Struck By Lightning

I don't have any lightning photos, so I will be using photos that I took of the sky, before a storm hits.

It was a warm summer day in the year 2001. My mom was ill and needed 24 hour care, so I moved into her home to care for her. A friend of Mom's came by to visit, so I went out to the back porch to get some air. I had always loved this back porch as a child. It was a large screened porch with outdoor carpeting and the furniture was so comfortable. There were extra large chairs and chaise lounges with big soft cushions. I spent many nights sleeping on this back porch during the warm summer nights when I was younger, because we didn't have air conditioning inside the house. Things sure were different back then, 45-50 years ago. You never had to worry about anyone bothering you or breaking into your house. Those were the good 'ole days.

I received a long distance phone call from a friend while I was sitting on the back porch. As we were talking on the phone, the sky was getting dark and the wind was picking up. I could hear thunder in the distance. Soon it began to rain and the thunder was louder and much closer. I continued talking on the phone with my friend, even though I was a little bit concerned.

I put my feet up on my chair, thinking it would be safer than if my feet were on the ground. I also assumed that I was safe during a storm because there was a roof on top of the porch, and screens covering the front and sides. I was talking on an old wireless phone that had an antenna on the top of it; similar to the one in the photo.

All of a sudden, there was a huge crack of thunder and I saw lightning strike the antenna on my phone. The lightning strike took the phone out of my hand and threw it approximately 15 feet, where the phone landed on the ground, in the corner of the porch. I think the phone would have gone further if the wood corner wasn't there to stop it.

I couldn't believe what had just happened and I was terrified. I ran back into the house and up to the living room where mom was sitting. She took one look at me and yelled, "What happened? Are you alright? You look like you just saw a ghost!" Later mom explained the look on my face as, "Your eyes were as big as saucers and were bugging out, and your mouth was wide open with your jaw hanging on the ground."

My left arm was still bent upward and my hand was frozen; cupped in the shape as if I was still holding the phone. And the pain in that arm was excruciating. After I had calmed down, I took a look at my arm.

There was a small burn on the palm of my hand. And there was a red streak that went from the palm of my hand, all the way to my upper arm. The red streak stopped, straight across from my heart. It wasn't a burn mark; it was under my skin. Three days later, I was finally able to move my hand and the red streak was gone. I didn't go to the doctor because I was back to normal in a short time. If it had lasted longer, then I would have gone to the doctor.

The telephone was fried so we had to buy a new one. And five months later, I was in the hospital having brain surgery on the left side of my head. It was on the same side where the lightning struck the phone. I had a fast growing tumor removed and now I have a big metal plate on the left side of my head. I also have a little bit of hearing loss in my left ear. Thank God the tumor wasn't cancerous and I feel lucky to be alive. To this day, I wonder if that lightning strike was the cause of the tumor.

And now you know why I am petrified of thunderstorms. Since that day, I no longer talk on the phone during a storm and neither should you. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

Image Source: 100% own work.