Karen's Story

It was a Thursday, another long day at work. I was invited to an associate's birthday party at Urban Crust, a restaurant in Dallas. I had my normal, Crown & 7 before dinner. They served wine with dinner so I had a couple of glasses. I knew I had an hour drive so I stopped at 2. After dinner, as we sat there talking I had one more glass of wine. As I left the party, I was fine to drive, people asked me if I wanted to stay with them because of the long drive home ahead of me but I declined, I even asked two others there if they thought I was not ok to drive... they agreed that I seemed good to drive. So I headed home. About 45 minutes into the drive, when I could almost see my exit I felt that last glass of wine hit. I knew I needed to pay attention, I had driven myself home before in a worse state than this and knew I could get home if I was careful. It was only about 10 minutes to home by the time I exited. All was good until I fell asleep. I fell asleep as I was going into a curve on a decline and miraculously woke up as I was heading off the road into a patch of trees in a field. I panicked, over compensated and turned the wheel hard to the right to avoid the trees. I am unsure how fast I was going but it was fast enough to make the jerk off the wheel to throw the truck to its side. I woke up on my left side, sliding forward. At that time I felt the front end of the vehicle grab the ground and throw the truck air born. Growing up in my father's paint and body shop ( I was running it at the time ) I had seen many types of wrecks and knew I had no control at this point so I crossed my arms over my chest, closed my eyes and asked God to help me. He did....

I knew things were serious when I opened my eyes in that hospital room the next day to see my daughter there. She was off at college and had time to be there when I woke up. It was an instant to me but apparently it had been about a day in real time. The doctors told me I had fractured 6 vertebrae, crushed one. Fractured my scapula, clavicle and "amputated'' my left arm on the inside. It was still attached by skin and stretched out tendons and ligaments but the muscles and such were torn from my spine. I fractured my Left orbital bone and had a brain contusion that has left me with brain damage, where I have trouble with comprehension, reasoning and memory.

The physical therapist had me up walking in the hall as we were having this conversation and I started crying, I couldn't control that either... I thought there HAS to be a way to not have to go to a facility so I asked if there was anything I could do to keep from going there. She asked me some questions and found that we have stairs at the house so she said if I could walk up and down one flight of stairs on my own I could go home instead!!! So, this girl mustered up the gumption, it had to be God, and started up the stairs. About three steps in I asked if there was a time limit and she said no, I could take as long as I needed... I KNEW I could do it then.... AND I DID!!!!

During the 5 days I was in the hospital I had several visitors but I don't remember talking to them and I haven't remembered them all. I am thankful for all that came, love and prayers have been what's gotten me on my way back.

About 1 week after leaving the hospital my son drove me, he drove me everywhere and took such good care of me, to the surgeon. He and his assistant talked to us about surgery and rehabilitation then went out to go view the cd of XRAYs and CTs and the MRI done at the hospital. He came back with a look of terror on his face and said "you have a really bad injury" I said, yes, I know, that's why we are here talking to you. Kyle, my son, and I laughed the doctor and his assistant did not. They both looked like I was a goner. He proceeded to tell me how 50% of the people with my injury lose their arm completely and he was expecting me to lose mine. He said he would do what he could but he did not think he would be able to save it.

I got up from that table. I looked them both in the eye and said "I don't know if you believe in the power of positive thinking but I DO. I AM going to get my arm back and I need everyone on my team to believe I am too." My son stood up and helped me leave the room leaving the doctor and assistant standing there dumbfounded with mouths wide open. I knew I had no time or use of anyone that was too scared to even try. So we went home.

I was close to bed ridden for 4 years except I would get up out of bed, a 15 to 30 minute process depending on how my body was cooperating, walk the short walk to the living room, which took no less than 15 minutes each way, sit in my chair and hope I didn't have to use the bathroom until I got up to go back to bed. God had sent a young girl to live with us while I was in the hospital, Chadsity. She helped me with everything. She was my beck and call girl and she was so sweet about it. She would prop me up with many pillows in the chair and again when I would go back to bed. She cleaned and cooked and was my right hand (or should I say left hand) until I could do for myself. The only thing I would do out of the house was go to doctor visits and Kyle was my champion for those.

The only way I was able to function was with Hydrocodone. A horrible, horrible drug but without it I was writhing in pain... and even with it sometimes. I was 48 years old when I had my wreck and I knew I was too young to live the rest of my life like this so I went to God. He had never left me and was there for me then too. I talk to Him like I talk to you, just talk. I told Him that I didn't know why he didn't take me because my existence was so painful and useless, that there must be something I am needing to learn to be able to move forward. Laying in that bed I asked Him to show me what I needed to work on and He would have to help me work through whatever it is. So... here we go.

You see, as I mentioned before, I had driven before

in the state I was in that night... even worse. I had been under a lot of stress and was not coping with it very well. I was drinking way too much and Kirk had insisted I stop driving home like that. I had, and thought I had that night. But here we are.

I quickly realized that going through a life changing experience you tend to find courage. I was no longer scared to face whatever God had to show me. I was able to do it sober....something I was not able to do before. So here we went. He would bring something before me to address and in the beginning it was easy. As soon as the issue was apparent I was already over it and let it go... instantly. And he showed me many things in the first several days. As time went on they were not as easy to dismiss, I would have to ponder and ask God for guidance and sometimes it would take days to figure out a solution and be able to let that issue go. I was learning. And I was still not afraid. I went into this looking to learn and grow, God did not fail. He helped me learn and grow and still to this day I am growing and learning. I believe that is the key. Don't be afraid... learn.

There came a day, about 3 months in, that a State Trooper came to my house to take me to jail. Kyle and I were heading out to a doctor's appointment. The nice man let me go to the doctor with the agreement that I would have my attorney set up the arrangements to have me turn myself in, get booked in and out the same day. So I hired an attorney, he said he would handle that and let me know when to go turn myself in. He never did.

Weeks later I get a call from my father, saying the Mesquite police were at his shop because there was a warrant for my arrest. I was shocked and surprised and yes, scared! I have NEVER been in trouble with the law and I was scared. I called my attorney and he screamed, cussed and scolded me saying it was my fault he didn't do his job.... I still don't get that. But, thankfully, I had been growing and learning so I sucked it up and set up to go turn myself in.

Ohhh... that's another story.... what a ride this has all been! If you want to know that story contact me, I'll be glad to tell it. It's crazy!

So here we are, now out of jail, yes I went to jail, and still injured, no surgery and wanting to have a fulfilled life. This is where my journey to finding relief and healing on my own began.

My first relief from the agonizing pain came from the narcotics the doctor prescribed for me. The pills took a toll on me over time. I was taking more and more as time went and the relief seemed to be less and less. I thought this would be how the rest of my years would be. Thankfully I was introduced to an amazing CBD oil This oil allowed me to get off of the drugs and clear some of that fuzziness out of my head. Unfortunately, the pills had already taken a toll on my liver. I used the CBD on a regular basis and was using a 4500 mg that helped better than anything else I could find. But, my quality of life was fair at best but I resigned myself that this was the best it was ever going to get. So I told myself again to suck it up and make the best of it. AND THEN.... I was introduced to Redox. It has been nothing less than life changing! More like Life RESTORING! I no longer need any cbd. My discomfort level continues to reduce and my quality of life continues to improve. My ability to do the books for our two businesses is getting easier and more efficient on a regular basis. My life is so much better that people that just meet me have no clue that I was in a wreck with injuries to my body and brain of such magnitude. Using Redox has given me back my mobility and brain function that I lost back in 2011 on that dark country road. My life is now moving forward with a positive spin. The rest of my years are looking brighter than ever thanks to God and Redox. I now know what my purpose is....to let the world know about this amazing technology and that there is a God that loves them too. The beautiful thing about this is that I don't need to convince anyone to pursue either... I just need to let them know they exist, what they do with that information is up to them.

One of the biggest blessings here is that the more people I help the more money I make. I can't think of a better way to gauge success than to count the lives I help change instead of how much money is in the bank....can you?