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«I lift my head, there is a lot of smoke around, I also hear someone howling in pain, only after a while I realize that it is me. My whole life is in ruins ”. It was August 30, 2015. In a letter to MedTvoiLokona, Angelika described what happened then, how she fought for the simplest move and how she still fights for herself. Get to know its history.
- On August 30, 2015, Angelika was in a car accident. «Honestly, I am glad that I was not aware of what was happening. It would be terrible to remember everything carefully »he writes in a letter to MedTvoiLokony
- The injuries Angelika suffered were very serious: broken base of the skull, swelling of the brain, fracture of the cervical vertebrae, fracture of the lumbar vertebra with a spinal cord injury. The woman was paralyzed from the navel down
- “My worst memories are when in the morning before work my mother prepared me, dressed me, put me down and … I lay motionless all day, I looked at the ceiling and cried” – recalls Angelika
- “I had two options: either I would stay as I am, feel sorry for myself and have practically no life anymore, or I pull myself together and fight the most important of the fights – for health and independence”. The choice was obvious
- Angelika has been rehabilitating for almost seven years. An active exoskeleton is a chance for her to regain fitness. »Unfortunately, rehabilitation is very expensive and my financial possibilities are exhausted». You can help Angelica regain her normal life
- Check your health. Just answer these questions
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage
August 30, 2015 The worst day of my life
My name is Angelika Krakowska, I’m 33 years old, I’m from Brodnica. Until August 2015, my life was happy. I had a dream job (I graduated from pedagogical studies, I worked with children in kindergarten). I enjoyed life and loved it. I was independent and independent. Until the worst day of my life, August 30, 2015. On that day, this terrible accident happened that almost took my life.
I know exactly what happened only from the stories of other people, including my family. And honestly, I’m glad I wasn’t aware of what was happening. It would be terrible to remember everything carefully. From that event, only two moments stuck in my head. First: I’m driving my car and I feel like I don’t have any control over it anymore, the whole rear end is moving from one side of the road to the other and I’m panicking because I don’t know what to do. The second memory, after hitting the tree: I lift my head, look to the right, left, there is a lot of smoke around, I also hear someone howling in pain, only after a while I realize that I am screaming.
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The firefighters had to use special equipment to get me out of the car. As soon as it was successful, the ambulance took me to the hospital.
Throughout the coma, I heard everything
The injuries I suffered were very serious and life-threatening. I had a fractured skull base, a swollen brain, a fracture of the shaft of the cervical vertebrae. Explosive (displaced) fracture of the first lumbar vertebra with a spinal cord injury caused paralysis from the navel down (more about the consequences of a spine fracture).
The operation lasted eight hours. All this time, my parents were waiting at the door of the room. I can’t imagine what they must have felt. The uncertainty as to whether they would have a daughter or lose her must have been terrible. The procedure was successful, but no one was able to say whether everything would end well or whether I would live. All that could be done was wait.
I was kept in a pharmacological coma for 12 days. I heard everything all this time. You have no idea how hard it is not to tell your parents who are crying by your bedside that everything is fine, so that they do not worry. Years have passed since then, and it still hurts me.
Further part below the video.
Each of those days passed on strange dreams and listening to what was happening around me. Every day I waited for a visit from my family (for almost four months of my stay in the hospital, someone close to me was with me every day). I remember that before waking up from the coma, my parents were worried whether I would be able to do it at all, or if I would be mentally fit after such a severe head injury. There were many question marks. And I came back.
My body trapped me
After waking up, I didn’t know why I was in the hospital or what happened at all. My relatives told me about the accident, but the version they gave me was very limited – they did not want to worry me and burden me even more. I heard that I rubbed against a tree and believed it.
The days passed and I fell apart into a million pieces. My whole life was in ruins. I didn’t want to live, I was upright angry that I was saved. I felt terrible. I couldn’t find myself in my new body at all. It was alien and trapped me. Not to mention the fact that from the waist down I felt nothing. I also had a great time losing my hair (it had been shaved because the doctors did not want to risk infection of the wound after the operation). I’ve always had long beautiful blonde hair. Meanwhile, I was bald with scars on my forehead and head. I didn’t look in the mirror for a long time, my self-esteem and confidence dropped to the level below zero.
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I started rehabilitation already in the hospital. However, the beginnings were very hard, I did not want to exercise, I thought that it would not help, that it did not make sense. In the end, however, thanks to the support and motivation of my family and my thoughts, I started to fight for myself. I had two options: either I will stay as I am, I feel sorry for myself and have practically no life anymore, or I pull myself together and fight the most important fight for health and independence. Fortunately, I am very stubborn in character and if I set a goal for myself, I was pursuing it. In this case, it could not be otherwise.
- Rehabilitation – types, course, benefits. What is rehabilitation?
I hated this pram for a very long time
I had to learn everything from scratch: I couldn’t sit, dress, turn over in bed – I literally went back to the development of a child dependent on others. Needless to say, how terrible it is to feel like a ball. I didn’t feel it like that in the hospital – everyone was “in the same wheelchair” there. But when I got home, it was very difficult for me to get used to the fact that my family had to do everything for me.
When I was put into a wheelchair for the first time in the hospital, I was shocked. I didn’t realize how hard it is to move around. I was still hitting the walls. Even more surprised for me was the first exit to the outside, where the sidewalks are crooked, where you have to overcome the curb. I fell off the stroller more than once. I hated him for a very long time, even being home.
The hospital stay was the worst time of my life. Due to strong drugs, I was not always aware of what was happening. One day, however, I started to analyze all the information I had about the accident. I asked myself why rubbing against a tree had hurt me so badly? To find out the truth, I put pressure on my parents. When they told me everything, I cried all night, unable to come to terms with it all. At the end of my stay in the hospital, I was a mental wreck of a human being.
I lay motionless all day, staring at the ceiling and crying
At home, it wasn’t easy at first either. My family had to do everything for me, and I felt useless and unnecessary. I even thought that it would be better and easier for them to die without me. My worst memories are when in the morning before work my mother prepared me, dressed me, put me down and… I lay motionless all day, I looked at the ceiling and cried.
Photo Private archive
With time, I started to learn everything, e.g. I was looking for videos on the Internet about how people who were able to dress differently, and I tried to practice it. At the beginning it took me a lot of time, but training makes perfect, and so I was learning to be independent. I went with my mother on rehabilitation camps. With each subsequent one, I returned to my further work full of enthusiasm. Even though the simplest movement is an enormous effort, I really liked the exercises.
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I have been rehabilitating for almost seven years. For me, the progress brought by the exercises is a source of great joy. Unfortunately, rehabilitation is very expensive and my financial possibilities are exhausted. Every year I am supported by 1 percent. – if not for this help from people with great hearts, I would not have achieved this much.
- At Medonet Market you will find a wide range of rehabilitation treatments.
There was a great chance for me to regain fitness. This is an active HAL exoskeleton. The device amplifies the electrical impulse that the brain sends to the muscles in the legs. They, in turn, receiving the command from the brain, respond with movement – I can take a step. I was able to qualify for therapy with this exoskeleton. He could change my life. I was already on a month-long stay in a rehabilitation center – I did not expect such effects and progress in such a short time! I would love to go there for longer, at least three months. The cost of one month is huge, approx. 50 thousand. PLN, but this is my chance to return to fitness and a normal life that I dream about. That’s why I set up a fundraiser for this purpose. You can help Angelica in her fight for fitness, the details at the meeting will help.
At the moment I am independent. It gives me great satisfaction and motivation to keep working and striving to achieve my goals. I have a great family that gives me support. I love them more than my life. I can also count on the support of my boyfriend, close and distant friends, strangers. Thank you very much for that. The only thing that I lack to be fully happy is to regain fitness. Unfortunately, there is money in the way – this is what separates me from regaining my health. Therefore, with all my heart, I am asking all people of good will to help me in the most important fight in my life. In the fight for health, for myself. I can assure you that every zloty I have received and will receive from you is used by me for 100%. Thank you very much in advance and please remember that good always comes back to us twice. Angelika
Often times, a particular sight, sound or smell brings to mind a similar situation that we have already experienced. What opportunities does this give us? How does our body react to such an emotion? You will hear about this and many other aspects related to emotions below.
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