The other day I was presented with some photos which I thought for sure were lost and never to be found. Funny thing is... this is something from my past that I do NOT remember, at least not the "accident." These are the details I'm aware of... perhaps Mom can fill in the gaps?
The pictures are dated June 1981, so I would have been almost 8 years old at the time. Apparently I was riding my bike where I was forbidden to do so, and obviously I was forbidden for good purpose -- DANGER! As the story goes, I had somewhat of a bike accident followed by an older gentleman scraping me up and taking me to the nearest house for identification. The young lady at the house informed, "I don't know who that is, but that is what J.J. was wearing in school today." So Mom came to my rescue and took me straight to the emergency room. This is where I begin to remember things.
I woke up to my Mom dabbing the wounds on my face, OUCH Ma!!! She asked me if I knew where I was and I did. I don't know how I knew because what came prior to that was a mystery to me. I was admitted. For exactly what, I do not know... maybe for observation? I spent several days in the hospital. They gave me orange flavored medicine. I wonder what it was for? I remember a baby sharing my room who cried at odd hours which was very annoying. If I wandered down the hall to use the rest room, the nurses chased after me. I wonder now if they thought I was going to escape or something??? Some doctor woke me in the middle of the night to take me to an exam room. Maybe it was for a physical? All I really recall is his checking my reflexes. Who was that? Dr Lobas maybe? I don't know.
The next memory I have is that my Dad made a special visit to me. I can remember seeing him out my window. If I remember correctly, he was dressed in army fatigues. Did he come home from the Reserves that day? He brought me a light blue Strawberry Shortcake nighty and I was very impressed. So impressed that I kept it for many years, even after I grew out of it.
My days in the Hospital were spent hugging my "Big Teddy," coloring in a special coloring book with a deer in it, (who gave me that?) and watching TV. I had my crayons and coloring book in the tray table, where I could open and look at my warped face in the mirror. Every so often the nurses would come in and put more ointment on my wounds. Apparently a plastic surgeon cared for me, which likely had a lot to do with the fact that I don't have any visible scars.
I guess that's all I really remember. My theory is that I may have been angry and left on my bike in a fury. I THINK I was on route to my best-friend, Chrissy's house, which was not far from where I was found. I have a friend who studied psychiatry and he said that I will go over and over it in my mind until I convince myself that I remember. Hmph.
Things I wish I knew....
1) Who scraped me up?
2) Why was I where I was?
3) Do I have any memory from times prior to this incident?
3) WHAT HAPPENED??? Did I hit a pot-hole? Did I get hit by a car? Did I just fall down? WHAT?!!!!
Interesting Facts Related To This Accident
- Due to the trauma, one of my front teeth was affected. The dentist tells me it was like having a natural root canal. For years that tooth was darker than the others and eventually I had it crowned.
- I did not ride a bike for about 15 years after this accident. Funny thing is that I fell off my horse a gazillion times and always got back on, but fell off my bike once and pretty much gave it up.
I've considered requesting my medical records from that hospital stay, just for informational purposes. They are not readily available anymore, but I could order them for a price.
So there you have it... I may have looked completely different if it weren't for this accident.
3 comments:
Actually, I can offer little to your history of this event.. other than making one correction..
The time frame was June.. but school had been out and you were on summer vacation for a week. Your Dad had gone to Virginia with the Army Reserves to do his summer camp obligation for the year. It was a 2 week program there.
When the neighbors found you, they took you to their house and then called me because the kids thought they recognized a shirt you were wearing- one you'd worn to school.
Foolishly, I put you in our car and drove you to the hospital without using my head. All I could think of was you'd had a concussion and needed to be in the ER. I should have called an ambulance and had you transported on a backboard. Who knew whether you'd had a cervical fracture or not? Well, hindsight is always so much clearer.
It looked like you'd had a pretty nasty spill on your bike. You were a bit incoherent- that was my first clue that you'd been unconscious for whatever period of time.
I don't know that looking at your medical record would be any clue. You'd find out the exact dates and the doctors who cared for you.
Yes, Dr Lobas was one.. neurologist. And Dr King- oral surgeon.. and Dr Gershenson- pedie with the TAG team. I believe they had Dr McCorry/or Cottington also.. and I can't remember who else.
Plastic surgeon?? I can't remember.
I remember talking to Dr Ashbaugh and he was the one who suggested I take these pictures when I did. He said you'd change daily with healing and that you'd never remember how badly you were banged up if I didn't. So I took them and held them for all these years. They disappeard for a long time. I had no idea where they had been, but stumbled over them recently and was glad to put them in your hands.
I'm thankful that there were no scars left on your beautiful face- and that you have beautiful teeth to go with it.
I can't answer the list of questions you have for I have no idea what happened that day except that it did.
I remember that they would not let me see you in the hospital, and that scared me a bit. I remember that they took you "big Teddy" and I thought that was scary too. Mom told me you might not know who I was. I knew it was a serious situation. I remember orange medicine that looked very crusty on your face. The pictures were in the brown photo album...I was always intrigued by those photos...such uncertainty.
I'm trying to think of some memory from before this time, but I can't. What should I remember?
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