The Brief Edition of Ima's Story
On 12/23/78, Ima was involved in a high speed, head on car accident where she sustained massive head and facial injuries as a result of impacting the windshield of her brother's car, he was driving. The initial impact was estimated at 80+ miles per hour dead stop impact. Ima's head went through the windsheild at that speed. As the hood of the car that opened at the bottom of the windsheild came open it impacted the front of Ima's head and pushed it back through what was left of the windshield. Her body sailed back to the seat she was sitting in. This coup and contre coup action occurred 3 to 4 more times with Ima resting in a kneeling position at the dash board with her feet up on the seat where she was sitting.
Trying to see through the blood that was in my eyes, only shadows of people could be seen. People were yelling and screaming at one another. Unaware of what had happened, I knew that there was 'something bad wrong with me.' 'Too bad, I'm the only one here qualified to help the injured' I covered my face with my hands to stop any bleeding that I could and I put my head down on the dash board, then the lights went out. I had no sensations of the senses whatsoever.
I was gone.
Three flat lines all revived with the last one only bringing me back to a deep coma. One inwich I was never expected to wake from.
Three months later, my family bidding the final fairwells before the plugs were pulled, my older sister Sandie leaned over to hug and kiss me good-bye. I felt her long, beautiful hair on my left hand, I grabbed it! I went back into coma.
A few days later, I came out of coma, didn't know what happened to me, where I was, who I was, or anything for that matter. I started yelling where am I? Hey, where am I?
The Nurses and Doctors' came running into the room with looks of disbelief on their faces. They checked my vitals, checked my feet for feeling, they poked me with a pin or would run their finger up my foot, it hurts or it tickles. They told me where I was, and only told me that I had been in an accident with my brother. I asked if my brother was okay, they said he was.
I went back to sleep for a while, my family came soon after that. Then the long road to recovery and reconstruction of my face is what I was headed for unbeknownst to me as I faded off into a morphine induced sleep. I never did get rehabilitation. All the rehabilitation I got was from watching others and mimicking them I did it on my own as far as the mental and emotional stuff.
My sister, Tricia befriended a quadrapelegic girl named Sharon who helped me get back on my feet. I kept asking Sharon, "Why me? why me?" until one day she turned around in her wheelchair and replied, "why not you? Why anyone else?" A harsh awakening, but nonetheless, an awakening.
My Mom used to tell me that it happened to me because I was the strongest of her kids. I was chosen to be the one out of twelve babies that she had because God has something special planned for me for my life. Now, twenty-six years later, I believed her then and I believe her now.
This isn't just a website, it's a calling. I hope there is some little thing here that helps others' like me in thier journey to coping through recovery, survival and becoming a winner. If you believe in yourself, others will believe in you too. Know that God's blessings are with you even if you are the one who moves away from Him. I pray you find your way back to Him.
That's my story in a nutshell.
Now add your brain injury survival or caregiver survival story below. Thank you!
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<o:p></o:p> Unfortunately, a New Story
Last year in November, 2003, I was lucky enough to re-live the injury and recovery part of head injury all over agian. Oh joy, this again. A trauma related accident as a result of someone else's negligence. The headaches, the lack of balance, the pain, the vertigo, the visual maladys, the inability to do more things that I used to be able to do. I tell myself, okay, I've done this before, should be a snap this time. I'm fooling no one, I know it doesn't get easier.
Courage from a Grace beyond this world and determination from deep soiled roots of pure stubborness, I press on continuing my persistence of being a Survivor and a Winner. I'm sure you can relate.
Welcome to our happy family of Survivors and Winners!
We're glad you could come!
ImaLady and the BISG Family of Friends
Nathan's Story
| "Hello Everyone, My name is Nathan, I was in a really bad car accident with my grandparents in 1984. When I was 7 years old. I was acoma for alittle over 3 weeks, and it took me alost 3 years to relearn everything, from tieing my shoes, to walking and talking. I havent been in a support group for sometime now. Until about 2 months ago, I had been feeling really good, until I lost another job, Then the depression, and the impulses just seemed to come back into my life. My wife of 4 years is a real winner in my book, she has always supported me, and has lived with my ways of life for so long now. But I just wanted to explain alittle about me, Oh by the way Im now 27 years old and Living in Arizona. Thank you Nathan"
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Laurie's Story
| Hi everyone, I went to the member stories page but didn't know what to do. I hope it is okay to tell my story here. In Aug of 2003 I had a very bad headache and numbness on the left side of my face. I went to the local emergency room. After being there for nine hours all kinds of blood tests 2 MRI'S and 2CT Scans with and without contrast diagnosis was pituitary tumor. The emergency room Doctor sent me to a neurologist who put me on medication to shrink the tumor. The neurologist sent me to an endocrinologist who said i wasn't a patient for her and sent me to a nerosurgeon. The neurosurgeon ordered me to have a MRA just to make sure we were not dealing with an aneurysm. On Aug 26, 2003 I was scheduled to have the pituitary tumor removed. An hour after the surgery began the doctor hit something and I began to massively bleed. They did an emergency arteriogram and that is the first time they knew it was not a pituitary tumor but a very very, very gigantic brain aneurysm. They did an endovascular coiling procedure and put in 50 coils. The amount of coils put pressure on my optic nerve causing double vision in my left eye and a 6 nerve cranial palsy in my right eye which means my right eye is sunk way in towards my nose. In Feb. of 2004 i was scheduled for a 6 month check up and the angiogram showed a re-bleed. After two days 15 hours of coilin 100 more coils 2 stents and they had to cut off my right carotid artery. Beside the eye problems I am doing pretty good. I am suffering from headaches which i am taking zinergran 100mg for. The doctors are telling me that i am just lucky to be alive!!!!!! Is there any one out there that has the coiling and if so how many coils do you have? Any complications? Please feel free to email me back. I am very interested in hearing your story. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Hello, I am your page here, I am hungry and I need your story please . . . . Thank you! 
"I am new here and excited about this place. I had a TBI in 1991 and have struggled to raise my children as well as journey on Recovery Road."
Tina's Story
Contributed by: "Peanut"
Tina, please retype the story on Jeffery, do not send the scanned copy again please and email it. Thank you so much!
Love, Ima
This page has no more room, please refer to the Documents section for more member stories! Thank you.
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Confusedjbird's Story