A friend and I got up early on Saturday morning to head for Holly, Michigan and their annual Run Like the Dickens 5K race and walk. The temperatures were only in the 20s and it was windy. For me, it was really more of a stroll than a race of any kind. The path went through neighborhoods where people blasted Christmas carols from their homes for the participants, passed briefly through downtown and then looped back to the school gym.
After the walk, I passed on the cookies provided--our plan was to head to Somerset, a shopping mecca in the Detroit suburbs, have a nice lunch and shop 'til we dropped. We had our destination in sight and were talking about parking and lunch options while we waited at a traffic light ... and someone in a big commercial van plowed into the back of my friend's jeep. There was no warning, no squeal of brakes--I don't think he braked at all--before he hit us hard, propelled us ahead into the car in front of us then caught up with us and hit us again. Three ambulances, two patrol cars, two tow trucks and maybe 3o minutes later, we were on our way to the emergency room--my friend in a collar and strapped to a backboard, me, feeling like a bag lady carrying as much of the stuff from her jeep as I could grab before they towed it away. She spent the hours (and hours) at the hospital wondering if she should have refused care at the scene and signed the waiver like I did; I spent the time thinking that she was doing the prudent thing and I was being stupid. I'll be calling my doctor tomorrow ... besides all the understandable aches and pains, it hurts to breath and I'm wondering if I could have cracked a rib or something ...
13 comments:
OMG Sophie...so sorry to hear you and your friend got whacked up like that.
DH and I were T-boned a couple of years ago - he was on the side that got hit and was knocked out for a few seconds and ended up in the emergency room ...I meanwhile did the same thing as you did and tried to collect as much stuff as I could carry before the tow truck hauled the car away - we were on a weekend trip and were a couple hundred miles away from home...
Hopefully the other guy has insurance...we were able to get a rental car covered for a couple of months plus medical expenses...I did about 6 months of chiropractic before I was better. Thought the day it happened that I was gonna be fine...but then my hands started getting weaker and weaker...
Make sure you get seen by at least your regular doc and if you believe in chiropractic, go there too...
Thank goodness it was not worse. You were able to walk away...Take it easy for a while...Hope you feel better soon...
Thanks for the good wishes. I will be both calling my doctor and letting my chiropractor know ... the latter is such a doom and gloom guy, I hate to hear what he has to say about why *I* have done to myself.
I think I was able to have as much presence of mind as I did because I'd been T-boned at a light less than two years ago ... that time, I was knocked out briefly and woke up hanging from my seatbelt (my truck had been flipped onto the passenger side in the collision). This time, I knew to NOT let my friend hand over all her keys to the the tow truck driver, and to grab as much as I could carry--I looked like a bag lady, with two big purses and two full tote bags. My friend insisted everyone stop and help find her work badge--needed to get into the parking ramp and the building--and grab her garage door opener. While I was looking for her badge, I found my watch ... which had somehow been knocked off my wrist in the collision.
I don't think I want to take a ride in a car or truck with you anytime soon. You've had your share of bumps and grinds. I do hope you don't experience any ill effects.
Christine
on an island in the California Delta
I tried to leave my sympathies last night, but Blogger wouldn't cooperate.
I'm so bummed for you. Please see a doc today. Think of Nikki Taylor, the model, who was rear-ended and thought she was alright. The next day, I believe, she was critical with a torn spleen and had emergency surgery. She nearly died even though she walked away from the accident and refused any treatment just the day before.
(Don't mean to be a gloom & doom-er myself, but sometimes injury takes a little while to present itself, so you should err on the side of caution.) Be very careful with yourself!
I'm back from the doctor. He thinks it's just muscle spasms (and a "classic whiplash") and ordered a muscle relaxant, some industrial strength anti-inflammatory and ... a full series of X-rays, just to be sure.
Sounds good (in that it's not any worse, but I know you don't FEEL so good).
WOW!! I am so glad you're okay!! Did they arrest the jerk who plowed you?? Get some much needed rest!!
dawn
Third attempt to post--I'm so sorry for this, and am glad you're improving. Thanks for the information about what to do in such a situation. I wouldn't have thought of these things.
WOW! like you needed that to add to your already heavy load. Rest and recuperate as best you can!
Thanks for all the good wishes, everyone.
I sure hope you are feeling better. It just makes me so mad how some of these idiots go around hurting other people. Do whatever is needed to cherish your poor sore body.
Sorry to hear of your mishap and hope that you and your friend are okay. I know you will be sore for a good while so take care and see your doctor.
Thank you for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment about the lace ornaments.
Oh dear. Like you really needed this. Well, I'm glad it's not worse, but it's bad enough. Hope you and your friend are feeling better by now.
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