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New here - hit by car

by Tara1 on Nov 01, 2022, 07:09PM

Hello everyone, I found this group via a google search. I was hit by a car about 10 days ago, crossing a busy road with a green pedestrian light. A driver failed to give way to pedestrians. Fortunately the car wasn’t going too fast and I rolled over the bonnet then my left ankle went under the tyre. Unfortunately I was conscious for the whole experience. My mind was repeatedly replaying the accident in my head in the days afterwards, although this does seem to be occurring less often now. So day 11 in hospital with a badly fractured foot, nasty wound over the ankle and just pain and bruising over the rest of the body. It could have been much worse and I am thankful for that. I found out today, after a second wound surgery, that I am having a skin flap in a few days and hopefully fracture repair. It’s going to be a long recovery ahead. I have a husband and 2 young boys at home who I haven’t seen for 11 days (due to son contracting covid 3 days after my accident). I’m scared of what the future holds and the impact on my job, mobility and ability to care for my energetic boys. Also scared about how my brain will deal with the trauma of the accident – will I ever be able to cross a road again without a panic attack? I have generalised anxiety and prone to developing phobias and really hope a new one doesn’t pop up as a result of the accident. Anyway, I’m looking foward to connecting with others on this forum. Thanks for reading! Tara

Tara1

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Joined 03/29/2022

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Reply: New here - hit by car

by Twana on Nov 22, 2022, 03:29AM

Hi, Tara- I was missing most of my right wrist after it was blown out by a gunshot wound. It was actually my most life-threatening injury because it severed the artery. It also severed the nerve, removed a big chunk of bone, and severed a tendon. Right now, I’m typing this to you with no noticeable loss of function. Our medical system can do wonders these days. You can’t even see the scar unless you know what to look for. The advice I would have for you is after surgery, start moving as soon as they say you can. Push your recovery reasonably (emphasize REASONABLY) and make sure you remember that you can’t only do therapy a few minutes in the visits with the therapists. You really have to do it at home (or in your room if you are still hospitalized.) You know what you feel. The other advice I have is to start working on the scar tissue as soon as they allow – I didn’t understand its impact. As for the emotional trauma – you have crossed the street for years. All those thousands of other cars stopped. This will cause you to pay more attention to whether drivers are making eye contact, but you’ll also begin to remember that this was a rare event. I do wish our drivers would be careful. Too many pedestrians are getting hurt. Talk to a counselor if you can. They really have some great insight. Twana in Tennessee

Twana

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Joined 11/22/2022

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