A week ago Saturday I woke up, got my cup of coffee and sat in my recliner to watch cartoons with my niece. After about 10 minutes my lower back started hurting. A few minutes later I was in a lot of pain and felt naseous. I decided to take a bath and see if that would relieve the pain. I laid in the bathtub crying and wondering what the heck was causing so much pain, but it went away completely. Weird. At lunch that day it started hurting again and I took some ibuprofen. Again, it went away. I decided I must have a bladder infection and decided to see a doctor on Monday. Well, the pain never came back. It was like nothing had happened. Until Wednesday.
Wednesday I woke up, got the boys off to school and was messing around online. I had planned to run a mile but just didn't really feel up to it. That should have been my first sign that something was wrong! Again, the pain came back. And then some. I'm still telling myself I must have a bladder infection and think that if it's still there the next day I would go to the doctor. After about an hour I decided I need to go to the doctor that day. I called and made an appointment for that afternoon and went to work. I cleared leaving early with my coworkers, but my boss was gone so I hadn't asked him. After about 30 minutes the pain was so intense I was shaking and sweating. I called the doctor back and asked if I could get in that morning. They said yes. I then called my father in law and asked if he or my mother in law could drive me. I felt so awful I didn't think I should drive. He said Kay was at exercise class but should be home in time. She had a later class though, so they couldn't take me. He had a dental appointment. I said that's ok, I'm fine, I'll drive myself. I had gone maybe 5 miles and was just sick. I called my mom and told her I was seriously thinking about pulling over and calling an ambulance. While I talked to her I decided I was going to make it by myself, but asked her to meet me at the doctors office.
As I was driving down Laurel, about a block from the doctors office, I looked left. A big white van was coming at me. I slammed on my breaks and swerved but he hit me in the side. An 80 year old man was driving. I'm not sure what happened, if he didn't see me or what. It's pretty clear that he had to have run the stop sign for as fast as he was going. When he hit me I spun around, then hit a curb. When my car hit the curb it flipped onto its side, then kinda bounced and slid. I immediately pushed my OnStar emergency button, then rolled down my drivers window because people were running up to my car. I was hanging by my seatbelt. I told them I was fine, but get me out. Of course they couldn't just drag me out in case I was injured. I asked the first person there to please call my mom. I knew she would be driving down that road any minute to meet me. I didn't want her to see my car on its side without knowing first. The first guy was shaking so bad and so upset he couldn't even dial. Finally, someone got her on the phone. I told her I was in a wreck and it was bad and hung up. My poor mother!
Pretty soon I heard sirens. The first police officer on scene was someone I knew, so that was great! Then an EMT walked up to my car and it was someone I've known my whole life. Again, it was helpful to know the people that were there to help me. I was in so much pain and hanging there that the EMT I knew climbed in my window and got under me to help hold me up. Another EMT help up my head. My doors were smashed and my car was in its side so they had to cut me out with the jaws of life. Quite an experience!
After they got me out they put me on a stretcher and then took me to the ER by ambulance. The ER was less than a block away. I wonder if I get a discount for that? :) I kept telling them I was in pain, but not from the wreck. I also kept saying I thought I had a bladder infection. Ha! If only. They finally gave me some pain medicine, but I had to stay strapped to the board and have a neck brace on until I had a bunch of tests to make sure I was ok. I was! The pain medicine completely took away the pain in my back, but after a while it came back. With a vengeance. Seriously, it was unlike any pain I've ever experienced. More pain meds and another CT scan. It turns out I had a kidney stone. A big one. The doctor said I probably couldn't pass it on my own and made me an appointment with a urologist for the next day. He said if the pain gets worse go to Bartlesville to the ER. After I got home it got worse and I started throwing up so I headed to Bartlesville. Mom and Alan took me because Rick had left school in the middle of the day with no plans and was going to be gone the next day. When I got there they took me back, started an IV and gave me more pain meds. As the morphine is going into my arm it felt like a torch had been taken to it. I tell the nurse how bad it hurts and she said "Oh, it's ok, it'll burn a little." Umm, no. It isn't burning a little. All of the sudden she pulls my shirt away and moves my hair and said "Are you allergic to morphine?" I said I hadn't been before. She ran out of the room. I look down and I'm covered in huge hives. My chest got tight and I was having trouble breathing. I'm also allergic to benadryl! They gave me some other stuff and thankfully I was ok.
The doctor came in and looked at my discharge papers from the first hospital and said, "yeah, I'm just going to be honest. No way are you passing a stone that size. We are admitting you and you are having surgery in the morning." Yay. I didn't end up having surgery until about 4:00 the next afternoon though. Surgery went well and I am completely recovered.
At this point, we are just dealing with insurance and stuff and waiting for it to be done so I can get a new car.
Some pics of the car after the accident:
I seriously hope I never have another week like that. It was less than fun. Right now I'm just going to give running a break until March 1. Or maybe even a few days after that. I need to worry about other stuff and stress from my injury is not something I want to deal with. Hopefully this rest does me some good and I can come back really strong in March.
~Mel
