9
WHEEL WORLD NEWS
March 2018
my 23 year-old self on to the back of Bruce’s shiny, new motorcycle and go zooming off into the Wisconsin countryside. My date and I were on one motorcycle and two of his friends were on another. It was estimated that we were playing “tag” at a speed of 80-100 mph when one bike tagged the other, knocked me off, and sent me traveling about 45 feet before my head hit a rock. I was not wearing a helmet so I am blessed to be alive, and fortunate that I did not have a traumatic brain injury to go along with the significantly injured spinal cord. I shattered all 8 cervical vertebrae, with the specific injury being at C4-C5.
My date refused a Breathalyzer test at the scene of the accident but 3 hours later, a blood test revealed his BAC was still .179. He was charged with injury due to the intoxicated use of a motor vehicle and was sentenced the maximum 2 years.
Continued...
I went to the University of Wisconsin Hospital where I stayed for 10 months. Severe spasticity was part of my incomplete injury and I had a morphine pump implanted to bathe my cord in medication. Today, baclofen is used instead of morphine, but the implant became infected and I acquired spinal meningitis which delayed my discharge by a month. The meningitis headache is by far one of the most painful I’ve ever known.
From the hospital, I moved into my own apartment which I shared with a live in caregiver. I also started taking community college classes and I spoke to groups about my accident with a program sponsored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving.