I am going to check out Ukulele Orchestra. The name alone has my interest. Have you ever heard Vaughn Williams "Concerto for Tuba"? I couldn't resist that title.
When I landed on my head the force broke C1 into three pieces. It's called a Jefferson Crush Fracture and it's similar to what would happen to a pretzel ring if you slapped it on a table. C1 can only absorb so much force, after that it splits. A bad bop on the head is all it takes.
The C1 fracture wasn't as life threatening as the subdural hematoma, in fact the C1 issue wasn't realized for two days. I told the doctor that my neck hurt but not in the usual way (I had C5-C6-C7 fused the year before because of herniated discs). In fact, during the car ride to the ER I supported my head in my hands because it felt like it might fall off of my neck. I walked into the ER supporting my head, covered in blood looking like Carrie at the prom, and passed out shortly after.
After I awoke from the brain surgery, the doctor asked me if I had a runny nose, to which I replied "funny you should ask". He shot a picture of C1 through the roof of my open mouth which showed the C1 fracture as well as a fracture to the spenoid bone, which is behind the ocular orbits, one of which was also fractured. My "runny nose" was my cerebral spinal fluid leaking out.
Fortunately for me, I needed no further surgery, just rest and a halo to keep my head on straight so C1 could mend. Because of the trauma, the retina in my left eye also detached, but laying in bed for a few days gave it the opportunity to lay back down and re-attach by itself. That issue was realized many months later during an eye exam. I complained of blurry vision while I was in the hospital, but by the time they got an ophthalmologist to examine me, the retina had already settled back, my vision cleared up, and nothing was seen till scar tissue formed later on. The runny nose stopped by itself, and thank god my body did a great job of healing itself. I just needed food, rest and time. I was forced to take the summer off, so I adapted and made the best of the situation. No complaints, I could have easily died, or worse.
As a bonus for my pain, I got a great torque screwdriver out of the deal. It's very precise and calibrated so the halo can't be over tightened to the skull. The halo is in my shed hanging from a hook.
So take it easy and try to enjoy the down time. If you're like me, you'll come out of the gate fast once you're medically cleared. You just have to be patient.
Rich
