Road to Recovery
HAPPY ACCIVERSARY
One week ago, at the very moment I am writing this, the accident happened. I must say it has consumed a lot of my emotions and energy since then. But I wanted to document some of the great times and healing that has happened since.First, a few more practical matters to get out of the way. Yesterday, I found out that Brian, the man who hit me, did not fall asleep at the wheel as initially thought. It turns out that he had a heart attack. He was lucid when his truck came to rest and, confused, he had told the troopers that he had fallen asleep. But upon delivering him to the hospital after the crash, he apparently flatlined and was immediately put on life support - he has been on life support ever since. Today, I learned that he is likely not going to make it.
Knowing that he had a heart attack certainly changes my perspective quite a bit. My cousin Scott made an observation - and I agree with him - that we can't really fault Brian for being negligent. This was truly a terrible and unavoidable accident. And although he caused a lot of pain to a handful of people, at the end of the day he is clearly the one who has suffered the most and will likely end up paying more than any insurance policy could ever cover.
It took almost a full week but the insurance company has finally declared that the accident was Brian's fault and that I am entitled to 100% reimbursement for my losses. I feel lucky - for days my own insurance company indicated that I would likely get very little (if anything), reminding me ad nauseam that the minimum requirement for liability insurance in Arizona is only $10k which would never cover all the vehicles involved. Thankfully the policy is indeed large enough to cover all the damages so everyone affected should be made whole. Though it feels slightly inappropriate to even write that given the previous paragraph.
It was also determined, after an inspection yesterday, that my poor bike was indeed a total loss and that they would replace it along with all the protective gear, bike accessories, ripped and oil-soaked camping gear and smashed iPhone. I'll miss her - with her shiny black hair and soft body, er... I mean shiny black paint and comfy custom seat. They are also covering my plane ticket to the east coast tomorrow, as well as the x-rays I had taken today; my ribs and elbow have been extremely tender all week and I wanted to just confirm that it was just bruising and nothing more serious (which is wasn't).
LET'S MOVE ON, SHALL WE?
My stay here in Arizona is quickly winding down and although being here was due to terrible circumstances, I have really enjoyed spending time with my uncle Steve and aunt Molly. They gave me the time and space to lick my wounds, write my blogs, respond to emails, run errands with their car, and do all the things I needed to get physically and mentally healthy again. I want to thank them publicly for all they did for me - from the great meals to the movies to "fitting in" at Greasewood Flat to the conversation and great cheer, thank you thank you thank you.
I'll end with a few highlights from the past week. The next time you all hear from me, it will be from Portland, ME. If you ever find yourself in the area, please get in touch - lobster rolls are on me.
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| I took a morning to hike up Pinnacle Peak - a 3.5 mile out and back. There were beautiful views of the city below, as well some stunning cacti, flowers and rock formations. |
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| Thanks to my lovely friend Blair who took the time to meet for a hilarious little lunch. Sure you are now popping corks in Cabo with your awesome husband, but remember we'll always have... the Paradise Deli. Now get that Ferrari, throw that MaltballDoodle in the back with your man and can come meet us on the east coast! |
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| But first, let me take a selfie. |
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