In a bit of a concussion/
Family all a fussin/
Put a pause on my hustlin/
Can't breathe without the lovin/
Had a bit of a concussion/
Mama can't believe i was roughin/
Barfin in a bag I was stuffin/
Can't be without the lovin
so people want to know, and so people shall find out:
I, Salaam Bhatti, had a near death experience. On Sunday, we were playing tackle football *the best kind* and I was wracking up lots of yardage cuz im just so good. and i was returning a kickoff and weaving in and out and BAM i got tackled/clothe-lined (i dont remember) out of nowhere causing me to fall flat on my back and my head hitting the ground last. Everything got messed up. I sat out for a bit, but then tried to play again. My right eye decided to stop working for me as we all got up to leave the game. Upon return to my apartment, things decided to go from bad to worse. My roommate, having no idea what had happened, decided to mock me. I didn't feel like taking that crap. So I jumped in the shower to wipe off the mud caked all over my body. After taking a shower, i did the whole drying ritual and changed into a fresh set of clothes. Now I was freezing cold. So I put the 15 page paper waiting to be typed on hold and jumped into bed. At which point i became unbearably hot. And in this repeating back and forth pattern, i felt my stomach bubbling. So i got out of bed, Fixed myself up a barf bag, sat on the couch in the living room. My mouth had gone insanely dry. Not wanting to move, i asked my apartment mate tim to get me a glass of water. He did and once my mouth had become wet, I vomited. Not once, not twice, but about 5 times.
Tim had called up our friend named Lammy and he was going to take me to the hospital. However, using good judgement, he decided it would be better to call an ambulance, so he did that. And as the ambulance pulled up, i puked three more times. the ambulance workers came in and put a neck brace on me and put me on a strecther and took me away. Questions were being fired right and left as i went in. The last thing i heard before the ambulance door shuts is my friend's voice saying, "Hey Salaam!" that was nice to hear.
next thing i know, everything is going crazy in the ambulance. they took my blood presure 8 times cuz it wasnt lookin good at 102 over 100. and then i made it to the Reading trauma ward.
Whilst there, i had the privelege of having Lammy, Alex, and LinZ keep me company. and every now and then a cute nurse would walk in and i would hit on her. i figured since she thought i was delirious, that it would be ok! it was Alex's job to make sure i didnt fall asleep. but i fell asleep numerous times whilst waiting three hours for a CAT scan. i hit on the cat scan nurse as well.
and then i came back after the cat scan and we talked and stuff. My parents came not too soon after. And then Lammy, Alex, and LinZ left after meeting my parents. My parents liked them alot. Later that night, the doctor came by with some bad news. he said that the CAT scan showed a fractured neck vertebrae that, if not handled correctly, would cause instant paralysis. that killed me. that was the only thing i could think of for the rest of the night. Me? Paralyzed forever? And all i could remember was my a dream my grandfather had in relation ot my birth, "You can't harm a diamond, you can't harm a diamond." And i hoped and i prayed all night long with my mother by my side. I don't remember too much cuz i was hopped up on morphine. But i do know that i love me some lime jello.
The next day, i had to have an MRI scan taken. This was interesting. it involved pushing me into this round coffin like object. me being the macho man i am thought i could handle it. i couldnt. good thing they had sedated me a bit. being in there felt like death. however, the sedation wasn't enough so i woke up halfway through the 30 minute procedure. i didnt freak out, but it was very frightening. I knocked on the sides a bit asking if anybody was around and how much longer it would take. But all i heard was the drum beat of the MRI. PLUS they had asked me what Music i liked to listen to and i said rap and they had me listening to rap music in headphones WHILE i was in there. BAD IDEA. hardcore rap while drums are thumping around you in an enclosed area is a BAD idea. I felt dead.
the MRI scans came out positive and all was well. I had a concussion, the fractured neck was nothing to worry about as it had been a developmental abnormality, and now i am at home. Taking a break from it all. Three Cheers for sleep!
