Had a Wreck on Monday!

Dear August 2004 Friends, On my way home from the beach last weekend with some longtime friends, we had a freak accident on Hwy. 331, north of Luverne, Alabama. I was a front-seat passenger in my friend's Hyundai Santa Fe. When she tried to avoid being hit by a pickup truck coming over onto her in her lane, she applied the brakes and we slid right into the back of a parked 18-wheeler trailer, on the side of the road in the right of way. We were going 45 mph and came to an abrupt stop when we hit the back of the tractor trailer. My friend driving and the other friend in the back seat asked if I was OK, and I realized I was fine! The airbags had deployed and we managed to get out of the car, even though my door was partly jammed from the accident. After calling 911 and my husband on my cell phone, I turned around to survey the vehicle in all its glory, pinned under the back end of that trailer....and I realized what a miracle I had just been through! I have some bruised ribs, but no fractures. I attribute my spared life to the Grace of God, the invention of the seat belt & airbags & vehicle design, and several guardian angels at work! My weight loss and regular workouts have helped me get through the soreness and stiffness in a way that I may not have been able to less than six months ago! See a photo of me below, reminding my kids....and everyone else to ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT! Don't ever forget it! The photo is certainly not flattering of me, as I had been standing out in the drizzling rain for about two hours by then, but you can see that I've lost quite a bit of weight since my original photo was taken. In fact, I've received several calls at work from friends who saw this photo....and wanted to know first of all, how I was doing....and then how on earth I had lost all that weight? It's been a shock to a few who didn't know about my surgery! I'm fine and getting better every day. I feel euphoric most every hour of the day now. If you've ever taken a turn at "playing crash-test dummy," then you know what I'm talking about! My pouch seems to be doing fine. I have a terrible bruise all across the "upper" belly, above my waist. I think it's from the seat belt and/or airbag....but the soreness is in my upper rib cage on the left side, under my breast. That's definitely the seat belt. I called 911 and told them about my gastric bypass surgery and requested medical services be sent to the scene to just "check us out." With the blessings of my surgeon's office, I've been able to take Skelaxin and Aleve since the accident. Neither has irritated my pouch. I pray none of you have an accident, but know that I had a seriously hard impact on that pouch, and I walked away! We're tough stock, ladies and gentlemen! ~Laura See photos of my friend's wrecked vehicle below: [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v652/lauraj64/HyundaiJanuary31_2005_LauraSaysWEARYOURSEATBELT.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v652/lauraj64/HyundaiJanuary_31_2005_FrontView.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v652/lauraj64/HyundaiJanuary31_2005_PassengerSideAirbagsView.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v652/lauraj64/HyundaiJanuary31_2005_frontpassengerview.jpg[/IMG]

Wow! What a story! Thank G-d everyone was ok! I know what you mean about seatbelts! I always wear one, and people always think "oh, that annoying Becca has to show how safe she is!" But truly, the alternative is I could wind up like that car! If I wasn't crazy about it before I definetly am now! Thanx! And you do look amazing! Becca 389/312/170

Wow, how scarey, TG you're ok! Did the other vehicle (one coming into your lane) stop?

No, Cori, the pickup that actually caused the accident never stopped. I remember hearing my friend's voice above all the commotion saying, "He didn't stop! He's not here! He left...I can't believe he didn't even stop!!!" I heard her rant, but I was so discombobulated by all the commotion of the moment and the realization that I had just walked away from the face of death....I just let that slide away from my emotions. The pickup truck driver was either drunk and feared that we had died and was scared----or he just never knew what he had done and didn't hear the crash (although I am not sure how anyone could have NOT heard that loud crash!) My friend has been struggling emotionally with all of this. Not only did she lose her car, she almost lost her two best friends, and she feels so guilty----but it wasn't her fault. We've been in constant contact since Monday, and she's recovering from her bumps, scrapes, and scratches too. She's pretty sore also. Our friend in the backseat had a baby boy via Caesarian Section just 6 weeks earlier. She had been on full bed rest for 2 months prior to the birth, and this was her "last hurrah" before going back to work today (Thursday). We were even more thankful that she was alright and that her baby wasn't with us in the SUV. Always....I am thankful for small miracles, but the big ones.... ....well it just brings tears to my eyes to think about how blessed I am to still be alive! How can I complain about being a little sore....or even complain about cold and rainy weather....when I can just be up and walking around and telling everyone how much I love them. I told a friend today that if I had only lived another day to do anything, it would be to tell everyone to always remember and WEAR THEIR SEAT BELTS! It will be my cry to my last days. Thank you (and all who have responded to me) for your love and concern. I just didn't want anyone to slip up and not wear their seat belts for fear of doing any damage to their pouch! I'm a living testimony that your pouch will survive a horrific punch! ~Laura

sheesh, can't believe they didn't stop! Grrrrrrrrrrrr! I SO agree about seat belts. I had someone hit me several yrs ago and the pharmedics actually told me that my seatbelt saved me serious injury. I was only going about 30mph but the gal was trying to make a fast left hand turn out of parking lot so she gunned it, not seeing me driving by for some reason and rammed me right in my drivers side door!

Laura - I am thanking God that you and everyone else involved came out of this okay. Those pictures are amazing. Wow - what a thing to have gone through! Aimée