My name is Ken Aspinwall. I was disabled from an auto wreck that occurred as a result of a woman talking on a mobile phone while driving.
Those of you who know where the Catholic Church is in LaGrange, GA; know about the intersection of Morgan and LaFayette, a crossing of two busy highways in downtown. It was a pale and overcast morning, but it felt like a really good day was in the making. There had been some rain and it was slightly misty, but visibility was still very good. The skies were starting to clear.
I was headed west on LaFayette and had topped the hill on the railroad over pass when I saw the need to stop. I had plenty of time to apply the brakes and ease to a stop. Just as I was about to come to a complete stop, Bam! Bam! Bam!
No, it wasn't the infant child of Fred Flintstone. It was a lady who was so out of it . . . because of talking on a cell phone . . . she failed to register in her brain that there was a line of traffic stopped for the signal.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Yes, it was exactly a threefold impact. The first was her hitting from the rear, which rammed me into the vehicle ahead of me and the third was her again. If it were a sandwich, I was the tomato and lettuce.
Let me skip the rest of this and go right to the point. During the crash, I clenched onto the steering wheel. This hurt both wrists and to this day, the pain comes and goes and I never know when it will come or go.
The crash also caused the seat to break loose and both knees crashed into the dash. I've never been able to run since and I no longer walk normally.
One more thing happened. One of those impacts caused my head to speedily snap backwards. I was in a truck and my head knocked a thick rear glass out of the seal. It wasn't many months after that when it became apparent. I could no longer think clearly, maintain focus or be able to execute complex tasks. I would sit in the office in a dazed state of mind. As a real estate agent, I began to have fears that I might drop the ball. Because I did not want to harm anybody, I left the business, which had been a lifetime dream.
It was a promising career. My first sale was a million dollar commercial deal.
Here's the amazing part. I looked fine. No bones were broken, but I think that tissues might have been strained, herniated and maybe ripped. Actually, I do have a hiatal hernia and not enough money for surgery. It may have been slight enough in one way. However, the residual effects have been terribly painful. Through the months and years, it steadily gets worse and treatments only abate the pain for a little while.
All I know to say is the pain occurs almost daily. The pain varies from nearly none to a continual burning sensation, but on the outside I looked fine.
Five years later, I have aged very quickly. I cannot sleep well and often stay up all night long. I have to alternate from bed to chair just to get relief. My eyes have the look of fatigue and sleeplessness. They are puffy and blue, making me appear to be a raccoon.
I filed a law suit within the first twelve months. Still no settlement. My disability insurance does not want to pay me. I've been around three times with Social Security. I am about to run out of my unemployment benefits.
Finally, understand the reason I have written this blog. I want people to circulate this in order to inform friends and family of one thing. While we might look good on the outside, there could be a burning inferno on the inside that does, indeed, compare to being in hell.
Please be more understanding of us. Looks can be deceiving. I wish we did feel as great as we might look. However, please notice that we might not be able to run or dance or play tennis or do anything rigorous. There could be days that we have to cling onto hand rails while going down steps because we feel very stiff or it hurts each time we take a step. Even stepping on an acorn or a pebble could throw us into a fall because the pain shoots through our body. Personally, there are days that I use a walking cane to help keep my balance and prevent falls. Great way to live when you are only sixty years old.
Judge not according to the appearance of things. Judge a righteous judgment.
If you live in LaGrange, some of us are interested in forming a support group. Where ever you live, think about getting a support group. Go find some people suffering from Fibromyalgia. Their issues are very similar to accident victims.
Know this. An injury doesn't have to break or crush anything to have a major impact on our health. All it takes is enough of an impact to rip or tear some tissue or maybe even an impact on an existing injury like a degenerating disc. Impact one of those hard enough and it could result in a lifetime of infirmity.
We never feel whole again. We will probably die with no improvement. We really cannot do ordinary work. We cannot sit or stand for long periods of time. We must be able to take a rest through the day just to get through the day. Hardly any employers will accommodate us and as my friend, Cheryl, says: "It sounds like you are disabled to me."
Pray that God will have mercy on us. Pray that we might even get a miracle cure. To live a painful life can be very debilitating.
Truly Yours,
C. Kenneth Aspinwall
LaGrange, GA.
Universal Benevolent Fund
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