I have an important message to get out and I have been sitting on it for two weeks. I was scared to write to put this out there...I am worried the pictures are too graphic. My husband has had them all over Facebook though...I want to tell the story of wt happened the say our lives were saved.On July 5th, 2015 it was clear and dry and we were excited to be going home. We had a car full of fun things to do. We had some new plants and the kids had a new Wii. We were excited to get home to our dog Rusty Roo. He had been at the vet's office for boarding all weekend and the kids were ready to play with him. We stopped to grab a quick lunch on the way out of town...we had our food and our iced tea. We were ready to go...the Doug had plenty of gas and we listening to the tunes. We were just cruising along...the tolls came and went...as we pasted Wanamaker...haha....that's a funny name for a street...Nathan asked me if the tire felt low....I said no...the road was just really rough there. We crested the next hill and the road got smoother and the ride did not...worry crossed Nathan's face...he asked "are you sure? if this was my car..."
"I said no"...worry now in my voice too " you should pull over"
Nathan began to decelerate...I felt than he signaled...and I saw him change lanes...first one and then a loud pop..what was that...what was that...a slide the car (Doug) is sliding! We slid across the next lane Nathan corrected because the car was sideways...we hit the grass still facing westbound...I think, best we can tell from skid makes and where Doug landed. We slid though the grass for 15 feet and boom we were in the air. "Oh my GOD! Yes I said GOD, I said a dozen prayers in 12 seconds...then as if it was all ok I kind of relaxed. I pulled in my armed and we hit the ground...the side I was sitting on hit the ground and the window exploded on me. I picked glass out of my arm yesterday...still coming out of all of my body. It has been two weeks. The second and third roll were very quick only second between the two of them.
Nathan swearing the whole time. As soon as the Doug came to a rest the kids made some noise...the first sounds we heard from them. They made no sounds during the accident. Catie asked "what just happened" We had to ask Alex if he was Ok...he took a minute to respond. Both kids were asleep when were we had the accident...so they were taken by surprise by the whole event.
Catie unbuckled and helped Alex unbuckle and they scampered out of Catie's window. Catie stood outside the window crying for just a second then as if there were angels there were 4 men at least 2 women ushering the kids away from the car checking them over for injury calling for help.
Nathan asked if I was ok...I kept saying "I don't know."
There were people all around us telling us help was on the way and we were going to be ok. I was so dazed...Nathan just wanted to know if I was ok...and I couldn't get him an answer because I was hanging from the ceiling and I couldn't free myself.
As I was hanging from the ceiling I remember a few things. 1. Nathan told me over and over to not stick my feet through the window...apparently when you are hanging from the ceiling your feet tend to stick out the windshield. 2. My weight is a huge issue...lol...pun intended here. I am grossly overweight...I have been my whole life...no jokes. I know you and most of you know that I have always struggled with this. I am done with this...I will never ever have that issue again. I see my doctor on Thursday to see what I can do to make serious changes. I have already lost 4 pounds in the last 2 weeks. This is going to happen. My weight will never be a factor again in escaping a car accident again. Mind you I don't plan on doing this again. 3. Seat belts are awesome and I am so glad I am a hard ass about the kids wearing theirs.
So I had to do a push up and Nathan had to unbuckle me while we were trapped in the car...I was freaking out at this point...because the guy on the outside said there is no way to get you out. I said "oh yes there is...do it now" and turned to Nathan and told him to find me a way out.
The guy on the outside looked around a minute and he quickly figured out that the seat that I was formerly sitting in could be reclined and we could climb out the back window the kids climbed out of. I got about half way out and had to stop...it was so much work...it was such a little space. The people were helping me and Nathan was helping me. I had to stop and breath and I was hurting. I had my face in the dirt and glass...I so didn't care. I spent a few seconds crying and and then climbed the rest of the way out...
Nathan scrambled out behind me and laid on the ground until the paramedics arrived. That was only a minutes or two...they checked Nathan over and he got up and walked over to the kids. By this time I had told the people standing all around us that our son had Asperger's Syndrome and he needs to know that I am ok...because of course they were not letting me up from the ground. I could have been too injured internally to move so they kept me laying down. I couldn't see Alex or Catie. I needed both my kids to know that I was ok and I especially needed Alex to know I was going to be fine.
After a few minutes the paramedics asked me if I felt like sitting up and they finished their exam...I was able to sit. Then after 10 minutes and some digging and hunting for my shoes we got me to my feet. As I leaned against the vehicle and surveyed the damage...and it was extensive...we left our weekend along a 30 x 45 yard swath of I-70 exit real estate. I had a life flash before me kind of moment...my family was sitting together dirty beaten and dazed in a rather shabby pile of stuff and people collected our things around them. It was so surreal and sad. The funniest moment and there were many...so strange....I can laugh now...and we did in those God awful moment right after in happened. Nathan and I were so shaken. We laughed, we cried and we did all kinds of hysterical things that would make normal people look at us in horror I am sure. But nothing about this was normal. Anyway the funniest moment was when the paramedic asked me if "I would like to be transported in the ambulance?" "Um...let me see...we just rolled down a hill 3 1/2 times at least...and I spent several minutes with my feet sticking through the windshield...I then spent several minutes hanging from the seat belt and had to climb through the window...yeah maybe I should go with you to a hospital?!" "Can the family come to or should they get a cab?"
I made a very long climb up the hill...it is the edge of the Flint Hills...and it is rough ground. I was again examined. The rest of the family was loaded in...the sheriff collected a lot of our junk. We made a long slow ride to the local hospital in Topeka and spent the next 5 hours getting tested for internal injuries. I wish that they had cleaned the glass off of me at the hospital better...I might not be still removing as much from my skin as I am now. That is not anything I can do anything about though. It is old news and I am healing and so is everyone else.
We have hidden problems...Catie is complaining about not being able to sleep. I am not having that problem, but the thought of driving down I-70 gives me severe anxiety. So much that I don't want to do it alone...I am making plans this next week to drive a whole different route. My husband is unhappy about this...it will waste time...of the precious time!
Alexander and Nathan don't seem to be experiencing anything after the event. We are all doing our own thing.
That day is a weird memory and our life has changed. We were saved...we used common sense and put on our seat belts. They saved our lives...they were angel wings...I tell almost everyone I meet that seat belts save lives! I mean it...I had one guy say "they save money on tickets" I turned around looked straight at him and said "more important they save lives"...its true. We are required by law to wear them...time and again they have saved lives we are just four more winners.
Please make sure you buckle up...we never ever expected to have a roll over car accident. Nathan is a very save driver...I always knew that there was a chance that the Durango (Doug) could roll. It was a generation of SUVs that was of poor design...many rolled over and even the visor had a rollover warning. We never drove in way that would cause it behave that way though...the rear tire sheared off at highway speed making for a bad combination for us. We just were very blessed to be riding with angels and seatbelts...
here are the pictures if you want to see them...
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