b"Crushed by a train, now I'm crushing life(by Sam Rossiello) Listen to the podcast at mend.meIt was February 26th, 2016, a day that would change my lifeI dont remember the rst few days after the surgeries. I forever. I was on the way home from work on a Fridaywas in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital, only just evening, and nearly lost my life in a traumatic accident,beginning to heal. My parents were actually on their way involving a subway train. All I remember is being stuckdown from New York to visit me that weekend; they found under that train for what seemed like forever while the rstout about the accident while in the car, somewhere between responders were on their way. I didnt even feel it, nor did INew York and DC. They were heartbroken. It mustve been lose consciousness. The adrenaline kicked in, and I just laidso difcult for them to see their only son hooked up to an there wishing that I could just die instead. That night, IIV and being given heavy doses of opioid pain medications. underwent several surgeries at the George Washington University hospital, including successful bi-lateralHeavily below-the-knee amputations.sedated post A little bit about me: I grew up on the north shore of LongamputationIsland, in a highly competitive school district. I was a determined student, always extremely hard on myself, and always strived to be a leader in whatever I did. I was aIm told I was hallucinating due to the volume of medication straight A student in high school, and I was the captain ofbeing pumped into my blood. Nevertheless, they stayed as both my varsity football team and baseball team. Going tostrong as two people could be for me. They never left my an out-of-state college was an extremely difcult challengeside during that eight week recovery in the hospital, nor for me. I didnt know a soul when I arrived at the Universityhave they wavered in their support in the four years since of Virginia in the Fall of 2011. Soon thereafter, I began tothat nearly fatal day. They are the kindest, bravest, and feel homesick, and questioned whether I had made the rightmost caring people that I will ever know, and I am eternally decision. Eventually, I hit a groove, met some incrediblegrateful for their continued support.people, and felt like I had built a new home for myself. I was the president of my fraternity, a double major inThis recovery was going to be an uphill battle to say the engineering and economics, and became the president andleast. Not only was the physical trauma more than enough co-founder of a volunteering organization on campus. Afterto handle, but also for the rst time in my life, I began to graduating in the Spring of 2015 with high honors, I wasexperience severe depression and anxiety. I had no idea determined to tackle the working world and make anhow strong this experience would make me. It took an impact. Little did I know that my life was about to comeextremely talented team of medical professionals to help crumbling to the ground. lift me from this bottomless pit I was in. The trauma surgeon who performed the amputations coordinated the care I needed and stayed very involved throughout the healing process. She, an orthopedic surgeon, and a plastic surgeon performed many subsequent procedures to shape my amputated legs properly, doing everything they could do to preserve my knees. There were wound care professionals who worked with me daily to help promote healing of the injured sites. Occupational Therapists taught me how to navigate my way from a bed to a wheelchair, and to perform functional activities to regain my independence. Physical Therapists gave me an exercise regimen to help my muscles recover from the atrophy that resulted from the injuries. A Pre-accident, 23 and full of ambition Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist worked with me to help me heal from a psychological and emotional perspective. When a traumatic life-altering accident, such as the one IAnd who could forget my new therapy dog friends and their experienced, occurred, none of the many accolades I hadwonderful owners who came to visit me every single day, received mattered anymore. These types of events arerain or shine, to keep me company?! Perhaps most cruel. They dont have any bias toward who you are, whereimportant, though, was a visit from a fellow amputee, a you are from, or what youve done. I was shattered - a shellformer veteran, who told me that he was running a of myself. I was 23 years old, and all the milestones I aimedmarathon in his prosthesis. He truly inspired me, gave me to achieve in my life had been ruined. What did I do tocondence, told me that everything was going to be okay, deserve this? and now, I was motivated!10"