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Author Topic: Greetings after a long time away. Ray Bernardi Expert Film Handler Posts: 120 From: Antrim, NH, USA Registered: Feb 2003 posted 11-23-2003 06:30 AM                     I broke my neck. I've been in the hospital for a while. I had several operations to fix me. They gave me medicine I'm allergic to and almost killed me. I was supposed to be there for just a few days, it turned into a really bad situation. I'm 44 and in good health other than the neck issues. If I was 60 and in poor health, my funeral would be this week. My wife is furious at the hospital. We listed the stuff as a known allergy and they shot it into my IV anyway. Total systemic reaction. Breathing stopped, heart stopped, entire body swollen and covered in a very serious rash.... It's been a bad time for me. I can't sit up too long just yet but I thought I'd say hello and explain my absence. It's good to be functioning again. The only saving grace is that I don't remember any of it. I have three days of my life totally missing. I tell you what, it's pretty weird to go to sleep on a Monday and wake up on a Friday thinking it's Tuesday and hear what you've been through. My wife meets with attorneys, the hospital administrator, and the hospitals risk management team on Monday. She's an RN and like I said, she's furious. She says it is totally inexcusable what happened to me. The sun is coming up right now, and I tell you, it's a gift. How beautiful each day seems right now to me I cannot explain to you. I'm really really glad to be here! My theatre is in good hands in my absence. I'm seriously considering selling at this point though. It's a lot of work. I wont make that decision in this condition however, I might regret it later when I'm feeling well again. Anyway, there's my update the the forum. I missed this place a lot during my illness. Now that I'm out of the woods, I expect I'll be posting more frequently and I'll be sure to keep you up to date if I decide to sell out. You guys will have the first shot if anyone is interested. Enjoy each day like it may be your last folks. Forget the little things and concentrate on the positive things. My outlook has certainly been changed by the events of the last few weeks. It's amazing how a sunrise is more valuable to me now than what we took in at the door last night. I hope I keep this new outlook. I think I'll be a better person if I do. Talk to you all later! PS - I hope this is in the right forum, and I hope the subject is not a teaser. I've been known to get that wrong before.....  |  IP: Logged Thomas Procyk Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1842 From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 11-23-2003 09:03 AM                     Ray, It's so frightening to hear what you have been through, but fantastic to hear you are doing OK!! That sounds like quite a scary experience. I hate hospitals. I've never been so scared or felt so alone as the time when I passed out at work back in May. Sitting there in the freezing cold ER with it's bleak white walls and hearing the screams of people down the halls with no one I know around to comfort me or explain to me what happened in those 15-20 minutes I was out. I can just IMAGINE what it would be like for THREE DAYS. My thoughts and prayers are with you. It seems a lot of my friends, people I know, and even my mother have been falling seriously ill lately. May you cherish the Holidays with your loved ones, for that's all that matters. =TMP=  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-23-2003 10:24 AM                     WOW! Ray, glad you're now back with us. Absolutely go after those bastards. Obviously someone there doesn't know how to read. How did you break your neck? Hopefully not hanging a surround speaker..... I absolutely agree with you on living every day like its your last one . Mark @ CLACO  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 11-23-2003 11:05 AM                    Wow...glad you're getting better. And I hope you and your wife are more than just furious at the hospital. Get moving before tort reform scales back your new home theatre from 35/70mm to VHS.  |  IP: Logged Travis Hubrig Expert Film Handler Posts: 175 From: Minot ND, USA Registered: May 2003 posted 11-23-2003 01:48 PM                     I am sorry to hear what you have gone through, Glad to see you are better now. I would definitely go after the hospital, and hopefully prevent it from happening to others. Get well soon!  |  IP: Logged Mike Fitzgerald Expert Film Handler Posts: 224 From: Castle Hayne, NC, USA Registered: Jun 2002 posted 11-23-2003 03:58 PM                     Ray I am glad you are on the mend. Take care and do not rush your recovery. I think you are right in holding off your decision not to sell right now. Wait until you are fully recovered before you decide.  |  IP: Logged Rachel Craven Madam Moderator Posts: 2190 From: Pensacola, FL Registered: Dec 2000 posted 11-23-2003 05:48 PM                     Glad you're back and doing ok Ray. Sorry to hear about what happened.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 11-23-2003 05:52 PM                     Egad! That's a heck of a story. As bad of a situation as this is, just remember at least you are alive and on the road to recovery. Hang in there.  |  IP: Logged William Hooper Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1879 From: Mobile, AL USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-24-2003 01:04 AM                        I'm glad your wife is an RN, & will be there to hold their feet to the fire. Medicine is no less a technical craft than any other, & up & down the line it shouldn't be romanticized in such a way to not hold them to any technical standard than any other industry. You can expect egos to be more outsized, though. Get your bucks; they're the currency to get you fixed by someone who's not lazy or a screwup. Don't just count the days you missed in the hospital or buy into the "just take it one day at a time" stall. They're afraid of you now, & will be less likely to do *anything* for you. Ask about recovery time, & if they get vague & say anytime from days to years, find someone else. All "one day at a time" does is burn up the calendar & get you out of their sight. It's a cliche', but hang in & get well soon. Where are the grisly pictures of the mangled machinery for the tech heads? Herniated cervical disc; modesty precludes photo posting of the exploded intervertebral disc in the lumbar area.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 11-24-2003 01:09 AM                        Welcome back Ray! Doesn't sound like you've been having a tremendous amount of fun, but at least you're pulling through. Keep going!  |  IP: Logged Sam Hunter Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 779 From: West Monroe, LA, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 11-24-2003 09:38 AM                     Glad to have you back Ray! Give Joe hell for me.  |  IP: Logged Jason Black Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1723 From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 11-24-2003 02:28 PM                        Ray, Sorry to hear about the 'incidents' you've experienced. Indeed, it sounds like a hiary situation to say the least! As others have said, pursue the hospital for their wrongdoing(s). sounds like now that you're back at home, you're beginning the road to recovery. Hopefully, it'll be a relatively short journey for you. And yes, we all should wake up and live each day as if it would be our last.  |  IP: Logged Ray Bernardi Expert Film Handler Posts: 120 From: Antrim, NH, USA Registered: Feb 2003 posted 11-26-2003 05:24 AM                     Thanks for all your well wishes. I've been asleep for the past few days, just coming around again. How did I break my neck? Real good question. I had been stacking wood getting ready for the winter here in NH and I sat down for a break. My neck was sore but nothing out of the ordinary. I had a smoke and when I stood up the lights went out. I wish I could tell you I did it in some really cool way, but there you have it. I have had problems with my neck for some time, it just finally let go. I completely blew the disc C6C7 and totally collapsed the joint. Bone on bone. The C6 disc fell sideways and pinched the nerve going to my left arm and also put a lot of pressure on my spinal cord itself. That was scary. No sensation on the left side of my body, and very little anywhere else. I really thought I was paralyzed for a few days. I was assured it was not the case but damn it was scary. I've been on Oxycontin, Oxycodone, Flexeril, Steroids, you name it. I'm a walking drug store. I've been working hard the last few days to wean myself off this crap but the pain levels get out of control too quickly and I need some help still. I hate pills. As soon as I can I'm done with those. I had a problem on Sunday night. Don't know what happened but I started all over the place. You can't imagine what that's like with a cervical collar and stitches! Here's a pic of what I call my neck. You can see the rash and the swelling. The stitches are out now and I am getting better all the time. Have a great bird day everyone and thanks for all the well wishes. You're a great group of people. I'm proud to be associated with you.  |  IP: Logged William Hooper Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1879 From: Mobile, AL USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-27-2003 12:49 AM                        Whoops, Ray, we fell smack in the fattest statistical distribution on the herniated discs... "Many factors increase the risk for disc herniation: (1) lifestyle choices such as tobacco use, lack of regular exercise, and inadequate nutrition substantially contribute to poor disc health. (2) As the body ages, natural biochemical changes cause discs to gradually dry out affecting disc strength and resiliency. (3) Poor posture combined with the habitual use of incorrect body mechanics can place additional stress on the cervical spine. " I will cop to the history of smoking & "habitual use of incorrect body mechanics". Make sure you get a good physical therapist. That will be the difference between being able to do nothing & being back on the road as quickly as possible.  |  IP: Logged

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