Natasha Richardson and My Head Trauma

I fell on ice on Wednesday, February 4.  I hit the back of my head really hard on the front step of my house and survived. Boy was I lucky!  

Like Natasha Richardson, I too made a couple of mistakes that were fatal for her and made me realize how very fortunate I was.  I want to share this to reinforce certain steps to take if you happen to fall and hit your head.  

It happened so quickly too.  Stupid, stupid, stupid:  I was going to put salt on the ice that had formed over night on my front walk.  There was a light snow covering the ice and the moment I stepped on the walk, my foot slipped on the snow and ice and I went back with a bang.  The momentum of the fall threw my head back very fast and it struck the step behind me.  OUCH!  I screamed really loudly because it really, really hurt like hell!  

I lay on my back to try to get my thoughts together.  Slowly I moved to see if anything was broken.  (I had just had hip replacement surgery in December so I was really concerned about dislocating my hip–it seemed to be all right.  When I fell on my back, I believe my down jacket sort of cushioned my back.)  I slowly, slowly sat up to feel the back of my head.  

Fortunately, I did not pass out and I wasn’t dizzy but boy did my head hurt.  A neighbor was outside shoveling his driveway and talking to his neighbor when it happened.  He came over to help me and I said that I thought I was all right (first mistake) and that I could get up.  I managed to crawl to the steps and got myself up.  I didn’t want him to help me because I thought he might fall.  

I sat on the step to try to think clearly and rationally.  The fall did not knock me out, I wasn’t dizzy and I didn’t see stars so I was okay.  Is this a “lucid Interval” right after the fall?  I convinced myself that I was fine and all I needed to do was get inside and lay down.  

After my fall, I, just like Natasha, said I was fine although the back of my head hurt like hell.  Learning about Natasha’s situation showed me that I made a couple of mistakes that could have been fatal.  

If you happen to take a nasty fall, check the following:

• A sign of dizziness or having trouble with balance,
• Seeing stars (and I don’t mean Brangelina),
• Blurred vision,
• Check the bump AKA epidural hematoma,
• Don’t trust your judgement that you’re fine:  go to the emergency room or call your doctor to discuss your situation because you might be having a “lucid interval”.

In these situations, we are not the best judges.  Don’t be embarrassed or macho to think that a blood vessel might have ruptured in your skull.  In other words, don’t be a “numb skull”.  

Peace.

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A film on minority inventors.

Take a look at a film that I produced for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Please take into consideration that it was done in 1987 — the days of big hair and Hall & Oates.  

The film is titled, “From Dreams to Reality: A Tribute to Minority Inventors”.  I must thank the people who posted it on the internet because it was narrated by the wonderful, consummate professional, Ossie Davis.  It was inspiring to work with him.  We had a tight schedule, he gave me a break on his fee and we did the shoot in a day.  

This was a rather small contract that was awarded to my film production company, EVKO Productions.  The target audience is Junior High School students to a general audience.  We discuss the accomplishments of minority inventors who, while not as visible as more famous inventors, made great contributions to the quality of our lives even today.  The film did win a number of awards and I am so glad it resides on You Tube for people to enjoy.  

Looking back on this program flooded my mind with memories but more importantly, it relit my passion for every aspect of putting a film together.  The motto of EVKO Productions was, “It’s your show and our name.”  It rang true then and I am committed to applying it to my every day life now.  I believe that if it’s not fun, it’s not worth doing.  

Take a look at your leisure.  There is about 24 seconds of black before it starts.  Enjoy and please leave your comments.  

Thanks,

Vicki

 

A Tribute to George T. Matsumonji

Dad passed away on March 14, the day before the Ides of March.  He couldn’t wait until that famous Ides, he had to leave the day before but we still miss him.  

1950's (He always wore his cowboy hat & boots.)

 

Our dad had a great sense of humor and made many, many friends.  His Japanese friends called him, Monji-Monji.  They probably had other choice names but I didn’t hear them.  His mother called him, “Jo-ji” in her very thick Japanese accent.  (Yes, she actually said, “fly lice” for fried rice.) 

Daddy was born in Denver, Colorado on December 27, 1914 and he left this world and dimension on March 14, 1996 in McAllen, Texas.  He died from heart failure after surgery on his foot.  Long story short:  a podiatrist trimmed his toenail and it became infected due to no circulation which led to gangrene. Ew! 

Both of my sisters, Lynn and Gina wanted to fly down for his surgery and he didn’t want anyone hovering around his bed.  This happened six months earlier when he had surgery for heart disease; I’m not sure of the exact diagnosis.  At this time, the doctors discovered that his right renal artery was totally blocked and atrophied.  He had zero circulation to his right kidney.  I wanted to go down to Texas too but he wouldn’t hear of it.  (Kenny, our brother couldn’t go because he was working in Vegas.)  Dad tried to convince me that it was minor surgery but I didn’t buy it; however, I think I understood why he didn’t want us flying down to Texas.  I think he was nervous but didn’t want to show it.  So, we didn’t go.  

L-R: Lynn, me, Gina, Dad--for his 75th birthday.

 

Then on March 14 at 2:30 AM, my phone rang.  My heart sank as I quickly picked up the phone just to stop its ringing.  Then I heard the tearful news from Ofie, his wife, that he died soon after the surgery. 

Dad’s favorite phrase:  “What the hell.” 

 

My beloved father and me (2-3 yrs old)

 

 

 

 

Hello world!