the day after the day after

today was better. so so much better. my range of motion in my neck has increased dramatically! i don't have to rely on peripheral vision just to look at someone when they're talking to me. and i slept so good and hard today. i guess i needed it. :)

i didn't take any meds today except some major ibuprofen first thing this morning. i wanted to see how bad off i really was and am surprised by how much better i really am already! i attribute it fully to God's response to the many prayers of my friends and family. aren't they awesome??

my neck and chest are still sore, and it makes swallowing feel 'heavy' and sore. i did still put ice on my knee-knots but even those have gone down and the bruise on my hip from my safety belt buckle is not hindering me from laying on that side.

the rest of me just feels like i worked out way too hard 2 days ago. which, well, i guess i DID!

we still don't know if my car is salvageable, but either way i'm not real concerned. i know God is going to protect us and care for us, even if things don't go "our way", so how can i even get a notion of gripe in with that truth wrapping itself around me?

and tonight one of our dear friends is bringing us subway. while it isn't at all necessary, it is blessedly and graciously accepted and makes me realize once again how much i have. friends wow me. and i know it is the love of God that propels them to do these seemingly simple things that amount to way more on my end than they could fully know.

as my body heals, i am quite overcome and overwhelmed with how much is in His hands and how much i don't want it in mine.

there is nothing monotonous about this chaos!

ok people, here's how it went down:

i was driving home from work with k2 in the car.. it was a little after 7pm i think and we were slowing down to a line of folks stopped at a light. there was a blue car behind us that i could see from the rear view mirror wasn't slowing down quickly enough. i had a feeling he was going to hit us. the oncoming traffic lane was empty so i took advantage of that and turned the wheels to the left and was going to head there to avoid getting hit, but he hit us anyway.

i didn't clear the car in front of us, but i did lessen the impact quite a bit. the front passenger side wheel on my car is crunched up underneath (along with some other fun problems my car took on for me - thank you, meg!!), and it had to get towed. we'll find out if it is fixable or not.

the blue car knocked us about 30-some odd feet forward in the empty lane so that we ended up in front of the car that was in front of us! and i think they got hit twice - by us and by the guy behind us. then they knocked the truck in front of them. four vehicles involved. crazy!

the car in front of us had a couple in the front seat. the lady was really crying and i asked if they were okay and just got a shell-shocked affirmative nod. they also had a kid in the back. they stayed in the car until the paramedics strapped them to boards and loaded them in the ambulance... all three of them! and the kid must've been pretty young because it looked like it was in an infant chair on the board. :(

the guy behind us eventually staggered out of his car and had his head down and his hand on his face or nose. not sure if he just had a headache or a bloody nose or a broken nose or what. he ended up getting strapped to a board and loaded into an ambulance, too.

the guy in the truck pulled over onto the side of the road and got out. k2 and i got out, too, but we couldn't move the car with the wheel all torn up and crunched. but at least we were out and okay.

very soon we had a police car, a police cruiser, 2 fire trucks and i think 2 ambulance on the scene. they responded very quickly to the guy in the truck's phone call. thank you community servants!!

i called jon as soon as it happened and he pretty much left work immediately. when he arrived he helped take care of where my car would be towed and some stuff which was relieving because by then i had felt a little woozy and i sat down on the curb. 2 of the paramedics helped me to jon's car, turned his a/c on for me and rolled up the windows and shut the doors. i almost teared up at their kindness and was so grateful they had come to our 'rescue'.

my neck was getting pretty stiff and the soreness was starting to travel down my neck/back. jon took k2 and me to his hospital where they checked us thoroughly for injuries. k2 is totally fine (praise the Lord!!).

me? i'm pretty sore/stiff in the neck. my knees have knots under them where my legs hit the underside of the dash like a little rag doll. they're gonna be pretty shades of purple in a few days i think. jon and i were joking about them being so big they looked like another knee. and i've got soreness in my chest from my shoulder harness. on my right hip is a purple bruise from the safety belt buckle. and even my jaws and arms are sore, i guess from tightening up.

but - all in all, i am in good condition and so very blessed to not have been taken to the hospital on a board!

i'm grateful for everyone who is praying for me and who has offered to help out in any way. i have some great friends and awesome coworkers and an amazing family. there have been moments where i am overwhelmed with relief for how things have played out. and other moments where my heart sinks at the thought of anyone else being hurt. and through it all, it is evident that God is in control and He holds the universe in His hand, and yet He still loves me. a God like that, loving a person like this. i don't deserve it. but i'll take it!

banana pudding

happy birfday dad.

i miss you. i love you. i cannot wait to see you again.