Jerome and the Days After
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I'm not sure it's worth trying to be too philosophical about something like this - I've already played the 'scenarios game'. Could I have braked earlier? Could I have swerved more to avoid him? What if I had been there five seconds earlier? Five seconds later? There are no answers and it's not worth thinking about. But it's hard not to.
By way of a practical update, my body has progressively hurt more and more over the last two days and I have developed a huge and colorful bruise on my thigh worthy of such a fine crash. I suspect today will be as bad as it gets (it's always the third day, right?) and then it should start to feel better. I have been hunkered down at my uncle's house getting some R&R. I can't express how lucky I was to have him and my aunt Molly nearby. They have been my surrogate family and [near-death experience notwithstanding] I am thrilled this incident has served to bring us so close so quickly. They have pampered me with nice meals, a cozy guest bed and great conversation. Though I must admit I was a little hurt when my uncle destroyed me in an 18 hole putting competition. No matter how many times I told him that I had suffered massive mental and emotional trauma from the crash, he kept the hammer down and took skin after skin after skin. Heartless!
I am still waiting to hear from the insurance companies - "his" and mine. They are apparently working on the case and by Monday I hope they tell me what my options are. As beautiful as this place is and nice as it sounds right now, I can't stay with my uncle and aunt forever, so I should have a plan in place shortly.
Last night I got a text from Jerome. "This is Jerome, I was just checking to see how you're doing?" I wrote him back, saying I was fine but that I was embarrased for not knowing who he was. I didn't know any Jeromes. With his next text I quickly realized that he was the man in the minivan directly behind me when the accident happened. When I first stood up after the crash, he was already out of his car and running over to me. Jerome was a 40-something African American man with a white canvas Kangol cap and a beautiful family. He too was on a long trip (California to Ohio I think?) and as he approached me, he asked how I was and started to tell me what he saw, how it happened and how lucky everyone was to be alive. He also took a bunch of photos that he texted to me at the scene but I was not able to access on my old smashed phone (which incidentally was the first thing I replaced after leaving the accident). So he sent them again to me last night - I know it's morbid but I want to post his pictures as well. I think it's good to have all this in one place and it's cathartic for me to write about and process it all.
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| Jerome - a good man who helped me through a tough time |
A FEW PRACTICAL ITEMS
- Many of you have expressed concern for my poor Dad who I was talking to on the phone before, during and after the crash. Thankfully the phone worked the entire time and although he said I was silent for maybe 20 horrifying seconds after the crash, I was able to quickly assure him that I was ok. I felt bad he had to go through that but it sure could have been worse (e.g. last words from the pilot before going to down).
- Julie Mueller - the suit I was wearing was indeed an Aerostitch. Specifically the Roadcrafter Light One Piece Suit with the "optional" armor. I get how the suit saved my skin and major joints (knees, elbows, shoulder). But how I didn't have a shattered hipuloid or compound fracture of the spinal bone is still beyond me. (I'm guessing it's due to my huge upper body strength and massive pecs.)
- Tylenol has be replaced with Ibuprofen which has surprisingly helped with the pain quite a bit.
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