The aftermath: NCLEX and car collisions
Today was one of the longest days I've ever had. I'm sitting here now with a stiff neck and a pounding headache. It could have been worse. Here's the story.
This morning I got up at 5 am and left around 6:30 en route to take the NCLEX out on 27 (Somerset/New Brunswick area). I'd made it a calm morning, as per the instructions from our Kaplan teachers. I'd taken plenty of time to do everything so that nothing was rushed. I even sat there drinking my coffee for 10 minutes. I grabbed my ATT, made sure I had everything else I needed, and left.
This morning had also started off with a weird vibe to it... I'd tossed and turned all night, having nightmares, and in the morning I remember standing with my coffee at the sliding glass doors watching the trees swaying ominously against a grey sky. In the car I listed to Dido. I made it to track 5 as I approached Chester. It was nice and I sort of felt a wave of calm come over me as I drove. After I passed the 7/11 on the left and approached the intersection of 206 and Bartley-Flanders road, there was light rain and everything seemed pretty quiet. There was a van with a trailer attached that had stopped at the green light, waiting to make a left-hand turn. Behind it was an SUV, waiting to make the same turn. As I've always done the other hundreds of times I've driven through that intersection, I prepared to pass the cars on their right hand side and go through the green light. However, this time was different... as I passed the SUV, the van didn't notice me and I guess the guy realized he was supposed to make a right instead of a left or something, and completely changed directions and started to pull to the right.
At this point, I knew I had two choices to make in a split second. I could swerve left, which would cause the most damage to my car and there would be a 100% chance of me colliding with the trailer. If I veered to the right, there was a slight chance I could miss the van and attached trailer completely, and just run parallel to them onto the street. I chose the latter, but my car skidded across the slick street and I hit the passenger side of the huge van, leaving a tiny dent in their vehicle compared to how totaled my car was. The front driver's side corner is completely smashed in. The engine is gone. The door is impossible to open. I had to climb out the passenger's side, shaking and freaking out.
The rest of the morning was a blur. My parents picked me up, drove me to the NCLEX, which we knew I had no choice but to take. I have no idea what was on it. I just plowed through, the occasional recollection of hitting the van popping in my head... my car being towed off, completely destroyed... but I kept refocusing. It shut off after 75 questions - the minimum. This could mean that I either passed the exam with flying colors, or I failed it miserably. I would like to think I did well, but for that hour and 20 minutes I just clicked answers aimlessly just to get through it. I won't get my results until Wednesday.
When it was all over, I got into the hall and started crying. I could have turned the wrong way and I might have been paralyzed or something. I have no car. The officer won't have the report done until Tuesday, which means that I won't know if he recorded it as my fault or not. I may not have any cash for a new car... I just don't know. I went to the ER tonight and I'm okay, but I have minor whiplash. They said they could prescribe me the fun stuff, but I decided to stick with Motrin.
I should be re-evaluating my life right now, but I'm not. I haven't really had a single concrete thought since 6 am. I don't know what to think.
This morning I got up at 5 am and left around 6:30 en route to take the NCLEX out on 27 (Somerset/New Brunswick area). I'd made it a calm morning, as per the instructions from our Kaplan teachers. I'd taken plenty of time to do everything so that nothing was rushed. I even sat there drinking my coffee for 10 minutes. I grabbed my ATT, made sure I had everything else I needed, and left.
This morning had also started off with a weird vibe to it... I'd tossed and turned all night, having nightmares, and in the morning I remember standing with my coffee at the sliding glass doors watching the trees swaying ominously against a grey sky. In the car I listed to Dido. I made it to track 5 as I approached Chester. It was nice and I sort of felt a wave of calm come over me as I drove. After I passed the 7/11 on the left and approached the intersection of 206 and Bartley-Flanders road, there was light rain and everything seemed pretty quiet. There was a van with a trailer attached that had stopped at the green light, waiting to make a left-hand turn. Behind it was an SUV, waiting to make the same turn. As I've always done the other hundreds of times I've driven through that intersection, I prepared to pass the cars on their right hand side and go through the green light. However, this time was different... as I passed the SUV, the van didn't notice me and I guess the guy realized he was supposed to make a right instead of a left or something, and completely changed directions and started to pull to the right.
At this point, I knew I had two choices to make in a split second. I could swerve left, which would cause the most damage to my car and there would be a 100% chance of me colliding with the trailer. If I veered to the right, there was a slight chance I could miss the van and attached trailer completely, and just run parallel to them onto the street. I chose the latter, but my car skidded across the slick street and I hit the passenger side of the huge van, leaving a tiny dent in their vehicle compared to how totaled my car was. The front driver's side corner is completely smashed in. The engine is gone. The door is impossible to open. I had to climb out the passenger's side, shaking and freaking out.
The rest of the morning was a blur. My parents picked me up, drove me to the NCLEX, which we knew I had no choice but to take. I have no idea what was on it. I just plowed through, the occasional recollection of hitting the van popping in my head... my car being towed off, completely destroyed... but I kept refocusing. It shut off after 75 questions - the minimum. This could mean that I either passed the exam with flying colors, or I failed it miserably. I would like to think I did well, but for that hour and 20 minutes I just clicked answers aimlessly just to get through it. I won't get my results until Wednesday.
When it was all over, I got into the hall and started crying. I could have turned the wrong way and I might have been paralyzed or something. I have no car. The officer won't have the report done until Tuesday, which means that I won't know if he recorded it as my fault or not. I may not have any cash for a new car... I just don't know. I went to the ER tonight and I'm okay, but I have minor whiplash. They said they could prescribe me the fun stuff, but I decided to stick with Motrin.
I should be re-evaluating my life right now, but I'm not. I haven't really had a single concrete thought since 6 am. I don't know what to think.