I was going to write a blog entry on Wednesday about my trip to Vina del Mar and how I loved seeing Jo, walking along the beach, eating ice cream and Pizza Hut, and dancing the night away, but as you all may or may not know, I got hit by a car on Wednesday night. I promise everyone that I am fine now, and in spite of getting dirtier every day (I haven’t been able to shower since Tuesday night UGH UGH UGH UGH UGH), I really do look and feel better all the time. The nurses are shocked when I practically hop out of bed when it is time to walk. It could have been so much worse, and I thank God for that. I mean, I didn’t even break any bones. How lame of a story is that? Not that I am wishing for it, but it just makes me smile. I’ve been off intravenous pain killers for the last 20 hours, and I have been doing fine, so hopefully after my final scanner sometime soon I will be able to leave. I’m ready to wear normal clothes and shower again. Seriously. My neurologist told me that I can’t drink, go out past 1 am (debatable, he only requested that I get 6 hours of sleep a night), or exercise more strenuously than walking for the next three to four weeks to prevent me from having a seizure. Stupid bleeding on the surface of my brain. I was very disappointed about everything at first since drinking chicha and pisco sours in the streets are some of the highlights of Fiestas Patrias (Independence day) which happens on next week, but my friend, Felipe promised me that we would have a separate Fiestas Patrias for me when I am allowed to party again. It made me happy.
Speaking of which, everyone has been really supportive through all of this. The directors of my program and my host mom are in and out everyday, and the director of Latin American CIEE is actually in town right now, so he has been visiting me as well. Really nice guy. Beyond that my best friend here, Max, has been chilling with me in the hospital for hours at a time since day one. Yesterday he was here for twelve hours. I owe him so much for all the support and help he has given me. Words really cannot describe. Plus, yesterday Nona, Tess, Katie, and Brita came to visit, and they brought me the sweetest care package, which definitely made me smile. I loved seeing them and having girl talk in English! And Felipe was here in the afternoon, which was great as well. Not to mention, all of the kind words I have gotten via facebook. However, I have been trying to keep visitors to a minimum since I look like a mess, and it can be sort of tiring. The other thing that is tiring, but very helpful, is speaking in Spanish all the time. I talk to my nurses, doctors, and program directors all in Spanish. The nice thing is that everyone I come into contact with tells me that my Spanish is really good. Who knew that being in the hospital could be such a confidence booster? Plus, watching TV all the time has exposed me to a lot of reggaeton music videos, so I have been expanding my music library for when I get a new iPod (wah wah getting destroyed by the car). Other than that, I am being checked by nurses a lot (though not so much now that I am no longer hooked up to anything or in intermediate care) and am trying to avoid having panic attacks when I get stuck with needles (it happens a fair amount, I currently have two IVs still in my arm, just in case). I get lots of nameless drugs, though I think they are all pain killers and stuff for my stomach, and I get fed quite well here on top of all the snacks my friends have been bringing me.
In case any of you haven’t heard the whole story of how I got hit, I will post it here. I still have the image of seeing the car coming at me burned in my mind, though like I said, it could have been much worse.
“I was running Wednesday, and towards the very end of my run I waited for the green walk light to cross the street, but I guess the cars must have only had a yield there because one hit me. The next thing I remember I was on the sidewalk bleeding and sobbing from the shock. There were droplets of blood all over the sidewalk and in my hands, and I could feel that my face was covered in blood plus my whole left side was in pain. Two women stopped to help me but they were mainly arguing amongst themselves about what to do. Then all of a sudden there was an older man there talking to them as well who was apparently the driver that hit me. A young guy, who appeared to be in his twenties, wandered over to me, and started talking directly to me. He started using kleenex to wipe the blood off my face and asking me where I lived. I was totally hysterical, but I managed to respond in Spanish. He decided that if I was okay to walk, we would walk to the car of the guy who hit me and from there we would stop at my apartment to alert my host mom (we were less than a block from my apartment when I got hit) then go to the hospital. I agreed to this since I had no clue what to do and he was so sweet and seemed to know what he was doing. So we got in the car (yeah,the guy who hit me drove me), and he drove slowly to my house with me sobbing and shaking hysterically the whole time and the young guy (named Cristobal) trying to calm me down and clean me off. He gave me the jacket of the driver and assisted me into the building. From there we met up with my host mom (who flipped out) and all of us went up to the apartment to call my program director. Cristobal made me sit inclined on the couch to slow the bleeding (turns out he studies Engineering), and he tried to continue to clean stuff off while I sobbed more. This is also when I noticed that my iPod was shattered. Finally we got ahold of my program director, Patricio and we all (the driver, mom, Cristobal, and I) headed off to the hospital. On the way to the hospital, Cristobal asked me for my number, and I got his. He kept trying to get me to smile. I also texted Max because I was flipping out and wanted to let a friend know what was going on. When my program director saw me his jaw dropped and he started talking really fast to get me in. He also talked to Max who called him to find out where I was. My host mom talked to Cristobal and found out that he lives in the building next to me and that he is 22 years old. Seriously, it was like something out of the movies. But he had to leave while I was in my room, so that was super sad (I still haven’t heard from him, but I plan to go to his apartment and leave him an expensive bottle of wine). Anyway, the nurses started cleaning me up while Patricio filled out my forms. They also stuck me with a bunch of needles, which made me even more hysterical. Then there were tests: first, X-rays. The technician was really nice to me, he told me I was really pretty and that I should ask out my hero and go out with him and his girlfriend sometime. Haha. Anyway, on the way back from that a little kid in a wheelchair saw me in my bed and gave me the peace sign. Awesome. Then I got some time to call my mom (who didn’t answer her cell), talk to Max (who had just arrived), and talk to Patricio (who had just finished giving a statement to the police). Then it was time for round two: scanners. This lady was not as nice but her assistant had a tongue ring, which I found hilarious. It was also a more difficult exam with more parts and more sitting still. I then returned to my room to give the police my statement. Turns out that because of my injuries they detained the guy over night at the station, and I will have to go in to talk to the police again in a couple of weeks. Anyway, then I finally headed in to get stitches for my head, which is the only place that I had deep cuts (my knee is badly scraped, and my hip and elbow are badly bruised, but nothing more serious). I kind of panicked at the idea of stitches, and the anithesia really hurt going in. I think my doctor kind of hated me, but he said that I had many little stitches so I won’t have a scar later. Finally upon my return to the room, my results were in and they told me that I would have to stay overnight since there was a small amount of bleeding on the surface of my brain, not serious but worth monitoring. Therefore, I called my mom to let her know what was up then headed to my new room with a nice bed and TV. By this point it was 2 am, I entered the hospital at 8 pm, and Max and Patricio finally headed home, and I attempted (though failed) to go to sleep.”
Anyway, like I said, I can’t wait to go home, shower, buy a new iPod, see my friends, bring a bottle of wine to Cristobal, and continue living my life. Jo gets in to Santiago on Monday, so I definitely plan to see her. It’ll be nice to be around someone who is basically like family. Thanks again to everyone for your support, and it means more to me than anything.
One more thing, Reese Witherspoon and I got hit by a car on the same day, both of us while running. I think it is a crazy coincidence. I am tempted to send her a letter, and tell her that I feel her pain. Though I guess, she is already back at home. Lucky.
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