My Injury

We are creators. We create our experiences… all of them… the good, the bad, and the seemingly ugly. My journey has brought me to this amazing truth. I embrace the disciplines and practice the skills that allow me to be proactive in creating the experiences I desire.

In 2005, while on my weekly mountain bike ride, I unconsciously created the opportunity to test my beliefs!

Charlie, Andy, and I were enjoying the exercise and the connection to the great outdoors at Lake Crabtree in Cary, NC. We often challenged ourselves by riding over obstacles constructed on the course. On this particular day, we came upon a newly erected large teeter-totter. It was a much larger teeter-totter than one found on a playground, probably over 4 feet tall.

In mountain biking, the rider rides up one side of a teeter-totter, then her weight and momentum bring her down the other side. We had successfully conquered a smaller teeter-totter earlier that day and when we approached this particular one, I reminded myself that in mountain biking “speed is your friend,” so I approached this obstacle with confidence. Charlie and Andy had peddled past it, stopping to watch me.

A friend of mine often says that life can change from one breath to the next. No truer words were ever spoken. Once my bicycle made contact with the teeter-totter, my only memory is of me flying over the handle bars, barreling headfirst into the earth.

Thankfully Charlie and Andy immediately rushed to my side. I lay on the ground, paralyzed, unable to speak. I mouthed “9-1-1” three times before they understood. Then I stopped breathing.

Let me share a bit about my spiritual journey here. My life path has brought me to my passion and path of service as an energetic/sound healer. I have learned, understood, and practiced principles 24/7 that embrace the powerful connection between the mind, body, and spirit. As I have evolved in my understanding of these truths and as I have seen how implementing these truths has dramatically improved my life, I have deepened my faith in a higher power, one that many of us call God. A higher power that I recognize as the energy of consciousness. A Oneness that we are part of, not separate from.

When counseling clients, I often encourage them to tap into this “God-Force” energy and to do affirmations on a daily basis, anticipating that automatic responses will prevail as more serious challenges arise. We embrace the opportunity to be a powerful creator of our experiences. We learn that one need only to choose a different perspective and make a different choice.
Thankfully, the moment I stopped breathing, my knowingness poured forth. Peacefulness washed over me as I continually affirmed: “I refuse to accept this limitation. God is my source!”

As I thought those words, I felt an intense rush of energy course through my body. This was the most intense energy I have ever experienced. With only my mind under my immediate control, I allowed the power of thought to open up my connection to God, thus allowing my physical body a miraculous outcome. I chose to focus on the desire I wanted, not on what I was experiencing. I kept affirming that whatever condition I was facing was temporary.  When the ambulance arrived about thirty minutes later, I was talking and moving my legs a bit!  The ambulance took me to Duke Medical Center in Durham. Tests revealed I had broken my neck, fracturing my C1 vertebrae and breaking my C2 into two pieces! Having miraculously survived the initial fall, this break altered the curve of my spinal cord… still a precarious state in and of itself.

Dr. Isaacs, Director of Neurosurgery at Duke University Hospital, informed me that most people who suffer this injury die immediately because of their inability to breathe, the others are paralyzed. He said that people like me do not exist! He told me that Christopher Reeve experienced this break as well.

Why did I immediately send healing energy through my body via thoughts? Why did my truths pour forth? I give credit to my faith and my teachings…the most important one being not limiting God working through me. I have always said that miracles are just God Being God. As we tap into a higher power and these universal energetic truths, we should expect more miracles in our daily lives. As Dr. Isaacs spoke to me, my heart filled with gladness. This day, my life had depended on my embracing these truths at my core.

I believe every form of healing has its place. In the face of acute situations, it is wise to utilize Western techniques along with the abilities of the mind. Studies reveal that people utilizing positive thought practices heal more quickly than those who rely on Western medicine alone. Surgery repaired my vertebrae. A rather hefty screw attached the two pieces of my C2, securing it to my C1. The typical recovery from this surgery is 7-10 days in the Intensive Care Unit. When the ICU nurse delivered the news, I confidently told her that I would be in a private room in two days. Of course, she did not believe me. Two days after my surgery, I walked to my private room!

I was also told that I would be in the hospital for about three weeks. I knowingly replied that I would be discharged in seven days. As I continued to create my reality, I was discharged exactly one week after my injury.

I had to relearn everything—how to feed myself, dress myself, comb my hair, put on my lipstick, etc. Through co-creating with God, the power of my intention, meditation, and the prayers of many people, I recovered at “breakneck” speed and became fully functioning. I have so much to be thankful for, yet I intend the stiffness in my neck and legs and subtle numbness in my fingers will pass one day too.

We may not understand why something does or doesn’t happen, but if we trust that all is in divine order and happens for a reason, we can release the resistance in our body, allowing healing energy to flow.

Everyone is capable of the healing I experienced. Increasing our abilities involves embarking upon a journey. How wholly we accept that our body is a subtle energy field, how quickly we are able to increase our faith in a Higher Power, and how we embrace our ability to create, all affect the outcomes along our journey. The only limits we have are the limits we impose upon ourselves. If you are ready to take this journey, I encourage you to be gentle with yourself. Remember, all is in divine order and in perfect timing.

I believe that breaking my neck was destined to be part of my journey for many reasons. I believe that one attracts every situation and person to them in order to grow. For your pondering pleasure, I offer a few interesting facts related to my experience: Though I had been biking weekly with Charlie for 1-½ years, that day was the only time I had taken my cell phone from my back pack and showed him my emergency contact phone numbers.

I am fit, athletic and adept at maneuvering the obstacles of a mountain biking course. I fell and broke my neck. I believe the Universe finds a way to make things happen. I flew to the right of the teeter-totter, landing on a pile of mulch about 2” thick.  Though we usually rode in the morning, that particular day we rode in the afternoon. Of all the doctors that rotate through the emergency room, the best neurosurgeon to perform my surgery was the doctor on call in the ER that afternoon.

Everyone will embrace these thoughts at different levels. I invite you to use my story to mull over your own feelings and enjoy the unfolding of your journey. It is important to understand that there is no right or wrong on the path of life, only opportunities to make choices. I encourage you to make the choices that feel right to you. Always follow your instincts and trust that you will be guided for your highest good.

Blessings to you. And remember, Choose2Thrive!