New AK Amputee

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Posted by Jarrod on January 29, 19102 at 01:05:59:

I came across your website while surfing the web this
evening. I thought I'd write you just for the hell of it.

I'm originally from Huntsville, Alabama. I've been living on Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, for the past year and a half. I'm an IT securtiy engineer.

On January 8th this year, my 24th birthday,
I was on the way back home to the east end of the
island. It was about 11pm and I was leaving a small
b'day dinner at a place on Seven Mile Beach on the
west side of the island.

Most caribbean islands are known for having animals
of all types roam freely. Well, about three quarters of the way home I was going around a curve and I quickly looked down to change tracks on my cd player. When I looked back up there was a large bull walking across the road. (fyi, you drive on the left in Cayman) I reacted quickly, but over corrected coming out... even at 30mph (the speed limit) the car slid sideways off the road, hit a tree which spun the car, then hit a large boulder which caused the car to roll onto its side.

I wasn't hurt in the accident. I crawled out of the door as the car was lying on it's passenger side. When I fell out of the car still shaken up... the car then fell on top of me, trapping me from the waist down. The engine still running at idle... the catylitic converter resting on my right leg. I couldn't move an inch and tried everything possible
to escape.

On this side of the island... and especially at this time of night there is very rarely any traffic. However, when I heard a car coming by I would reach as hard as I could to hold the horn down, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't reach the ignition or my cell phone to call help. The vehicle was so far off the road that no one could see me.

After short amount of time the intense burning sensation that I felt from the converter on my leg diminished. In fact, I could no longer mover my entire right leg. I just thought it was asleep because of the frame of the car possibly
cutting off my circulation.

After four hours of my lying there someone finally
heard my horn. Shortly thereafter I was at the Cayman
Health Services Hospital. The doctor showed me my leg
and it looked like it had been lying on a grill. He stated that he had to remove some of the dead muscle because of toxins, etc. I awoke later and the doc said they had done all they could and that it was much worse than thought. I again looked at the leg... it looked more like a tooth-pick now... there was nothing left but skin and bone. They called it a fourth degree "something" burn... it was all the way
to the bone and literally bar-b-q'd everything.

Eventually I was flown via med-flight learjet from Grand Cayman to Huntsville, AL at a huge cost. I lost over six pints of blood and was clinically dead on the jet for over a minute at which time we almost had to divert to Orlando, FL. Luckily they somehow brought me back... but the bleeder was still going and they couldn't find it.

I arrived at the hospital in Huntsville at about 4am on Thursday, January 10th. The doc there told me that I was going to have to make a choice. To either try
to save the leg or go ahead with amputation. I already
knew what had to be done. After seeing the leg in
Cayman there was nothing to think about. I gave the
doc the go ahead with the amputation and woke up
hours later with an amputated right leg about an inch
above the knee.

I was released a few days later on the 15th to go
the the parents house. So, here I sit... it's been just over two weeks.

I have had phantom pains constantly since I left the hospital. Mine haven't been extremely bad... but they do hurt and haven't gone away... hard to sleep. Right now it feels as if my foot is all binded together and it keeps getting tighter... other times toe nails feel like they're being ripped up/out... you know the deal.

I'm currently at the "stump shrinker" stage right now.
I'm wearing it until February 8th at which time I hope
to be fit for prosthesis.

I, unfortunately, am in a bad situation... I had just left the company I was employed with and was in the process of starting my business when this whole thing happend. Things don't work quite the same when you live/work in another country. So, I have no medical insurance or anything to pay for any of this. The med-flight alone was over fifteen grand. I've been applying for state aid, disablity, etc, etc... to try to pay for everything.

I've been looking really hard at that C-Leg... the
company I'm dealing with here in Huntsville is
an authorized dealer. I just don't know about
the cost... I believe it's pretty out there!!!

Regards,

Jarrod
jrbailey@hiwaay.net

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: I came across your website while surfing the web this : evening. I thought I'd write you just for the hell of it. : I'm originally from Huntsville, Alabama. I've been living on Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, for the past year and a half. I'm an IT securtiy engineer. : : On January 8th this year, my 24th birthday, : I was on the way back home to the east end of the : island. It was about 11pm and I was leaving a small : b'day dinner at a place on Seven Mile Beach on the : west side of the island. : Most caribbean islands are known for having animals : of all types roam freely. Well, about three quarters of the way home I was going around a curve and I quickly looked down to change tracks on my cd player. When I looked back up there was a large bull walking across the road. (fyi, you drive on the left in Cayman) I reacted quickly, but over corrected coming out... even at 30mph (the speed limit) the car slid sideways off the road, hit a tree which spun the car, then hit a large boulder which caused the car to roll onto its side. : I wasn't hurt in the accident. I crawled out of the door as the car was lying on it's passenger side. When I fell out of the car still shaken up... the car then fell on top of me, trapping me from the waist down. The engine still running at idle... the catylitic converter resting on my right leg. I couldn't move an inch and tried everything possible : to escape. : On this side of the island... and especially at this time of night there is very rarely any traffic. However, when I heard a car coming by I would reach as hard as I could to hold the horn down, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't reach the ignition or my cell phone to call help. The vehicle was so far off the road that no one could see me. : After short amount of time the intense burning sensation that I felt from the converter on my leg diminished. In fact, I could no longer mover my entire right leg. I just thought it was asleep because of the frame of the car possibly : cutting off my circulation. : After four hours of my lying there someone finally : heard my horn. Shortly thereafter I was at the Cayman : Health Services Hospital. The doctor showed me my leg : and it looked like it had been lying on a grill. He stated that he had to remove some of the dead muscle because of toxins, etc. I awoke later and the doc said they had done all they could and that it was much worse than thought. I again looked at the leg... it looked more like a tooth-pick now... there was nothing left but skin and bone. They called it a fourth degree "something" burn... it was all the way : to the bone and literally bar-b-q'd everything. : Eventually I was flown via med-flight learjet from Grand Cayman to Huntsville, AL at a huge cost. I lost over six pints of blood and was clinically dead on the jet for over a minute at which time we almost had to divert to Orlando, FL. Luckily they somehow brought me back... but the bleeder was still going and they couldn't find it. : I arrived at the hospital in Huntsville at about 4am on Thursday, January 10th. The doc there told me that I was going to have to make a choice. To either try : to save the leg or go ahead with amputation. I already : knew what had to be done. After seeing the leg in : Cayman there was nothing to think about. I gave the : doc the go ahead with the amputation and woke up : hours later with an amputated right leg about an inch : above the knee. : I was released a few days later on the 15th to go : the the parents house. So, here I sit... it's been just over two weeks. : I have had phantom pains constantly since I left the hospital. Mine haven't been extremely bad... but they do hurt and haven't gone away... hard to sleep. Right now it feels as if my foot is all binded together and it keeps getting tighter... other times toe nails feel like they're being ripped up/out... you know the deal. : I'm currently at the "stump shrinker" stage right now. : I'm wearing it until February 8th at which time I hope : to be fit for prosthesis. : I, unfortunately, am in a bad situation... I had just left the company I was employed with and was in the process of starting my business when this whole thing happend. Things don't work quite the same when you live/work in another country. So, I have no medical insurance or anything to pay for any of this. The med-flight alone was over fifteen grand. I've been applying for state aid, disablity, etc, etc... to try to pay for everything. : I've been looking really hard at that C-Leg... the : company I'm dealing with here in Huntsville is : an authorized dealer. I just don't know about : the cost... I believe it's pretty out there!!! : Regards, : Jarrod : jrbailey@hiwaay.net

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