Memory Monday ~ Car Wreck

So this past Friday, I had a car wreck. :( 

Allow me to recap...
I went to see Brave (fantastic - I <3 Disney/Pixar!), and was on my way back home around 5:30, ready to hang out with Laura.  I was in the middle lane on a 3-lane highway (southbound on 169, between 81st and 91st).  A black SUV in the fast lane swerved into my lane to avoid rear-ending the car in front of them.  Somehow, they got out of control, because I watched the SUV swerve back in front of that car (making a quick 'U' around that car, tires squealing the whole time) then she swerved back again just before she hit the center median.  By then, I'd already been braking, and every car in that area was swerving and trying to get out of the way.  She came through my lane going perpendicular to the rest of the traffic.  *Crash!!*  Somehow, in the spinning mess, we both ended up in the grass off the side of the road.  (Thank God for that, in the middle of that 5 o'clock traffic mess!)  

I do remember worrying that I was going to plummet down the steep grassy hill, but my car stopped pretty quickly.  Then I threw it into park, vaguely realizing that my airbags had deployed.  My door was messed up and would barely open, but I crawled out as quickly as I could.  My purse and phone were in the floorboard, and the passenger door was messed up too, so I used the other lady's phone to call Mom, and thankfully, she answered and was immediately on her way! :)

A policeman was close behind us, so he was already there when I got out -- I asked a random guy who stopped because he saw the wreck, "Did I black out or something?  How are the police here already!??"  But no, no blackout.  Anyway, the only pain I felt was where the seatbelt had caught me, but based on all I know of car wrecks from my work life, I decided to go to the hospital and get checked out just in case.  We were about 5 minutes from Southcrest Hospital, but it took the ambulance 45 minutes to get there... and while we waited on them, the paramedics had me remain seated and took my blood pressure at least four times. lol  I was sad I hadn't shaved my legs as they were putting the sticky heart monitor things on my calves.  Finally, the ambulance got there and I had my first ambulance ride.  They did the questions to check for a concussion ("Who's the president?  What month is this? What city are we in?" etc.).  They told me my heartbeat was irregular (the term "PBC" was used?) and high, but other than that, things seemed normal. They were really nice, and I even got a pic at the end as they were pulling me down to go into the hospital. lol

I waited a while in the ER, then finally went back and got neck and chest X-rays.  *Funny side-story: they had me do a urine sample before the X-rays, and the X-ray nurse secretively told me, "Okay, we've gotten your results back, and you are officially not pregnant.  You probably assumed that, but it's always good to be sure."  Whew, well, there's a load off my mind! lol  Never occurred to me that that was the reason for the test.  They must just assume there are no 28-year-old virgins left in the world.

Annnnyway, Mom got there soon enough, and that was comforting!  The X-ray process was interesting.  I had to keep my mouth open really wide on one bc that's the best way to view the top vertebrae in the neck. lol  All of my X-rays came back normal, so that was happy news!!  Right before we left the hospital, the nurse took my blood pressure one last time.  It had been normal the other 10+ times they took it that afternoon, but that time, it was 160/97, which was high on both numbers.  What on earth?  I felt much calmer then, so clearly, I have no idea how blood pressure actually works.  Over the weekend, I was not as sore as I expected to be... taking Advil a couple times has been enough to keep any pain I'm feeling in check.  Anyway, here's my hospital glamour shot pic - that's mainly a big bruise now.  Sadness.

But I'm doing well!  (The other people involved were not hurt much either.)  My pretty car, however, may be totaled (lots of front end damage, some right side damage, both doors messed up, and the airbags deployed - sadness).  So it'll be a process to figure all of that out and rent a car for a while, then possibly buy a new one.  

But all in all, there is *much* to be thankful for!!