CASE #1319

It was a beautiful day at the beach. My cousin Joanna and I'd just won a game of bacci ball with the help of one can of Miller Lite. In celebration I jumped into the ocean to cool off then hopped on my bicycle to go across the way to grab some garlic powder from my aunt's beach rental. I'd been slaving away in the kitchen most of the afternoon. Embracing my decision to take the summer off of work and be a "non-adult". Screw bills, waking up in the am, the pressures and stressors, I was going to be a kid. It was 4 days into my summer vacation and I was celebrating by making Mexican dinner for my twelve of my aunts, uncles and cousins, thus the garlic powder - gotta love guacamole! I was actually happy, in the moment bliss. I was gliding along the empty street on my bike with my beach bag on my shoulder and a smile on my face. My mind was wandering to the variety of adventures I had planed for the summer. I saw it up ahead and took a deep, happy breath as I continued over its yellow hump. Just then the bike, the speed bump and I rumbled (Totally "Calvin and Hobbes" style). I woke up under my bike and attempted to pull myself up off the sun-baked pavement, when the searing pain in my left arm matched the deformity I was staring at. Seriously! I'm supposed to be on vacation! I turned over and started screaming help. Over and over again, help. The empty street soon filled with no one. Then I heard foot steps, a random fellow found me then got my aunt and uncle as I writhed in pain. I was so hopped up on endorphins all I wanted was a picture. I wouldn’t shut up about it. My aunt was so upset she couldn’t figure out my camera, so the fellow (an off-duty fireman) snapped a shot then started taking my blood pressure. Soon my whole family was above me as the ambulance sirens whirled around. A bumpy ride, a horrible ER doctor, 6 hours, copious amounts of morphine and a great surgical team later, I am the proud owner of 2 four inch plates, 12 screws, 2 very heinous scars and a new nickname “guacamole girl” – compliments of my surgeon. Convalescing sucked. Alas, it hasn’t stopped me and hopefully the everlasting evidence of my summer of “non-adulthood” will help me stay young at heart and away from speed bumps. (ps: I could only get a picture of one side of my arm to upload, I couldn't fit both scars in one shot.)

CASE #1318

If you are looking for a fresh scar, this hickman catheter was removed from my 2-year-old's chest a couple of weeks ago. The bandages below it are covering a knarley scar from where a tumor was removed from his sternum.
As you can see, he photographs well :)

histiocytosis

CASE # 1317

On Nov. 7, 2002 I began my shift as night maintenance mechanic. I had worked on a piece of equipment the night before and decided that the first thing I wanted to do was to check on it to see how it was running. The first shift was still in production so the equipment was running. As I was making my observations this piece of equipment started to move. I felt something touch my leg and realized immediately that it was the safety bar on the moving piece of equipment. The safety bar was supposed to stop the equipment if anyone got in it's path. The only problem was the equipment moves in two directions and the safety bar only worked in one direction. The machine doesn't move very fast but it was fast enough that by the time I felt the safety bar touch my leg it was too late to move. My foot was up against a 4" high concrete curb and the bar hit my leg about 6" above my ankle. Since my foot had nowhere to go this 10 ton machine with the bar sticking out tried to go through my leg. I felt the bones snap and I remember crying out help as I fell and looked down to see my foot flop over the bar. I saw a gush of blood come out of my pants leg about the same time as one of my co- workers came to my aid.
I spent seven days in the hospital and had three surgeries to repair what doctors described as a near amputation of my left foot.
After 5 weeks with an external fixator I was put into a cast and returned to work. I had two more surgeries over the next two years and through it all I continued to push myself to get to work every day. The company I worked for had treated me well throughout this ordeal and tried to be good to them. I wasn't the same person after the accident. Being in pain 24 hrs a day changes a person but I kept trying. Then suddenly at the end of June of this year I was called in and told I was being let go after 28 yrs in the industry.

The photo shows an area where a large chunk was taken out of my leg and has had a skin graft. The verticle suture line is from the ankle fusion. There is also a suture line that goes almost all the way around my ankle that does not show up well in this photo. The fresh wound is from a recent fall in my workshop. I also have many photo's that were taken soon after the accident.

CASE # 1316

i have at least 4 scars from 2 surgeries from a work injury that happened when i was 23. i'm now 28 i just had my last surgery about 2 months ago today actually and i can tell that the emotional toll is far greater than the physical one of course but its a constant reminder to me which isn't a bad thing. its of course a long story as anything in life is. i surely hope that you do contact me because i do have a great story to tell inspiring ? maybe. unique ? absolutely. i've only included one photo of my most recent surgery.

CASE # 1315

I was born with Cycstic Fibrosis. It's a genetic disorder that affects the lungs and pancreas. When I was 26 I received a double lung transplant due to my lungs deteriorating.

CASE # 1314

Last September 16, I was headed to a park to have lunch. It was about 11:55am when the accident occurred. I was driving north bound on and I somehow ran a stop sign. I don't remember running the stop sign. I don't even remember coming in contact with the other vehicle that was in the intersection heading in the opposite direction. Well, the other vehicle spun, striking a pole, ultimately trapping the passenger in the car. The car that i was in came to rest in a field nearby. I was unconscious. The man who was driving the other car managed to escape but unfortunately the woman who was the passenger died after a fire broke out and she was unable to escape. About a month after the accident, I was charged with vehicular manslaughter. I was not under the influence of any drugs or alcohol at the time of the accident. Doctors had believed that I suffered from some blackout possibly from hypoglycemia. I went through a few months until I thought the worst was going to be over. Unfortunately, in December I found out that another man died at the intersection where my accident happened. He also ran the stop sign. Then later on in January, I was notified that the man that was driving the other vehicle had suffered from a heart attack and died.
In March, I was charged again with the man's death and was sentenced in both cases. I ended up losing my license for two years and was placed on probation for three years in addition to having to serve 3 1/2 months in a correctional facility. The picture that I have attached is of me about 7 days after the accident. I have others to submit if you'd like to see them.