Side tracked in Albuquerque, NM

This is a post that is being written to both inform those interested in the details of the accident we had coming home, but also it's been written to help me to preserve details of the event in case they are needed later in time.
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On Saturday November 20, 2010 we spent the night in Santa Rosa, NM; the next morning we left around 7 AM in the morning to get on the road. Our plan was to drive to Grand Junction, CO and spend the night with our friends Marsha and Tim.

At approximately 8:30 AM Mountain time our plans had an abrupt change. We were in Albuquerque, NM on Hwy 40 west and we were a few miles from exiting to Hwy 25 North when our car was struck from behind. I was napping with my seat slightly reclined and William was on my lap; needless to say I awoke immediately and I think Hubby yelled 'We've been hit". Even he didn't see what had happened to us.

The initial impact was on the passenger rear of the car and we started skidding out of control. Although it took seconds, it seemed like minutes that we were helpless and skidding toward the concrete barrier in the middle of the highway. I know I was screaming and I sensed the dogs were scared.

We hit the barrier and skidded down the face of the barrier predominately on the driver's side of the car before coming to a stop. The skidding along the barrier removed most of the information from the metal license plate on the front of the car.My chest felt like it had taken the brunt of the impact and I had a little trouble breathing.

Hubby said 'Call 911' and I did and as I did people started coming over to the car to help.I wasn't able to give the 911 operator the location of our accident because I had been asleep. At this time Hubby is complaining of severe back pain. I handed the phone to one of the people who had come to assist us for them to give location information.

Hubby used my phone to call Amy to tell her what had happened and then he put my phone in his pocket.

It seemed like the police, ambulances and firetruck were there immediately. The asked hubby if he could get out of the car and he said 'No' because of his back pain. The ambulance personnel prepared him to have a head brace and be transported by ambulance.

I was able to get out of the car on my own and thank heavens had the presence of mind to pull out my camera. I knew that pictures I took could be very important in the future. I also made sure hubby's phone and my purse were recovered from the vehicle. The attending officer (Officer Curtis) gave me a slip of paper with his name, our case number and where the car would be towed.

I rode in the ambulance with hubby; it seemed like the hospital was very close to where we crashed because it didn't take much time to get there. In the ambulance I started to feel more pain in my neck region and was given a blanket to wrap around my neck to help brace it. We were transported to the University of New Mexico Hospital.

At the hospital I was put in a wheel chair and hubby and I were separated; hubby went to the trauma area and I was taken to the triage area.

The police officer who was at the scene came to check on me and I he helped me get hubby's phone to him and get my phone from him. This became our only way to get updates on each other; but our batteries were low so we had to turn the phone off as much as we could.

At admissions, a neck brace was put on my neck and I was transferred to a stretcher and put in the hallway of the triage area where I would spend the next 19 hours.

There were X-rays that were taken of my spine and neck area; those seemed to occur rather quickly in relation to my admission to the hospital. After they were taken you're told to wait until a room is free in the emergency/trauma area where you will be transported and will be able to be seen by a Dr.

I had a neck brace on and had to lie on my back for at least 6 hours; I was VERY uncomfortable and started to get very thirsty and a little hungry. I hadn't had much food or liquid that morning.

I kept changing the position of my legs and massaging my lower back, it was the only thing that helped. Then I realized I had to go to the bathroom. There was one nurse, Marty, who had been compassionate to my wait and discomfort and she asked some people to take me in another room to use a bedpan. They soon disappeared. I know it was at least an hour later when Marty asked if I had used the restroom and I was nearly in tears when I told her 'No' I hadn't. Marty found someone right away and I was taken to a room where I could use the bathroom.

Right after our accident, there was an accident involving multiple motorcycle riders; these patients started taking precedence over those of us waiting in the triage area. Keep in mind that the moon was full on the date of our accident.

Again Marty tried to help me by begging a Dr. to come see me in triage; according to her she had to promise her first born in order for the Dr. to see me.

When the Dr. came she told me that my X-rays were normal; however when she tried to take the neck brace I had on I was still tender around the neck so she told me to put it back on. She said she could raise my bed and she did, but as soon as my head was elevated, I started heaving, but there wasn't anything to throw up.

She ordered an IV for me with anti nausea medication and a percocet for pain. At this point I still had had no fluids so when Marty tried to insert the IV it failed. I asked her to if I could just try taking the pain med and drinking water on my own. Marty agreed and I was given water and the pill for pain. Shortly after that I started vomiting; however there wasn't much there. Later I switched to ice chips and they were wonderful; I tried to use them as slowly as I could.

Every time I heaved, or tried to move or breath deeply I had sharp pains in my chest; it wasn't a pretty site!

I can't remember how long it was before someone came to get me for a CT scan; apparently the Dr. who saw me ordered it. If she told me that's what she was going to do, I didn't hear her. I refused to go for the test because of the level of radiation given during the test. A CT scan radiates your body with 500 times the radiation as a chest X-ray.

The Dr. was concerned that with the pain and tenderness in my neck there should be further testing. If we had discussed it, I would have asked for an MRI.

The afternoon and the night seemed to drag on and on; the shift changed and my only advocate was gone. I tried to be patient but occasionally I would ask if a room had cleared for me, but alas it hadn't or 'is just about ready'.

Meanwhile, my hubby and I checked in with each other and when hubby sensed I was pretty miserable he called Amy and asked her to come be with us. When I talked to Amy I tried to assure her that everything would be fine, but I think she sensed we really needed her and I know she had to see us for herself.

Hubby was discharged at approximately 8 PM and came to see me in triage; it was so wonderful to be reunited and to know he is going to be okay. He didn't need an X-ray or anything but his experience wasn't much better than mine as far as the care he received.

At around 9 PM, Amy arrived but they wouldn't let her come see me in triage; she was not happy! However she and hubby were allowed to see me for a couple of minutes

It was decided that Amy and hubby would go set up camp at a motel for the night. After Amy got hubby settled she came back to the hospital; she was determined to see me.

By the time Amy came back there had been two people with seizure disorders that had been admitted and they were considered a higher priority than me. One of the seizure patients was from Romania and VERY talkative. I'm afraid I wasn't in the mood to be too social.

Amy wormed her way back to see me and we had a brief but meaningful visit. I could see the helplessness in her eyes; it was hard for both of us.

The other seizure patient that was beside me started to have a seizure and we yelled for the nurses to come. By this point I've probably been waiting the longest, however there were other patients who had waited several hours and some who had just given up and checked themselves out of the hospital.

I don't remember the time, but I was told I was fine, I could remove my neck brace and that I needed to give up my bed and sit in a wheelchair. Earlier I was asked if I wouldn't like to sit in a wheelchair and sit in the lobby; I had refused. Now it was clear they weren't taking no for an answer and they needed my bed. All of a sudden I'm cured; funny thing is, I didn't feel cured!

It was probably an hour or two from that point that I was told a bed was ready for me on the other side. It was like heaven for me on the other side! I figured I would have a long wait in my room since hubby had, but I had a wonderful nurse who was compassionate and kind. He got me another pain pill and for the first time in many hours I was able to relax a bit because it was quiet and sane in this room.

It didn't take long for an intern to come see me and take a history and do an exam. We discussed doing an MRI but she didn't feel it was necessary. It wasn't long after that that I saw another Dr.who had the authority to release me. Frankly at that point I was very comfy and just wanted to sleep in that nice room since I'd gotten almost no sleep in triage. But more than that I wanted to be with my family and I wanted to get my dogs back and I wanted to start piecing our lives back together. I was released at 6:02 AM; roughly 21.5 hours after being admitted.

Hubby and Amy and I left the hospital and went immediately for the dogs; it was a joyful reunion! William yelped when I tried to pick him up so our next stop was the vet's office where they were able to see the dogs right away and give them some pain meds too.

Amy helped us move everything out of the Prius into a rental car; amazingly everything appears to be fine.

It's now Tuesday afternoon the 23rd and an insurance claim has been filed and we are resting and watching the severe weather patterns. These factors will determine our next move; we're disappointed we won't be home for Thanksgiving with Corrie, but we sure are grateful to be here.