Re: RC: Ain't Dead Yet

["Karen J. Zelinsky" <kjz2@juno.com>]

My GAWD KAT!!!!!
What a woman!!!!  Absolutely incredible luck, luck, and more luck!!!! 
Thank goodness things turned out so well!!!  It will be a story that will
go on and on and on in the medical world, lifeflight world, and horse
world!!   Now, be prepared for zillions of posts from all of us who know
you and don't know you, save on ridecamp!!! Hope I can meet you some day
- come east, young woman, come east!!  And enough of these dramatic
stories - you've reached your lifetime quota!! (hee-hee!!)

Hat's off from Karen in PA



On Sat, 21 Oct 2000 14:46:23 -0700 "guest@endurance.net"
<guest@endurance.net> writes:
>K S SWIGART   katswig@earthlink.net (or swigart@bigbear.com)
>
>
>
>
>I wish to thank everybody at the GC XP Ride who realistically 
>speaking saved my life in my accident/s where I got to meet the
>trees of the Kaibab Plateau upclose and personal.
>
>And to clear up a few misunderstandings (with the understanding that
>even _I_ don't know everything that happened).
>
>To start with.  I am not dead.  I have sustained NO neurological 
>damage (either to my head or my spine) and the facial damage is
>healing nicely and I should be having my last appointment with a
>plastic surgeon next week.  I am out of the Flagstaff Hosptial 
>(thank you to EVERYBODY who sent flowers, cards, and made phone 
>calls wishing me well) and am "convalescing at my parent's house
>in Big Bear Lake, California.
>
>There were two accidents.  My horse spooked and bolted through the
>trees.  Attempts to stop the horse were futile (can't turn a horse
>in a forest with the trees only a few feet apart)...and I missed 
>one "turn" that the horse made and met the TRUNK of a tree with 
>my face.  The facial injuries were not attractive (to say the
>least).  I also had some "abdominal bleeding" and it was determined
>that moving me off the Plateau over the ground was not in my best
>interests and a "life flight" helicopter was called in to take me
>to the hospital.
>
>Shortly after this helicopter took off (accident still under 
>investigation) and cleared the trees, it crashed.  So I got to 
>see one tree up close and personal in the horse accident, and 
>got to see the whole forest up close and personal as the helicopter 
>came down through it (I have more
>recollection of the helicopter crash than I do of the horse 
>accident...and more "night mares" about it too :)).  Fortunately
>nobody was killed in the helicopter crash, but this, apparently, is
>a VERY unusual thing.  By all rights, everybody on that helicopter
>should have died in that crash ("nobody ever survives a helicopter
>accident like that" is what I was told by the Director of the 
>Life Flight company).  The pilot and the two technicians, however,
>are also alive and well, so it is indeed a fortunate thing. 
>
>I am told that I was shot full of Valium for the second helicopter
>flight (because I DO remember being absolutely insistent that there
>was NO WAY I was going to get on another helicopter after THAT 
>experience...and I STILL feel that way :)).
>
>There were a great number of people who participated in saving my 
>life after the helicopter crash and I want to thank them all...but
>I don't want to name them here because I don't want to leave anybody
>out, and I am sure there are more than I know the names of.  And 
>it is certainly the case that I owe my life to XP Riders and to
>the some of the Turkey hunters of the Kaibab Plateau (as well as
>the wonderful staff of the Flagstaff medical center who also did
>everything right).
>
>I was not wearing a helmet and many of you know why I choose not
>to wear a helmet when riding endurance.  Certainly a helmet would
>not have protected my face (unless they start making equestrian
>helmets with face masks :)), and it would not have protected my
>liver (which is where the life threatenting injury lay).  I am,
>with retrospect, now considering riding endurance in a body 
>protection vest as is required of eventing riders (a horse sport
>that I also participate in) :).
>
>I appreciate the support that I have had from everybody (I have 
>not really had a chance to catch up on my RideCamp reading so
>I don't know everything that is being said).  The XP 2001 Calendars
>should be delivered from the printers tomorrow (don't know if I am
>going to be able to pick them up, but I hope to). And then will be
>ready for shipment.
>
>I expect to be back at my desk job...in a week or so.
>
>And I have a multitude of friends who are caring for my own horses
>in my absence (I am hoping to be seeing them, the horses, tomorrow
>too).
>
>Marla, the horse that I was riding, "does not have a scratch on her"
>and was taken home by my driver on Saturday night (the day of the 
>accident....not Friday).  And she is happy as a duck getting to
>reacquaint herself with her mother (my driver owns Marla's mother).  
>This is one of the most relieving things for me to hear 
>that my horse did not suffer any ill effects or injuries from
>the ordeal.
>
>My parents, of course, have been great support, as have all my 
>clients in Southern California (who have rallied around to take 
>care of my horses...and theirs...in my absence).  And I am
>overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from all over the endurance
>and horse community at this time.
> 
>I know there is more to say, but words cannot express it all.  When
>I have had a chance to actually sit down and thoughtfully write
>I am sure there will be more.  
>
>I am anxiously awaiting the return of my cameras (s/b coming from
>the Duck soon) and will better be able to tell if any of my photos
>survived the broken camera...the first thing to hit the tree :).
>
>I hope my accidents did not ruin the GC ride for too many people
>(I know it was very traumatic for more than just ME but many of 
>the riders too).  And hope that the GC riders could find peace and
>solace in the beauty of the Kaibab Plateau (and that they didn't 
>get the see the forest quite as close up as I did :).
>
>Regards,
>
>kat
>Orange County, Calif.
>
>p.s.  I am sorry I did not get to mark the trail for the Casper's
>Park Ride this weekend (I was supposed to), but may be able to 
>make an appearance at Sunland.
>
>
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