding Officer, and my wife. Details of my interactions are a bit hazy but I remember me thinking I was talking to them and their faces of confusion not understanding what I was telling them. Later I found out I was talking incoherently saying things like "I were in motions through tomorrow's phone." And "Is the isn't for me? Or video with not?"
Days later while still bed riden doctors discovered I was bleeding in between my skull and brain membrane and pressure was building against my brain. Doctors were considering drilling multiple holes into my skull to install bleeding lines to help ease the pressure from the brain. I remember opening my eyes, seeing things on a Monday going to sleep and waking up somewhere else on a Wednesday. It was weird.
The neurosurgeons, while against the idea of performing the operation originally, now had no other options as my condition continued to deteriorate, so they scheduled the operation for Friday.
Here is where the story gets miraculous, or weird if you're lacking in Faith. On Thursday November 27th (Thanksgiving day) I was at my worst. I could barely open my eyes, my parents, sister and wife visited me to "celebrate" Thanksgiving. Afterwards, they left for the evening. Everyone thought that was my last day on earth. That evening, my sister ran into my parent's room and crying told them that she felt I was not going to make it through the night. At the same time my in-laws were staying at my house with my wife, my wife told her parents the same thing, and they all began to pray for my recovery.
Meanwhile, at the hospital, I could not fall asleep due to the intense pain coursing through my head. At one point I remember feeling as if someone had turn on the light in my room. The pain in my eyes and head was overwhelming. I tried reaching for the nurse call button to ask them to turn off the light. But as soon as I felt the pen button in my hand, the light switched off. Relaxing my hand the light switched back on. I reached again for the pen button, and the light switched off. I remember getting annoyed lol. I relaxed my hand and the light came back on. Feeling tired of the effort it took to move my hand, I gave up and figured whoever was foxtrotting around in the room would soon be done and leave. I tried to close my eyes and dozed off to sleep.
Friday Morning. I awoke, feeling much better. Still in pain, but the headache was tolerable. The Doctor came in to prepare me for the operation and upon seeing my physical semblance and coherent articulate conversation ordered another MRI. The handshaped blood stain had reduced significantly to the size of a silver dollar... and I desperately wanted to drink chocolate milk! lol. The operation was cancelled and 6 weeks later I was finally discharged from the Hospital.
Sadly my motor skills and cognizant ability had suffered, and I was deemed incapable to continue to perform my basic military duties.
And here I am today, Lucky (and blessed) to be alive. =)
