A Dramatic Change of Life

By: Vicki Ross

Name: Susan Peterson
Injury: cervical spinal
Mechanism of injury: car accident
Date of injury: 11/23/2008

A life changing event
In November 2008, Susan Peterson was involved in a car accident that would dramatically change her life. The accident occurred while she was traveling down a busy Los Angeles freeway when the vehicle ahead of her slammed into a car parked on the shoulder. Unable to avoid a collision, her car crashed violently, crushing her cervical vertebrae.

The injury rendered Susan mostly paralyzed from the neck down, requiring her to be placed on a ventilator. Over the next two weeks in the hospital, Susan hallucinated that balloons tied to her bed were dead people floating above her; that someone's legs were pressing down on her chest. She, later, was transferred to Westside Medical Center's spinal unit in Los Angeles. Her spirits were good, but the rehabilitation was exhausting and difficult. During the month of December, Susan spent eight hours a day in rehabilitation.

Discovering resources
As soon as she found out her daughter was injured, Susan's mother, Mary, immediately went in search of resources and any information she could find about spinal cord injuries. She went online and discovered the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation site. There, she found a wealth of information about spinal cord injuries. This information was very helpful in increasing her understanding of Susan's condition and how to deal with it. Mary read numerous stories about other people who had suffered injuries similar to that of Susan. Many of these people were able to, somehow, triumph over their tragedy and Mary found inspiration in that. This caused her to realize that she was not alone in having to deal with the, highly stressful, situation of taking care of a family member who suffered a spinal cord injury. Mary thinks it is great that the Christopher Reeve Foundation provides this important information, along with numerous other free resources that assist people in coping and dealing with these traumatic injuries.

Simple things are missed
Susan was working as a massage therapist, a job she loved because it allowed her to attend to the well-being of others. But now Susan has an array of medical professionals tending to her. She'll be undergoing several more surgeries, yet doctors say it will be a miracle if she walks again. "I miss the simple things, like scratching my head. If I could do that, I would feel like a whole new person," says Susan, who was self-employed and does not have adequate health insurance. In the time that has passed, since her accident, Susan's nightmares have turned into vivid dreams. There she is, walking on a California beach again, eating tacos at a Mexican restaurant, dancing with friends at a nightclub. It all seems so real, those dreams, until she would realize that she needed to stop the dancing and get back to her wheelchair.

Holding out hope/The importance of family
Living at home with her mother, now, Susan is building a new life, one including caregivers, medication and a chin-operated wheelchair which is secured in place with a strap across her chest. Each morning her caregiver gets her out of bed, dresses her in a compression suit to keep her blood circulating and tends to her most basic needs. She returns each night to put her to bed. When Susan's caregiver is not available, in the middle of the night, Susan's mother wakes up to turn her over in bed so that she doesn't get bed sores.

A goal of Susan's is to learn how to work a voice-operated computer so that she can reclaim a little independence. The unit would control a wide range of electrical devices, such as lights, the phone, computer and TV. Other customized items she is looking to purchase include a special pressure-reducing mattress and a hydraulic-assisted standing frame that would allow her to continue with her range-of-motion and strengthening exercises. A portable ramp would enable her caregivers to bring her outside more easily.

While Susan has regained some motion in her arms, most of her body below the neck is paralyzed. She said this has done little to heal her physical and emotional injuries. However, Susan is not giving up hope of more fully recovering her movement and happiness. "I don't even mind being like this, at least if I feel good," said Susan, who used to work out at a gym six days a week. "I just want to feel good. People still think it's amazing that I'm happy half the time. I'm just grateful that my mother is still alive, healthy and able to be with me. Words cannot describe how important it is having her in my life. I don't think I could have survived this ordeal without her. My brother, Jeff, has also been a great help and has spent a lot of time visiting me. I also have a lot of wonderful friends and relatives who have been very supportive in donating their time and money to me. For that, I am very appreciative. "

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