The Big Crash

Well, everyone's been asking.....here's the story of the big crash.

Life was going along really well at Paradise. Horses were training properly, we had a super group of people coming for lessons, the spring horse trial was filling up and it looked like 2012 was going to have a smooth start.

It was about 4.30 on Tuesday afternoon, when I told a great friend Sallie Perry,I'll just trot this mare around for twenty minutes or so while you get tacked up for your lesson.She smiled and off I went on this lovely Irish filly.I walked around my barn and out into my sand arena.It was a beautiful day and I was looking forward to my ride.I walked across the arena to the other side and began gathering up everything to go into a trot ,when WHAM, she put her head straight down and I torpedoed off her front end like a missile straight into the ground ,face first. I hit square on my forehead, did not see stars, but instantly knew I had cut my face as I felt the blood and the separations in my top and bottom lip.I did not try to move at all. I knew I had done my spine.I knew I had concussed my spine and knew better than to mess about.

Instantly I felt tingling pins and needles right down the length of my back, both arms and legs. I knew what day it was. I knew what had happened. I knew I could breath. And I knew I had feeling in my fingers and toes, so that was all good.

Sallie saw the filly run off back to the stable(fortunately unhurt) and expected to see me come puffing around the corner ready to get back on......But I was nowhere to be found. I saw her looking for me and tried to call out but I could not make a sound loud enough for her to hear. She looked over to the ring and sprinted right over. Poor Sallie, by then I was a real mess. I assured her I was alright it was just my lips bleeding,that I had feeling etc. She could not make my phone work so she ran back to the barn to get Barbie's phone. I called 911 and mumbled into the phone my location.

Sirens came very shortly afterwards. Backboards, straps and velcro started flying about
everywhere. I was packed up like a sausage in seconds and off we went to MCG (Medical College of Georgia) sirens and lights a blazing.

I asked Ray the ambulance man to turn on the AC full blast, which he did. You could see your breath in the meat wagon by the time we got there. But it made me feel much better. I kept counting out loud,"one, two ,threee......." over and over again, while Ray set me up with heart monitors and IV'S." why are you counting?" he asked. I replied, "to keep the rhythm and not think of you with those damn needles!"

As we flew down the road, the usual medical jargon flew and radio talk, then the drivers started yelling,,,"Oh my God,Look at that,Oh my God!!!!!!!What is she doing?"
I knew exactly what was happening......"Is the car light blue"I asked with a bloody smile?

Good old Nanu (My super mother)was in hot pursuit, right on the bumper of our screaming ambulance! God help the cop that try's to stop her I thought. I have never been prouder of my mommy.No one stops Nanu.

The doors flew open and I was the main actor in an ER episode. Trauma status gets you in there fast. Off came the clothes with 4 people each weilding those great scissors that cut anything.Out came more monitors, ivs bright lights etc.

After the initial assessment, I had x rays and Ct scans, then came back for about 30-40 stitches. Mom and barbie were allowed in after I was sewn up. I was very conscious and awake. My hands were turning into small claws by then and the pain was excruciating.There was some swelling on my spinal cord that was creating this pain. Nothing they gave me touched it.

I am a good patient and unfortunately have a lot of experience at being hurt. I knew that all I could do was lay still. And I just kept counting. Over and over. You have to put yourself in a zone where the pain does not rule you. You rule it.

I was sent upstairs to a room about 2.30 am. in stable condition. Poor mom and Barbie went home. I slept on and off, stayed in my no pain zone as best I could till 6 am then got drugged up for an MRI. Fortunately the valium worked and I didn't panic in the wretched tube. Even more fortunate was the fact that little showed up on the scan.

I was released that afternoon to go home to chateau Nanu. I have been here over a week already. I may never leave. My mother is without question my best friend. We have had a wonderful time in these crazy circumstances.

So I have about 5 fractured vertebrae and one broken rib and a broken bone in my hand and a few stitches. My hands are getting better each day. Thanks to everyone for their good wishes.

Barbie ands friends are running next weeks horse trials. Yikes. Stay tuned. All is well.....