*Trigger Warning* This post contains details of a car accident and medical trauma.
Helloooo everyone! Those of you who follow me on Facebook will know that yours truly was in a car accident this past month that had me in the hospital. (And, for those of you who don’t follow me on Facebook, make sure you get on it at: Sarah Mushenheim!) It was a really scary, painful experience and I wanted to give you all the 411 on what happened because I have been so blown away by all of the well wishes and all of you deserve to know. So, let’s get to it.
It was a Sunday afternoon circa one PM when my boyfriend and I were driving to pick some things up from his house and then we were going to have a date day. I had just returned from vacation the night before so we hadn’t seen each other for a week and were eager to hang out. Unfortunately, that got cut short, because as we were at an intersection on a twenty-five MPH street, we got hit head on by a driver going at least forty-five.
How did this person end up in the complete wrong lane and effect not just us but SIX cars in total? I’m really not sure, because it happened so quickly. But, I am fairly sure he was trying to get around a person turning left and, in the process, swiped another car and ended up going head first into ours. This left the car that got swiped, our car, and the car of the guy who hit us totaled. And, I’m assuming the other three cars ended up in fender benders or the like from all of the commotion going on on the road.
The heavy blow to our car caused the air bags to go off and, oh my god, the pain was indescribable. Before the accident, I had my feet on the dashboard and when I saw the car coming I instinctively went into fetal position. This caused my skater’s legs to go wham, bam, thank you ma’am right into my chest. I felt like I couldn’t breathe and I just remember screaming bloody murder.
Thankfully, the first responders came quickly and, while we were waiting for them, I had to shimmy my way out of the driver’s side door because the accident prevented my side from opening. I can recall yelling “let me out, let me out” and that was also super scary because I already felt like I couldn’t breathe and then I felt trapped on top of it.
Once the police and ambulances came, everything was a whirlwind. The EMTs began to check me and my boyfriend and we ended up being transported to a local hospital. We were both experiencing pain in our chests and had seat belt burns and various bumps and bruises. I also had a horrible pain in the bottom left corner of my stomach.
When we got to the hospital, we were put in separate rooms and I was asked to give a urine sample. I hobbled my sorry ass into the bathroom and got my shorts and undies down to see that there was blood in them as well as blood in my urine. Once this discovery was made, I had to get a CAT scan done and a pelvic exam which hurt so incredibly badly.
According to the scan, there was an air bubble in my bladder. And, as the day went on, there was still blood in my urine and it was becoming increasingly difficult to pee. So, the decision was made to have me transferred to the ER in Cleveland with a trauma team to try and find out what was going on with my bladder.
By the time I arrived in Cleveland, it was already eight thirty at night and I was exhausted. I was in unbearable pain and, at this point, I couldn’t pass urine at all and was experiencing all the discomfort of an insanely full bladder. Another CAT scan was done as well as a bladder scan and a catheter was put in so that I could finally go to the bathroom. I also had to get an X-ray of my shoulder to make sure I didn’t have any fractures there.
When this was all said and done, it was around two in the morning and I was told that I was going to be admitted to the hospital. A room finally opened up around five AM and all I wanted was to sleep but the constant questions, poking, and prodding made that damn near impossible.
I spent the following day at the hospital being monitored and having different tests done and was able to go home around eight in the evening with my catheter still in. And, lucky for me, I got to have it taken out two days later because it was very uncomfortable and quite painful. Everything looked okay according to the urologist and I just had to keep an eye on the slight bleeding that was still happening.
Thankfully, nothing was majorly wrong other than the pain and the same goes for my boyfriend, as well. We both had to take the week off of work and were happy to return the following Monday. There were a lot of things to be grateful for in this situation. No one involved in the accident got severely hurt. The insurance company of the person responsible took care of everything. And, most importantly, we were in my boyfriend’s big station wagon. Had we been in the Little Red Love Machine (a tiny hatchback), this would have been an entirely different story.
I am so appreciative to my family, boyfriend, the first responders, and the staff at both hospitals for taking such good care of me. It was a horrible situation to be in, but it could have been a lot worse and I am so thankful that all is well for both me and my boyfriend now. And, thank you to all of you for the concern and get well soons. It didn’t go unnoticed and I love you all! ❤
What are you thankful for? Has anyone had a situation similar to mine? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
