Living is dangerous. I was told I was very, very lucky to be alive.

I had three vertibrae fused similarly ten or so years ago after a climbing accident smashed the middle one into pieces. Many days it doesn't even cross my mind unless I have more pain than usual for some reason; but now and then I realize how surreal it is to have those pieces of metal inside my body, and how much my life has changed as a result.

Definitely a near-life experience, wouldn't change it for anything in the world; but you can't really go around and recommend people to fall of cliffs.