How a Car Accident Changed My Life
By: NayNay Butler
The year of 2017 was a year of major events in my life. In April, 2017, I made the extremely difficult decision to divorce my husband after 36 years of being together. I was living in Atlanta, Georgia, at the time. After my divorce was final in April, I decided to relocate to Seattle, Washington, to get a fresh start. It seemed to be a progressive city where my job prospects seemed plentiful. I felt this move was going to be the beginning of my independence. I began to plan my trip. I decided I wanted to arrive in Seattle on July 4th. Independence Day seemed like a perfect day to arrive in my new city to not only celebrate the nation’s independence, but my own as well. The day finally arrived for me to begin my journey. I packed my car up and set out to take this drive from Atlanta to Seattle alone. This was the first time I had ever taken a trip this long by myself. I always had my husband or family accompanying me on long trips. I was a little scared, but excited at the same time. I always wanted to drive cross country, I just never imagined it would be alone. I knew this was something I had to do to begin to learn to do things on my own.
My Journey Cross Country
I remember when I first got on the highway and thinking to myself, “girl what are you doing? This is just crazy. You can still turn around.” But there was another voice that said “you can do this.” I said a prayer and proceeded down the highway. I made the decision that I would only drive during the day and stay at hotels and rest at night. Being a woman driving alone, I didn’t want to risk my safety driving at night. I saw some of the most beautiful sights. Some of the most memorable states were:
Tennessee - The mountains were absolutely beautiful
Missouri (the Gateway Arch)
Iowa - Miles of farmland, but somehow the beauty was seeing nature at its finest. I lost my cell phone service driving through Iowa. Pretty scary, but I made it through.
South Dakota - One of my favorites. I stayed at a hotel a few miles from Mount Rushmore. This was a destination definitely on my bucket list. After I checked out of the hotel the next morning I drove to Mount Rushmore and it was truly amazing. I couldn’t take pictures because there was a long line of cars to park and I had to stick to my schedule. I wished I had someone with me that could have snapped pictures.
Wyoming - I never would have thought that Wyoming would be the most beautiful state I had ever driven through. I stopped on the highway at one point because the view was just breathtaking. It is now my favorite state.
Idaho - Beautiful picturesque scenery.
I arrived in Seattle on July 4th just as I had planned. I was so thankful that I made it safely and also so blessed to have been able to take in some of the most amazing sights along my journey. I did not regret one moment of that trip, and I recommend everyone should do it at least once in their lifetime. For me, it was so therapeutic. I listened to a lot of music on my way and it just gave me time to take in the beauty of America. My husband and I traveled to many destinations, but I had never been to most of these states I traveled through. It made me realize that there is so much to see right here in the USA.
My New Life In Seattle
After a couple of months in Seattle, I found a job and an apartment. I was so happy because I felt after taking that trip cross country, I felt like I was finally free to move forward with my life. I was no longer afraid of being alone. Everything was falling into place for me. I just knew that the sky was the limit for me. I lost so much in the divorce, financially and mentally, but now I had a second chance to start over. Life was wonderful for me.
On December 13, 2017, just a few months after I arrived in Seattle, I was on my way back to work from my lunch break. I had driven to a shopping center down the street from my job. I was waiting for the left turn arrow to change to make my left turn. The light finally changed and I proceeded to make my left turn. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a car barreling towards me on the driver's side. I was in the middle of the intersection so there wasn’t much I could do to get out of the way. I knew I was about to be hit by this car. I was like a deer in headlights. It is true what they say about seeing your life flash before you because at that moment I saw the speed of the car coming at me. The impact was so forceful my car spun around several times. I was so afraid I was going to hit other cars on the road or the cement poles on the road. After my car stopped spinning, I remember thinking “am I still alive? What just happened and how did this happen?” The woman that hit me had run the red light. My first reaction was to get out of the car, but my legs felt so heavy and they hurt so bad. So I just sat in my car and waited for help. The police, fire department and EMS soon arrived. The EMS did not immediately remove me, but they were in my car taking my vitals and talking to me. I was conscious, but it felt like a dream. Finally, one of the firefighters had a tool that he was using to pry my door open to get me out of the car. I thought, had I tried to open my car door and I couldn’t get out, I would have totally freaked out. I was placed in the ambulance and went to the hospital. I spent several hours in the emergency room. They never sent me for tests or anything. I kept telling them my head was hurting and my legs were hurting really bad. They finally sent me home with pain meds and muscle relaxers and told me if I got worse to come back. I was so dizzy and hurting all over. I just wanted to go home and lay down. I had to call an Uber to drive me home. I lived on the second floor, and I remember crawling up the stairs because I was in so much pain. My head just kept hurting and throbbing. Everything was hurting, but my head was the worst. By the next day, my head was so bad I had to return to the emergency room. They gave me a pain shot and told me to see a neurologist.
Meanwhile, the day after my accident, my boss said I could take one more day off of work, but I had to go back to work the following day. I had no idea how I was going to be able to return to work, and my biggest fear was driving again. I didn’t know what I was going to do. The following day I rented a car and I drove to work. I remember crying the whole time and being terrified of driving. I had no choice because I was alone now and I had no one to support me if I should lose my job. I returned to work and suffered through the pain everyday. My head was still hurting so I went to my doctor and was evaluated. I still could not stop crying. The tears were uncontrollable. My doctor sent me for numerous tests and said that I had suffered a concussion. He immediately sent me to a neurologist. The neurologist wanted to make sure I didn’t have a brain bleed so I was sent for an MRI for that. It turned out that I didn’t have a brain bleed, but I did suffer a concussion. The neurologist said the concussion should get better within six months. After six months I still had concussion symptoms and was told I had post-concussion syndrome. After the year, my neurologist said my migraines and memory loss would most likely be permanent. Over the next few months, I was experiencing severe pain in my right hip, knees, and neck. I saw an orthopedic doctor who treated me for an impingement in my right hip. He suspected it was caused by the seat belt buckle from the car accident. He said I should consider a hip replacement because the MRI showed bursitis and osteoarthritis in that hip as well. The doctor explained that hip replacements last approximately 10 years, and because of my age, I should try and wait as long as possible to have one done so I decided to wait to get the hip replacement and try physical therapy. I spent almost a year in physical therapy. Ultimately, my hip did not get much better and it is something I still deal with today. Another issue that arose from the car accident was Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, and anxiety attacks. I began to slip into depression because of the daily pain I had to endure. It got so bad that at one point I was suicidal because I couldn’t imagine living the rest of my life in this much pain. I had to start mental health therapy that continues to this day.
After several months of trying to work with all of my many injuries, my doctors got together and wrote a letter to my boss and asked him if he would agree to give me 6 weeks off to allow my body to heal from the accident. My boss refused and said “if you can’t do the job, I will get someone who can.” I ended up quitting my job and from the advice of my doctors, moved to Florida where the weather is more conducive for my healing than Seattle’s rainy and cold climate. I am now not able to work at all because of my chronic pain, depression and anxiety. The car accident has left me permanently disabled.
I would never have imagined that in the blink of an eye, my whole life could change so drastically. I am writing my story because I know there are so many other people out there that have had similar experiences, and I want them to know that they are not alone. I want them to know that chronic pain and all of the psychological effects of chronic pain can sometimes make you want to give up on life, but please don’t. Just know that you will have good days and bad days. When I am having a bad day I think about that cross country trip and all of the beauty there is still left for me to see. I realize that I could have died in that accident, but I didn’t, so I need to appreciate every blessing that God has bestowed upon me. There will be family and friends that have no idea how hard it is to live with chronic pain. They think because you look fine, that you’re not in pain. I try to make myself put one foot in front of the other everyday, even when it hurts so bad I want to cry. You just can’t give up. I keep going for my children and my grandchildren. I needed to write my story to try and give at least one person the will to endure the pain and make the best out of the life that we have. There is a reason God spared me in my accident, and I will spend the rest of my life not taking for granted all of the little things that mean so much to me now.
My Journey Cross Country
I remember when I first got on the highway and thinking to myself, “girl what are you doing? This is just crazy. You can still turn around.” But there was another voice that said “you can do this.” I said a prayer and proceeded down the highway. I made the decision that I would only drive during the day and stay at hotels and rest at night. Being a woman driving alone, I didn’t want to risk my safety driving at night. I saw some of the most beautiful sights. Some of the most memorable states were:
Tennessee - The mountains were absolutely beautiful
Missouri (the Gateway Arch)
Iowa - Miles of farmland, but somehow the beauty was seeing nature at its finest. I lost my cell phone service driving through Iowa. Pretty scary, but I made it through.
South Dakota - One of my favorites. I stayed at a hotel a few miles from Mount Rushmore. This was a destination definitely on my bucket list. After I checked out of the hotel the next morning I drove to Mount Rushmore and it was truly amazing. I couldn’t take pictures because there was a long line of cars to park and I had to stick to my schedule. I wished I had someone with me that could have snapped pictures.
Wyoming - I never would have thought that Wyoming would be the most beautiful state I had ever driven through. I stopped on the highway at one point because the view was just breathtaking. It is now my favorite state.
Idaho - Beautiful picturesque scenery.
I arrived in Seattle on July 4th just as I had planned. I was so thankful that I made it safely and also so blessed to have been able to take in some of the most amazing sights along my journey. I did not regret one moment of that trip, and I recommend everyone should do it at least once in their lifetime. For me, it was so therapeutic. I listened to a lot of music on my way and it just gave me time to take in the beauty of America. My husband and I traveled to many destinations, but I had never been to most of these states I traveled through. It made me realize that there is so much to see right here in the USA.
My New Life In Seattle
After a couple of months in Seattle, I found a job and an apartment. I was so happy because I felt after taking that trip cross country, I felt like I was finally free to move forward with my life. I was no longer afraid of being alone. Everything was falling into place for me. I just knew that the sky was the limit for me. I lost so much in the divorce, financially and mentally, but now I had a second chance to start over. Life was wonderful for me.
On December 13, 2017, just a few months after I arrived in Seattle, I was on my way back to work from my lunch break. I had driven to a shopping center down the street from my job. I was waiting for the left turn arrow to change to make my left turn. The light finally changed and I proceeded to make my left turn. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a car barreling towards me on the driver's side. I was in the middle of the intersection so there wasn’t much I could do to get out of the way. I knew I was about to be hit by this car. I was like a deer in headlights. It is true what they say about seeing your life flash before you because at that moment I saw the speed of the car coming at me. The impact was so forceful my car spun around several times. I was so afraid I was going to hit other cars on the road or the cement poles on the road. After my car stopped spinning, I remember thinking “am I still alive? What just happened and how did this happen?” The woman that hit me had run the red light. My first reaction was to get out of the car, but my legs felt so heavy and they hurt so bad. So I just sat in my car and waited for help. The police, fire department and EMS soon arrived. The EMS did not immediately remove me, but they were in my car taking my vitals and talking to me. I was conscious, but it felt like a dream. Finally, one of the firefighters had a tool that he was using to pry my door open to get me out of the car. I thought, had I tried to open my car door and I couldn’t get out, I would have totally freaked out. I was placed in the ambulance and went to the hospital. I spent several hours in the emergency room. They never sent me for tests or anything. I kept telling them my head was hurting and my legs were hurting really bad. They finally sent me home with pain meds and muscle relaxers and told me if I got worse to come back. I was so dizzy and hurting all over. I just wanted to go home and lay down. I had to call an Uber to drive me home. I lived on the second floor, and I remember crawling up the stairs because I was in so much pain. My head just kept hurting and throbbing. Everything was hurting, but my head was the worst. By the next day, my head was so bad I had to return to the emergency room. They gave me a pain shot and told me to see a neurologist.
Meanwhile, the day after my accident, my boss said I could take one more day off of work, but I had to go back to work the following day. I had no idea how I was going to be able to return to work, and my biggest fear was driving again. I didn’t know what I was going to do. The following day I rented a car and I drove to work. I remember crying the whole time and being terrified of driving. I had no choice because I was alone now and I had no one to support me if I should lose my job. I returned to work and suffered through the pain everyday. My head was still hurting so I went to my doctor and was evaluated. I still could not stop crying. The tears were uncontrollable. My doctor sent me for numerous tests and said that I had suffered a concussion. He immediately sent me to a neurologist. The neurologist wanted to make sure I didn’t have a brain bleed so I was sent for an MRI for that. It turned out that I didn’t have a brain bleed, but I did suffer a concussion. The neurologist said the concussion should get better within six months. After six months I still had concussion symptoms and was told I had post-concussion syndrome. After the year, my neurologist said my migraines and memory loss would most likely be permanent. Over the next few months, I was experiencing severe pain in my right hip, knees, and neck. I saw an orthopedic doctor who treated me for an impingement in my right hip. He suspected it was caused by the seat belt buckle from the car accident. He said I should consider a hip replacement because the MRI showed bursitis and osteoarthritis in that hip as well. The doctor explained that hip replacements last approximately 10 years, and because of my age, I should try and wait as long as possible to have one done so I decided to wait to get the hip replacement and try physical therapy. I spent almost a year in physical therapy. Ultimately, my hip did not get much better and it is something I still deal with today. Another issue that arose from the car accident was Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, and anxiety attacks. I began to slip into depression because of the daily pain I had to endure. It got so bad that at one point I was suicidal because I couldn’t imagine living the rest of my life in this much pain. I had to start mental health therapy that continues to this day.
After several months of trying to work with all of my many injuries, my doctors got together and wrote a letter to my boss and asked him if he would agree to give me 6 weeks off to allow my body to heal from the accident. My boss refused and said “if you can’t do the job, I will get someone who can.” I ended up quitting my job and from the advice of my doctors, moved to Florida where the weather is more conducive for my healing than Seattle’s rainy and cold climate. I am now not able to work at all because of my chronic pain, depression and anxiety. The car accident has left me permanently disabled.
I would never have imagined that in the blink of an eye, my whole life could change so drastically. I am writing my story because I know there are so many other people out there that have had similar experiences, and I want them to know that they are not alone. I want them to know that chronic pain and all of the psychological effects of chronic pain can sometimes make you want to give up on life, but please don’t. Just know that you will have good days and bad days. When I am having a bad day I think about that cross country trip and all of the beauty there is still left for me to see. I realize that I could have died in that accident, but I didn’t, so I need to appreciate every blessing that God has bestowed upon me. There will be family and friends that have no idea how hard it is to live with chronic pain. They think because you look fine, that you’re not in pain. I try to make myself put one foot in front of the other everyday, even when it hurts so bad I want to cry. You just can’t give up. I keep going for my children and my grandchildren. I needed to write my story to try and give at least one person the will to endure the pain and make the best out of the life that we have. There is a reason God spared me in my accident, and I will spend the rest of my life not taking for granted all of the little things that mean so much to me now.
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