“What’s going on?” I asked the person suddenly next to me in the cab of my truck. I could feel the surprise on my face at their appearance and the fact that they somehow fit between me and the driver’s side door. I’m not sure how this person got here, who they are, or even where I am. It feels like I am waking up from a dream and I am completely disconnected from what is happening.
“You’ve been hit by a train, but I’m going to get you out of here.”
“Train? There was no train.” I’m not sure if I said this or just thought it, but the lights go out (again).
Immediately I saw bright lights and I had a sense that I was moving very fast. There is no pain, no feeling whatsoever, and I was suddenly aware that I may be leaving these earthly confines for whatever comes next. Dark!
“1, 2, 3.” I’m being moved from one bed to another and there is so much pain from so many places that I’m overwhelmed… Dark!
I hear my wife’s voice and open my eyes to see my friend, Dustin, right in my face. Is it strange that Dustin sounds like my wife; or that my wife looks like Dustin? Dark, again.
Train v Truck 
Elbow 
That ain’t right 
In the hours and days that followed I was able to fill in some blanks. I am, in fact, not dead. I do, however, have a laundry list of injuries. Some of which will take a long time to fully heal. 24 spinal fractures, 8 fractured ribs, a fractured scapula and a fractured sternum. Lacerations to my liver, kidney and adrenal gland. A contused spleen and a punctured diaphragm. Not to mention the destroyed elbow. By the time I’m fully aware, they have already repaired the elbow with a steel plate, 12 screws, and a titanium radial knob. Everything else will heal on it’s own.
The human body responds to trauma in amazing ways. All of them designed to protect and heal. I don’t remember any of the accident, and not much of the several days after. I never felt my elbow until after the surgery. Although it is painful, when my digestive system shut down and forced doctors to put an NG tube in and feed me intravenously for about a week, it is necessary to let my internal organs start healing. Once my ileus (I’ll let you look that one up) heals, I am able to go home, rather than a skilled nursing facility, as expected.
From my window at UC Davis Med center 
From my window at home
Once home, my healing continues to progress. Friends bringing us meals and stopping by to visit make the days better. My family puts together a recovery area for me to stay in until I am able to make it up the stairs and sleep in my own bed. Family and friends get me to doctors’ appointments.
One of my X-Ray techs said to me “I’ve never actually spoken to anyone who has been hit by a train before.”
“Well,” I replied, “we are a fairly small club, at least those of us who are walking around.”
Truth be told, I’ve gotten a second chance here and I need to treasure every moment. I need to move forward with those plans I have been holding on to for a long time. It’s time to be moving forward…
