Amy Sedgemore
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 Pedstruck '99 - 15 years later - Part Two

11/24/2014

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Picture
The next five days went by in a blur. I don't remember much if it now and I didn't then either. That's because I was in an out of surgery and in and out of consciousness too.
     From the impact of the car, both my tibia and fibula were damaged. Both bones of my right shin were broken, and it two ways. A oblique break: means the bone was completely broken on an angle, which is very unstable (in the degree of breaks). And then a comminuted break, which means they were shattered too. What did this mean for me?
     First and foremost, it meant that I needed immediate surgery to secure the tibia. This required a titanium rod to be placed in my tibia and secured with some screws. I'm not going to go into detail about that procedure but I do know that I am thrilled that I wasn't awake to experience or remember any of it. 
     So the reason I don't remember those first five days is...after that first surgery to place the titanium rod in, there was a complication. I spiked an intense fever. Which, though I don't remember much in those days, I actually remember this. And that's because I remember being soo hot, like melting hot, but the nurse saying I wasn't - that according to my temperature I was, in fact, freezing. When they touched my skin, it was ice cold. (Later in my hospital stay I stole a peek at my chart and saw the temperature line. It had completely skyrocketed, and then plummeted and then skyrocketed again during this time period).
     Why? Not only was my body reacting to the trauma of this rod intrusion, it was also resisting his foreign object. Hence the fever. It is Acute Compartment Syndrome, and required immediate surgery to get control of the swelling. If left untreated in an urgent manner, this could have caused the nerves and blood vessels to die and would have resulted in amputation - and in the worse cases - death.
     I am grateful every day that I was the 1 in 4, to have KEPT my leg (3 our of every 4 people with this complication aren't so lucky and end up losing their limb). Four surgeries in five days, is the reason I don't really remember much of them. They gave me four long scars on my right leg - but I rock them proudly. (On the left of my calf is similar to the one on the right side, it's not visible in the photo). They are daily reminders of how I beat the odds - what's not to be grateful for?
I hope you've enjoyed part two of my experience of being struck by a car. If you have stories and experiences to share, I would love to hear them! Please leave them in the comments and check back next week for part three!

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15 years ago - #Pedstruck '99 - Part #1

11/16/2014

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          Has it been that long already? Fifteen years have passed since I was struck by a car: an impact that has changed my life forever.
          Sometimes I can remember it so vividly it feels like a few short years ago. Close to midnight, on a cold and dreary November night, I returned a couple movies to Video Update and them made my way home. Suddenly, there were bright, blinding headlights. The next thing I remember I'm on the cold, damp cement, trying to move, in an attempt to pull myself out of the way of traffic. The moments flicker by as if watching a scene through a viewfinder: moments of clarity, and moments of darkness.
          Initially, I was yelling for help, that my leg was in paid and that was why I was trying to drag myself out of the way. The next  thing I know, I'm lying on my back nearer the side of the road, and a woman is standing over me, asking me questions like, do I remember my name? And is there someone I can call? I still remember blinking against the rain falling onto my face and in my eye as I manage to give her my home number, in hopes of at least reaching my roommate. The next time I come to, there is a blue tarp hoisted above me to block the pouring rain, I don't know where it came from, but more people are around me. And then I'm in an ambulance. I'm repeatedly yelling about the pain in my leg as by this point it's quite severe. I can still remember the ambulance attendant who was in the back with me, tell me to stop yelling about the pain, that they couldn't administer anything to help until we reach the hospital. "Well, then you may as well ignore me," I told her, "See how quiet and calm you'd be if you were me." She didn't say anything else to me for the remainder of the ride, not that I remember anyway.
          The next thing I know, I'm in a room with glaringly bright lights hanging overhead. There's a doctor with dark brown hair and a thick mustache leaning over me, trying to get my attention. He introduces himself as Dr. Gordon Pate, and asks for my name, if I knew the day of the week and the date, those sort of things. Then, he tells me I'm not going to like this part very much. I didn't know what he was referring to, since he is holding a face cloth above my face as he says so. I can recall with acute details when he put the hot cloth on my face. All the while wondering, what the big deal was. And then he proceeds to move the face cloth as if to clean my face. A thousand sharp piercing cuts all at once, all across my face. I swear I could see little flashes of lights for every one of those sharp pricks. For each one was from teeny, tiny, nearly invisible, shards of glass. From the wind-shield, as Dr. Pate informed me.
          And then I could remember it exactly. I remember taking a step or two as I started to cross the street and suddenly seeing bright headlights. Startled, I turned around and tried to get out of the way. But it was too late. The car struck me on my right side. I went up on the hood, hit the windshield, that's when I acquired the minute fragments of glass. The driver must have slammed on the brakes at this point, because soon I'm flying through the air (up out of my shoes I later learned), and land on the front, right side of my head.
          "You're going to need surgery". Dr. Pate tells me and wheels me into the hallway until an operation room is available. While in the hallway, two officers stop by. "It was you? Little olè you? That Saturn looked like it hit a deer!?"
          That's the last thing I remember before they rolled me in for surgery.
I hope you've enjoyed the first part to my story of being hit by a car, Check back next week for Part Two!
Until then, have a wonderful week and stay warm!



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My first Perfect Score! A Vote Of Confidence!

11/8/2014

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(I have no idea what happened to my previous post which published as blank, nor why Weebly is making this all in caps (without my caplock being that way), but here we go again)...

From a month or two dwelling in editing squalor, I think I may have received the vote of confidence I needed. Over the past year, I have entered approximately 5 writing contests. While the hope is to place as a finalist, aspiring authors also obtain invaluable feedback for their submitted works. Included in the 'you didn't quite cut it kid' email, are usually three score card from the judges. Up until now, I have consistently received a similar spread. One super high score with glowing remarks (an 'A' or 'A+' from percentage). One great score with positive feedback and constructive criticism (a 'b'). And finally, one not so favourable score (a 'C' and even one D!). Overall, I have felt these have been a great representation of the variety of readers in general: to each their own, right? (Though I still maintain that the lowest of the grades and with the poorest comments/feedback just didn't *get* my story telling voice and I got the sense that they preferred traditional/classic style of romance).
Well folks, I just got All A's baby! 63/70, 62/70 and...wait for it...70/70!!
And while I didn't place as a finalist, it was rewarding. September, I received an honourable mention and now this? It's clear proof in the numbers that I've been steadily improving over the last year. I feel that if I keep doing what I'm doing, I will reach my goal of becoming a published author! It's only a matter of time!
For now, I am going to let these positive scores and comments boost my writing...er, editing spirit, and propel me closer to that finish line. I guess it's a good thing its nanowrimo, which I have personalized into a Nanorevmo - Revisions month. :)
Here's the positive comments that made my last few months and truly reaffirmed my aspirations!
Tumble Into Me. 70/70
"This is the only perfect score I gave. I loved every moment of it, and I totally want to fall in love with Liam. You’ve a great voice. I kept reading and wanted more. Good luck with the submissions. I know this manuscript will sell."
(from a published author).
*sigh* :)

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    Stargazer. Daydreamer. Aspiring Romance Writer.

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