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Note from Doc- This is a very special entry. It is the true story of Paula Martin and could easily be turned into a made-for-TV movie (hint- to any would-be producers out there!). It is that good. P90X saved her life- but not in the way you might think. Read on!
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Two years ago, I was 53 and 75lbs overweight. I had a very physical job as a carpenter, but the job abuses your body with heavy lifting and holding myself in awkward positions. I had lower back pain and my very livelihood was being threatened. I committed myself to exercising and eating right everyday regardless of how I felt. I started walking, then added P90 and finally P90X. I was very proud of my accomplishment of just being able to do a program like P90X at my age. I won a fitness contest and $1000, which motivated me more. But what I didn’t realize was the true value of the program wasn’t in pounds lost or money won.
On a warm sunny day this June 29th, I drove up the State Forest road toward my house. These roads are bad even on good days and constantly changing with plant growth, trees down, and wash outs. Familiarity with the road caused a brief lack of attention and I suddenly found myself spinning down the mountain in my Subaru. They say your whole life passes before you and things move in slow motion when you have a accident. I didn’t find either to be true. My first reaction was disbelief and anger. The second one was pure survival and pain. With every roll of the car I felt my body take a bigger beating and on the last two rolls I felt severe pain in my back. I found myself at the bottom of a 53’ cliff in the creek (thankfully low at the time) with the car facing the opposite direction on its side.
I struggled to breathe through the pain with each gut wrenching groan. I realized my car was still running and turned it off. I also realized I could not been seen from the road and calling for help on a cell phone is never possible where I live. Now I was faced with a choice: stay still for my possible broken back and maybe not be found or attempt to exit the vehicle. It didn’t take long to choose the second. I looked for a possible escape route. The door did not open, but the back window was broken out so I slowly and painfully moved into the back and stood in about a foot of water through one back window. I stepped up on the seats to push myself out through the other back window and lowered myself hands first to the creek bed. As my hands touched the creek, I realized I had another problem my left arm had no strength. I couldn’t see any visible breaks, but I figured my shoulder to be broke or dislocated. Thank goodness for all the push-ups I had been doing for a year. I was able to lower myself down with one arm. Now on my hands and knees I stood up slowly. Pain seared up my back and I could barely stand. Just then I heard a truck coming down the road. I waved and yelled and they drove by without seeing me even out of the vehicle. I was still struggling to breathe through the pain and I am sure my yell was little more than a whisper.
I looked down the creek to the bridge; it was at least 300’ over slippery wet rocks. I didn’t think I could walk that far without falling. Then I looked up to the road it was a 53’ nearly vertically climb. Next to my car the cliff was vertical for about ten feet so I moved down to a spot where I could work my way up the hill. The hill going up was about a 50 degree slope and very loose rock. I got on my hands and knees and with one good arm, grabbed small saplings and crawled slowly to the top. The last ten of the climb feet there was nothing to grab and I just prayed, “God don’t let me slide all the way back down!” I made it to the road and stood up. Any thought I had of walking out of the forest left my head as fast as the pain coursed through me.
There are many times you can stand on this State Forest Road without seeing a person, but fortunately, this was a Sunday and on Sundays people are leave their camps. Just as I was looking for a place to lay flat and not be run over I heard the sound of a vehicle coming down the road. It ended up being my neighbor’s son who took me to where I could get help. The helicopter took me to a Trauma 1 center, the doctor’s told me I had a burst (into 4 pieces) compression fracture of T12, a fractured L1 and a fractured left scapula, but by a miracle no paralysis. I spent four days in the hospital and have spent 3 months in a back brace.
Now the rehabilitation begins, but I know because of my success in the past with P90X, I can face anything. I can climb the mountain again and get back to health. P90X saved my life and being in good shape can save yours! Join me on my journey back to health and let’s help each other climb our own mountains.
-Paula Martin
Your Homework:
1. Push Play at least 5 times this week.
2. Email your me if you have any questions or need advice.
3. Realize that you can climb any mountain in your life with proper preparation and dedication.
4. Be careful driving. ;-)
Note: Special thanks to Paula for allowing me to use her story!!
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