Survivor Story: Geneva

Hit by Lightning Twice, Once Inside, Once Outside

I have been hit by lighting twice. The first time I was 16 and don't remember too much of what happened. I was in the kitchen in my great grandmother’s home. Since that strike, I have had problems with headaches, my hand hurts where the lighting came in and I feel barometric pressure changes.

I turned 50 on September 3, 2009, and on September 9, 2009, 6 days later, I was hit again in the same hand. I had just gotten to work, it was raining hard. I took off my shoes and opened my umbrella, got out of my car and started to walk to the front building.

Yes, I went to the hospital. My heart and pressure was going too fast, my whole body hurt for days. Now 2 months later I can feel the barometric pressure more, digestive problems, chronic pain, headaches, fatigue, pain in joints. I have to take hot showers or sit in a hot tub at the gym to help with pain. I also sleep more and cannot stand or sit for long periods of time.

I could feel my hair on the back of my neck go up. I could hear thunder. At that moment I had to think quickly. There were three flagpoles, two trees. I was ankle deep in water. The grass was wet and it was too far to run back to my car and too far to run to the front door. I could hear the thunder in my ears, and then everything went white. I could feel the lightning go through my right hand. When it let me go, I ran to the front door. The umbrella didn't want to come off my hand so I was shaking it off. I got in the door. My body was shaking and hurting at the same time. The strike again came in my right hand again and came out thru my feet.