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 July 25, 2007
I returned home after saying goodbye to my 4 year old daughter. She was off to Old Orchard Beach for a few days with her dad. I went back home where Kevin was waiting so that we could eat and head out to check out a new home gym for the newly finished basement. I craved some salmon so we decided that while we were heading out we would have dinner out that night. Of course the weather was great for riding, so we took our ‘06 Road Glide. It was humid, around 90 degrees and about 5:20 pm when we left home in Londonderry. The mall was only a 20 minute ride or so…not a long haul by any means. I wore a denim skort, sexy black halter and slip on heels…I was the passenger that night and I’ve got sweet floorboards, so why not? No helmets. Live free and ride.Before I stepped over and on, I prayed…as I always did…for safety. Not just for me but also for my daughter while on the vacation in Ocean Park. We had the music cranked enjoying the late day sun, heading north towards the mall. We hit a straight patch of the road and we were cruising along around 40 mph…the speed limit. We were in no rush. Then…it happened in slow motion.I looked to my right and saw the nose of a red Mustang jump out from a church parking lot. Kevin tried to swerve out left to avoid the impact, but any more and it would have been a head-on…not a viable option. The nose hit just in front of my right leg, and I remember my exact thoughts…” I can’t believe this is us…I can’t believe this is happening to us.” We’ve heard other people talk about “going down” but you can’t imagine it happening to you until you are there.
Later, I would learn that Kevin rode the bike on its side and his steel-toed boot over 100 ft. I was immediately launched over the hood, landed on the pavement, parallel to the ground. All I could think about was my daughter and protecting my noggin (arms and elbows came in very handy). What landed first, though, because I am a woman…was my left hip, which will explain a lot later on. I barrel-rolled for what was estimated at 70 feet or so. It seemed like forever and I remember thinking, “When am I going to finally stop?”, because it hurt and I was worried about getting run over by vehicles from either lane. And I stopped…right on the double yellow lines of Mammoth Road in Londonderry, NH. On the last roll, I rolled up to sitting position. I looked at my legs and arms…blood…lots of blood and it hurt to sit. I couldn’t move my legs. I felt the burning of the pavement steaming up. I looked to find where Kevin ended up and to check for moving cars. Across the road in the shoulder of the opposite side of Mammoth, I saw Kevin…and the Glide on its right side. I screamed, “We need an EMT NOW!”. Kevin had blood dripping in long, crooked lines down his face. I wanted to be with him as much as he wanted to be with me in that horrific moment. He couldn’t walk to me but I heard him tell bystanders to “take care of her…she is my world”. I’ll never forget the look on his face or the way he said those words. He tried to get up but couldn’t. Knowing he was alive was comforting. Someone came to me…a strong, dark man although I cannot remember his face well. He asked me if I was ok and what he could do. I asked him to sit behind me, back to back, because I couldn’t hold myself up. He did…thank you kind stranger. Then a nurse (how blessed/lucky am I?) came to side. Thank you, nurse anonymous. She was in her scrubs and I remember reading her nametag, but I have not been able to recall it since that moment. She checked my vitals and I asked for water as I as was so hot and I knew that I wouldn’t get it in the hospital until we knew what the verdict was. I thanked her, told her I was still in shock and that I needed her to help me…”I have a 4 year old daughter…she needs me to be alive. I have to be able to walk, run and swim with her…please help.” I asked her to talk about her children so I wouldn’t pass out…I was on the edge of unconsciousness. Then I could hear the fire engine and fire rescue. I knew once the 911 call came in it wouldn’t take long. We had just passed them less than a mile south of the accident. I also saw a woman, with very dark, straw-like hair walk over to me, cover her mouth and say to me, “Are you ok?” I didn’t respond. Perhaps because it was quite obvious that I was alive, but no “OK”. She was the driver of the Mustang.
The EMTs suspected possible back injury, as did I. I was terrified and the pain from the loss of skin on the hot pavement didn’t help. I told them, while I was still conscious, that I wanted no narcotics whatsoever and that I had my period. In case I ended up in surgery I wanted the nurses to know I had a tampon in that would need to be changed soon! And so…I took no morphine…no oxycontin…prescription strength ibuprofen only. As a health teacher I am all too aware of the dependence and addiction that can result. Who invented those “brillo pads” to clean out road rash, anyway?
Guess what? Not a single head injury and I cannot explain to you why or how. I was told that being in great shape played a very big part in how I took bouncing on the road that day. Maybe, maybe not. I do know that I had fractured my pelvis in two places (the hardest bone in the human body to break). That explained the inflammation and pain from my hips down. I had a wound in my left knee that took months to heal and multiple skin wounds elsewhere. I hate the words physical therapy and gauze. Kevin had some tissue damage to his right ankle, shoulder and thumb, which took surgery and physical therapy to correct. Thank Harley-Davidson for crash bars! He also had cuts and wound to his face. I know that he did great in lessening the impact and damage to us. I could not have handled any motorcycle the way he did. Thank you, Kevin and I love you.
The great news is we are alive. Immediately after I sold my Buell…swore I’d never get on again. However, we are riding again, but it took a year to do it. We are on an ’08 FLHX. The beautiful 2006 Road Glide was totaled…but WE weren’t. And the best part…
My daughter still has her mother and Kevin. She handled it all so well. Second best part…I didn’t break a fuckin’ nail in that 70 ft slam, bump and roll on Mammoth Road on July 25, 2007!
P.S. We’ve since got the home gym but I never did get my salmon that night! |
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