With the exception of two cracked ribs, I had never broken a bone.  But, when I heard the loud crack (a sound I will never forget) as I landed on my back on my garage floor, my body immediately told me, “I have broken my back!”  My intuition was speaking loudly and clearly, and I was listening.  I wiggled my toes, arms, legs, and jaw; nothing was numb, tingly, or paralyzed, thankfully.

The day spun on with a series of tests and procedures at the hospital, and my initial intuitive response was confirmed: I had a burst compression fracture of my fourth lumbar vertebrae with an epidural hematoma (a bruise between the vertebrae and spinal cord).  In other words, I had broken my back!  This news was difficult to wrap my mind around.  The entire day seemed like a whirlwind dream, and I was still in shock about what had happened.  The excruciating back pain, however, reminded me that this was all very real.