So I was in a car accident last week...

[poet_x]

Seeing as how this is not about an NSX, I thought I'd put it here in the OT room. Anyway...

Now I have a rod in my right leg due to a severe fracture of both my tibia and fibula. This morning is the first time I have had the strength and pain management to get to my computer. It hurts like a bitch, and I'll be out of work for at least a month. Pain is not expected to go away for at least 4 months. At least I have Percoset. I'm also on Cumadin (blood thinner).

Here's what happened:

Last wednesday morning I was on my way to work. My boss let me take his demo Suzuki car home for the evening. I was about 5 miles from work, heading west, when I went through a green light. Just past the light a 75 year old woman in a Ford Taurus heading east turned right in front of me. I had no chance to avoid her. I slammed on my brakes and hit her at about 50 mph. Accoring to the police, she never saw me, and never even hit her brakes. In the police officer's words I "hit a 75 year old woman who shouldn't have a driver's license". The impact destroyed the front end of the Suzuki, but the car held up rather well. I was awake the whole time, and remember feeling my right foot, but knowing it was broke. I crawled out of the car, and was taken to the hospital. The woman suffored only minor abrasions (?sp). That night I underwent surgery to repair a severe fracture of both my tibia and my fibula in my lower right leg. I was in the hospital until Saturday afternoon, and I have be homebound since. I was given a brace, no cast, and told not to put any weight on the leg for 10-14 days. The pain comes and goes, and I have good and bad days. I have to piss in a jar thing from the hospital most of the time because it is too hard for me to get to the bathroom.

 

[NSX/MR2]

Women scared me lots of times when i am driving (heck, even some of my family members.) One tappped me a month ago on the right side of the car, then stated that she cut across three lanes of traffic vecause she didn't see me. Her insurance ended up paying for everything, but i will be without the car for a while.

With women and old drivers on the same road when I am driving, I always look at them to see the expression and focus points on their faces so I know when to make a move.

 

[matteni]

So sorry for you!!! I had your same injuries from a terrible soccer accident when I was in my 20's.

I did not have my leg pinned but decided to let it heal naturally. I was in a full leg cast for at least 6 months and learned:

- I was inflexible (couldn't put my own underwear on!)

- I needed to rely on others to help me (can't carry a plate of food on crutches)

- I had the wrong car (had to buy a beater with a bench front seat, put my friends in the back seat, and had my right leg across the bench)

- Drive through are your friend

- You will go through trash bags and tape like nobody's business (this is how you take a shower without getting your cast wet, or even go swimming but be careful cause the air in the bag will cause your leg to float and your head to sink!)

- You need to really work out the other leg! Believe it or not - muscle atrophy occurs less where you exercise the one leg. Your brain tells both sides of your body to build muscle

- Your leg will stink like hell but here is a trick. Take a hanger and stretch it (do not pull it apart but stretch it). Cover it with a long athletic sock inside out. This is a perfect scratching device and can be soaked in alcohol for modest dead skin cleaning

- Stairs are very scary, especially when you are drinking

- Your leg will shrink incredibly

- You will have scars and your muscle will grow kind of funny around the break

- When you get a 1/2 cast you wont be able to bend your knee due to the spurs that grow. Should you accidentally try to bend your knee it will hurt many times more then the break did.

- Percoset is awesome but don't get hooked and don't share with friends or they might get hooked

- Don't try to play basketball in a cast (don't ask)

- You will probably loose some sensitivity from the nerve damage

- You will probably have one foot pointing different then the other as the bone heals

- Most importantly, remember you will eventually be back to normal. It took me 2+ years to 100% recover and rebuild but now I run 7+ miles a day with no pain.

Take care of yourself

 

[ak]

Sorry to hear about your terrible accident! I hope you get well soon!!!

 

[Tony Montoya]

Sorry to hear about your leg being broken. That is not good.
Get well soon.

 

[PHOEN$X]

Sorry to hear, man. Get better soon!

 

[kenjiMR]

could you have avoided her if you had been driving the NSX?

 

[NeoNSX]

<B>poet_x</B> : You probably realize this, but you were fortunate it wasn't worse for both of you. If she had been severely hurt/killed it would have been a heavy burden for you (regardless of it being your fault or not). So glad it wasn't your right-hand that was broken... now u can still type on NSXprime.

<B>kenjiMR</B> : LOL... now that's putting it into perspective.


<B>SEXIST SUGGESTION FOR SAFER HIGHWAYS</B> : WOMEN use right-hand lanes... men use the left. Segregate them. rofl... j/k

 

[poet_x]

thanks all for your thoughts. here is a brief update:


I saw the surgeon last Friday, and I am healing much faster than usual (I show new bone growth 10 days after accident, when it usually doesn't show up for the first 4 weeks), and all things look good. I'll be on crutches for at least another 3 weeks, but I'm getting pretty good with them.

Now a few responses:

kenjiMR: I don't have the pleasure of owning an NSX at this time, I just enjoy the car and the community that this board brings. However I may have one later depending on what kind of windfall I get out of this.

Neo: if she had died, I would have been devistated, you are correct. I'm glad that, all things considered, we both "walked away" from this with the few injuries we have. And as far as i know, I took the worst of it.

matteni: I've had a cast before, so i know that struggle, but I was fitted with a brace and no cast this time. It allows me to maintain mobility in my foot & ankle, and keeping it clean is a fairly easy proceedure (plus I get sponge baths and very gentle showers from the wife when I want them-this is a great plus to being injured).


All in all, i expect to make a full recovery, and with whatever money I receive as a settlement, I intend to pay off some bills, take my wife on vacation, and, if $$ allows, pick up an NSX. I won't see that $$$ for 6-8 months though. It sucks being stuck inside my house, but there are some good things that have come out of this accident. I am eating better (i.e. more healthy) than I have in years, I see my family more, and it gives me time to catch up on some reading & writing I have been putting off.

 

[RP-Motorsports]

Hello neighbor I hope you heal well. You live in a beautiful area of the states!!! I will be vacationing there with my 91 black NSX next summer at least once!!!

 

[poet_x]

Hello neighbor I hope you heal well. You live in a beautiful area of the states!!! I will be vacationing there with my 91 black NSX next summer at least once!!!

let me know when. there are a couple good times to come (car shows, etc.)...

 

[ajnsx]

good health to you and speedy recovery . I wonder if you will have granny fear when you get back onto the road.

I remember after a 'P' plater (probationary driver) did a u turn directly in front of me, i slammed on the brakes (and managed one hand onto the horn at the same time, reflexes of a ninja) we ended about a centimetre apart. It was so close that during the seconds after we (my girlfriend and i) were waiting for the 'i just crashed' sound, which thankfully never came. For a month after i was jittery, everytime someone changed a lane

 

[poet_x]

I was really nervous on my ride home from the hospital, but I've gone out riding w/ my wife, and I just can't wait to get behind the wheel again...