Somewhere on or shortly after March 15, 1974 - I finally came out of my coma although I was unable to speak. They gave me a pillow with an alphabet on it so I could spell out what I wanted to say. I frequently spelled to fast for anyone to keep up so kept telling me to slow down. I was confined to a wheelchair since I couldnt walk, muscle atrophy. I was unable to swallow so they continued feeding me through a tube running up my nose and down my throat, only now its seriously irritating, especially at night. That dogs coming out. By the time I am able to speak again, the nursing staff has buyers remorse. Everyone else has since. Eventually, I relearn how to walk and swallow as well. Slowly, they wean me away from the hospital. My wonderful fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Witte, tutors me at home until I return to school on May 2nd. Most remarkably, I dont skip a grade. It takes about a month before I realize that life will never be the same again. Brain damage, mental illness, partial amnesia, frustration. By the time youre my age (49), youve come into contact with two or three personal tragedies or more. If you havent, count your blessings and hold onto your socks. This isnt a story about a victim. Many in this world have faced far worse. But there are things that are within your control - vaccinate your kids. Side effects do exist and some of them are pretty bad, but are rare in comparison to the worst effects of the childhood illnesses that are so easily preventable. Always do the right thing.
Posted on: Sat, 15 Mar 2014 20:16:00 +0000
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