Sep-Oct 2008
In September 2008 my left hand grip wasn’t strong enough to hold an ice cream box or large margarine tub to open it. I also had some dull pain in my left upper arm when I reached out and back, a motion often used at drive-up windows.
The doctor sent me to a physical therapist, and the treatments were beginning to help when my daughter and I were in an auto accident.
As we came up the hill toward the intersection I noticed that the light was red. As the car slowed, preparing to stop at the light, I saw a black pick-up truck, which had been stopped at the back of the line of traffic, begin to move into the left turn lane. The light turned green, and I felt the car begin to accelerate. The pick-up truck appeared to be slowing for a moment, but then sped up again. There was still plenty of time for him to stop before completing the turn, but instead of pulling straight into the intersection, he tried to make the turn in front of us.
Our car turned to try to avoid the accident. I felt the car slow and swerve to the left, and hoped we would be able to go behind the truck. The front passenger corner of my daughter’s car hit the rear passenger wheel well of the truck.
At first I didn’t hurt, and after someone helped me get the door open I was able to get out. My daughter’s door wasn’t damaged, but she had banged her head on something and her neck was hurting. She was able to move, and after a few minutes she got out of the car. Two of the employees at the Dairy Queen came over to help us until the ambulance arrived.
EMT’s put collars on both of us, and strapped us to back boards. My daughter was on the gurney but they walked me to the ambulance and strapped me to a board after I was inside. At the hospital we were x-rayed, examined, given lists of warning signs for problems, and sent home.
I asked my doctor about continuing the physical therapy, and he said I would probably be ok. I told the physical therapist about the accident, and she modified my course slightly, but we continued the therapy for my arm problem.
I had also been going to my chiropractor for treatment on the arm, but after the accident he changed his focus to the neck and upper back. About a week after the accident I began having pain in my neck and upper back. I also had occasional tingling pain down the back of my left arm and my elbows occasionally felt as if someone had rapped them. So I went to the doctor, and he decided to change the focus of my therapy to the neck. My physical therapist did an exit evaluation of my arm that documented that there had been some improvement, then began a routine to relieve the pinched nerve problems.
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