Regarding what Danny just recently posted... my injury happened on October 19, 1979. I was so terribly bad off in so many ways that I was in the ICU unit for three months. That meant that I spent Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas of that year (and New Year's 1980) not only in the hospital but in intensive care.
I only remember Christmas because of certain events surrounding it. A small Christmas tree brought in from the guy that was driving the car when the injury occurred. I was unable to speak up until that point because my job was wired shut and I had a tracheotomy. Ironically, on Christmas Eve... my jaw had been unwired shortly before and my best friend from high school was visiting me that evening. My mother was at home for one reason or another. Exhaustion probably. I can't remember the exact circumstances but I think my friend put her finger over my trachea tube and I called my mother and was able to squeeze out a "Merry Christmas" to her which was the greatest gift in the world at that time. Because I lived in a relatively small town and that was big news since I spent an entire year in the hospital... I was featured in the paper numerous times. Including that very event! Whooopie for the media. LOL -- Lori C4/5 complete quad, 28 years post Tucson, AZ
