As many of you know, I was in a car accident on Monday morning. I have gotten a lot of questions about what happened and if I was ok. There have been multiple times I have sat down to write about it, and just couldn't bring myself to it.
Most people have been in car accidents and mine was not anything compared to what some people have experienced, but it was.....an experience.
It was a normal morning, busy kids running around, and me asking for the umpteenth time, "Why are you not dressed yet?" I was heading to Santee right away in the morning and getting observed by my boss. It was starting to rain a little when I left the house. I dropped the boys off at daycare, drove half a mile down a gravel road to Hwy 15. I turned north and hadn't even gone half a mile.
I wasn't texting or messing in my bags on my seat, or drinking a pop....Just driving. I hadn't even had time to do any of that. Everyone was asking me if I was wearing a seat belt....I'm not sure. I don't remember unclicking it after the accident to get out, but I also don't think I could have made it out of the accident without it.
If you've ever been in an accident, you know how it goes. It probably lasted a tops of 15 seconds, but everything was slow motion. I remember every detail, ever noise, every thud, every piece of glass breaking and what was going through my head. Right now I just wish I could get those memories out of my head. I have thought about it A LOT yesterday and today. I had a hard time sleeping last night because every time I closed my eyes, it replayed in my head again.
Highway 15 is one without a shoulder. Some roads have a little bit of pavement on the other side of the white lines, but not this one. The white line is on the edge of the pavement. There is a little bit of drop off after that and right now its pure mud!
(Apologies if you wanted the short version...Deal with it! :)
I got a little close to the white line and the tires dropped off in the mud. This is not the first time that's happened to me & I know you don't just jerk it back on the road. I tried to ride it out a bit before I tried to carefully pull back onto the highway. I'm not sure if it was the mud on my tires, or the wet roads but I started fishtailing back and forth across the highway. The car then did a 180 so I was facing the direction I was coming from. Have you ever been on the Scrambler at a carnival? I loved that thing growing up! It was the only ride my mom would go on with me! While I was spinning around that's what I felt like I was on there was so much momentum. I started going down the ditch with this momentum. I straightened my arms and braced myself.
This is when everything starting going in slow motion. I was sliding down the hill thinking, "I'm going to hit that fence and dent my car!" Shoot....Then the thud.....I knew I was going over. About a bazillion thoughts were running through my head in a matter of seconds the main ones were "I have to stay awake & ooooohhhh...I want to see all 4 of my boys again!" It's like I was frozen in time, not moving, just everything was moving around me. I watched the windshield shatter and pieces of glass rain down on me. I kept my eyes open and felt the pieces of glass going into my eyes and my left ear. One last thud and it was all over.
I didn't sit to see if I was ok, I didn't check for cuts or bleeding. I didn't turn off the car. I don't remember unhooking my seat belt. But if my seat belt wasn't holding me in there, I have some pretty amazing guardian angels holding me in my seat. I was still in the drivers seat. All I was thinking was that I had to get up to the highway before I passed out in case no one could see my car from the highway. It was also sitting at a 45 degree angle. At the time, I didn't know why. I thought if I stayed in the car I could roll again. My side of the car was up in the air so I slid down to the passenger side door and opened it, spilling my computer bag, work bag and purse onto the ground. I took off running up the hill. It wasn't until I got to the top that I realized I had lost my flip-flops and failed to put them back on.....and it was muddy and cold. There were no cars coming.
I finally assessed the damaged rubbing my head and face with my hands finding no blood. I looked at my arms and felt my legs. No blood. There was no pain.....Was this real? Did this really happen? Looking at the car I kept thinking, "Maybe I'm having an out of body experience and I'm really dead in the car." I looked at the car realizing that I was on top of the fence which is why my car was at an angle. My cell phone was in there, but there was no way I was going to go back down there near that thing to get that!
Just about that time someone came along. I apparently didn't think a girl standing on the side of the road with no shoes would get her attention, so I waved my arms and jumped around :) She stopped and asked if I was ok. She gave me her phone and went down and turned off my car, got my computer off the ground and got my shoes (bless her heart, my cold feet were the most uncomfortable part on my body) and grabbed my cell phone. Beau wasn't planning on going to work until later because of the rain. I couldn't get ahold of him, so she took me home.
I didn't cry this whole time, until I saw Beau. Then I lost it....I really was ok! I rinsed the glass out of my eyes and ear and then we headed back. The used a semi wrecker to pull it out of there. We talked to the police officer and then later that afternoon I went to the dr. They got more glass out of my ear and got a ct scan which came back normal (crazy, no ones ever called my brain "normal" before).
My car is totaled and we are shopping for a new one. I probably shouldn't have gone to work today. I am exhausted and sore. I did go to the chiropractor (Family First Chiropractic) and my neck and sciatic nerve feels much better.
I could leave this accident feeling bad because I ruined my car. Cars are replaceable. I am so blessed. So thankful the boys weren't in the car and so thankful I am able to write to tell about it.
Makes you realize how precious life really is! So I'm going to continue to live life to the fullest! Not just the length of it, but the width of it. I am going to hug tighter, laugh more. I am going to not hold grudges, forgive those that need forgiving. I am going to have fun and start working even harder on my bucket list!
So hug those you love a little tighter tonight!!!!
