Brand New Member- can't find photo-posting guidelines or new member info

[StruckByLightning]

Hi- ima Brand New Member- can't find photo-posting guidelines or new member info mentioned on previous Care sticky post. (usually forums have a place for new members to start-- am i blind or missing it somewhere!?).

i have spinal cord damage, hemidystonia from electrocution or other mysterious causes- (struck by lightning in 1972). Do you have a thread to view CT/MRI scans and compare normal versus damaged? Any links/threads for survivors/"recipients" of lightning ? Heard of this site from Braintalk; they don't have much activity on lightning survivors.

Thnx in Advance--

[Broknwing]

First-Welcome to CareCure

I'm not sure of specific info re:lightning srike and spinal cord injury/damage. Sorry you've been through this. Glad you found us though. Are you looking to post images of your CT/MRI for Dr Young to view or looking to see others? If you want to post yours, the care forum would be the best place. If you're looking for other's I'm not exactly sure, probably the same forum.

The only REAL "rule" regarding posting pics is that if it contains nudity or is of a sexual nature, keep it in R&S and link it. If it's a copyrighted pic, give credit...Otherwise, all photos are generally permitted.

If there are any other specific questions you have, just ask & someone can answer. you can pretty much start wherever you want, really. Whatever appeals or applies most to you....

[sjean423]

There is a search function, on the toolbar, it may help you find specific info. (Although I ran lightning, and the only hit was your posts.) Welcome.

[SCI-Nurse]

I don't remember any specifics on lighning... but welcome. And post your questions to see what answers you get.
CKF

[Mona~on~wheels]

Welcome to CC

[Obieone]

Welcome Struck ..... is this what you're looking for http://sci.rutgers.edu/index.php?page=resizephoto ...... you'll find this page if you check out the forums menu on the left hand side of the main Home page !!
I think you could very well be our first Lightning strike injury ...... I've read where people have odd or unusal personality changes or aquire extraordinary powers after being hit .... other than your sci did anything like that happen to you too !

Obieone

[StruckByLightning]

Thank you Everyone for making me feel welcome! -- sorry if too long of a reply:

Well, there’s quite a bit to the whole story, from a lot of different angles. I was 14 years old and camping with my family in Yellowstone. I was grabbing the aluminum tent pole with my left hand and about to hoist myself into the large tent where my dad was with a bunch of my siblings. I looked up into the sky- the huge thunderstorm had just came up, and I was thoroughly loving every moment, and was in the moment, receiving it all with joy. Being from California- we weren’t too educated about what not to do in a lightning storm. I recognized that I was seeing an amazing sight, with the cumulus mammatus clouds (‘breast clouds’) above me that were broiling with greens and purples undulating overhead. I knew instinctively that I was seeing something truly rare and amazing. From a spiritual POV- I was completely receptive to it, and happy to experience whatever it was. I didn’t have any idea what was about to come of it. (But from the purely medical POV, it was definitely physically traumatic after the fact). But from the spiritual point of view, it was the greatest experience of my life, and not negative whatsoever. I am definitely profoundly changed from within ever since then. Perhaps more on this another time...

Basically- it struck with a huge bang, attracted to the high-point of the tent pole, going thru my left hand, down thru my body and out my left leg which was grounded, blasting out thru my left tennis shoe. While i was clinically ‘dead’ (heart stopped, etc.) after being struck, my whole “vision” was definitely filled with incredibly bright and encompassing white light, brighter than anything i ever saw before, and that would normally surely have burned my eyes out, yet i was completely free of any pain. There was also a slightly rightward curving tunnel of pastel yellows and pinks with even brighter white light at the end. And sound-wise, there was an incredibly loud bang all around me, but yet utterly and absolutely complete silence and peace within the tunnel; within me, and where i went. The brightest light i ever knew and the loudest sound i ever knew and the most utterly silent and peaceful experience i ever knew all at the same time. And yes, while i heard it coming it was actually happening at the same moment, and the hair on my body was standing up electrified and then burned. i don't remember any blackness until i eventually was brought back and woke up in the fetal position, in horrible pain. (Another time years later, i went out in the middle of a surgery due to a reaction to Fentanyl anesthesia and had to be resuscitated. That time, i do remember lots of blackness and terrible fear, versus the absolute lack of fear after being struck by lightning).

While being struck, it lasted a very long “time” to me, but a split second to the others of my family who were present. There really was no time there, it was forever there. There was no rush to decide to come back and I was completely free to continue where I was going, down the tunnel to the very warm and peaceful place. I realize now that if I knew I was going to experience such horrible pain when I “woke up”, I may not have chosen to come back. Yet I am still glad I did come back for a couple of specific important family reasons, such as getting to meet my new little brother who was born after this event. I think my parents would have been devastated if I left at that time.

While “struck”, I could see myself from above, while my body was flying upward off the ground, my left hand still attached to the aluminum tent pole. My heart was like a heavy hard rock compressing in my chest, completely stopped. I slammed back into the ground hard after being flipped high up, landing stomach-down. When I decided to come back and came to (curled up in fetal position) - my heart began pumping again, and the release from the rock-hard contraction was searing and painful. I was burned from the inside out and the hair on my body was singed with white flaky skin. My dad got knocked out and blasted, too, and the watch on his wrist had blackened edges and parts. My family was just freaking out. They took us to the little general hospital there, now since burned from the big fire up there. We were in shock. I have some memories of it, a strange and hard time, maybe not the right thread to post on this subject right now.

Lots of strange medical pains and issues over the following years (hemidystonia-left side weakness, etc.) And like I said, medically not a good story, but a special and good story from so many other facets. Unfortunately, the medical side of it seems to be demanding attention these days, as I can’t seem to function as well and get past the pain as I used to….

Now, some people do misinterpret being struck by lightning as some sort of punishment from God- when in fact, it was a great and precious gift. Because that’s hard for people to understand, I am usually quite reluctant to tell about it-- I have learned to be careful about who I tell about it since some people seem to have a negative reaction and question me for surviving it- like I have been judged somehow and maybe they are wondering why I was struck? And because there seems to be some physical damage from it, they assume that it must be a bad thing that it happened. I’m not sure I can assume that and I cannot accept or believe that God would harm or punish an innocent child in this way. I never felt that it meant that God didn’t like me or wanted to punish me. And I am uncomfortable if someone else has this take on it.

I hope its o.k. to discuss my true feelings about it here- it seems that this is a good place to talk of it, and everyone here seems to be of a nature to hear it- I hope.

[Obieone]

Originally Posted by StruckByLightning

Thank you Everyone for making me feel welcome! .............
I hope its o.k. to discuss my true feelings about it here- it seems that this is a good place to talk of it, and everyone here seems to be of a nature to hear it- I hope.

Absolutely it is Struck ..... what an amazing story ... certainly something to tell your grandchildren about one day ..... and don't worry too much about judgement here you'll probably find a little of that from time to time .. I lean toward being the kinder gentler Mod around these parts but I'm working on that I can give a one of these if necessary . Maybe one day you can elaborate on the "rest of your story" when you're more comfortable !!

Obieone