well, I've finally had something actually HAPPEN! now i wish i didn't.... I've found the scariest words in the english language: "I have some bad news for you..... you fractured your skull." i'm sure there are scarier, actually, but these are the scariest i've heard!
it started last friday, with a simple mission in Iraq, an IO patrol and to be followed by a presence patrol. i was commander on the trail M113, facing backwards manning a .50 cal machine gun. the driver lost control of the vehicle and we hit a brick wall, stopping us in our tracks. the driver got a bloody nose, and the dismounts in the back were all OK. I, however, was ejected form the turret, and my helmet flew off before i hit the ground. i was rushed to the hospital where a cat scan of my head showed a fracture in my skull. i was told not to worry, as it wasn't a bad one. i was bleeding onto my brain, but only 1 in 8 people needed surgery to correct such an injury.
about 8 hours after my arrival at the hospital, i began slipping in and out of conscousness, and forgetting things limy name and birthday.
apperently the other seven had already been spared.
i underwent brain surgery that night, and the next day i had a creepy tube sticking out of my head that drained blood from my cranium int a plastic ball to relieve pressure off of my brain.
a lot of my buddies came by to visit me, and i found out that the drain plug had come out of the transmission, dumping all the tranny fluid. tracked vehicles steer and brake through their trannies, so once the fluid was gone my track lost both functions.
so, here i am in Germany, waiting to go home. due to my head injury, i can't wear a helmet or perform any strenuous activity, both necessary capabilities to serve in Iraq..... especially as an Infantryman.
now i'm looking at 6-12 weeks of recovery time back at Ft. Lewis. on the up side, if i recover by January, i can still rejoin my unit in Iraq.
oh, and i look like frankenstien's monster
it started last friday, with a simple mission in Iraq, an IO patrol and to be followed by a presence patrol. i was commander on the trail M113, facing backwards manning a .50 cal machine gun. the driver lost control of the vehicle and we hit a brick wall, stopping us in our tracks. the driver got a bloody nose, and the dismounts in the back were all OK. I, however, was ejected form the turret, and my helmet flew off before i hit the ground. i was rushed to the hospital where a cat scan of my head showed a fracture in my skull. i was told not to worry, as it wasn't a bad one. i was bleeding onto my brain, but only 1 in 8 people needed surgery to correct such an injury.
about 8 hours after my arrival at the hospital, i began slipping in and out of conscousness, and forgetting things limy name and birthday.
apperently the other seven had already been spared.
i underwent brain surgery that night, and the next day i had a creepy tube sticking out of my head that drained blood from my cranium int a plastic ball to relieve pressure off of my brain.
a lot of my buddies came by to visit me, and i found out that the drain plug had come out of the transmission, dumping all the tranny fluid. tracked vehicles steer and brake through their trannies, so once the fluid was gone my track lost both functions.
so, here i am in Germany, waiting to go home. due to my head injury, i can't wear a helmet or perform any strenuous activity, both necessary capabilities to serve in Iraq..... especially as an Infantryman.
now i'm looking at 6-12 weeks of recovery time back at Ft. Lewis. on the up side, if i recover by January, i can still rejoin my unit in Iraq.
oh, and i look like frankenstien's monster
uptight:
Wish a speedy recovery - does this mean you get a purple heart?