Here is my accident. It happened July 16, 2008. I was crossing the street in front of my house
in Bluebird Canyon and a motorcycle ran me over. He was going 45 mph.
My injuries were: two broken arms, broken clavicle, mangled knee, broken femur, I landed on my head and was not expected to live (I have a really hard head), my mouth slammed shut and for the next year my teeth crumbled. The first year after I was run over I had 8 root canals. My right jaw joint sounds like broken potato chips as it is ruined. This year I am having difficulties with my neck because the whiplash was not diagnosed or treated. My neck has healed "wrong" and I have a herniated disk and am at risk for the vertebrae fusing.
I am in physical therapy, at this point 3 days a week. After the accident I was very aggressive with therapy and went 5 days a week for a year. I have chronic pain. There is life before the accident and life after the accident. I use medical marijuana and am on various anti depressants that deal with among other things Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
The motorcycle driver sued me and won $93,000.00. His helmet was not buckled and he suffered a head injury. Justin O'Malley was in the hospital for a day. I received his medical records because he sued me. After a head injury, blood is automatically drawn and checked for drugs and alcohol. Not only was he above the limit for alcohol but he also had smoked a joint. The Laguna Beach Police Department never checked for alcohol. Even though he was living at a half-way house. Officer Mark Jefferies never checked the gear the motorcycle was in when it finally fell over. I had to spend $10,000.00 to reenact the accident. I couldn't hear the motorcycle because of an SUV that drove by first. A thing called the doppler effect sucked the sound and there was dead silence. The driver of the motorcycle could not see me because he was wearing tinted a visor. The motorcycle was doing 45 mph in a 25 mph zone. Yet the police determined I was 100% at fault. Pedestrians do not have the right of way in Laguna Beach. Especially in front of their homes. I went through two years of lawyers and depositions. I got the feeling from neighbors and some not so great friends that I deserved the accident. Did I mention I was holding a sealed bottle of Tequila when I crossed the street? Puritans are alive and well in Orange County. When the motorcycle driver was crying in the emergency room the nurse told him he shouldn't feel bad because after all I was holding a bottle of Tequila when I crossed the street. (Did I mention it was a beautiful blue bottle and was a painting prop? I am now known officially as the local drunk. Wait, did I mention I don't drink very often?)
I was very brave after the accident. I had an attitude that I would describe as heroic. My children were my inspiration. (I have two sons, 19 and 24). Six months after the accident I started painting again as therapy. (30 minutes and progressively longer.) Eventually I resumed painting on location.
Some good things came out of the accident. I learned how to use a computer. I started an online store. I sell antique jewelry and my paintings to people all over the world.
I know how to mediate. I am good at this. I have done a hella lot of mediating.
I know my boys adore me.
I miss my pre-accident body that worked. Trying to do yoga. I hurt myself. Trying to hike again.
I get hurt. Trying to keep weight off because of my knee but it's hard because when I exercise I hurt myself. Then I have to take it easy, heal and try again.
I am writing about this because there is a blog called http://www.twentyfouratheart.com/
a woman named Suzanne Haggerty had a terrible accident and she has chosen to share and has
been motivated to achieve more because of her accident. I am hoping to inspire others as well as myself.
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