I survived 111 days of hospitalization and rehabilitation

(WARNING - SOME PHOTOS MAY BE DIFFICULT FOR VIEWERS)

Etta (named after Etta James), my 2009 Honda Jazz

Insurance company declared

the scooter unrepairable

My flames helmet

On July 28th, 2012, I was riding my scooter and was hit by a car who ran a red light. The impact of the car was to my left side and I flew on the car's windshield, hitting my head then flew to the ground. I sustained many injuries especially to the left side. I was brought by ambulance to the Montreal General Hospital (MGH) where I spent the first month in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). I sustained a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) including bleeding on the left side of the brain and also a lot of oedema fluid accumulation around the brain.  For this reason, I was induced in a coma for 20 days. My neurologist and her team debated whether or not to do neuro-surgery where they remove a piece of my skull to permit my brain to swell.  I developed a pneumonia therefore it never happened.  I had catheters attached my head to extract the oedema fluid when monitors indicated there was too much. 

My body became quite swollen from all the fluid

The bandage on the front of my head was due
to a big cut 

I had a fracture to my malleolus bones on the left ankle.  I had surgery on August 16th, 2012 where four screws were inserted to repair the fracture. I also had a transverse apophysis fracture of my T3 on the spinal cord.

I had a feeding tube going directly to my stomach but an infection occurred and they removed it.  A feeding tube was then put through my nose.  Due to the pneumonia, a tracheotomy was put in my throat to assist with breathing.  I had numerous tubes attached to my body for fluids, drugs to induce the coma, blood transfusions, etc.  Someone told me they counted once I had 15 tubes attached to my body. I also had machines monitoring my blood pressure and brain fluid accumulation.

Holy tubes

Tracheotomy put in, I look peaceful.

After one month, I was transfered to the 14th floor, a neurology floor. I remember faintly when I was slowly coming out of the coma; being in a hospital bed, my head was shaved, neck in a brace, left foot in a cast, a feeding tube in my nose, wearing a diaper, urine catheter in and a partial tracheotomy tube coming out of my throat.  It was terribly scary and confusing. I do not really remember much of my stay there especially in the beginning, it was blurry.  Due to the drugs that were still in my system, I had many delusions. Perhaps dreams/thoughts/memories that I truly believed were reality.  


I became obsessive about many things such as wanting to eat real food.  For some reason, I had a huge obsession with Portuguese chicken, I wanted to eat it very badly. The feeding tube in my nose drove me crazy.  I could always see it since it was taped to my nose. I pulled out the entire tube from my nose myself twice in the night.  They would then tie my hands at night to the bed.  This was extremely frustrating, I remember asking a nurse several times if I was in a prison or a hospital. I had a urine catheter and wore a diaper and was expected to do my toilet in them.  I was never brought to the toilet. This was very humiliating to me. The urine catheter was extremely painful and I told one of the residents that I thought I had a urinary tract infection and I was right.

Portuguese chicken, yes please.

This is the first words that I wrote
post-coma.  My neuro-psychologist asked
me in French "how long have you been in
the hospital?".  I said and wrote "trop
longtemps" - "too long".  My mother
kept it to give to me.

They discovered I had developed a bed sore on my lower back. I had to get it treated and the bandage changed every day. I felt that I was going crazy while at the hospital.  One man of the 5 people in the room, Mr. DeSouza, moved all night long in the bed.  I could barely sleep.  I couldn't wait to be discharged, I felt desperate to get out.

Inner ankle scar from my surgery, 10 staples

My friend Alan Lee made this poster for me.
My parents framed it as a coming home present.

Finally, September 11th, 2012, I got transferred to the rehab IRGLM (Institut réadaptation Gingras-Lindsay de Montréal) on the 1st floor, neurology floor.  I got put in a room with Jean, an 89 year old woman originally from Windsor, Ontario.  We named our room, the Ontario girls' room.  She was bilingual and single like me.  She was such a delight and still a friend today.  Living at IRGLM was like night and day compared to the hospital.  Everyone was friendly and encouraging. A team to help you start learning to do things on your own again.  I had a whole team indeed - doctor, nurse, nurse's aid, physiotherapist, neuropsychologist, speech therapist, occupational therapist and social worker.

IRGLM, I was in this pavilion, Gingras

I was given a wheelchair my first day which was such a blessing.  I was taught how to do transfers and sat on a toilet for the first time.  I was able to stop wearing the diaper but I still had some incontinence.  I think my body got used to going to the toilet when it had to. September 21st, I got my cast taken off by the ortho-surgeon and he told me he was impressed how it healed and I could start trying to walk slowly. They discovered, however, a huge body ulcer on the back of my heel.  They said it was probably caused from pressure on the heel in the cast and since I was bedridden for about 6 weeks. 

In entrance lounge are at IRGLM, spent
a lot of time there with visitors.

Rocking the wheelchair with my fancy foot fashion.
That's right, one foot shoe, one foot sock.
In the park in front of IRGLM.  I loved going there, felt so
good to have sunshine.

My first week at IRGLM in my room.
I still had the bandage on my tracheotomy scar.

My niece Angela and my sister Jacynthe in the lounge of IRGLM.
My sister fundraised among friends and family to buy me an iPad.
That's what is in the bag.  I'm a lucky gal.

A week later, my left leg became very swollen and was quite warm.  I got sent to the hospital for a Doppler (vein ultrasound) and they discovered that I had 5 DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) or blood clots as we often call them.  Despite having had 2 preventative anti-coagulant shots per day (at that point I was hospitalized over 70 days = over 140 shots), I still developed DVTs, also most likely related to the fact that I was bedridden for 6 weeks and wheelchair bound.  They then started to give me anti-coagulant shots twice daily in the stomach (which really bruised me) then I started to take Coumadin (an anticoagulant pill) daily.

My fancy hair style when I arrived at IRGLM.
Some balding and a bit of bed sores.

This was taken the day after my cast was taken off.
I called my foot/ankle the Michelin man foot (as in Michelin
Tires logo man)

My foot was extremely dry and still stained from antiseptic
of the surgery

Major bruising to my stomach caused by the anticoagulant
shots twice daily

The bedsore on my heel was the most painful and required a lot of nursing care.  Every morning after my shower, the nurse would come to clean and change the bandage on the heel and on my lower back for the other bed sore.  I learned a lot about bed sore care. Every couple of weeks they would measure the bed sores. My ankle sore was 4cm x 2 cm, quite big.  My back sore was 5cm x 1 cm. The nurses would apply different kinds of gels to the sores, usually containing high salt, which would burn greatly after applied (sometimes for up to 2-3 hours).  The object was to help remove the yellow fluid in the sore and promote healthy cells (more red of colour) to multiply. Every week the medical team on the floor would come evaluate especially my heel sore - doctors from the floor, my nurse, the head nurse and my physiotherapist.  I was very popular.  My physiotherapist did laser treatment 5 times on the heel bedsore when it became more red of colour.  I was so nervous about this procedure, I thought it would burn and smell but it didn't at all.  It was painless, I didn't even realize they were doing it and there no smell. My last couple of weeks at IRGLM we also used a honey medical paste (apparently honey is antibacterial) on the heel sore.  When used, I had to keep the bandage on for 2 days.

Back bed sore in September 2012 at IRGLM

Back bed sore closed up in December 2012

Finally closed up beginning
of January 2013

Heel bed sore.
The last pic was taken
after my first laser
treatment.

Heel sore when I arrived home after
5 laser treatments and
using honey paste.  First
2 pics note the maceration
caused by the honey.

I started walking with a walker which felt really good.  Two months without walking is a long time.  It was a slow process.  At first only 20-30 m, then the next day more and so on. My physiotherapist then banned my wheelchair from my room.  He was good like that, always positive but would push me. After, I graduated to a cane.  At first, a 'canne canadienne' that has a partial wrap that goes around the forearm then on to a regular cane.  Felt like freedom to walk with a cane.  IRGLM custom made me a walking boot which was so stiff and huge, it was very uncomfortable and felt like a snowboarding boot.  I hated using it but I had no shoes or sandals I could wear since my left foot was so swollen and I had the heel sore.  I walked around for over a month at IRGLM with a shoe on the right foot and a sock of the left foot.  My left foot was so swollen, I had to wear my father's socks which we would also have to cut. IRGLM also made me a night boot which was to protect my heel while I'm sleeping so there is no pressure on it.  Very weird to sleep with a boot I tell you and you had to take it off when you needed to walk to the toilet for example otherwise it would be dangerous.

Using the walker at IRGLM with my fancy footwear

I made this drawing for a resident Rudy who was
in the room across the hall from me at IRGLM.
I worked hours on this drawing, I can't remember
the last time I made a drawing.  I said this Tibetan
Buddha of medicine mantra numerous times
to get through pain and rehab

Walking boot

So huge.

Night boot

Note the plastic arch at the back to protect my heel

I finally got to have some day passes out of rehab on the weekend and went to my parent's house a few times.  Then I was able to have weekends home, I had three.  My mother got the landlord to install a hand rail going up the inside stairs to my apartment since I live on the third floor of a triplex.  Wouldn't have been able to go home without it.  When I first stepped into my apartment, I was very emotional, 3 months later... what a weird feeling.  It was strange to be home but felt like heaven.  To finally have privacy in a non-institutional setting, sleep in my own bed in a room alone. It felt awesome.

Thanksgiving dinner at my parents with
my sister Jacynthe. I'm using a 'canne canadienne'

My niece Angela and mom at my parents for
Thanksgiving dinner

My first weekend home.  I had friends over for brunch.
So good to be home

I was starting to feel quite fed up of living in rehab.  Jean was discharged home, I missed her dearly and my new roommate Mohamed drove me crazy.  He snored so loud (I could even hear him with ear plugs!) and he complained all the time.  I was ready to go home.  November 15th, 2012, I was discharged home after 111 days of hospitalization and rehabilitation.  My goal was to roll into rehab in a wheelchair and walk out.  I did it !

My first haircut after discharge home

When I was discharged home, I thought it was going to be so awesome.  Finally my privacy, living with my own things in my own place and making my own food.  But I was miserable.  I did a lot of crying.  I was shocked how miserable I was.  I guess I didn't realize how much my life was routined with activities including going to the gym every afternoon and that I had a medical team at my disposal all the time when I was living in rehab.  At home, I was reminded of my losses - I have to walk with a cane, not one pair of shoes or boots fit me, I can't drive (I temporarily lost my driver's license because of the TBI), I was alone and had nothing to do.  I was supposed to start outpatient rehab in 2 weeks but it got put off to over 3 weeks.  I was bored and feeling discouraged. 

My first weekend home.
Alan and Kathryn were visiting Montreal.
We're walking at Parc des Rapides in Lasalle.

Kathryn & I at Parc des Rapides.
Walking with my cane and my sandals.
It was chilly.

I found a gym after all near by that was actually adapted like a private rehab of sorts, so I started going there.  I also found a local orthopaedic shoe store that informed me the SAAQ pays for up to 5 pairs of shoes. I got a pair of boots and 2 pairs of shoes.  The CLSC nurse was coming every 2 days at home to change my bandage on my heel and back.  At that point, we were using honey paste on my heel.  Many nurses had never even heard of it.  Finally, I started outpatient rehab at Constance-Lethbridge.  I had a whole team to help me out - physiotherapist, occupational therapist, psychologist, neuropsychologist, nutritionist and kinesiologist. It was good to have a routine again. Rehab at Constance-Lethbridge 3 days/week then my local gym 2 days/week.

Me with Sunscape, the Constance
Lethbridge Mira dog.
He's awesome.

The bedsore on my back closed up in December.  So good to not have any more gels, bandages or tape on my back.  The heel sore took the longest to heal, it actually took longer to heal that my actual fracture of the ankle took. It finally closed up beginning of January, 2013, 3.5 months later.  I was utterly happy, I felt as if I had a new foot.  It also permitted me to have my first stand up shower, what bliss especially that first shower was with no tape on my body. In January, 2013, I also stopped using a cane to walk outdoors.  It was a weird feeling the first time, I felt kind of naked but it felt free too.  

I was intended to stop Coumadin in January, 2013 but I convinced my doctor to send me for another Doppler.  They found that I still had a partial blood clot behind my knee and a superficial blood clot mid-calf.  Therefore, I continued taking Coumadin.  My doctor referred me to a hematologist and in June 2013, I finally stopped taking Coumadin (8 months later instead of the 3 months predicted) despite still having a partial blood clot that doesn't seem to want to disappear.

My compression sock and grip latex gloves
I must use to put it on.

Kinesiology tape to help with swelling

Over 1 year later, my back and heel sore are closed, stopped taking Coumadin,  walking without aid, 2 of the 4 screws in my ankle are broken (this was expected from my orthopaedic surgeon), past the test to get my drivers' license back (in January, 2013), driving a scooter once again, stopped doing physiotherapy at rehab and started back at work progressively (in June, 2013).  I'm still wearing my compression sock (for up to  1-2 years), I struggle majorly with fatigue and I have increased headaches especially after starting work.  I started taking Nortriptyline for the headaches. I continue going to rehab at Constance-Lethbridge for support with my return to work from the psychologist, neuropsychologist and occupational therapist.

All things considered, when I look back at everything I went through medically... I came out alright.  I am definitely thankful and grateful for that. I was very lucky and I am happy to be alive.  I also feel blessed for all the support and visits I had from my family, especially my parents (who were there daily), my sister, my niece and my numerous friends.  They helped me get through it all for sure.  For the 1 year anniversary of my scooter accident, I decided to do a rehab fundraiser. I felt it was important to give back to the rehab centres that helped me out.  I raised $2600 for both foundations of IRGLM and Constance Lethbridge. 

1 year anniversary Rehab Fundraiser, me and my awesome family -
my dad Bill,  my mom Priscilla, my sister Jacynthe
and my niece Angela.

The trip I never planned...July 28, 2012

Saturday, July 28th, 2012, I'm going out to brunch to meet my friends Maggie, Kathleen and Mylène for Kathleen's birthday. I'm running late and rushing to go to brunch, not sure how much time it will take me to go all the way to the Plateau. We are meeting at Passe Compose restaurant, one of our favourites for brunch.  I head out to the Plateau enjoying the sun on my skin.  It is a warm summer morning.  I love riding my scooter, I feel free.

I finally arrive in the Plateau and luckily find a parking spot for the scooter a couple of blocks away next to other scooters.  I lock it up and walk to the restaurant and the girls are already there.  We have a lovely brunch, Passe Compose is good. We decide to go up the street to Parc Lafontainne to eat cupcakes that Mylène made. We find a picnic table and eat our cupcakes. Mylène makes great cupcakes.

I told the girls that I have to head out early.  It is about 3:30 pm and I have to meet Tyler at 4:00 pm in Verdun by the water. I've met Tyler a few times at his request.  I was his social worker at his high school while i was doing my internship there. So now I'm Tyler's volunteer social worker of sorts.  I rush to walk to my scooter concerned that I will be late. I walk a few blocks to my scooter and now that it's later afternoon it's quite hot.  I'm looking forward to getting on the scooter and getting some breeze.

I unlock the scooter and drive out to Amherst Street. I head south to René-Lévesque Street.  I don't really like taking René-Lévesque since its such a big street and gets really busy but it's the best option to get across to the west.  I didn't want to take Atwater Street since it's a Saturday and usually it's crazy.  I usually take Guy street instead to head south.  While I'm on René-Lévesque the light was flashing green to turn left at Lucien-D'Allier so I decide to turn left here.  While I'm headed south on Lucien-D'Allier I feel anxious, it's a considerable downhill.  I often feel anxious when I take streets I usually don't because being on a scooter is much more dangerous if I hit a pothole. 

*****************************************************************
What follows is what I have been informed about from my parents who spoke to the police and what other people have told me.  After turning on Lucier-d'Allier, I have no memory of what happened:

A 22 year old driving a car going west on St-Antoine doesn't notice he has the red light.  He tries to brake but hits me while I'm going through the intersection.  He hits me on the left side at my leg. He was probably doing 50-60 km/hour.  After impact, I fly on the windshield of the car and hit my head on the left side. I roll off the car and end up 2-3 lanes away from my scooter.  The guy who hit me calls 911. At the intersection people saw what happened. 

The police and the ambulance arrive quickly.  A police person asks me my name and phone number.  I tell them and then pass out. The ambulance brings me to MGH (Montreal General Hospital). Upon arrival, I get a head CT. They are concerned about my head trauma.  I am admitted to ICU (Intensive Care Unit).  I also have a fracture to my left ankle. The media arrive later at the scene of the accident. 

TVA films my scooter on the ground. The police come to my apartment to see if anyone is there.  They speak with my neighbours to see if they have phone numbers for my family.  They call my landlord in Magog and ask him as well.  Nobody has the phone numbers for my family. The police even call my number and leave a message that I'm at the hospital.

The hospital has no phone number for my family either.  My iPhone that has many numbers disappeared in the accident.  Mom sees on TVA and on the Internet a picture taken at the scene of the accident.  She thinks it's my scooter.  It looks like my scooter she says to dad. She looks at the picture I had sent her a few months before of my new scooter.  Dad says he thinks I'm in Cornwall visiting my friend Jen. Mom's not convinced.  She's scared it's my scooter. They said the victim was a woman in her thirties.  She calls me. She sends me an e-mail:

Subject: Are you OK‏

Priscilla Smith                                              28/07/2012

To: Chantal Smith

Nous avons vu à la télé un accident de scooter gris sur Lucien lallier, qui a eu lieu à 4h aujourd'hui.  La conductrice dans la trentaine fut transportée à l'hopital.

Maman xiooxoo

By Sunday night, mom is worried.  She hasn't heard from me yet. She thinks this is unusual since we usually talk on Sunday nights.  She has the instinct that something is wrong.  It's later Sunday night and she decides to check my phone messages to see if something is going on, she knows my password.  She hears a message from the police saying that I had been in an accident and I'm at MGH.  My parents get in the car and head to MGH.

A Day in Uruguay

Daniel and I wanted to go to Uruguay today but were quite disorganized to do so.  We had no ticket booked on the Buquebus (shuttle ship) and no idea when they leave.  So we woke up early and headed to our favourite neighbourhood café, Desirio, to check things out on the Internet.  Dan called to see if there were tickets left but had trouble communicating with the agent.  Our waitress said, "Oh, the Buquebus office is at the corner right over there at Maipu and Florida".  So Dan decided he would go find this office while I run back to the apartment to get my passport and camera.  


We met up and Dan was discouraged because he did not find the Buquebus (I love saying this word) office and realized Maipu and Florida are parallel.  It was almost 9:20 and the Buquebus was supposed to leave at 9:45 am.  So we decided to chance it and hop into a taxi. 


The Amazing Race began... thankfully we had an efficient and rapido taxi driver.  We got to the Buquebus at 9:30 almost.  Dan ran out of the taxi to the Information desk while I paid the taxi.  When I got in, I looked around and noticed a screen that said 'Ticket Sales'. I turned to tell Dan but he was busy sticking his finger in some guy's face who was trying ask the agent a question before him (it was a very funny sight).

The famous Buquebus

We go to the ticket sales counter and a woman who was probably the fastest I have ever seen on a keyboard, ultimate turbo, printed out our tickets within 2 minutes.  She yelled 'inglès' to a colleague who told us we had to pay at another counter.  We ran to the other counter and paid then ran up the stairs to security.  The security agents asked "Boarding pass !".  What this isn't a boarding pass?  Pointing back down to the counter, they screamed "rapido!" (and of course laughing at the gringos).  Ahhh, so we ran back down, and got our boarding passes (what up with that, three different counter places to do everything?).  We ran back up, "Si, boarding pass" they said laughing.  We quickly went thru security and then had to go thru Uruguayan immigration who were of rapid efficiency as well.  We got our passports stamped and ran up the ramp to get on the Buquebus at 9:43 a.m.  We high-five each other in awe that we made it on.  This was a major Amazing Race achievement. Phewww.

Yeah !  We made it !

The Buquebus was a three hour ride, we had plenty of time to chill and check out the views of the Rio de la Plata to Uruguay.

See you later, Buenos Aires - go away clouds !

Uruguayan flag over Buenos Aires

You don't see this is Canadian ship bathrooms.  Everybody drinks yerba mate tea around here and throws it in the sink.

We are so cool it's ridiculous... except for my hair, what up with that swirl in the wind?  

Colonia, Uruguay, here we come.   Note the lighthouse (we will be there later....)

Yeah !  We have set foot in Uruguay, another country on my list !

Right away when we arrived, many people were waiting for us offering scooters, golf carts and restaurants.  Not thanks chicos.  Right away though, I like the feeling of Colonia.  What a nice change from Buenos Aires.  It's quiet, quaint, wide streets some cobble stone, lots of trees, old colonial style buildings, random old school cars and the water.  It is obviously a tourist town but I like it.  Dan and I were happy because lots of photography potential however I wish it wasn't overcast. 

A beautiful street of Colonia

I love these trees, so much texture.  They had them in Sydney, Australia too.

Tree graffiti

They have palm trees too.

Water is not really clear...

Bustin' a move yo

Old school cobble stone street.

So many colourful buildings in Colonia

We sat at that café.

Scooters and other motorbike type vehicles seem really popular here.

Scooters, scooters, scooters.

Cool ride.

I love how people there say Uruguay - real emphasis oh guay.  It was hard to say it right.

In Argentina and Uruguay, there are stray dogs everywhere.  Especially in Colonia, dogs just take a rest wherever they want even in the middle of the sidewalk.  Good for them.

Looks like a dead dog but she's just taking a nap on the sidewalk.

We stopped for some lunch at an overpriced tourist restaurant but it had a good location in an open plaza type area.

Well that's annoying.  We changed tables.

Feisty Daniel.  That was a good iced tea.

This was a huge piece of salmon, lots of shrimp and the infamous potato balls.  I didn't really like the balls.

I am usually not a great fan of the ravioli however this was very good homemade style ravioli.

We went for a walk up the lighthouse.

Up at the top

Wait... what is Daniel doing? Bloody hell, unstoppable - the cemetery, the lighthouse...

View of Colonia from the lighthouse.

Dan needed his a wifi fix (it's like hanging out with a drug addict), so i wandered on my own...

Cool shadows...

I made a friend along the way.

Agua caliente for those yerba drinkers.  I read that apparently Uruguayans drink more yerba

Alright.... already time to go back.  I wish we would have stayed in Colonia over night.  I liked this place.  See you next time Uruguay.

Dan is in shock.  He doesn't want to leave Uruguay.