Hit by car while running, one year later. (Read 1808 times)

The Hit

On Sunday, October 25, 2009 at 11:50 in the morning I was hit by a car while crossing a street. It was a heavy hit, the car was going about 35 mph and as the police report summarizes it:

The jogger was struck by Vehicle 1. The jogger was thrown into the windshield and then thrown upward into the air. The jogger came back down onto the windshield a second time and then rolled over the roof of Vehicle 1 landing in the middle of the southbound lane. Vehicle 1 came to a rest approximately 130 feet from the point of impact. The jogger came to rest 69 feet from point of impact. Vehicle 2 occupants exited their vehicle and immediately rendered first aid. Vehicle 3 pulled across the intersection and blocked all southbound traffic to protect the pedestrian.

My right foot was on the ground, mid-stride, when the car hit.  The impact of the bumper below my right knee blew the knee open and broke the tibia (upper shin bone).  The hit on the leg flipped me and rotated my upper body into the base of the windshield, and my left shoulder took the brunt of this second impact.  My shoulder went through the windshield to the steering wheel. My upper left arm was shattered as well as the scapula and collar bone.

The hit of my upper left side into the windshield rotated me so that my back was against the windshield -- I was basically spread eagle on the windshield. This snapped my head backward over the roof of car at the intersection of the car roof and windshield., fracturing a vertabrae in my neck (C7) and two in my lower back (lumbar).

The next thing that happened probably saved my life.  I was thrown forward and the car was still going fast enough to pass under me as I bounced off the roof.  Had I landed in front of the car, it would have run me over.

"Vehicle 2 occupants exited their vehicle and immediately rendered fist aid".  One simple sentence, in terse police tone. I have few memories of that day. I can see the feet of the police officer running up with a first aid kit in one hand, AED in the other. The agony is driving me to try and get up, off my arm. I can't breath [I'm choking on blood], I can't make sense of anything. (Have you ever woken in hotel room and not been able to figure out where you are?  Multiply that by 1,000) Through this there is a calm voice saying "stay down. You're hurt. Help is coming. Don't move, don't move, easy, easy".  This constant reassuring refrain was all I could hear in the chaos. This person was also working to stop the bleeding running down my face from choking me. To this day I don't know who these heros are.

"Vehicle 3 pulled across the intersection and blocked all southbound traffic to protect the pedestrian."  Another terse sentence. These people immediately drove forward, into traffic, across the road, and blocked traffic from driving into me lying in the road. A simple, quick action that made a tremendous difference in everyone's ability to assist me. To this day, I don't know who these heros are. [I remember this truck, a blue Ford pickup. 10 steps earlier I had passed behind it, before crossing the road.  These would some of the last steps of my previous life, before hit.]

If you've read this far, you're a glutton for unfocused writing.

[mta: Of course I don't remember any of the details of the hit, we know what happened from the witnesses, the damage to the car and my injuries, like the perfect circle scar on my left arm where the post of the windshield wiper skewered it]

A Year of Healing

Neck. Arm & shoulder. Legs.  In that order.  The neck controlled everything. No cast on the arm -- the neck can't take the weight. No brushing teeth, no combing hair, nothing that puts side pressure on the head. Sleep only on back. Never, ever, remove or loosen the neck brace.  It was a certain kind of hell, but as the feeling came back into my fingers I knew the vertabrae was healing and nerve impingment easing. 

Surgeries to the arm and shoulder left me with enough metal and screws that I don't even bother with the metal detector at the airport, telling the TSA to just pat me down. Anyone who has had shoulder problems knows the shoulder is a complex beast. I spent 6 months on 3x per week physical therapy on just the shoulder.  Stand up, put your hands on your hips -- easy, right ? Just move your arm outwards a bit.  I couldn't do that for months. Sit in your car with your hands resting in your lap...reach forward and flick the blinker...easy, right?  That was 4 months.

Work on the knee would have to wait until the shoulder was healed enough to handle crutches.

Even without knee surgery, as soon as I could get my wife to agree, I started short walks every now and then. I logged them and they are something else to look back on. 1/3 mile in 30 minutes, 1/2 mile in 40 minutes.  Followed by 6 - 8 hours sleeping to recover. 

Finally the neck and shoulder docs signed off on moving to crutches, with lots of caveats, so knee surgery could be scheduled. One big problem at this time was that if I turned my head to the right too quickly, I'd pass out. This didn't matter too much on the couch or in bed, but made everyone nervous if I was tottering around on crutches.

Building up to late Februrary, I set out to walk as much as I could. Trying for any form of aerobic health.  Then knee surgery in late February and more downtime.  The log is a picture of thousands of words:

Eplilog

I'd estimate that I'm maybe 70% healed overall. Still dealing with knee and ankle problems, pains and aches. Still lack feeling and dexterity in some fingers. The inside of my lower left leg, where the bumper hit, is numb and still bruised. As I sit typing this, I've got ice on knee and ankle.  The road rash was pretty bad, but most of the scars are fairly minor.  The heavy scarring on my elbows is a problem, as these crack all the time. The worst cut on my face took 18 stiches, but run right under my eyebrow so isn't that noticable.

My decision to share this story is to make one point.  You do not want a run to end like this. Treat traffic with more care than you think you need to and then double that. For some reason my brain did not process the car coming and I ran in front of the car.  It was my fault.  Why?  I'll never know.

I wish I could say that at some point I made some gritty proclaimation to Rocky music about coming back. Didn't happen. Stubborn happended.  My goal was to post this message having run 1,000 miles by Oct 25th 2010.  Made it 990 as of tonight.  I'll take that and sleep a satisfied man tonight.

Wow. Your comeback is amazing. I don't think I would have the guts to run again if I got hit by a car. Your story will make me think twice about some the places I run. Wow. Just wow. Thanks for sharing.

It's been fun watching your progress. You have really made such an amazing recovery. Thanks for sharing your story

This really helps to put my running "injuries" into perspective.    Your willpower is phenomenal.   To say well done seems inadequate..

Riding my bike in the city has taught me to always be alert.

Just looking at your log and mine; I am such a pussy! 

I ran the other 10 for you today.  And drank some milk.

It has been quite a year.

Thanks for taking the time to share your story.  As everyone else has already said so well, it's inspirational stuff, and a valuable reminder not to take any chances with traffic.  Good luck on your continued recovery.