September 19th will be mine & Kevin's 3rd birthday. On 9/19/04 (a beautiful, sunny, Sunday afternoon @ 1pm) Kevin & I were in a head-on collision with another car on the 15 Fwy - he was driving the wrong way up the freeway and hit us head on at 75 mph. The odds of us surviving an impact of that magnitude were about 2% and thankfully Kevin & I were that 2%. Unfortunately, the man who hit us was airlifted out but passed away in surgery a couple hours later. They speculate that he might have had a heart attack or stroke and that is why he started driving north in the southbound lanes, but unfortunately the injuries he sustained in the accident made it impossible to know for sure. Kevin & I can thank the awesome engineering at Lexus (crumple zones!) and our seatbelts and airbags for saving our lives. One of the firefighters who cut me out told me that after seeing how well we fared he was going to buy a Lexus for his wife and new baby.
Kevin actually walked away from the car accident (he was driving at the time) and only had a broken bone in his right hand from where it went through the dash while he gripped the steering wheel. I had to be cut out and pulled through the back passenger window. They initially thought I broke my neck (thankfully not!) because I had no feeling in my lower right leg, but it turns out that I actually broke almost every bone, tore almost every ligament & tendon and crushed all the cartilage in my right foot & ankle. I also broke several ribs and separtated my sternum, but somehow managed not to rupture my spleen or sustain any disfiguring injuries. I was on disability for 2 months (pretty much flat on my back), used a cane for almost 9 months and underwent 2 years of physical therapy, but now my right ankle is at about 80%. I just won't be ice skating or skiing anytime soon - good thing I live in So Cal! :-) My physical therapist joked with me that my obsession with shoes (he used to say pride/vanity was my deadly sin of choice) probably got me walking properly sooner than anything else. As soon as I was off the cane I was back in stilettos!
For a long time after the accident I kept asking why this would happen to me when I was basically a good person. I now know why - at the time Kevin & I were broken up but were trying to be friends (hence the Sunday golf afternoon). After the accident, I was unable to care of myself - I couldn't even roll over in bed or walk to the bathroom - but Kevin moved into my house and took care of me even though we were only 'friends'. He carried me to the bathroom (no easy feat in and of itself), washed my hair, cooked for me, cleaned for me etc...... I realized then that he was devoted to me and that he truly loved me, and it was then that I realized what love really is. I also learned that life is short and 14 hour work days are not worth it (at the time I was a raging workaholic), and that I needed to consider a calming hobby (hence scrapbooking). I also know now that even though something might seem like the most horrific thing in the world at the time ultimately it will probably be one of the best things that could ever happen to you. God has an ultimate plan that we know nothing about & I have some pretty sharp guardian angels! :-) For our 1 yr birthday we went to Maui and got engaged. At 2yrs we went to Maui and got married, and now 3yrs later I can truly say I am the happiest I have ever been. I'm also hoping that now I can finally scrapbook this experience since I have been unable to till (hopefully) now.
I also know that Jimmy Choos were motivation enough to get me walking again! :-)
& EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE SURE TO WEAR THEIR SEATBELTS (mine helped save my life)!
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