Erin Field: 5 Years of being a Quadriplegic

A poem and video of photos/videos from the last 5 years since I became a quadriplegic in 2017. The poem is written below:

Today I think about all of the tears I've cried
But today 5 years ago a chimney collapsed on me and I actually died

My heart stopped for two minutes as I laid there with a broken neck

Breathing tubes, a feeding tube, on a ventilator, I was a wreck

It could have been the last time I saw my friends & family and jack, the love of my life

The pain throughout my whole body felt like I was being stabbed by a knife

Bedtime in the icu. Darkness. Pain. DREADING being turned every couple of hours

Constant beeping, vivid nightmares, staring at dead flowers

Where's my mom? I can't move. I can't speak. I'm so cold.

Begging to stand up for a minute, I'm told sorry no, it's time to be rolled.

Excruciating neck pain. And what was wrong with my shoulder?

Every day I forgot what happened to me, my mom realized "we shouldn't have told her"

Leaving the icu and heading to rehab, my mom finally got to wash the blood out of my hair

I couldn't wait to get off the vent to talk and breathe my own air

I would not have made it through without my mom and my brother,
I'm so freaking thankful for them and many others

Almost 4 months of rehab, and finally it's over. Trying to understand this life, my head was spinning.

Next my mom and I moved into a new apartment in Boston, and realized-this was only the beginning.

6 months go by and I'm back at college to finish my senior year
No one thought I would do it, but after graduation I knew I would persevere

3 years and 8 more surgeries later, I'm so glad I remained positive and didn't let my bad days take over

My English bulldogs got me through all of my toughest days,

They have helped me through this physical and emotional maze

The old me is gone and the grief- well that's hard to get over

It feels like you're at your own funeral but without any closure.

I lost a lot of friends in the process
But the new friends and community were worth it

Although my disability HAS changed me, it's made me appreciate all the small things bit by bit

So please don't take anything for granted, you never know when you're whole life might change

I realized that if I can live through pain daily, I can do almost anything I set my mind to

So bring on law school, bring on independence, bring on every single break through

Everything I've accomplished would be impossible without Jack-my soul mate, my caregiver, here's a throwback

It's been a crazy 5 years even though I know I'm just getting started on my journey

I can't wait to continue to fight for more accessibility and disability rights as an attorney.