Adriana M. Christian: Spinal Cord Injury

My Story

On March 17, 2018, I was in a car accident caused by a drunk driver. The moment the car came to a stop I couldn’t feel my legs and my back was in excruciating pain. I was transferred by ambulance to Gallup Indian Medical Center, Gallup, NM. After running a CT scan and x-rays, I was flown to University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, NM. While at UNMH, the doctors confirmed that I had a shattered my T12 vertebrae, nearly severed my spinal cord, and fractured several ribs.

The morning of March 18th, I went into my first surgery. The surgeons had performed a spinal fusion from my T11 vertebrae to L1. I now have 2 titanium rods and 4 screws in my spine. While doing the spinal fusion, the surgeons removed the shattered vertebrae. Due to this surgery, I obtained a 7 inch scar along my spine.

After 10 days in the Surgery wing of the hospital and several x-rays later, the surgeon decided that I would need a second surgery. During the second surgery, the surgeons went in through the last intercostal space of my ribs on the left side. They inserted a cage into the space of my T12 vertebrae to stabilize my spinal column. I also have a 7 inch scar horizontally on my left side.

I was devastated the moment the surgeons told me I was paralyzed from the waist down. I was told that I would never walk again. After this I spent a lot of time crying. I ended up spending two weeks in the hospital.

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