Do not be alarmed. I got hit by a car.
I screwed up. Perhaps 'tis not totally my fault.
Sunday afternoon I went to see my daughter Teresa at her job at BurgerKing. I had no ride so I was going to take the bus, but someone offered to drop me off at the last minute. I saw her, gave her her xmas present, and then set off to find the bus, which was across a heavy traffic intersection.
I didn't make it.
I got hit by a car on the turn lane from one street to the other. I realized, just as the car hit me, that the car never saw me. I did a (rather fun) fly-over-the-hood-past-the-passenger-side flip and landed with my feet (no lie) on the curb of the side I was trying to get to.
To put this into a little of the perspective I was seeing it from: Teri wanted to cross this same street but from the other side to go to Rutters to buy cigarrettes. I had a premonition that she would be hurt. In fact, I was solidly sure that if she tried, she would be hurt. She assured me she'd done it a million times before but I was terrified to see my kid get hit. So I asked her not do to what I went and did.
When the car hit me, I was not surprised. I just knew it had to happen. You can call me crazy now. Literally, as I hit and rolled, my thought sequence was: Oh fuck, Oh well, what a wild trip, no broken bones! (this last when I hit the floor).
I did not lose consciousness. People were around me almost instantly. I believe I was calm; I asked for my bag and my glasses and when the driver came over (I felt soooo bad for her!) to apologize I held her hand and thanked her for stopping. She, along with an off duty nurse and an EMT trained lady, kept me warm (I couldn't stop shivering but I"m pretty sure it was nerves and not just the cold). Personally, I think what protected me was the four layers of clothing I was wearing on top and the two thick layers on my legs and my heavy wonderful Columbia boots. 911 was called immediately. I was completely blown away by how wonderful all those people (more stopped and gathered round at one lady's suggestion to keep me warm!) were.
I'm NEVER leaving this neck of the woods.
Anyway, the ambulance came and they heated the inside for me (and you know how much heat it takes to keep me warm) and piled blankets on me and were kind enough to work with me to remove my jeans (I only have three pairs and I could not afford to lose these). They cut away the rest of my clothes - my neck was immobilized in a brace and I had monitors all over. I did not realize how badly my face suffered. My glasses, thank you Lenscrafters, did not go to pieces. I will have to visit them, however, to get it re-adjusted.
Obviously, I have contusions. I have a putative fracture in a thoracic vertebrae - I didn't feel it until last night and the doctors really couldn't see keeping me overnight 'cause there was no pain from that area. I did fracture/break a part of my pubic bone. Oh, let the groaning start, trust me. Walking is TORTURE.
I am going to have some lovely bruises on the right side of my body and my back feels like... well, like I got hit by a car! My face is sporting damage that looks like I got brutalized by a southpaw. I feel like crap - and yet, I'm in good spirits. I'm okay, I'm alive, I'm in pain but hey, that's life.
I'm totally aware of my age and the possible damage I could have suffered, and the very real possibility that this could have been fatal - like if I'd've gotten hit by the pickup BEFORE the car that actually hit me. Sobering to be sure.
But I had the best and most awesome care in a hospital I'd ever experienced. And.. I'm ambulatory and at least, still able to enjoy my xmas with my RayZOR, even if my face looks terrible. :( Oh, he hasnt seen me yet. Poor darling.
Sunday afternoon I went to see my daughter Teresa at her job at BurgerKing. I had no ride so I was going to take the bus, but someone offered to drop me off at the last minute. I saw her, gave her her xmas present, and then set off to find the bus, which was across a heavy traffic intersection.
I didn't make it.
I got hit by a car on the turn lane from one street to the other. I realized, just as the car hit me, that the car never saw me. I did a (rather fun) fly-over-the-hood-past-the-passenger-side flip and landed with my feet (no lie) on the curb of the side I was trying to get to.
To put this into a little of the perspective I was seeing it from: Teri wanted to cross this same street but from the other side to go to Rutters to buy cigarrettes. I had a premonition that she would be hurt. In fact, I was solidly sure that if she tried, she would be hurt. She assured me she'd done it a million times before but I was terrified to see my kid get hit. So I asked her not do to what I went and did.
When the car hit me, I was not surprised. I just knew it had to happen. You can call me crazy now. Literally, as I hit and rolled, my thought sequence was: Oh fuck, Oh well, what a wild trip, no broken bones! (this last when I hit the floor).
I did not lose consciousness. People were around me almost instantly. I believe I was calm; I asked for my bag and my glasses and when the driver came over (I felt soooo bad for her!) to apologize I held her hand and thanked her for stopping. She, along with an off duty nurse and an EMT trained lady, kept me warm (I couldn't stop shivering but I"m pretty sure it was nerves and not just the cold). Personally, I think what protected me was the four layers of clothing I was wearing on top and the two thick layers on my legs and my heavy wonderful Columbia boots. 911 was called immediately. I was completely blown away by how wonderful all those people (more stopped and gathered round at one lady's suggestion to keep me warm!) were.
I'm NEVER leaving this neck of the woods.
Anyway, the ambulance came and they heated the inside for me (and you know how much heat it takes to keep me warm) and piled blankets on me and were kind enough to work with me to remove my jeans (I only have three pairs and I could not afford to lose these). They cut away the rest of my clothes - my neck was immobilized in a brace and I had monitors all over. I did not realize how badly my face suffered. My glasses, thank you Lenscrafters, did not go to pieces. I will have to visit them, however, to get it re-adjusted.
Obviously, I have contusions. I have a putative fracture in a thoracic vertebrae - I didn't feel it until last night and the doctors really couldn't see keeping me overnight 'cause there was no pain from that area. I did fracture/break a part of my pubic bone. Oh, let the groaning start, trust me. Walking is TORTURE.
I am going to have some lovely bruises on the right side of my body and my back feels like... well, like I got hit by a car! My face is sporting damage that looks like I got brutalized by a southpaw. I feel like crap - and yet, I'm in good spirits. I'm okay, I'm alive, I'm in pain but hey, that's life.
I'm totally aware of my age and the possible damage I could have suffered, and the very real possibility that this could have been fatal - like if I'd've gotten hit by the pickup BEFORE the car that actually hit me. Sobering to be sure.
But I had the best and most awesome care in a hospital I'd ever experienced. And.. I'm ambulatory and at least, still able to enjoy my xmas with my RayZOR, even if my face looks terrible. :( Oh, he hasnt seen me yet. Poor darling.