Survivor Story: David

On August 29, 1992, a severe thunderstorm in our county in Southern Florida. I was working as an Emergency Medical Dispatcher at our 911 Center dispatching the Fire and Ambulances to various calls, both routine, and due to the thunderstorm.

I was taking a call from a man trapped in a burning building. I was instructing this man to get an "All Purpose" Fire Extinguisher, when I felt a very "Hot, Heated Charge", directly behind my nose, but that it entered my left ear, where I had my headset. I remember being tossed backwards about 15 to 20 feet, per the accident report made out by my Supervisor who witnessed the entire event.

I hit the back wall of the Comm Center. I tasted "metal" in my mouth, like I was sucking on a copper pipe or something. I had this tremendous headache. I don't know how long it took for the ambulance to get there as I was in a "fog" at that time, but I remember being loaded in the ambulance, getting I.V.'s and having an EKG hooked up on my chest. I could still taste the metal in my mouth, and when I got to the emergency room, my supervisor had already contacted my father to meet me at the emergency Room. I remember the Doctor, Paramedic, EMT, and my Father looking at my left ear. I was told there was blood coming from inside my left ear. I stayed in the hospital the rest of the afternoon and into the evening. Then, I was released, since my EKG was normal, considering the event, and I really didn't know what had happened to me.

I went home to rest a few days, and returned to work. I was referred to several Doctors, and saw many. I was diagnosed with "Central Nervous System Damage", since my memory, balance, and headaches were severe. I currently have severe headaches, left ear deafness, right ear deafness, a roaring and ringing sensationin my left ear, short and long term memory loss and insomnia that drives me up the wall. I am currently on medications for these symptoms, but they have not gotten any better over the years. In fact, they have gotten somewhat worse.

Before this injury, I was full of life, working two and three jobs, college educated, and was working as a volunteer with The American Heart Association, serving on the Board of Directors, and personally certifying almost 2,000 citizens of my county, and supervising 3 Training Centers for C.P.R., and responsible for almost 300 Instructors, Instructor/Trainers, and re-certifying Doctors, Nurses, Firefighters, EMTs, and anyone required to have this skill for their work, plus doing C.P.R. Classes for the "Lay" citizens to teach them Infant, Child, and Adult C.P.R.

I also served as the Florida State vice President for the American Federation of Police, which is an elected volunteer position, and was selected for membership in the Police Hall of Fame. All told, I have given my community about 20 years volunteer service, all the time working as a Security Manager/Consultant, Academy Instructor, and working at 911. I have a Law Enforcement background, and my college education has been in the Investigative Field as well. In 1990, I started at 911, and was sent to college to become an Emergency Medical Dispatcher, who was Nationally Certified in all States. I have also worked as a Day Supervisor of an Ambulance Squad, volunteering my time there as an EMT. I also was a member of 2 Fire Departments as a volunteer, serving as Secretary in one of them.

My injury could have been prevented. It was later learned that there was no "surge suppressors" or "faulty surge protectors" on the phone lines. This injury has ruined my life, both socially and physically. There were other injuries after me as well. I felt so alive before this happened. I was doing things, dating, going places, fishing, flying, diving, and keeping in shape with the "weight-pile" at the Fire Department.
Now, all that is gone. All I have is Certifications and plaques on the wall. I sit home when I feel lousy, and drive about 2 miles to the beach to sit on my truck tail-gate and watch the boats and fishermen, when I have my "good-days". I have no friends that come over, I get no phone calls. I am a virtual prisoner in my own home.

My father mows my lawn, and helps clean the house. He is 78 years old now, and is in bad health. It seems that all my friends whom I had worked with and socialized with no longer want anything to do with me. I guess it is because I don't make enough money, and can't go out with them anymore. I am on Social Security, and have 2 minor Daughters, and am a single parent. They try to help, and I appreciate it. But, my main goal in life now is to spread the "word" about lightning, and what it can do to the human body. I also want to see the Doctors of this country get educated, so that they may understand us, and recognize the problems we, the Lightning Survivor, face each day. I have talked to so many doctors, and to other victims, through my path of recovery, if you can call it that, who just do not know what to do with them, or me. I find this not exceptable.

Doctors, especially Neurologists, Ear Nose and Throat Specialists are supposed to know how the Central Nervous System works. If there is nothing that can be done, than let them tell you, instead of shuffling you off to another Doctor. Through this process, I have had to see many, and what they had to say was that "It is all in your mind", or that "lightning can not do what you have". Education is the key to treating us; to help us try to lead a fairly normal life, if that is possible. I emplore all the 911 centers, and people that must answer emergency calls, to make sure they are protected; that they are grounded so that they may save lives, and answer the call to duty without fear of electrocution due to improperly maintained equipment, or phone lines. I have had a full life; delivering babies, and training in the Emergency Room so I can save lives on the "street". Now, it seems so far away; so distant. I did two "Tours" in the Navy and have seen places you could only dream of. But, as I sit here writing this, contemplating my life now, I wonder if there will be a tomorrow. I have gained weight, have high blood pressure, and am taking it one-day-at-a-time.

I just hope and pray I live long enough to see my grandchildren. I think I would make a fantastic grandfather. If the Good Lord blesses me, and allows me to live to see my Daughters' children, I will be very happy.

My physical problems that currently affect me are: My Balance Problems, with bouts of Vertigo. I walk with a cane just in case I get a spell. I have Memory Retention Problems, with both Long and Short Term Memory Loss. In the middle of the night I wake up having Nightmares about Lightning coming through my bedroom wall. The Insomnia is terrible, even with my normal medication, I sometimes stay awake for days at a time. I get depressed in the fact that I am no longer working, and have not since 1995, and that the Social Security I do get, does not even begin to pay the bills. I have my Father to thank for the assistance in that department, even though it has wiped out His entire Retirement Savings. Along with the Depression, I get some Anxiety at not being able to be the Father I want to be with my two children. I guess forgetting things, and having to write everything down is another Depressing thing, since I have always loved to read, and have extensive books. I have to re-read things over again, and I always mark each day off on a calendar to know when my doctors appointments and other important days are. I do it just so I can remember what day it is. When I get my headaches, the ones from lightning, not sinus, they begin about my Left temple area, and increases in intensity to sometimes I just sit and cry. There have been many times I have gone to the Emergency Room for this.
I do have some good days when I get out and drive to the beach to relax listening to soft music, as loud noises, pulsating lights, and loud music can aggravate my balance and headache problems.

But, I do have one thing positive about this, and that I am alive, and that I have found a new meaning to stress. As I said before, I take one-day-at-a-time. This is all I can do. I am here for others who have experienced the same "Lightning Effects" and communicate with them via the computer on a National Lightning Survivors Web Site. We share our experiences and I feel that this is very important at keeping yourself together. I have found that I use my "Spell Check" very often, and am unable to sit in front of the computer for more than about 20 minutes at a time without getting vertigo and headaches. Oh well, as I have said before: "I am alive"!

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