Medical Pictures

Here is the link to the medical pictures. WARNING: THESE PICTURES ARE GRPAHIC. DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINK IF YOU HAVE A WEAK STOMACH AND ARE BOTHERED BY BLOOD OR GORE.

Ok, so this post was not so easy. I guess that is because it all happened slowly, over thirty surgeries slowly, five and a half years slowly. I wasn’t awake during the pictures taken in surgery (obviously), and the x-rays of my neck were taken after I asked to be knocked out, but I was aware during the rest of it. Every time they took down my dressings and I looked at my hands, I was aware. When the skin grafts failed, I was aware. When my hands were sewn into my hips for three and a half weeks, I was aware.

I really don’t have much to add. The pictures speak for themselves and if you click on them they all have descriptions. There is also more information in the medical sections of my Fire links in the sidebar if you want the in depth story.

D.B. Echo asked me about the other three people injured in the fire. The guy who lived across the hall from me broke his leg (in several places I think). The guy who lived below me dislocated his shoulder. Both were injured by jumping out their windows but recovered just fine from their injuries. The other person injured in the fire did not fair so well. Compared to her, what I have been through is a fucking cakewalk. She has had close to sixty surgeries.

This woman is the same age as I am. She did not even live in the building. She was spending one night with her childhood sweetheart who lived in the building, and they were leaving to go home the next day to spend Christmas with their families. He was the person who was killed in the fire. He died due to smoke inhalation. The firefighters found her by literally tripping over her. She was burned over sixty percent of her body. She lost a good deal of the use of her arms and had to have both of her legs amputated just above the knees. She was kept in a drug induced coma until right before I was released from the hospital (I was in the hospital for two months initially).

While our families got to be friends when we were both staying in the hospital (especially our Moms), I’ve only spoken to her once or twice. The last thing I heard about her (and this was years ago) was that she was in graduate school and was teaching the “handicapped” how to ski. I got most of my information about her through my doctor. I know her story is far more inspiring than mine. I do not know if she has had any problems with mental illness (I’m sure losing your boyfriend, not to mention your legs, has to be depressing), but from everything that I’ve heard she is doing well and has handled the whole thing beautifully.

My hands get a little charred and I am still trying to get it together almost thirteen years later.

Edit: I don't mean it to sound like I compare myself to her all of the time, I don't. It's just that what she has been through blows my mind.