Car accident!

Hi everyone! I know it's been awhile since my last post! Hope everyone is doing okay! Wish I could say I'm doing great but had alittle bump in the road. Monday I got into a really bad car accident! I was driving by myself coming home from work when the car in front of me stopped at a green light .. I was around 5 car length away from the car so I slowed down waiting to see what he was doing .. The light than had changed and he took his brake lights off so I assumed he was going to go through the light.. Well he didn't and stopped in the crosswalk... I tried to stop but it was raining out and I slid right into his car! I was beeping waving trying to tell him to get out of the way but I rear ended him. My car is completely totaled! Both airbags deployed .. I was trapped in the car.. The guy who was driving the second car got out checked for his damages and return in his car and waited for cops to come! Mind you he has no damage maybe a scratch!!! Thankgod for two girls in the car next to me got out and helped me out of the car and called ambulance! I'm okay just really bruised And sore! I was taken to the hospital where they did NOTHING not even my blood pressure told me I was fine and I could go home with Motrin! I was hit with the airbag to my chest.. I explained I had a pacemaker and they say it seemed to be fine and there was no need to call my heart doctor! I got home called my heart doctor and primary doctor! I have an appointment next Friday with heart doctor and already saw my primary and chiropractor.. They are going to do X-rays blood work and if heart doctor allows MRI! I'm just in complete shock at how some people are .. It's very sad that the driver never came to me and helped and that the Er did nothing!! I went back to work yesterday and I'm in pain my neck chest stomach everything hurts! My arms legs hands are all numb! I won't dare go to the Er if I'm not going get any help?? I'm lost and don't know what to do? This is my first accident in 7 years of driving! so of course Im still in shock but i just hope everything comes back normal! Sorry for such a long message!

4 Comments

Thank you guys for writing back!

by Stephanie3 - 2013-07-06 05:07:47

I understand and I know what I need to do . I need to start taking care of myself! I know I'm only hurting myself .. It was my first car accident in my 9 years of driving! It was raining and there was nothing I could do to stop myself from crashing! I had plenty of time to stop it was just the fact It was wet and the car was past the light stopped nearly past the intersection! If the car wasn't were it was I would've been just fine and not in this situation but I can't complain because I'm still alive! Just worried about the next situations I will have to overcome! My car insurance will cover everything I had already made sure of that! I was just wondering if it was "normal" for the Er to brush me off like that. I have been back and fourth to the doctors all week .. I have to go for X-rays and MRI if my heart doctor says the okay! Thank you again for taking the time to write back.

Depends on the ER

by donr - 2013-07-06 06:07:06

Face it - some are just better than others. I'd say I was pretty well watched over - EXCEPT for the cardio issues.

I'm still surprised that your Cardio did not et you in there the next day!

Don

I' surprised at...

by donr - 2013-07-06 08:07:51

...your cardio. When I was involved in an auto accident, admittedly much worse than yours, the ER did not even call a cardio to check me out - nor even a Medtronics Rep. I was coherent enough to keep telling anyone I met that I had a PM & was on Coumadin. I even asked the ER Doc who worked on me if he was a board certified ER Doc - he said he was. In my book, he should have known better. This was also a designated trauma hosp - cannot recall the level of certification, however, but they did have a neuro surgeon on call who came to see me & they had a neuro ICU facility.

My own cardio had a cow & welcomed me the day after I got out of the hosp to check me out.

He was concerned about several things:

1) My PM - was it still where it was supposed to be; were the leads still where they were supposed to be? Were the leads intact. Now the prima faci evidence was that all these items checked out good - I felt fine as far as the cardio aspects were concerned - but no one ever checked me out beyond the ER Doc listening to my heart w/ a stethescope & running an ECG - &* I cannot even recall the ECG part.

2) My heart - was it still where it was supposed to be; were it's moorings still intact? Believe it or not, under an accident like yours, the heart CAN rip loose from its moorings. It is really not that all well supported in the body. Mine was floating in a sac partially full of fluid, courtesy of the belt in the thorax that I received. Never a comment about that from the hosp.

3) Have you developed an aneurysm? Part of the suspension system includes all the big veins & arteries that connect to the top of the heart. A quick echo determined that I had a small aneurysm after the accident that I did not have prior. Fortunately it is stable.

Now my cardio NEVER told me exactly what he was looking for - just did the diagnostics. I learned the reasons while browsing my Daughter's library - she's an ER Doc & had a book on "Radiology & Thoracic Trauma," or some such title. I was shocked to learn what can happen to a heart under the inertial forces of an accident when the airbags deploy.

All the rest of Sparrow's advice is spot on. Heed it. W/ the week that has elapsed, all sorts of results that were NOT obvious immediately post accident could NOW be showing up.

IMNSHO, you got a crappy treatment by the ER.

Don

Stephany

by Bevof NC - 2013-07-06 11:07:10

U have already gotten the best advice from the best people. You must be so-o-o sore all over except where U R numb...I'm sorry you have had this rotten luck. Hang in there and take care of you. Physically and legally. Bev

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