“Another Chance At Life”
Hello, my name is Becka Corbitt.
In May of 2007 my life changed in a matter of seconds.
Let me give you some back story info. Before May of 2007 I was a stay at home mom, raising twins. Both approaching graduation. I had also been on a journey to walk away from several hard years of dealing with depression, severe anxiety and sleep issues. From the start of 2006 to April of 2007 I had made a drastic decision to detox off of every anti depressant and sleep medication I had been on. I had a great doctor working with me.
Even though this story may not seem to fit inside my journey through the almost fatal car accident I was in on May 2007...it truly is so much intertwined. I was medication free when my accident happened and I always count that as a huge blessing and a huge God miracle over my life. I could see and understand everything that was going on around me with clarity. It needed to be that way.
After my daughter graduated in May of 2007 I was headed to Dallas with my son to take him to serve a church internship in Waxahachie, Texas. Even though we had made many trips into the DFW Metro over the years, I had never driven by myself from Amarillo. I was nervous to drive and more nervous to drive alone. My oldest brother, William, had volunteered to come and help us. He was supposed to drive my car and my son follow us in his car. However, my son, Jacob, was more nervous than me so, my brother ended up riding with him. This was also a God thing. This allowed me six hours of listening to cd after cd of christian music. Which was instrumental for me after my accident happened.
Once into the metroplex we dropped off my brother in Dallas. My son and I had neither one ever driven by ourselves in the Dallas traffic. We were both shaken, nervous and unsettled. Jacob called me on my cell telling me he couldn’t keep going. Exhausted and both of us rattled after long hours of traveling...I knew I had to pull it together big time and make some drastic decisions. Once on 360 in Arlington, I made the decision to pull off at an exit called Division. I then took us on a back route trying to get to my parents.
I’ll never forget any of these moments. They are etched in my memory forever. We pulled up at an intersection. I gave Jacob the thumbs up and told him on the phone to please calm down, we are almost there. He gave me a thumbs up back. Two more lights down and my life changed in a moment.
As we went through the third green light I looked to my left and saw a car coming toward me at full speed. I remember seeing this happen and then all I remember is me trying to find my son.
I was t-boned. Spun around hitting five other cars. Landing facing the way I was originally headed. I passed out. When I came to I saw my son way off in the distance going away from me. Because I had just suffered one of the most severe concussions they say you can experience, my mind was all over the place. I was screaming that my son had been in an accident and he had died. I was the one in the accident. But that’s what a head injury will do to you.
My son was beside me in his car and saw the entire accident happen. To this day he doesn’t know what stopped his car. I believe with all my heart it was God. He came to my car, turned off the engine and tried to wake me up. My arm was crushed and turned the opposite way than normal. I was severely hurt.
As I was taken out of the car I continued to pass out. I thought I was at youth camp and thought Reagan was President. Pretty crazy what head injuries do to us. I kept repeating my entire name and giving everyone my phone number and social security number.
At first it appeared that my pelvis was broke, my sternum was broke, internal bleeding and more. I had actually suffered a severe concussion, crushed my right arm, deeply bruised pelvis, bruised liver, bruised sternum, three gall stones had lodged between the small intestine and gall bladder, breast contusions and bruised all over my body. It was a bad accident and I was thankful to be alive.
When I arrived at the trauma unit in Dallas they didn’t know if I would make it. All my family arrived and they called my husband to head that way. I was saying things out of my mind. The stories my family have told me are amazing. It would have been nice if they would have prepared my family better. My head and mind were so injured. There’s a lot to the story of my trauma unit stay. The hours that I was in and out of consciousness. Singing praise songs, telling everyone about Jesus, telling everyone my full name and begging everyone to tell me about my son, to let me see him and believing the entire time he had died in a car accident. Still not realizing I was the one injured.
I went into surgery the next day. They put a donor bone in my arm with a plate and seven screws. I was told I’d most likely never use my arm again. I had suffered severe nerve damage, permanent damage to the brachial plexus muscle. It was a hard journey back.
I couldn’t walk or take care of myself for months. Three weeks later after returning to Amarillo l went into septic shock. I was rushed to the hospital. It was at this time we found out about the three gall stones that had been pushed out and lodged during the accident. I had to have immediate surgery. Which set me back even more.
Over thirty weeks of therapy on my right arm and left side was instrumental in my recovery. The day I went in for my first therapy appointment. The head hand therapists pulled me aside and told me to work as hard as I can but he didn’t want me to be discouraged that I most likely would never be able to rotate my arm like usual. I proved him wrong. In fact he said...there was no way. That’s probably the best thing he could have ever told me. I never missed a day of therapy. Never. Not one day. I now use my arm everyday. There are things that over time I’ve had to stop doing. Volleyball is one. My favorite sport. But I have found other sports I can do.
The nerve damage was hard and took many years to overcome. To this day I still struggle with the damage. But I have learned to compensate. I’ve learned that pain isn’t going to kill me. I’ve learned that I can overcome obstacles. I’ve taught myself how to do things different when needed.
I’ve now suffered four concussions in my life. The neurologist told me not to have anymore. The one with the car accident was the worst and has left me with struggles that are hard to see by others. But I know they are there. Weather messes me up. If there’s a lot of noise around me, I have a hard time verbalizing what I need to say. Crowded rooms make me dizzy and make it hard to concentrate. If I get tired or fatigued it’s better if I just go home and find serenity.
Otherwise, I find it hard to think logically and form my words properly. Which can cause me to be embarrassed and frustrated.
I’ve learned to compensate and I’ve learned my limits. I didn’t drive for many years after my accident. I had PTSD from the trauma. I would have deep panics attaches and problems swallowing when trying to drive. After seven years...God healed me in a miraculous way. That is a story in itself. I drive everywhere and anywhere now. That day that he healed me has proven to me that Gods healing is 100% possible. It can happen!! In his timing.
Brain injuries are difficult to explain. Everyone that has had a brain injury understands. Each persons injury is different. You can look perfectly normal on the outside but the struggles that happen internally from nerve damage, brain injury, and internal injuries...creates havoc inside our bodies and minds.
God was gracious that day in May. He had more for me to do here on this earth. I’m so glad. As hard as this accident and repercussions of how it left me have been difficult. It was just another layer of my story and how I’ve seen God use this experience to make me stronger and more determined to survive.
Since that day in May I’ve experienced more trauma in my life. The loss of a 26 year marriage. Learning to stand on my own two feet. Knowing what it is like to be hungry and wonder where I will live. Facing my own traumatic events from the past...childhood trauma, sexual abuse, rape. Learning to heal and find freedom. Gaining courage to become a strong, independent woman in my forties. Finding love again at fifty. Beautiful grand-babies. A beautiful home. Healthy and successful children. To where I am today. Owning a high end magazine in Frisco, Texas. God is good!
I didn’t think on that day in May of 2007 that I would live. Much less heal my life not only physically but emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
Becoming the owner and publisher of Frisco Life and now living to tell the layers of my story.
God is faithful and good. I’m beyond thankful He chose to give me more time...time to love others more and to share his love through my personal testimony.
love to all ~ Becka
