The background music was chosen in memory of my father . . . who I almost met in heaven. After only having me for a few short years in his life, I wonder . . . would he still know me?
UNTIL . . . .
 |
The emotional side of this accident is still lingering. No longer is she happy to ride in the car, and usually has severe panic attacks if we travel over gravel or bumpy roads. She was plagued with horrendous nightmares; her body jumping and twitching so badly it woke us up, all the while she was whining and yelping. I am happy to report that at this time her nightmares seem to have subsided.
This is what is left of the inside. Liberty's seat was usually the front passenger seat . . . but that morning for some reason she chose not to sit there. She would never have survived . . . the semi-truck hit us so hard that it pushed the engine into the cab area on my right leg, and as you can see, embedded the right front hubcap right in the very seat where Liberty usually sits!!
Liberty was tossed all over the inside of that van like a little ragdoll. She sustained numerous cuts and bruises; and was covered in glass. Fortunately no bones were broken and no permanent damage was done. She was knocked unconcious causing her to suffer from a severe head injury; therefore, she was at risk of having seizures. They did have to pick the glass out of her with tweezers, and she could barely walk.
Before this accident, Liberty went everywhere I went and just loved to ride in the car no matter where we were going. Now, she trembles in fear and would rather not even be there. She also seems more terrified of anything and everything outside her home, which seems to be her safety zone. Never growling or snapping, she just sits and trembles so violently you can hear her muscles vibrate.
Her whole world was turned upside down. Everything she knew as normal was gone. Her routine of daily life was shattered and she was hurt. The worst part is that she didn't really know why. She was in pain, her van was gone, her mom was gone, and wasn't coming home(as far as she knew).
As for me, I spent 5 days in a coma fighting for my life. I also had a severe brain injury along with a fractured pelvis. After spending three weeks in the trauma unit (one week of it in intensive care), I was transferred to a hospital closer to home and began my journey to recovery in various types of therapy. The month after my accident is like a month of missing time from my life. Due to the severity of my head injury, I have no memory of that month.
At this time, I am on the road to recovery and slowly getting back to the normal way of life. Still not able to work full time, I am still continuing therapy. No longer do I have to walk with the aid of crutches or a cane.
We are heavily researching the usefulness of the dog harness in case something like this happens again. We also spend lots of time with Liberty, trying to make the car a positive experience again. By taking her to fast food restaurants to get 'puppy patties' (plain hamburgers), and to PetSmart to go shopping for a new toy!! I see some improvement, but it may be awhile before she gets back to really loving to ride in the car.
So please, I urge you. . . give some serious thought as to how your dog is riding in your car. I don't want this to happen to you or your dog.
Since there are so many pictures, the page may take a few minutes to fully load.
The months following my accident have been filled with therapy and recovery. They have not been an easy road to follow. Other than the physical injuries, I have also been dealing with the emotional ones of both Liberty and I. Happily I am able to report that she hasn't experienced nightmares for months and is no longer as terrified of sirens. Although she's not as terrified to ride in the car, she still prefers not to. I have lost my best car-riding buddy . . .
© 1998
