Welcome back, I'm going to
go ahead and do the roll in
00:00:15.52\00:00:17.23
and then we will come back
00:00:17.26\00:00:18.23
and see what else happened with
00:00:18.24\00:00:19.66
Craig and his life.
00:00:19.69\00:00:21.48
I don't know about you,
but I can hardly breath,
00:00:21.51\00:00:23.48
so I have to hear
the rest of the story.
00:00:23.51\00:00:25.14
A couple hours after his 90 foot
00:00:29.10\00:00:30.14
fall Craig DeMartino arrived at
00:00:30.17\00:00:31.66
Poudre Valley Hospital
in Fort Collins, Colorado.
00:00:31.69\00:00:33.66
His condition appeared stable,
00:00:33.69\00:00:35.46
but his fate remained uncertain.
00:00:35.49\00:00:37.20
You are probably
looking at a 90% mortality
00:00:37.23\00:00:39.58
with a straight fall,
falls from a lot lower heights,
00:00:39.61\00:00:42.05
they come in body bags all time.
00:00:42.09\00:00:45.14
Back in Pennsylvania
Craig's parents got the call.
00:00:46.09\00:00:48.72
As a parent it is a phone
call you never want to get.
00:00:48.75\00:00:52.56
At the time it was pretty grim.
00:00:52.59\00:00:54.84
They weren't sure
if he would make it.
00:00:54.87\00:00:57.56
I mean really the thing
is chasing around in my head
00:00:57.59\00:01:00.20
was Dr. Turner, because he
came into the intensive care
00:01:00.23\00:01:03.97
and was saying, well we
really didn't expect him
00:01:04.00\00:01:07.16
to make it an hour.
00:01:07.19\00:01:08.47
The violent impact
shattered both of Craig's feet
00:01:12.68\00:01:14.96
and compressed his spine
essentially causing one of
00:01:14.99\00:01:17.94
his lower vertebrate to explode.
00:01:17.97\00:01:20.06
Neuro surgeon Donald
Turner, assessed the damage.
00:01:20.09\00:01:23.37
Normally the spinal
canal should be like this.
00:01:23.40\00:01:26.96
You can tell at this
bone has been pushed backward
00:01:26.99\00:01:30.61
into the ventral
aspect of the spinal canal.
00:01:30.64\00:01:34.88
So now the diameter of
the spine here is very small,
00:01:34.91\00:01:37.84
right there.
00:01:37.87\00:01:39.41
To repair the vertebrae,
Dr. Turner had to open the
00:01:39.44\00:01:42.56
spine and move
the pieces into place.
00:01:42.59\00:01:44.83
Then he used titanium
plates and screws to attach the
00:01:44.86\00:01:48.03
damaged vertebrae to be
intact ones above and below it.
00:01:48.06\00:01:51.05
The body easy tolerates the
light weight titanium metal.
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But working in the
tiny confines of the spine
00:01:54.59\00:01:57.33
leaves no room for error.
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The one thing that makes
neuro surgery difficult is that
00:01:59.51\00:02:03.77
if you do make a mistake,
it is probably permanent.
00:02:03.80\00:02:06.60
With no guarantees, Dr.
Turner did all he could.
00:02:06.63\00:02:10.21
It was very grim, you
know he was very serious,
00:02:12.63\00:02:16.85
and it was really scary.
00:02:16.88\00:02:20.32
They would have to wait
for the results of the spinal
00:02:22.46\00:02:24.18
operation, meanwhile
orthopedic trauma surgeon,
00:02:24.21\00:02:27.41
Dr. Lundy, reconstructed
Craig's ankles and heel bones
00:02:27.44\00:02:30.34
known medically as Calcaneus.
00:02:30.37\00:02:32.85
This is his left calcaneus,
this belongs under here.
00:02:32.88\00:02:37.42
His calcaneus which was
here, came out over this way,
00:02:38.82\00:02:42.31
and his whole foot
went with the calcaneus.
00:02:42.34\00:02:44.95
His right foot did the
same thing but because his right
00:02:44.98\00:02:47.77
calcaneus was so severely
fractured as you can see the
00:02:47.80\00:02:50.72
formity is less than on
it is on his dislocated side.
00:02:50.75\00:02:54.16
With wire pins and bone
cement, Dr. Lundy rebuilt the
00:02:54.19\00:02:57.99
damaged bones
and tissues as best
00:02:58.02\00:02:59.76
as medical science allowed.
00:02:59.79\00:03:01.17
The doctors at Poudre
Valley Hospital had done
00:03:01.20\00:03:03.62
everything they could,
and the rest was up to Craig.
00:03:03.65\00:03:06.36
I walked into the room
and he opened his eyes,
00:03:06.39\00:03:10.26
and he saw me and
reached up his hand.
00:03:10.29\00:03:14.39
Craig had survived the
critical first few days in the
00:03:16.05\00:03:19.06
hospital and he would live.
00:03:19.09\00:03:20.72
But what would his life be like?
00:03:20.75\00:03:22.89
They are fairly certain he
is going to be a paraplegic.
00:03:22.92\00:03:25.54
Knowing that he fell 100
feet, you don't have to be a
00:03:25.57\00:03:29.11
doctor to figure that out,
that is a good possibility.
00:03:29.14\00:03:32.87
Unable to talk with a
breather, Craig found a way to
00:03:32.90\00:03:36.13
communicate and the
news he received wasn't good.
00:03:36.16\00:03:38.93
There was a nurse there
and she is looking at me,
00:03:38.96\00:03:41.60
and I'm looking at her
and pointed at my feet.
00:03:41.63\00:03:43.31
She said your feet
are broken really bad.
00:03:43.34\00:03:46.26
Then I pointed at my back,
00:03:46.29\00:03:47.60
she said your back
is broken really bad.
00:03:47.63\00:03:49.33
So I thought well I will
see what she says if I do this.
00:03:49.36\00:03:51.89
So like will I walk?
00:03:51.92\00:03:54.59
She looked at me
and started to cry and,
00:03:54.62\00:03:57.03
said we don't know.
00:03:57.06\00:03:58.27
It was like
somebody hit me with a bat.
00:03:58.30\00:03:59.98
I was thinking I
have two kids and a wife.
00:04:00.01\00:04:03.02
I'm 36 years
old, I cannot do this.
00:04:03.05\00:04:05.32
Man, you know watching that?
00:04:05.35\00:04:08.12
I'm not even sure
how I can watch it.
00:04:08.15\00:04:10.09
How do you watch
it? Do you re-live it?
00:04:10.12\00:04:12.01
That whole series, that
whole video series was from
00:04:12.04\00:04:16.89
something the Discovery
Channel did on a show called
00:04:16.92\00:04:19.16
Vital Scans that highlighted
heavy trauma survivors.
00:04:19.19\00:04:22.25
The first time I saw it,
they asked me if I wanted to
00:04:22.28\00:04:25.77
come and watch the
reenactment and I was like no,
00:04:25.80\00:04:28.61
I'm good.
00:04:28.64\00:04:29.67
Watching it the first
time I was like, oh my gosh,
00:04:29.70\00:04:33.23
I almost threw up, now
that I have seen it enough,
00:04:33.26\00:04:35.85
I go, okay, I can detach
from it and say wow he really
00:04:35.88\00:04:39.04
hit the ground hard.
00:04:39.07\00:04:40.04
I'm not as tied to it as
much now and I have seen enough
00:04:40.05\00:04:43.62
times I'm desensitized to it.
00:04:43.65\00:04:45.13
It literally showed that this
was what shattered or broke.
00:04:45.16\00:04:48.14
They dropped, they had a
climber fall a couple times to
00:04:48.17\00:04:51.98
take some 50 foot
falls and they filmed that.
00:04:52.01\00:04:54.38
Then they dropped a dummy
100 feet just see how it hit
00:04:54.41\00:04:57.76
and see what it did
when it hit the ground.
00:04:57.79\00:04:59.31
Even dropped
through a tree to see
00:04:59.34\00:05:00.99
how that affected its fall.
00:05:01.02\00:05:02.59
So I was used to seeing
that and it doesn't make it
00:05:02.62\00:05:07.14
easier but it gave me actually
some good insight as far as
00:05:07.17\00:05:10.27
okay, that is how I broke this,
that's how this broke and to
00:05:10.30\00:05:13.03
hear the doctors say,
this is how this all works.
00:05:13.06\00:05:15.36
It makes me go, oh, okay.
00:05:15.39\00:05:17.31
It actually makes me go wow
what an amazing miracle to me
00:05:17.34\00:05:22.06
even bigger, I think that
word miracle gets overused.
00:05:22.09\00:05:25.49
Whereas I look at it and
go man, my spine is that thick
00:05:25.52\00:05:29.89
and I am walking.
00:05:29.92\00:05:32.07
And you are moving your arms.
00:05:32.10\00:05:33.81
My arms, my hands, now
that doesn't mean there
00:05:33.84\00:05:38.08
wasn't a lot of injury.
00:05:38.11\00:05:39.54
When I hit the ground the
next thing I remember is that
00:05:39.57\00:05:43.59
I wake up in the hospital
and I am looking at the doctor.
00:05:43.62\00:05:45.48
Dr. Turner, and he said
your back is broken really bad.
00:05:45.51\00:05:49.66
Your feet are broken
really bad and we are just going
00:05:49.69\00:05:52.31
to take this day by day.
00:05:52.34\00:05:53.49
I had a ventilator
and could not breathe.
00:05:53.52\00:05:54.91
So that was my
world for about five days.
00:05:54.94\00:05:57.73
They had me tied down
so I couldn't move it all.
00:05:57.76\00:06:00.18
The nurse had shown how
bad I was hurt and I didn't
00:06:00.21\00:06:06.26
really understand that at all.
00:06:06.29\00:06:07.73
As they slowly
started to unplug things,
00:06:07.76\00:06:10.74
and I started to move I
realized how badly I was hurt.
00:06:10.77\00:06:14.02
My back was broken so bad
and my neck was broken so bad
00:06:14.05\00:06:17.01
that they had me in a
full case like Velcro thing
00:06:17.04\00:06:20.33
that held me solid.
00:06:20.36\00:06:21.58
So just to keep me out of bed
they had to bring a crane in.
00:06:21.61\00:06:24.51
They would crane my whole
body up and swing me out to
00:06:24.54\00:06:27.04
change my sheets, and big
crane me back and put me in bed.
00:06:27.07\00:06:29.65
You had to stay one place?
00:06:29.68\00:06:31.52
I couldn't move, the infusions
in my back had all set up.
00:06:31.55\00:06:34.12
All the hardware has
to settle into place.
00:06:34.15\00:06:36.31
My neck was in a collar so I
couldn't move my neck at all.
00:06:36.34\00:06:39.58
That was my life
for about a month.
00:06:39.61\00:06:42.04
I don't know if anybody
else is interested in this but I
00:06:42.07\00:06:46.07
relied on, even when
I was on the streets,
00:06:46.10\00:06:48.52
I really relied on
what I could to physically
00:06:48.55\00:06:51.16
that I could always
take care of myself.
00:06:51.19\00:06:52.99
You are laying there saying,
fully aware that a big change
00:06:53.02\00:06:57.77
has happened, my life is
not going to be the same.
00:06:57.80\00:07:01.41
Right, realizing that,
mine and hers and our families
00:07:01.44\00:07:06.78
life is totally different.
00:07:06.81\00:07:08.24
What does that mean now?
00:07:08.27\00:07:10.44
In laying there, prior to
the accident if I wanted to do
00:07:10.47\00:07:13.91
a particular climb,
a boulder, or whatever,
00:07:13.94\00:07:16.90
I could train for
it and I could do it.
00:07:16.93\00:07:18.90
It would take me a couple
months, one problem took me
00:07:18.93\00:07:20.84
a year to figure
out how to do it.
00:07:20.87\00:07:22.26
I could train hard
enough and get it done.
00:07:22.29\00:07:24.73
Exactly I am capable.
00:07:24.76\00:07:26.73
I am capable of
solving these problems.
00:07:26.76\00:07:28.85
Well now I am laying
there, literally cannot even get
00:07:28.88\00:07:32.76
food I had to push a
button and somebody would come
00:07:32.79\00:07:36.07
and asked me what I needed.
00:07:36.10\00:07:37.32
So going from
complete dependency on myself,
00:07:37.35\00:07:39.55
not God, me, to all
of a sudden nothing.
00:07:39.58\00:07:44.20
I can't even reach over
and touch her leg, nothing.
00:07:44.23\00:07:48.49
So I am laying there and
the biggest wake-up call,
00:07:48.52\00:07:51.95
at that point I was
really just confused.
00:07:51.98\00:07:53.84
I was listening to doctors and
00:07:53.87\00:07:55.52
I am a very
task oriented person.
00:07:55.55\00:07:56.86
If you say to me do
this, this, and this,
00:07:56.89\00:07:58.49
that's what I'll do.
00:07:58.52\00:08:00.38
Today this is
what we're going to do.
00:08:00.41\00:08:02.51
Today we are going to
focus on his left foot Craig.
00:08:02.54\00:08:04.00
We're going to roll
this prickly thing up it and
00:08:04.03\00:08:06.16
see if you can feel it.
00:08:06.19\00:08:07.89
Because remember I
broke my spine really badly.
00:08:07.92\00:08:10.04
They had re-build L2 with
a bone, so for me that means
00:08:10.07\00:08:14.45
a spinal cord
injury from my waist down,
00:08:14.48\00:08:16.48
L2 is basically right
through your belly button.
00:08:16.51\00:08:18.21
I have really limited feeling
as far as what I can feel.
00:08:18.24\00:08:20.86
Still? Absolutely!
00:08:20.89\00:08:22.57
The sensory off my exterior
part of my legs I can feel
00:08:22.60\00:08:25.68
heavy pressure, so if you
push on the hard I can feel it,
00:08:25.71\00:08:27.81
but if you just brush
me I can feel it at all.
00:08:27.84\00:08:29.72
Same with my back,
like going up my back.
00:08:29.75\00:08:31.61
My arms, from where I broke
my neck, this arm is numb on
00:08:31.64\00:08:35.70
the insides my
fingers tips are numb.
00:08:35.73\00:08:37.28
My lips are numb up
here in this part of my face.
00:08:37.31\00:08:39.56
It's amazing
because when I look at you,
00:08:39.59\00:08:41.38
I would not guess all that.
00:08:41.41\00:08:42.73
Right, and that unrolls
slowly because you do not know
00:08:42.76\00:08:47.23
what is going to work
and what isn't going to work.
00:08:47.26\00:08:48.99
They slowly work on pieces.
00:08:49.02\00:08:51.00
They would work on my
legs and my back mostly,
00:08:51.03\00:08:52.84
but then they would leave.
00:08:52.87\00:08:54.51
So we would do that and then
I would be alone in my room.
00:08:54.54\00:08:57.08
My family would
come in the afternoons.
00:08:57.11\00:08:58.99
Cindy would bring every
day the kids will come and sit
00:08:59.02\00:09:01.25
on the bed with me and
we would hang out and talk
00:09:01.28\00:09:03.85
and try to keep it as
normal as it we could.
00:09:03.88\00:09:06.99
But when I was alone
I would be laying there.
00:09:07.02\00:09:09.51
Up to that point I wasn't
angry, how did this happen?
00:09:09.54\00:09:13.74
Yada, Yada, Yada,
why did this happen?
00:09:13.77\00:09:16.38
I want to ask that too,
because like you said you have
00:09:16.41\00:09:18.89
your Christianity and
everything was going well and
00:09:18.92\00:09:20.63
plateaued out, but
laying there, didn't you say,
00:09:20.66\00:09:24.30
God what's up, where were You?
00:09:24.33\00:09:26.19
I did, I probably said
what's up, where were You?
00:09:26.22\00:09:31.42
What were You doing?
00:09:31.45\00:09:32.59
But I wasn't angry,
I was more curious so
00:09:32.62\00:09:35.61
I would sit there
and pray and talk to God.
00:09:35.64\00:09:38.72
What I was realizing
was that my faith walk,
00:09:38.75\00:09:41.83
up to that point,
was one of convenience.
00:09:41.86\00:09:43.90
When it was convenient for
me to bring God into my life,
00:09:43.93\00:09:46.23
I would bring Him in.
00:09:46.26\00:09:47.44
I would embrace
Him wholeheartedly,
00:09:47.47\00:09:48.90
but I would bring Him
00:09:48.93\00:09:49.90
in and go, OK, we're done now.
00:09:49.91\00:09:51.40
I've got some stuff to
do and I would go to it.
00:09:51.43\00:09:54.96
I didn't see
anything wrong with that.
00:09:54.99\00:09:56.92
Now all of a sudden I am
going, wow, that was screwed up.
00:09:56.95\00:10:02.56
I'm really sorry about that.
00:10:02.59\00:10:04.58
The only thing that I could
reach was the bedside table
00:10:04.61\00:10:09.05
that you eat one in
the hospital that swings.
00:10:09.08\00:10:10.80
I could reach that and
all that table was a book.
00:10:10.83\00:10:13.29
It was a book that
a friend had sent me.
00:10:13.32\00:10:15.17
He was a daily devotional
book, which at that part of my
00:10:15.20\00:10:18.78
life, those are
dumb, I don't like them.
00:10:18.81\00:10:21.96
I don't read them, I
thought they were hokey.
00:10:21.99\00:10:23.78
This one was from a Max Lucado
that I had never read before.
00:10:23.81\00:10:26.66
I thought well, I can
reach it, so I reached it and
00:10:26.69\00:10:30.01
pulled it over and flipped
to the day, the devotion of
00:10:30.04\00:10:34.22
that day and I
flipped to July 21.
00:10:34.25\00:10:36.46
The heading is, the title is,
00:10:36.49\00:10:39.09
How Far Does God Have To
Go to Get Your Attention?
00:10:39.12\00:10:41.29
And it's hello, it felt
like somebody slapped me.
00:10:41.32\00:10:46.18
If felt like the room got small.
00:10:46.21\00:10:48.04
I felt embarrassed, I
felt cheated, I felt all these
00:10:48.07\00:10:53.62
emotions that I had
never felt towards God before.
00:10:53.65\00:10:56.17
I never felt like I
had to be embarrassed.
00:10:56.20\00:10:58.25
I felt like oh my
gosh You are looking at me
00:10:58.28\00:11:00.47
and going get it? Do you
understand what's happening now?
00:11:00.50\00:11:04.22
I read it and the Scriptures
were in there to back up
00:11:04.25\00:11:07.20
where is God in your life?
00:11:07.23\00:11:08.89
Is He number one,
number four, number two?
00:11:08.92\00:11:11.39
I was guilty of all those things
that were in this devotion.
00:11:11.42\00:11:14.84
I read it and closed
the book and said okay.
00:11:14.87\00:11:17.29
You know what I do not
know why this happened.
00:11:17.32\00:11:19.81
I know that You could have
stopped it, but obviously this
00:11:19.84\00:11:22.91
is part of a plan
that I do not understand.
00:11:22.94\00:11:24.88
I don't want to understand
it, but please make it clear
00:11:24.91\00:11:28.26
to me what You want me to do
in this scheme of the events.
00:11:28.29\00:11:32.19
What do You want me
to do with this accident?
00:11:32.22\00:11:34.80
Where do You want
me to go with this?
00:11:34.83\00:11:36.11
Can You please heal me
because I don't want to be a
00:11:36.14\00:11:39.32
paraplegic, I haven't moved
my legs up unto that point.
00:11:39.35\00:11:43.09
I'm just thinking
please heal me so that I can
00:11:43.12\00:11:46.17
get out of here,
and play with my kids,
00:11:46.20\00:11:48.69
and hug my wife again.
00:11:48.72\00:11:50.11
All of a sudden things
started to clarify for me.
00:11:50.14\00:11:55.97
That is the strange part
for me when I listen to your
00:11:56.00\00:12:01.44
story and when I have followed
you for little while is the fact
00:12:01.47\00:12:03.65
that in the bed, during
that time, God and you really
00:12:03.68\00:12:09.02
became, that
became very real to you?
00:12:09.05\00:12:14.44
Very tangible
even that, who are You?
00:12:14.47\00:12:18.21
Who am I? What is
today going to hold?
00:12:18.24\00:12:21.44
How is this going to unfold?
00:12:21.47\00:12:22.98
That really
surprised me, that part of it,
00:12:23.01\00:12:25.92
instead of anger it
was like what's going on
00:12:25.95\00:12:29.71
and what You want?
00:12:29.74\00:12:31.06
How am I going
to respond to that?
00:12:31.09\00:12:32.99
Who am I now?
00:12:33.02\00:12:36.54
Before I got hurt
I was a photographer,
00:12:36.57\00:12:38.29
I was a climber,
00:12:38.32\00:12:39.29
I was a dad, I was a husband.
00:12:39.30\00:12:40.62
But a lot of it I was a climber.
00:12:40.65\00:12:42.47
I'm laying there
going, who am I now?
00:12:42.50\00:12:46.13
I was a Christian but I
wasn't the best Christian,
00:12:46.16\00:12:50.01
so who am I now?
00:12:50.04\00:12:51.72
Who do You want me to be?
00:12:51.75\00:12:53.21
What should I do with all this
information that I'm getting?
00:12:53.24\00:12:56.59
I actually miss those times
now, because it was unfiltered
00:12:56.62\00:13:00.55
time with God,
it was undisturbed.
00:13:00.58\00:13:03.29
It was me laying there just
going I have nowhere else to go.
00:13:03.32\00:13:06.99
I have nowhere to
go so what do You want?
00:13:07.02\00:13:10.38
And God shows up talking
to me and it started to become
00:13:10.41\00:13:13.70
very apparent
where He wanted me to go.
00:13:13.73\00:13:15.56
My recovery went slow and
00:13:15.59\00:13:18.05
it doesn't happen
overnight obviously.
00:13:18.08\00:13:19.67
The nerve disorders I
developed from all the injuries,
00:13:19.70\00:13:23.80
that all came and the
doctors came to me and said,
00:13:23.83\00:13:27.09
18 months after I
get out of the hospital.
00:13:27.12\00:13:29.64
18 months after my
foot is still in a cast.
00:13:29.67\00:13:32.42
Still limping terribly.
00:13:32.45\00:13:35.88
Because they can't fix it?
00:13:35.91\00:13:38.47
They did 11 different
operations on my foot.
00:13:38.50\00:13:42.07
I had so many screws and plates
in there that they just said,
00:13:42.10\00:13:46.48
here is the thing, if you weight
bear on it, and hit it hard
00:13:46.51\00:13:50.05
you will break your ankle again.
00:13:50.08\00:13:51.23
So you have to wear a cast and
we will make you a cool cast.
00:13:51.26\00:13:54.19
We did that, but a cool cast
is still a cast on your foot.
00:13:54.22\00:13:59.40
It came up to about my knee.
00:13:59.43\00:14:00.64
So they said you are not going
to be able to climb anymore.
00:14:00.67\00:14:03.98
No more mountain
biking and no more skiing.
00:14:04.01\00:14:05.71
I just thought, I
can't even chase my kids.
00:14:05.74\00:14:09.49
I can't do anything so
I've started to pray about that.
00:14:09.52\00:14:12.47
I think, who am I now?
00:14:12.50\00:14:15.05
What am I going to do here?
00:14:15.08\00:14:16.05
God put it on my
heart, it's going to be fine.
00:14:16.06\00:14:19.56
Just keep going,
just keep moving.
00:14:19.59\00:14:22.06
I like to move so God made
it apparent to keep moving.
00:14:22.09\00:14:28.02
Move forward, forward.
00:14:28.05\00:14:29.17
You talk about the
numbness, I had this numbness in
00:14:29.20\00:14:32.41
different parts of my body,
but I know that you also have
00:14:32.44\00:14:35.29
pain in different parts of
your body, dealing with that,
00:14:35.32\00:14:37.60
so it not you just got out
and did your recovery and healed
00:14:39.26\00:14:43.56
some and am done
other than this foot?
00:14:43.60\00:14:46.94
That was something that
slowly opened up, because I kept
00:14:46.97\00:14:50.97
thinking all this pain
that I am feeling in my body
00:14:51.00\00:14:54.11
from compression,
from falling that far.
00:14:54.14\00:14:55.94
Every doctor says you can't
fix that kind of compression.
00:14:55.97\00:14:59.55
You smoosh everything together,
it's not like an accordion
00:14:59.58\00:15:03.12
that we can pull
it apart and fix.
00:15:03.16\00:15:04.89
It's damaged, you've wrecked it.
00:15:04.93\00:15:06.90
What do you do with all that?
00:15:06.94\00:15:08.85
I kept thinking the pain
I am feeling, I have a lot
00:15:08.88\00:15:11.28
of pain in my back and a
lot of pain in my other ankle.
00:15:11.31\00:15:13.99
My left ankle because they
pulled it back in and screwed it
00:15:14.03\00:15:16.68
Then they figured they
would see what happens to it.
00:15:16.71\00:15:20.45
The elbow I broke, you have
these sacks in here that have
00:15:20.48\00:15:24.18
fluid that lubricate your joint.
00:15:24.22\00:15:25.77
Well I broke all that stuff
so I don't have that anymore.
00:15:25.81\00:15:28.39
So my elbow if I talk on
the phone long, it's hard for
00:15:28.42\00:15:30.97
me to put my arm back down.
00:15:31.00\00:15:32.50
Just lots of different
things that are chronic pain
00:15:32.54\00:15:36.04
that goes on.
00:15:36.08\00:15:37.05
I kept thinking well that
is all going to get better,
00:15:37.06\00:15:39.35
but at that point I was
focused on my right foot.
00:15:39.39\00:15:41.79
What am I going to
do with this thing?
00:15:41.83\00:15:43.21
They said you can amputate it.
00:15:43.24\00:15:45.60
I thought that's absurd,
why on earth would I do that?
00:15:45.63\00:15:49.89
I kept thinking and
praying and started to talk with
00:15:49.92\00:15:54.14
people who had done it.
00:15:54.18\00:15:55.24
What I realized was they
were as active as I was before.
00:15:55.27\00:15:58.41
I thought well they do not
have the list of the injuries
00:15:58.45\00:16:01.55
I have, but they did
do that and seem fine.
00:16:01.59\00:16:04.07
Much prayer and much thought,
Cindy and I talked and I
00:16:04.11\00:16:08.06
thought I am going to do it.
00:16:08.09\00:16:09.34
I went into my doctor, and
again God's hand was totally
00:16:09.38\00:16:13.02
on the whole situation.
00:16:13.05\00:16:14.09
My orthopedic surgeon was
a very strong Christian guy.
00:16:14.13\00:16:16.26
I went into his
office and said look Doug,
00:16:16.29\00:16:18.34
I don't like this.
00:16:18.37\00:16:20.06
I can't do anything and
I want to cut my leg off.
00:16:20.09\00:16:22.31
He was, yeah that's right.
00:16:22.34\00:16:24.63
He was let you do it?
00:16:24.67\00:16:26.69
Right, you needed to
decide that on your own.
00:16:26.73\00:16:28.61
I could never say to
you, Craig cut your leg off.
00:16:28.65\00:16:30.50
It's going to be the best thing.
00:16:30.54\00:16:31.55
You would not listen to me,
but it's best thing, trust me.
00:16:31.58\00:16:34.90
He went out to his appointment
book and flipped it open.
00:16:34.93\00:16:38.19
The next month on Tuesday,
December 2, we will do it then.
00:16:38.23\00:16:41.45
I don't even know
how I would do that?
00:16:41.49\00:16:43.03
My head was like, oh,
but that's a month away.
00:16:43.06\00:16:46.09
Should we go for
longer, further out?
00:16:46.13\00:16:47.91
He was no, you do not want
to think about it more than
00:16:47.95\00:16:49.83
a month do you?
00:16:49.86\00:16:50.85
I'm thinking maybe
I do, I don't know.
00:16:50.88\00:16:54.11
Have I done everything I could?
00:16:54.15\00:16:55.77
Is maybe the 12
surgery the one that fix it?
00:16:55.80\00:16:59.09
He said, you have no foot left,
00:16:59.13\00:17:00.67
you can't even move your toes.
00:17:00.71\00:17:02.18
I couldn't even wiggle
them, couldn't feel them.
00:17:02.22\00:17:04.58
Nothing worked, so December
2, I went back in 18 months
00:17:04.61\00:17:08.10
later and laid there trying
to get my head around the fact
00:17:08.14\00:17:11.59
that day was
going to cut my leg off.
00:17:11.62\00:17:12.99
The rest of the stuff that
was screwed up in my body was
00:17:13.03\00:17:15.71
not paying
attention to it as much.
00:17:15.74\00:17:17.59
I guess not?
00:17:17.62\00:17:19.49
It's weird, you are laying
there and they give you these
00:17:23.43\00:17:25.89
sedatives to take
on your way in there.
00:17:25.93\00:17:27.51
You have to show up
early in the morning.
00:17:27.54\00:17:29.06
So driving there, Cindy
is driving and I am looking
00:17:29.09\00:17:31.89
out the window
watching the ground go by.
00:17:31.93\00:17:34.70
I'm freaking out in my
head and going this is wrong.
00:17:34.74\00:17:37.43
This is wrong I
shouldn't do this.
00:17:37.47\00:17:38.51
I get there and somehow I
get up and walk in and sign
00:17:38.55\00:17:42.22
the paperwork and
laying there in the gown.
00:17:42.26\00:17:45.32
Laying on the gurney and
waiting, and waiting and Cindy
00:17:45.36\00:17:48.24
is right here and I'm
saying, this is not right,
00:17:48.28\00:17:50.81
it's not right and I
turn around and look up here
00:17:50.84\00:17:53.34
and here is my pastor.
00:17:53.38\00:17:54.49
I'm like what
are you doing here?
00:17:54.52\00:17:56.08
He said I just knew that
today was the day and I thought
00:17:56.12\00:17:59.12
I will come in and support
you, do you want to pray?
00:17:59.15\00:18:02.12
Pray, yeah we should
be praying right now.
00:18:02.15\00:18:03.64
So we held hands
and we all prayed.
00:18:03.68\00:18:06.02
As soon as we get done praying
the curtain opens over here.
00:18:06.05\00:18:10.00
Here is Doug Mundy, my surgeon,
saying, Craig how are you doing?
00:18:10.03\00:18:13.13
How am I doing? Terrible!
00:18:13.17\00:18:15.53
I'm freaking out, he
said okay look at me.
00:18:15.56\00:18:18.74
You are doing the right thing.
00:18:18.78\00:18:20.83
That thing is junk
and you are not going
00:18:20.86\00:18:23.04
to do anything with it.
00:18:23.08\00:18:24.05
You have to get rid of this.
00:18:24.06\00:18:25.19
The nurse came in and you
have to do this fun thing where
00:18:25.22\00:18:27.92
you sign your name on the
limb because they do not want to
00:18:27.95\00:18:30.62
cut the wrong one off.
00:18:30.65\00:18:31.62
But you have to sign
your name and that is freaky.
00:18:31.63\00:18:35.31
Sharpie marker, you put
the x, and I put cut here.
00:18:35.35\00:18:39.01
So we prayed and then they
gave me something to really
00:18:44.49\00:18:47.30
chill me out and they took
me into the operating room.
00:18:47.33\00:18:49.83
I remember going into the
operating room and had been
00:18:49.87\00:18:52.21
through so many surgeries
you have to be awake to go in,
00:18:52.24\00:18:54.54
not while they did it.
00:18:54.58\00:18:55.59
I wanted to be awake because
they knew a lot of the people.
00:18:55.62\00:18:57.90
So I'm going in
saying hey, how's it going?
00:18:57.94\00:19:00.39
We're here again.
00:19:00.43\00:19:01.40
It was neat to go in and
see the people there too because
00:19:01.41\00:19:05.43
we have been
through so much with you.
00:19:05.46\00:19:07.40
To them it is a failure because
they don't save the limb.
00:19:07.43\00:19:10.56
To me it was like, we
are moving forward now.
00:19:10.59\00:19:12.54
This is not the end, and
now we are just getting started.
00:19:12.58\00:19:16.07
I woke up and they
had a spinal block on me.
00:19:16.11\00:19:19.75
So I woke up I felt
great and I looked down
00:19:19.79\00:19:23.40
and there's nothing there.
00:19:23.43\00:19:24.40
And the pain is
gone, I feel great.
00:19:24.41\00:19:25.82
Let's go home tonight, he
was let's stay over night.
00:19:25.86\00:19:29.79
We will see how you are doing.
00:19:29.83\00:19:30.80
Around 11 o'clock that
night that wore off and then all
00:19:30.81\00:19:33.55
of the sudden you realize
it hurts to cut your leg off.
00:19:33.58\00:19:36.36
That next five
days was terrible.
00:19:36.39\00:19:39.61
Pain you had never felt?
00:19:39.64\00:19:42.35
Just throwing up
because it hurt so bad.
00:19:42.39\00:19:44.27
I had been taking
anti-inflammatory's and some
00:19:44.30\00:19:47.79
narcotics during that
year to try and control pain.
00:19:47.83\00:19:50.55
To get a handle on
my pain, overall pain.
00:19:50.59\00:19:52.58
So I had a certain level in
me so when they start giving me
00:19:52.62\00:19:56.56
morphine again
it wasn't working.
00:19:56.59\00:19:59.45
They had gone through
three bags of morphine,
00:19:59.48\00:20:01.53
and they couldn't give me
anymore morphine and so they had
00:20:01.57\00:20:05.87
to bring the guy in and
give me another block and
00:20:05.91\00:20:07.98
tapered me out of it
instead of just turning it off.
00:20:08.02\00:20:10.05
They just let me
wean off it slowly.
00:20:10.09\00:20:12.94
That obviously
worked my way through.
00:20:12.98\00:20:15.76
Then the process again
starts learning to walk again.
00:20:15.80\00:20:19.72
All those things,
where is my body now?
00:20:19.76\00:20:21.94
My hips were all
out of alignment.
00:20:21.97\00:20:24.76
They had to fix
all that stuff again.
00:20:24.79\00:20:27.51
You really do have to
figure out who am I now.
00:20:27.55\00:20:31.95
Another thing that I
realize just from watching and
00:20:31.98\00:20:37.32
listening to you come is that
00:20:37.36\00:20:39.30
you had never changed persons.
00:20:39.33\00:20:41.20
You are the same person
through this whole thing.
00:20:41.24\00:20:44.09
But you have to every day
change, I'm going to stand
00:20:44.13\00:20:46.95
differently, I'm
going to move differently,
00:20:46.99\00:20:49.22
people are going to
approach me differently,
00:20:49.26\00:20:51.42
so all that changes for
you, but your head is the same.
00:20:51.46\00:20:54.59
I'm the same person
looking out. Exactly!
00:20:54.63\00:20:56.51
You are
realizing that people are
00:20:56.54\00:20:57.65
looking at you differently.
00:20:57.68\00:20:58.83
For me the
prosthetic was a big deal.
00:20:58.86\00:21:01.46
At first I thought you put
the prosthetic on and you walk.
00:21:01.50\00:21:06.07
Everything is fine and
everyone leaves you alone.
00:21:06.10\00:21:09.06
It's not that, it's
basically a beacon that says,
00:21:09.10\00:21:12.02
look at me I'm different.
00:21:12.06\00:21:13.62
It was weird at first, and
at first I was put back by it.
00:21:13.65\00:21:17.48
Why are they staring,
I don't understand that?
00:21:17.51\00:21:19.97
What I realized was I
probably did the same thing.
00:21:20.01\00:21:22.43
If I saw someone missing a leg,
00:21:22.47\00:21:23.59
I would be oh that
guy is missing a leg.
00:21:23.62\00:21:25.46
I wouldn't know what to
do, so what I realized was
00:21:25.50\00:21:29.51
I have each do
things differently now.
00:21:29.54\00:21:30.92
They are looking at me,
they don't know my story.
00:21:30.95\00:21:34.21
They do not know
what is going on.
00:21:34.24\00:21:35.48
Early on some guy asked
about praying over me to see
00:21:35.51\00:21:39.87
if they can heal my leg.
00:21:39.90\00:21:40.87
At first I was put back and
said no go ahead and do that.
00:21:40.88\00:21:45.46
They did it and they
said how do you feel?
00:21:45.50\00:21:48.13
Here is the thing, it
was right before the surgery,
00:21:48.17\00:21:50.55
I said God I fell 96
feet and landed standing.
00:21:50.58\00:21:54.89
I shattered, I mean
just name it and I broke it.
00:21:54.92\00:21:59.19
I should be a
paraplegic I should be dead.
00:21:59.22\00:22:02.10
I should be at a paraplegic,
quadriplegic, multiple,
00:22:02.14\00:22:04.02
multiple things.
00:22:04.05\00:22:05.02
But I am not, I am walking,
I fully intended on going
00:22:05.03\00:22:07.92
back to the life I had.
00:22:07.96\00:22:08.93
I'm going to climb
again, I want to bike again,
00:22:08.94\00:22:10.50
I want to ski again, and
I want to be my kids dad.
00:22:10.53\00:22:12.93
I want all those things
and I just can't do with this
00:22:12.96\00:22:15.33
body right now, so
this is going to help me.
00:22:15.36\00:22:17.53
If they healed me, and I
put pants on nobody would
00:22:17.57\00:22:21.47
know anything was
different about me.
00:22:21.51\00:22:23.15
If I was walking down the
street they wouldn't know.
00:22:23.19\00:22:25.03
But when you say if
anything is different about you
00:22:25.06\00:22:26.87
because you had a
profound growth in your
00:22:26.91\00:22:30.74
relationship with God.
00:22:30.78\00:22:32.01
What you and God did
during that whole rehab time
00:22:32.04\00:22:34.26
was absolutely huge.
00:22:34.30\00:22:36.56
What you are saying it is,
I know that He had His hand
00:22:36.60\00:22:40.34
on all of this.
00:22:40.38\00:22:41.55
Right, but I do not
know if I would have had the
00:22:41.59\00:22:43.44
courage to step out and
go talk to someone and say,
00:22:43.47\00:22:45.29
let me tell you
what happened to me,
00:22:45.32\00:22:46.65
let me tell you how
God moved in my life.
00:22:46.69\00:22:48.64
I do not know if I
would have had that courage.
00:22:48.67\00:22:51.77
I said to them with my
leg, if they see my leg,
00:22:51.81\00:22:54.87
they talk to me usually.
00:22:54.91\00:22:57.80
Now in retrospect, I
look at it and what it does,
00:22:57.84\00:23:00.56
when people see my leg
they ask me about my leg.
00:23:00.59\00:23:03.24
They want to know what happened,
so I tell them my story.
00:23:03.28\00:23:05.60
Well my story, is God's story.
00:23:05.63\00:23:07.86
It is wrapped up in God.
00:23:07.90\00:23:09.29
God makes my story and so
I sit there and say this is
00:23:09.33\00:23:12.31
what happened to me.
00:23:12.34\00:23:13.31
They can't sit there
and say this is ridiculous,
00:23:13.32\00:23:15.62
that's not true, well
yeah it is, it is my story.
00:23:15.65\00:23:17.94
This is what God did in
my life and I'm telling you,
00:23:17.97\00:23:20.22
I'm telling you guys
this is what happened.
00:23:20.26\00:23:23.08
This isn't a fairytale.
00:23:23.11\00:23:24.47
I'm a walking, talking, miracle.
00:23:24.51\00:23:26.58
You read about stuff in the
Bible, I look at this and say
00:23:26.62\00:23:29.40
that this is the biggest
anything I read in the Bible.
00:23:29.44\00:23:32.19
I was completely saved
from crashing and burning,
00:23:32.23\00:23:35.14
both physically and emotionally.
00:23:35.18\00:23:37.08
And you plateaued spiritually,
it was like God came in
00:23:37.11\00:23:42.07
and woke all that stuff up.
00:23:42.11\00:23:44.10
Took me from
that plateau and said,
00:23:44.13\00:23:45.86
this is not where you can stay,
00:23:45.89\00:23:47.66
it is not a good
place for you to stay.
00:23:47.69\00:23:49.94
If you stay here
the growth is over.
00:23:49.97\00:23:52.15
That is not what I
want for you right now.
00:23:52.18\00:23:55.97
You need to go here, now that
I have your attention again.
00:23:56.01\00:23:59.59
Now you are going to
go like this and take off.
00:23:59.62\00:24:02.41
That is what happened, my
faith in God grew so much.
00:24:02.45\00:24:05.32
It grew exponentially, my
marriage grew exponentially.
00:24:05.36\00:24:08.20
Cindy and I learned
that this other person is
00:24:08.24\00:24:10.94
the Person we depend on the most
00:24:10.97\00:24:12.48
I learned how
compassionate she can be and
00:24:12.52\00:24:15.25
she learned how
compassionate I could be
00:24:15.28\00:24:17.98
and your strength.
00:24:18.01\00:24:19.71
I think that comes from
God though, that strength that
00:24:19.74\00:24:22.88
I have is all God
pumping stuff into me.
00:24:22.92\00:24:26.42
When I look at
God's grace in my life,
00:24:26.45\00:24:29.92
and the miracles in my life,
00:24:29.95\00:24:31.65
that gives me so much
motivation to go to something.
00:24:31.68\00:24:35.65
We have so run out
of time and I hate that.
00:24:35.68\00:24:39.74
What we are talking about
on this program is when is
00:24:39.77\00:24:42.80
recovery over and for
you when is your rehab over?
00:24:42.84\00:24:47.13
Ever? No! That is the
thing that I realize is that
00:24:47.17\00:24:51.43
the pain is
never going to go away.
00:24:51.46\00:24:53.51
The chronic injuries that
I have they are always there.
00:24:53.54\00:24:56.95
The back is always
achy, the neck always hurts.
00:24:56.98\00:24:59.89
The spinal cord
injury doesn't get better.
00:24:59.93\00:25:01.78
I learned to deal with
those things and learned to deal
00:25:01.82\00:25:05.20
with them and go okay
now what can I do with them
00:25:05.24\00:25:07.87
to move forward, and
still do what I want to do.
00:25:07.91\00:25:10.51
Because you're climbing again?
00:25:10.54\00:25:12.46
Yes I've been climbing about
six months after I amputated.
00:25:12.49\00:25:16.54
I look at things and I
go that looks really cool.
00:25:16.57\00:25:19.25
I want to do that.
00:25:19.29\00:25:20.26
I want to go climb, I
want to go mountain biking,
00:25:20.27\00:25:22.53
I want to do whatever.
00:25:22.56\00:25:23.57
I don't want to think about it.
00:25:23.60\00:25:25.00
I get annoyed with my body,
it doesn't mean I just go do it.
00:25:25.04\00:25:29.34
I get really annoyed with
my body and get mad at God
00:25:29.37\00:25:32.85
some days, I think
just make this work.
00:25:32.88\00:25:36.69
Please! And some days it
doesn't, so those days are when
00:25:36.72\00:25:40.63
I just chill out and get
back to God and talk to Him.
00:25:40.67\00:25:44.55
And you get through them!
00:25:44.58\00:25:45.63
I get through them and I
realize that those are days,
00:25:45.66\00:25:48.23
those are not
the rest of my life.
00:25:48.27\00:25:50.40
I think that some people go
I got wrecked in this accident.
00:25:50.44\00:25:54.01
We are all sitting here
and mine is really obvious.
00:25:54.04\00:25:57.10
Everyone sitting here is
going to go through something.
00:25:57.14\00:26:00.12
Multiple times possibly where
they are just as emotionally
00:26:00.15\00:26:03.10
wrecked as I was.
00:26:03.13\00:26:04.38
We are going to take
a break and come back.
00:26:04.42\00:26:06.47
I want you to say what do
you do to stay grounded with
00:26:06.50\00:26:12.34
all the junk
that is on your plate?
00:26:12.37\00:26:14.97
We will end the
program with that.
00:26:15.01\00:26:17.54
I'm going to tell you to come
back because I think this is
00:26:17.57\00:26:21.54
a big thing that none of us
are going to just escape and
00:26:21.57\00:26:25.51
not deal with something.
00:26:25.54\00:26:27.10
Even as we age, car accident,
medical thing, the relapse
00:26:27.14\00:26:34.04
thing and all
that, so what do you do?
00:26:34.08\00:26:36.12
Is the relapse, or is
the pain the worst thing?
00:26:36.16\00:26:38.83
I don't think so, I think not
giving up is the worst thing.
00:26:38.86\00:26:41.32
We will be right
back stay with us.
00:26:41.36\00:26:42.98