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Hit by a car (I'm OK)

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Posted 9/10/2013 10:54 PM (GMT 0)
Well, this is (fortunately) slightly OT. I got hit by a car yesterday running for the bus, right outside my apartment. I'm banged up, but nothing broken, didn't hit my head, and no problems with my stoma, ostomy bag, etc.

A bystander and my neighbor came running to help, and there was a police officer nearby (then fire and ambulance came -- all were great). Since I had broken the windshield of the car, they wanted me to stay lying down and then go to the hospital, so I had the whole business -- back board, neck thing, ride in the ambulance etc. (made me nauseous being strapped down and going backwards on bumpy roads). I think I broke the windshield with my backpack, though, not with my head, and my backpack also broke my fall somewhat. My shoe flew about three car lengths on the side walk.

Only thing w/the ostomy was when they were strapping me to the board, I asked them to move the strap so it wasn't on my stoma. They did ask me right away if I had any health issues, and although they called it a colostomy bag, were on top of it.

Have to say, you get much better service in the ER when you come via ambulance after getting hit by a car then when you walk in w/something ibd or stoma related....

Of course, could have been a whole lot worse, very grateful it wasn't. I was able to teach one of my classes a few hours after the accident. One thing I'm really pleased about is that I think part of why it wasn't worse is all the exercise I'm doing.... I was just very present in my body once I realized what was happening, and I think I fell in a better way than I might have.... of course lots of luck too (and he was only going 10 mph.... he didn't see me, I didn't see him, really don't know why.... but it is a dangerous street, and I wrote my city councillor last night about gettinga crosswalk painted and he called me this morning).

Sigh....
Posted 9/10/2013 11:37 PM (GMT 0)
oh blue.. your subject line had me so worried. Thank goodness you are all ok. I know what you are saying about the ambulance people. I had a car run into me "whhle I was in a car" a few years back.. It was just one day after I had an outpatient anal dilation surgery. Anyways, I too was strapped to that board. And when I told them I had an ileo, they moved the straps and were so concerned about the ileo during transport.
hope the rest of you is feeling ok and not too bruised up.
best.
Posted 9/10/2013 11:52 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks, ddd. I changed the subject line to include that I'm OK, sorry about that initially.

I have big bruises on my knees, and one elbow, along with a bruised heel and hip. My neck and shoulders are very stiff. But I was able to swim a bit today and also got a massage, both of which helped.

That's awful having a car accident right after surgery.
Posted 9/11/2013 12:01 AM (GMT 0)
Glad you are ok! I hope all the bruises are gone quickly
Posted 9/11/2013 1:11 AM (GMT 0)
Oh my gosh, are you sure you aren't a stunt man? Hitting the windshield and busting it like that is something out of a movie! I'm so glad it turned out well.

And ddd45 - accident after a procedure..that's kind of my nightmare!
Posted 9/11/2013 2:08 AM (GMT 0)
Oh my goodness, so glad you're okay!! And I can't believe you taught a class after all that! Sounds like your guardian angels were watching over you. :-)
Posted 9/11/2013 2:33 AM (GMT 0)
 

Oh my, blueglass.  I am so glad you were not seriously hurt.  And, I second what flchurchlady said about your guardian angels watching over you.

 

Posted 9/11/2013 5:22 AM (GMT 0)
wow how scary.... so glad you're ok!!
Posted 9/11/2013 9:02 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks, and yes, I am quite sure I am not a stunt man :-) ... although it has crossed my mind that people do this sort of thing on purpose, and that stuntman may now be #1 on my list of jobs I wouldn't like.

I don't know..... guess those guardian angels were slacking and then they woke up or something....
Posted 9/11/2013 2:16 PM (GMT 0)
blueglass,

Thank God you are okay!

What is the deal with people having an illeostomy operation and getting in car accidents on this forum???
Posted 9/11/2013 3:22 PM (GMT 0)
Blue, that must have been frightening at first. Main thing is you're fine and stoma is fine. Accidents can happen when streets aren't well enough engineered. I would have been too shaken up to start in on phone calls and letters. Hurray for you that you taught the class later on.
Posted 9/12/2013 4:19 PM (GMT 0)
Oh boy, did this frighten me.....just shaken!

I'm so thankful that it wasn't worse. You are such a strong person, both physically and mentally. You've compensated yourself so well through all this, truly remarkable!

Hope that you will soon recover fully from all the bruising and muscle aches. Swimming is great, way to go by doing it today!
Posted 9/14/2013 11:21 PM (GMT 0)
Very happy that you are okay, and unbelieveable that you were teaching only a few hours later!  Good for you!  Even if I had been okay physically, I don't know if I would have been "with it" emotionally enough to do that!  Very good thing also that the driver was only going 10 miles an hour.  Scary stuff!
Posted 9/15/2013 12:54 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks again. I am recovering well -- lot of bruises, mostly. I've had two massages and two chiropractic visits this week, which made my neck and back much, much better.

As for teaching, in one of my classes I'd missed the first class because it was Rosh Hashana (a colleague brought them an activity to do w/out me there). I taught the second one after the accident. I was nervous because we have a death in the family expected, and I am going to leave town for a few days .... so all I was thinking was that I could end up missing the first two weeks of my class or something.... sigh. Not saying it's all that rational compared to getting hit by a car and all, but the teaching actually calmed me down. It's a small class w/students who are glad to be there and were concerned about me....

Not sure if the stress contributed to the accident or not... .my partner has been out of town for a month taking care of her mother, who is 90 and has aggressive brain tumors (a month ago she was given 1-2 weeks to live)... partner missed taking her daughter to college (serious sandwich generation stuff).... sigh, just one of those times....

I have been trying to figure out how the accident happened, watching how the cars are at that time of day.... I do think the car was probably going faster than 10 mph.... more like 15-20 (driver is the one who said 10, and no one really goes 10 then....), and my backpack kept me from being a lot worse (only mark on my upper body is one elbow, think the pack is what broke the windshield). I think I looked both ways from the porch, then went down the stairs quickly, still looking, and somehow the hedge and maybe a parked car created blind spots at just the right moments..... of course, the driver wasn't paying attention either.

Turns out that Massachusetts is a no fault insurance state, so in a "pedestrian strike" the car owner's insurance pays, no matter whose fault it is (glad there doesn't need to be a big investigation etc.... and explains why I get these forms all the time asking if my ostomy supplies are because of an accident... it'll be that insurance company paying my health insurance company..... my neighbor said he thought it was actually a hybrid cab that hit me.... I never saw the side of it)

Sigh.... I am kind of proud that I am doing so well, though.... I mean, a lot of it is luck, but also pretty clear that if I was sick and on pred and such, no way I'd be healing like this (I remember it taking months for tape marks to heal after hospitalizations and such...), so even though it was a very bad thing, it is a marker of sorts.... and my stoma was fine.

Again, your concern is much appreciated.... nice to have these connections.
Posted 9/17/2013 7:11 PM (GMT 0)
Wow, bluegrass, just saw this because I was offline for almost a week when that happened; glad to hear that you are ok and all!
Posted 9/18/2013 8:09 AM (GMT 0)
So glad you are doing well take it easy bluegrass. xx
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