I am now at home (February 4th) after being discharged from hospital.

On a warm and sunny Sunday afternoon, January 24th, 2010 ….

I fell twelve (12) feet from the ledge of a loft in the car garage, slipping off the top rung of the ladder straight onto the concrete floor below fracturing my skull, subcutaneous hematoma, head trauma with left epidural hematoma, cerebral contusions, hairline fracture of spine, fractured left wrist with 9 rib fractures and bruising all over my left side.

At some point after falling I somehow walked myself to the guesthouse I rented, with no memory of doing this either and can only assume I walked, and layed down on my bed. Maybe heaven bent and held my hand so I would not lose everything? I have come to find out I walked in a lucid state. The next awareness or remembering I have was opening my eyes slightly, and in a blurry state of vision saw blood all over my white comforter. I went out completely after that. There was noone on the property or living in the main house at this time, so I was alone.

What happened truly was a miracle. The landlords were in town (Sedona) and were across the valley at one of their other properties when the Mrs. had something intuitively and strongly telling her to “go back to the property!”, “go back to the property!”. So, she drove back to this property, walked to the guesthouse and heard moaning. She entered and found me lying on my bed.
If she had not come I surely would not be writing this.

She told me she tried to get me in the car but would not go as I threw up, then had to lay down. There was blood all over the place and now vomit. The Mrs. did not know what to do, so she called her husband on the cell phone. The next thing I remember briefly is a voice shouting, “She’s going to die! Call 911!”, before losing consciousness again. I found out later that what I was hearing was her husband over the cells speaker. He just happened to be a former ER Doctor and soon made his way over.

The Sedona Fire Department responded to the emergency call. The Mrs said I had five paramedics working on me. I was completely in a long gone state remembering none of this. Having no clue what happened. One of the paramedics began sleuthing it out and walked to the garage to discover blood on the floor under the loft next to the ladder and realized I must have fallen. I kept moaning and pulling my left wrist, so they cut the long sleeves off exposing the break. Shortly thereafter I was carried by stretcher to the ambulance, which, took me to the Sedona Medical Center where the extent of my injuries were discovered, as was the seriousness of the situation. I was immediately flown by helicopter North to Flagstaff Medical Center for emergency brain surgery.

They made the incision from the top of my head straight down to just below the top part of my left ear. A circle of my skull was cut out and removed around the fracture line so they could drain the blood from my brain. They then placed this circular piece of skull back in and secured it with four (4) tiny titanium ‘plates’ and ‘screws’. I had two neurosurgeons working on me first, and once I was stable, the orthopaedic surgeon performed his skills on my fractured wrist as a metal plate was inserted to hold the bone together for healing.

I am relaying what was told to me much later because I remember nothing and am very grateful for the love and care I received from everyone who helped. When I awoke in hospital there was noone familiar to me there. Not that I was looking for it but there were no family nor friends there. Only hospital staff who became my family. I am a quantum leaper, a floater, and positive thinker, so saw the only thing that mattered at this moment without ‘thought’. And that was ~ I was simply lying down in ICU in a room with people who were caring for me in the beginning stages of recovery. On some level I was completely gone. Out of my body. It was peaceful wherever I went though. The “form of matter” was the one in pain and only when I awoke in the hospital room did the pain of nine broken ribs make themselves known loud and clear! Of course in short time my father and a few friends visited. Many visited through the internet later on after my release and am grateful. Thank you for caring. All moving to recovery though for I have too much to do before I really fly …. from here.

“He who binds himself to a joy does the winged life destroy;
But he who kisses the moment as it flies,
Lives in eternity’s sunrise.”
~ William Blake

The healing is ongoing and an interesting ongoing journey this recovery has been. Many things unfolding and all is brilliantly good because there is nothing else but the good to have living within you, as hard and sometimes difficult as it has been too. This Fall was an experience that propelled me further into understandings I have held deep ‘within’, probably since beyond my birth, now blossoming. It is a gift of Life I shall not waste. It is like a closed window now opening. I am ever so grateful.

“Sometimes you have to die, in order to wake up.”
pamela leigh richards

I just found out by my neurologist that my injury was in one of the most dangerous places it could have been in the brain. When he showed me the images it was very revealing. The hematoma (blood buildup) was squishing my brain. If it had pressed my brain just slightly further it would have hit the brain stem, meaning lights out for Pammy. Instantly. The gods were on my side for sure that day. Thank You, I am grateful.

Thank you all for being so sharing and caring with me. Especially my father, Carl Richards.
It meant and means alot.
Thank you to my landlords, The paramedic/firemen, Mark, Joe, David, Josh and Millan from the Sedona Fire Department and the entire medical crew for being there! You are valuable beyond measure.

And a big thank you to Patty Marlowe for her support and amazing love in my aftercare at home.
She has become a truly great friend. http://www.HeartfeltofSedona.com

Dare to Live every moment, as if it were your last.
Dance, not because you want to, but because you have to.
Purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor.
It is to enjoy every step along the way.
Say what you were ever afraid to say.
Listen, when you did not think you ever would.
Slow down your breathing before ever speaking.
Love the very thing you felt your heart never could.
Look where thine eyes feared to seek.
Embrace All with forgiveness and understandings.
And in the end, merging into New Beginnings.
This shall be a mighty fine relief.

Getting the hardware out. All is good because we make it good!

Sitting in calm. Healing, creating new patterns and re-wiring ‘within’ my brain, for peace.

Healing ‘within’ my own little world, my brain that I am so protective of like a child.
Venturing beyond into the vast field of energy, into the lands of forever.
And the more I discover, the more I share.

If ever there was imagery to describe the world I have been in since having brain surgery,
This film “Ashes & Snow” would be it. Complete Harmony with All and No Fear.
Extraordinarily decent, graceful, profound, elegant and deep.

“I was borne by chance of America, I AM by Nature of ALL.”
“Life is not about what you ‘have’ to do. It is about what you ‘can’ do.”
“I live, I love, I cry, I laugh, I am alive. My heart beats for peace.”
~ pamela leigh richards

A dear friend in Acharya S. Namaste’ and I miss you.
The Light Will Never Go Out – UPDATE