5.21.2012

About That One Time When Mr LKP Rear-Ended Me...

Yep.  That's the gist of it.  Thanks for reading.  Now you're up to speed.

Okay, okay.  More details for ya - April 22nd:

Um, yeah, so its embarrassing really... noticed an adorable chicken house last minute on the drive home from church.  Mr LKP was a ways behind me in the pick-up & the chicken house had a for sale sign but no number or price on it.  So I wanted to see how it was laid out so Mr LKP could MAKE one similar (only larger) for me & my ever-growing flock.  Therefore I threw my signal on, pulled over as best I could on the non-existent shoulder (which wasn't as far off the road as I'd apparently thought), and PARKED.

I glanced in the mirror, thinking Mr LKP would see my blinker and understand, however the adorableness of the chicken house had also turned his head & he wasn't slowing down.  He turned his head back just in time to realize that my car wasn't moving & slam into our car at 40 mph.


The most surreal part was, when I realized he wasn't slowing down, a calm came over me and in my mind I so matter-of-factly heard "You are going to be in an accident, and it is going to be okay."  So apparently I closed my eyes, braced for impact, and then had enough lighting-fast time to think "He must have gone around me, cause where's impact?"  The moment I thought that, impact occurred.  


Funny-WOW because I had JUST 20 minutes earlier been teaching my Beehive girls about the power of the Priesthood being the power of God, and that even in times of excruciating pain through this power Heavenly Father literally holds us in His hand.  I felt that.  He WAS holding me in that moment.  ::sigh::  Powerful testimony-reaffirming experience.
 

At the point the pick-up slammed into my car, some big wooden signs from our fund-raiser (the night before) that were still in the back were thrown forward and shattered the back window of the truck. Craziest part? Coming out of church, Mini-Me had thought she would ride with him. But at the last minute decided to ride with me instead.

Had she ridden with him, that sign would've gone right through her head. Her choice to switch rigs probably saved her life, or at least saved her from severe, life-altering injuries. Scary.  Best part from that, however, was that Mini-Me is the one who pointed that blessing out.  We were completely oblivious to the important choice she had made.  


She was in complete awe of how the Holy Ghost's promptings can come ANY time.  They may seem small or insignificant initially but, much like an iceberg, they can be the greatest prompting beneath it all.

As it is, Mini-Me was sore with headaches + neck stiffness and slight back pain, but she's alive. Per the ER, she took Ibuprofen for the first 24 hrs, but did just fine in PE & then in her softball game the next day. 


Mr LKP's neck was a little sore + his knee slammed into the bottom of the dash. No air bags deployed (crazy, but maybe a blessing in disguise).  But he's done pretty alright since then with Ibuprofen & some muscle relaxers for any complications this may have brought his ARMY shoulder.

My nose smacked the steering wheel first, which resulted in a slight nose break to the left of the bridge of my nose; following the steering wheel my head slammed back into the headrest which brought a concussion, severe whiplash, and pain radiating around the right side of my jaw & head; mid to lower back pain along my spine + some trouble in my hips + and muscle pains all over came due to the forces impact & a seat belt.  

Went to the ER, had x-rays taken, but because of my allergy to Hydrocodone, I was sent away with extra srtength tylenol & an rx for Tramadol.  Let me tell ya, Tramadol (not a narcotic but a narcotic simulator - which was fine because I despise narcotics) sucks eggs, big time!  I reacted that night with itching ALL over my body + I'd sleep for 3 minutes and then wake up screaming that Mr LKP needed to put the dogs outside or that he didn't do the dishes or something really lame like that.  Then I'd calm down, go to sleep for another 3 minutes, and proceed to wake up freaking out again.  Not cool.  Nor was it restful.  Nor did it encourage healing.  Saw my family doc's ARNP the next day, and it was determined I was allergic to Tramadol and was given ES Tylenol + Percocet + a soft collar for my bobble-head-dollness.  My pain level remained at a "9" for three more days after that, when I was sent back into a different emergency room to see their trauma doc & get a CT scan, because there had been no improvement with my pain or head + my right arm went numb & my fingers were tingling.  With a mild muscle relaxer the numbness dissipated & the tingling sensation hasn't been back.  That doc said no to the soft collar, and to only take the Percocet if I couldn't sleep + also, my nose break was adding to the headaches, but because my nose was still straight there was nothing to be done with it but discontinue worrying about ES Tylenol and instead take Ibuprofen for the inflammation & headaches.  No arterial bleeds, so the IBU is okay.  

I'm still spacy & forgetful from the concussion.  Still sore all over in my muscles, but no longer hurting at a 9.  I'm more like a 6-7 on a good day.  If I over-do it at the office then I'm back to an 8 or so.  Having to pace myself there which is REALLY aggravating.

But it could always be worse. 


As for the possessions, my car was totaled & has been replaced.  The pick-up seems mostly okay, besides a slight bend in the front frame which needs a new bumper - it's back window has been replaced. And, that's the accident in a larger nutshell. 


Nothing like such an event to make you stop and rethink/question/and even appreciate all the choices that were made prior.

...Well, and on the plus side, I guess I'm grateful to realize that even after our first decade Mr LKP & I still have interests in common since we were both taken by the cute chicken house. :)


All else I can say is: slow down & breathe, people. Life's too short. Anything can happen. ::hugs:: 

5 comments:

NaDell said...

Such an amazing story. Who would have EVER guessed that this sort of thing would happen (and not even in an unrealistic movie plot!)
I'm SO SO glad you are all okay! The signs thing just gets me everytime I hear it. The Holy Ghost really does tell us things to do and if we listen, we are blessed.
I sure hope your ailments get figured out soon. It's the worst to be in pain (and feeling crazy with those terrible 3 minute sleep sessions!)

mCat said...

Holy freakin cow!!! Had no idea! I'm so so sorry! What a pain in the neck - sorry about the bad pun.

Hope recovery goes well!

wendy said...

wow...you are right. Things could have gone so very badly here (more then what was suffered) I know you were watched over that day and yes we DO need to listen to that "still small voice".
those warnings.

I was in a head on collision when 17 and I still have "issues" over that. I can not drive at night!!

Take care of yourselves, and I WANT TO SEE A PHOTO of that dang chicken coop.

2browndawgs said...

OK yikes. Glad you are mostly OK. Mental note do not follow hubby or let hubby follow me when driving. :)

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