Tuesday, April 9, 2013

H ~ Hit by a Car

These are the continuing adventures of a Swedish immigrant during her first year as an American. She boldly went where she'd never gone before...please come along on Adventures in America.







I hope a picture really IS worth a thousand words cuz I'm trying to keep these posts short. However, Our Youngest Teen found my picture embarrassingly inept, so I have incuded his version and my inept version for your comparison.  Yes, mine sucks.

Basically, I was crossing the street during rush hour, Grandma Vivian was dropping me off, only for some reason she was across the street from our house. She waved me on, I trusted her. I stopped at the double yellow line to look some more. The stopped car waved me on.  What none of us knew was that a 17 year-old driver with a brand new license was barreling straight for me.

I woke up, lights flashing, The Swede and The Nutritionist talking to me, EMT's talking to me, sirens blaring as more emergency vehicles arrived and I didn't really get what was happening.

You were hit by a car, honey, and they're going to take you in the ambulance to the hospital and I'm coming with you.” (Mom)

Why do I have to go to the hospital?”

You might have broken your leg.” (Dad)

I remember the EMT's picking me up to put me on the gurney and a pain so severe it didn't seem real washed over me. I think I fainted.

I woke up in the ambulance. Tubes being attached. I asked my mom to tell me what else was wrong with me.
Well, you kinda have a lump on the side of your head the size of a...potato. They're a little worried about it. And you scraped off all the skin on your right heel.”

What happened to my shoe?”

Honey, why don't you try to relax, and we'll just let these smart men take care of you.”

Ok, but it hurts a LOT.”

They must have given me some pain medicine, because when they moved me from gurney to hospital bed I didn't scream quite as loudly, and from hospital bed to x-ray table was down in volume, and then I stopped counting how many damn times they were going to move me and tried to just pretend I was playing in the woods in Sweden with my friends.

I woke up in a hospital bed, in traction. Mom was right there (it just doesn't seem right to call her The Nutritionist when she's my lifeline to sanity and my comfort and hope).

What's wrong with me? Do they know?”

You broke your hip, you have a bad concussion, and they stitched up your ankle.”

Ankle? What ankle?”

The one that was missing all the skin.”
I didn't really care at that point. I was tired. I was in pain. I was sleepy. So I went to sleep.

To be continued at another letter...and yes, one of them is tomorrow.

26 comments:

Ida Thought said...

Oh dear. That's a nasty injury for anyone. Sounds like the nutritionist knew just when to be a perfect mum.

Rob Z Tobor said...

I managed to get run down in a car park, but am still here to tell the tale.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Thank God that's all that happened to you, because I bet that kid was also speeding while enjoying his new license.

Jolie du Pre said...

I'm sorry this happened to you. What does it feel like to be hit by a car? Is the impact so hard that a person doesn't remember it if they happen to survive it? Is the pain something that you feel later on? Sorry for all the questions.

Brian Miller said...

geez...intense...and dang you leave us hanging there in the end...smiles..obviously you survived but goodness...dang...

Commonweeder said...

Yikes! What a terrible accident. My grandmother told me (when I was about 8 and had infected knees) that it took 10 scars to make a woman. You must have gotten all of yours at one time.

JoJo said...

Wow. I'm curious what happened to the driver of the car! Did he have insurance? Was he arrested? Did he at least apologize? I got hit by a car once but it wasn't near as bad as that....he was running a red light and I was in the cross walk and he slid into me. I bruised my hand and hip and leg real bad but that was it.

Anonymous said...

That is so scary! Anxious to hear what happens next!

Stopping by from the A-Z Challenge!

Laeli said...

Oh my gosh! What a thing...

Jeneral Insanity said...

First of all, I have to comment about your drawings. Your son did a really good job portraying the whole thing, BUT, yours was also very good. My favorite part (can I say that about a tragic event? It seems a little wrong.) was his note on the picture.

Okay, OUCH! I can't even imagine how scary that must have been for everyone! As a mother of three, I just went back in time and wanted to hold you! I almost cried thinking about that.
I'll bet your grandmother felt horrible too. Other side of the road, Grandma!
And YOU! Holy flying monkeys, Batman! Waking up like that, and in that kind of pain? I fear that I may have started swinging and wound up breaking an EMT's nose!

Andrea said...

yikes!

klahanie said...

Hey Tina,

Oh my, what an experience. Of course, being in America, the biggest worry is having the right kind of medical insurance.

You want some irony, Tina? My car got wiped out by an ambulance.

Sorry, I haven't visited everyday. So many of you doing the alternate to my alphabet challenge, it makes it tough to keep up.

Your biggest fan,

Gary :)

Unknown said...

quite an adventure! you really have fascinating life lessons and happenings!

Lyre said...

Your son's note on his drawing totally cracked me up.

What a horrible experience for you! Moms are amazingly awesome during such rough experiences, aren't they?

Lyre at Lyre's Musings #atozchallenge

Mary Hill said...

Thanks for the story. Wow, glad you were okay and can't wait to read more about your experience tomorrow.

Mary Hill

http://mary-anderingcreatively.blogspot.com/

Jo said...

What a dreadful thing to happen to you in your new country. I'm glad it wasn't more serious than it seems to have been. Poor you.

JO ON FOOD, MY TRAVELS AND A SCENT OF CHOCOLATE

Anonymous said...

It sounds like a very scary time for you - what a start to getting acquainted with your new country!

Love your son's drawing and comment. Said like only a true teen can. My sons would say the same thing about my drawing talents (or lack thereof).

The Daily Bern said...

Wow, how awful. Being hit by a car is a big fear, and would be awful. I hope things get better in this story, and things worked out.
Shawn at Laughing at Life 2

Robin said...

Yikes. How terrifying for you. I can't imagine. So glad that your mom was there beside you the whole time!!!

Unknown said...

Good heavens, that must have been terrifying. Obviously you survived just fine...I'm anxious to see what happens next!!

Jaimie
Living in the Light
A to Z Ambassador

Jennifer Duggin said...

This is so horrible. My daughter's best friend got hit by a car last year. She also survived, but broke her leg. It was tragic for everyone involved. For me, your ankle injury just sounds unbearable, or at least seems like it would end up being the worst. All the skin? I can barely handle a hang nail. And I loved your son's drawing. Very detailed stick figures make all the difference! Jennifer a.k.a Urban Gypsy Girl

Unknown said...

Yikes! I'm glad you're going to be ok. I'll send my thoughts for a speedy recovery.

Elliot
We Are Adventure

Unknown said...

Wow, what a story. That would have been terrifying! I can't wait to hear what happens next. You had to leave this hanging, didn't you, haha.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Tina .. oh crumbs that explains the hospital references ... and that kid - must have been mortified.

However you're the one's that suffered the worst .. because it's ongoing isn't it ..

Thank goodness for parents etc ... and at least they were on the spot ..

How terrible for a child .. what a telling too .. cheers Hilary

Maïa said...

I like the complicity you appear to have with your son: the fact that he was interested in what you were writing and volunteered to participate in illustrating the accident tells loads.
By the way, yay for using drawings as a way of explaining things!

Also, your child-self has all my compassion for the hurt and waiting and probably worrying that came with being wounded. I hope it wasn't too bad for you...

Hug,

Maïa

Rachel said...

I never look when I cross the street until I'm in the middle of the road. I just listen for cars. I know that its a stupid thing for me to do but you really made me think about that.