Spring Break in Florida, A bad car accident, and they didn't have my name.
Where to begin?! First, I should probably mention my traveling
experience to and from, and everything in between. Be prepared for a
lengthy post, since I had no time for any blogging while I was
traveling, and was too distracted with having fun when I finally got
there.
March 10th was my departure. I always arrive at the airport atleast an hour before my flight departure. It's always a good idea to check in online with your airline 24 hours prior to your flight, as this obviously saves time at the airport by checking in online, since you can access your boarding pass and pay for your luggage in advance. With US Airways, now part of American Airlines, your first checked back is $25, and $35 for a 2nd checked bag. You have the option of either printing your boarding pass, or having them e-mail it to you if you don't have access to a printer. The only thing you will then need to do when you arrive at the airport is get through security check point. Keep in mind that security check point can take some time depending on how many other travelers are in front of you, and how much they are sending through for security scanning. Allow enough time at the airport just for security check point, and if you wish to grab a bite to eat after security. Just some standard advice for those who don't travel much, or who have never traveled by plane and plan to in the near future.
My plane left Harrisburg International Airport on time at 3:21PM, and then I arrived at Charlotte Douglas International Airport at 5PM. My layover in Charlotte was very short, and I planned it that way. When I booked my flight, I had the option of having a 1 hour layover in Charlotte, one of the nicest east coast airports, or a 2 and 1/2 hour layover in Philadelphia...which I consider one of the WORST airports. I plan on writing a post about the best and worst east coast airports in the near future. Naturally, I chose Charlotte for a much shorter layover, and for being at a much better airport. My plane from Harrisburg arrived at a B gate in Charlotte, and I had to walk to gate C15 for my next flight. By the time I arrived at the gate they were already boarding, but I was in zone 4 for boarding, and they were at zone 2 when I arrived. No sweat! I didn't want a bunch of time left in Charlotte, considering I really just wanted to hurry and get to my final and FAVORITE destination. My flight from Charlotte to Tampa went extremely well, and my pilot was so awesome, he got us there 20 minutes early! We landed at 7:10 instead of 7:30.
Last friday, March 14th, my friend and I went to the mall because the flip flops I had for 5 years, finally fell apart while we were at Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks, and I wanted to buy the same ones. If you never heard of Reef, and don't own a pair of their flip flops, I highly recommend it. They are THE BEST flip flops you will ever wear! We only spent a few hours in the mall before heading back to my friends place. We had dinner plans with her parents, her sister who is also my friend, and her husband. Those plans were canceled that night. When on our way back, on highway 19, we were slowing down as we were approaching a red light. Around 3:40PM, a girl behind us, only 16 and new to the road, was trying to merge into the left lane. She obviously wasn't drunk, and she definitely wasn't texting. She was just looking over her shoulder a little too long, and at that point she went to look forward, ran into us at about 55 miles per hour, then pushed us into the flat bed tow truck in front of us.
It happened so fast. The air bags deployed, there was smoke, and Ray
immediately jumped out of the driver's side...and for some reason my
door was locked and I had to unlock it, and then jumped out and
completely panicked. I was coughing from the smoke, I could barely
breathe, and I immediately felt pain in my left side and pelvis. The
girl that hit us immediately got out of her car, also panicked, and
started crying. Ray was able to talk to her more than I was, because as
soon and I jumped out of the car and started feeling pain, I had to sit
back down in the seat. The men in the tow truck in front of us called
for help and tried to calm me down. To say I was terrified would be an
understatement. This is coming from someone who, in the 27 years of her
life, has never been in an accident, never caused an accident, and has
never been severely injured. I have also never had a headache in my
life, and have always been one of the healthiest in my family. When it
first happened, I thought...is this it for me? am I going to die before I
get to the ER and been seen??
You think about this, because even though there doesn't appear to be much of anything on the outside, doesn't mean there couldn't be internal bleeding somewhere on the inside. Considering the amount of abdominal pain I was in, I couldn't help but worry. All I could think about was my family back here in PA, and if I would ever get to see them again. Inconveniently, this was the day that my phone was left at Ray's to charge because it was dead when we left, and I didn't have my phone to call my parents right away. Ray used her phone to call my parents when they were out shopping. Since my mom didn't recognize the number, she didn't answer. We called a 2nd time. She still didn't answer. Then I told Ray to just text her so that she knows to call back. Then she listened to the voicemail, told my Dad, they panicked and immediately called Ray back. At that point, the EMTs arrived and checked my blood pressure...extremely high. The top number was 180, and it should never really be over 140 in most cases. I don't remember the bottom number, but just knew that 180 was really high. Naturally, it would be high considering that I was in panic mode and just went through a lot of shock.
They asked me if I wanted to go to the ER by ambulance, but I wanted to stay with Ray until her parents arrived and could take us together. It's a good thing we weren't really dying, because the wait time in the ER before seeing us was just a little too long for the amount of pain we were both in. I had to get a chest xray and a CAT scan, plus blood work. Everything came back normal, aside from a minor fracture of my left rib and all my abdominal muscles being extremely sore. Everything came back normal for Ray as well, but has a severe bruise all across her lower abdomen near her pelvic area, and is having some back and neck problems. This was definitely a moment in my life where I saw my whole life flash before me. I am so glad we were wearing our seat belts.
It's already been one week since the accident. I thought about how the 16 year old girl who hit us was just as terrified as we were, and could have died from the flatbed truck in front of us if we wouldn't have been in front of her. She would have died from the flatbed truck, had she hit the truck instead of us. She was driving a small BMW, and the flatbed would have went directly through her windshield because her car was so low. I do think Ray's SUV protected us from that. We were sitting up high enough from the flatbed that it wasn't able to crash into our windshield. I definitely think God used us to help protect the girl while also protecting us. It's important to thank God more often, but also...PLEASE, ALWAYS wear a SEATBELT and DO NOT DRINK OR TEXT WHILE DRIVING!! Although the seatbelt itself caused some abdominal and rib injuries because of the sudden impact, it also still saved our lives, and it terrifies me to know that had we not been wearing it...I may not be here right now to write this.
Traveling home was not the best experience. My first flight was 10 minutes behind schedule, which was no big deal...until I noticed where it was really going to be a challenge making my next flight on time with no problems. My flight from Tampa to Charlotte was 10 minutes late taking off, landed at 5:20 at Gate B9. My flight from Charlotte to Harrisburg is at gate E13 and was supposed to start boarding at 5:23 and depart at 5:53. So I am running with a heavy backpack, still in pain, from one end of the airport to the way other side to make it on time...then get to the gate at 5:45 and find out they haven't even started boarding yet. I'm still sitting there. I then hear the announcement that there was going to be a delay, and we wouldn't be boarding until 6:10. Another announcement at 6:05, we are told that we will be moving to gate C10 because our plane needed maintenance, and would not be departing until 6:40. At 6:25, we get the announcement that an apology is necessary, as "our US Airways crew was not informed of your gate change, and was waiting for you to board at your original gate this whole time." Needless to say, I was just very frustrated, irritated, and sore and just wanted to get to my final destination. I finally arrive at Harrisburg International Airport at 8:15 and happy to see my parents and sister waiting for me.
Am I happy to be home? with my family, yes. Am I happy to be back in Pennsylvania, where it still does not feel like spring? Absolutely not. Does the car accident make me feel hesitant to ever go back to Florida? ABSOLUTELY NOT! I have every intention of going back. Next time may just be for a visit, or hopefully for my sake, permanently.
One more thing...
March 10th was my departure. I always arrive at the airport atleast an hour before my flight departure. It's always a good idea to check in online with your airline 24 hours prior to your flight, as this obviously saves time at the airport by checking in online, since you can access your boarding pass and pay for your luggage in advance. With US Airways, now part of American Airlines, your first checked back is $25, and $35 for a 2nd checked bag. You have the option of either printing your boarding pass, or having them e-mail it to you if you don't have access to a printer. The only thing you will then need to do when you arrive at the airport is get through security check point. Keep in mind that security check point can take some time depending on how many other travelers are in front of you, and how much they are sending through for security scanning. Allow enough time at the airport just for security check point, and if you wish to grab a bite to eat after security. Just some standard advice for those who don't travel much, or who have never traveled by plane and plan to in the near future.
My plane left Harrisburg International Airport on time at 3:21PM, and then I arrived at Charlotte Douglas International Airport at 5PM. My layover in Charlotte was very short, and I planned it that way. When I booked my flight, I had the option of having a 1 hour layover in Charlotte, one of the nicest east coast airports, or a 2 and 1/2 hour layover in Philadelphia...which I consider one of the WORST airports. I plan on writing a post about the best and worst east coast airports in the near future. Naturally, I chose Charlotte for a much shorter layover, and for being at a much better airport. My plane from Harrisburg arrived at a B gate in Charlotte, and I had to walk to gate C15 for my next flight. By the time I arrived at the gate they were already boarding, but I was in zone 4 for boarding, and they were at zone 2 when I arrived. No sweat! I didn't want a bunch of time left in Charlotte, considering I really just wanted to hurry and get to my final and FAVORITE destination. My flight from Charlotte to Tampa went extremely well, and my pilot was so awesome, he got us there 20 minutes early! We landed at 7:10 instead of 7:30.
Last friday, March 14th, my friend and I went to the mall because the flip flops I had for 5 years, finally fell apart while we were at Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks, and I wanted to buy the same ones. If you never heard of Reef, and don't own a pair of their flip flops, I highly recommend it. They are THE BEST flip flops you will ever wear! We only spent a few hours in the mall before heading back to my friends place. We had dinner plans with her parents, her sister who is also my friend, and her husband. Those plans were canceled that night. When on our way back, on highway 19, we were slowing down as we were approaching a red light. Around 3:40PM, a girl behind us, only 16 and new to the road, was trying to merge into the left lane. She obviously wasn't drunk, and she definitely wasn't texting. She was just looking over her shoulder a little too long, and at that point she went to look forward, ran into us at about 55 miles per hour, then pushed us into the flat bed tow truck in front of us.
You think about this, because even though there doesn't appear to be much of anything on the outside, doesn't mean there couldn't be internal bleeding somewhere on the inside. Considering the amount of abdominal pain I was in, I couldn't help but worry. All I could think about was my family back here in PA, and if I would ever get to see them again. Inconveniently, this was the day that my phone was left at Ray's to charge because it was dead when we left, and I didn't have my phone to call my parents right away. Ray used her phone to call my parents when they were out shopping. Since my mom didn't recognize the number, she didn't answer. We called a 2nd time. She still didn't answer. Then I told Ray to just text her so that she knows to call back. Then she listened to the voicemail, told my Dad, they panicked and immediately called Ray back. At that point, the EMTs arrived and checked my blood pressure...extremely high. The top number was 180, and it should never really be over 140 in most cases. I don't remember the bottom number, but just knew that 180 was really high. Naturally, it would be high considering that I was in panic mode and just went through a lot of shock.
They asked me if I wanted to go to the ER by ambulance, but I wanted to stay with Ray until her parents arrived and could take us together. It's a good thing we weren't really dying, because the wait time in the ER before seeing us was just a little too long for the amount of pain we were both in. I had to get a chest xray and a CAT scan, plus blood work. Everything came back normal, aside from a minor fracture of my left rib and all my abdominal muscles being extremely sore. Everything came back normal for Ray as well, but has a severe bruise all across her lower abdomen near her pelvic area, and is having some back and neck problems. This was definitely a moment in my life where I saw my whole life flash before me. I am so glad we were wearing our seat belts.
It's already been one week since the accident. I thought about how the 16 year old girl who hit us was just as terrified as we were, and could have died from the flatbed truck in front of us if we wouldn't have been in front of her. She would have died from the flatbed truck, had she hit the truck instead of us. She was driving a small BMW, and the flatbed would have went directly through her windshield because her car was so low. I do think Ray's SUV protected us from that. We were sitting up high enough from the flatbed that it wasn't able to crash into our windshield. I definitely think God used us to help protect the girl while also protecting us. It's important to thank God more often, but also...PLEASE, ALWAYS wear a SEATBELT and DO NOT DRINK OR TEXT WHILE DRIVING!! Although the seatbelt itself caused some abdominal and rib injuries because of the sudden impact, it also still saved our lives, and it terrifies me to know that had we not been wearing it...I may not be here right now to write this.
Traveling home was not the best experience. My first flight was 10 minutes behind schedule, which was no big deal...until I noticed where it was really going to be a challenge making my next flight on time with no problems. My flight from Tampa to Charlotte was 10 minutes late taking off, landed at 5:20 at Gate B9. My flight from Charlotte to Harrisburg is at gate E13 and was supposed to start boarding at 5:23 and depart at 5:53. So I am running with a heavy backpack, still in pain, from one end of the airport to the way other side to make it on time...then get to the gate at 5:45 and find out they haven't even started boarding yet. I'm still sitting there. I then hear the announcement that there was going to be a delay, and we wouldn't be boarding until 6:10. Another announcement at 6:05, we are told that we will be moving to gate C10 because our plane needed maintenance, and would not be departing until 6:40. At 6:25, we get the announcement that an apology is necessary, as "our US Airways crew was not informed of your gate change, and was waiting for you to board at your original gate this whole time." Needless to say, I was just very frustrated, irritated, and sore and just wanted to get to my final destination. I finally arrive at Harrisburg International Airport at 8:15 and happy to see my parents and sister waiting for me.
Am I happy to be home? with my family, yes. Am I happy to be back in Pennsylvania, where it still does not feel like spring? Absolutely not. Does the car accident make me feel hesitant to ever go back to Florida? ABSOLUTELY NOT! I have every intention of going back. Next time may just be for a visit, or hopefully for my sake, permanently.
One more thing...
Does anyone else have this problem?!
If you do, i'd love to know your name.
I guess I am just one of a kind ;)
I guess I am just one of a kind ;)
Original date published: 3/22/2014
I can only imagine the shock you’ve gone through, Misty. Just a simple collision is enough to shake one's system, what more if it was a more intense impact? Good thing nothing worse happened to you. And the people around you were all alert on attending your immediate needs. At the very least, you didn’t have to worry about internal injuries that could've resulted from it. Take care!
ReplyDeleteJerry Brady @ Lambert and Williams Law
Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry for all this! Praying for you! Please take care!m - Shell (acourageousbeauty.com)
ReplyDelete
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