Bike vs truck

[Melalvai]

You've been through a huge trauma. Give yourself some extra care and time to heal. Be aware that you could have PTSD from this.

You are right about that. They let her come home yesterday afternoon. I went to the grocery store to get her more strawberries and chicken soup, for when she can keep food down again, and I was suddenly irrationally terrified of everyone I saw. Later my husband went out to pick up her prescription and when he got home he burst into tears. At night I have to wait until I've re-lived it over and over again before I fall asleep.

We decided not to run any more errands ourselves for a little while, but to accept everyone's offers of help and send them instead!

[Crankin]

What you're describing is acute stress disorder. It is differentiated from PTSD in that it lasts for less than a month.
Melavai, you and your family might want to see a therapist 1-2 times to help process the accident. If you don't and the symptoms continue, then it can become PTSD. Make sure you see someone experienced with trauma.
In the meantime, be kind to yourself. If you can, do some meditation or yoga.
PM me, if you want.

[zoom-zoom]

You are right about that. They let her come home yesterday afternoon. I went to the grocery store to get her more strawberries and chicken soup, for when she can keep food down again, and I was suddenly irrationally terrified of everyone I saw. Later my husband went out to pick up her prescription and when he got home he burst into tears. At night I have to wait until I've re-lived it over and over again before I fall asleep.

We decided not to run any more errands ourselves for a little while, but to accept everyone's offers of help and send them instead!

I'm sorry that you've been though this...but so thankful that everyone is OK. Be gentle with yourself. I think the recommendation to seek counseling as a family is a good one. Such a physical and emotional trauma. You will heal, but the wounds are still very fresh. I hope it is not long 'til riding is a relaxing, positive experience, again.

[redrhodie]

How are you both doing?

[girlsubobscura]

I'm glad to hear that she is ok and recovering. This really serves as a wakeup call to not let my daughter rely on me to scan the traffic.

[Melalvai]

How are you both doing?

Nell is doing really great. She was awake all day yesterday. Friends from school came to visit and she had a wonderful time. I let them stay 2 hours because she was doing so well. She ate better, and today her appetite is much closer to normal. It's so funny because she was SO hungry when we were on our bikes, and then never did get to eat for several days!

I think I am doing better. I went to the grocery store this morning by myself and I was only a little concerned that everyone in the store might run into me. I'm still cleaning & cooking like mad. It's the nesting instinct!

I've come in to my office for an hour or so today. I just want to look at what I had been doing, not try to do anything, so next time it won't be a complete stranger.

[spokewench]

How awful! I just saw this post. Though a skull fracture is serious, I'm really glad it was not worse. Hang in there and I hope your daughter, once she is recovered, will ride again.

[pfunk12]

Not sure how I missed this original post - given the subject line. I'm glad to hear that you are both doing much better.

[tulip]

When I get really hungry, I get really spacey and make mistakes. Just a thought for the future.

I'm glad your daughter is on the mend. Take care of yourself.

[OakLeaf]

When I get really hungry, I get really spacey and make mistakes. Just a thought for the future.

I'm glad your daughter is on the mend. Take care of yourself.

+1. Confusion and indecisiveness are the first things that happen to me when my blood sugar is low. It doesn't normally happen to me on the bici, but for sure I carry a gel or two with me on the moto.

[zoom-zoom]

When I get really hungry, I get really spacey and make mistakes. Just a thought for the future.

That's a really good point and something I need to be more mindful of while biking, too. When I am hungry and tired I get sorta tunnel-visioned and only can concentrate on getting home for a snack when I need to be thinking about my safety, not my belly. All the more reason to stash an energy bar in my seatbag for "emergencies."

[jessmarimba]

Completely agree. Hungry and tired is what made me wreck back in July. I'd lost my sports drink bottle on a drop on our first lap around the trail - the second lap was primarily to look for it! (never found it). Going on 4 hours with just water and a mini lara bar was not enough.

Hope Nell is recovering well and you're hanging tough yourself! I had a semi go around me like that once in a car - I'd turned my blinker on at the top of a hill, knowing he was behind me and he'd need time to slow down. Thank goodness I checked my mirror before I turned left at the bottom, b/c he was passing me instead. Caution gained after an experience like that is a lifelong lesson, but it took awhile for the paranoia to subside.

[Trekhawk]

YIKES
Sending wishes to your daughter for a speedy recovery.

[Biciclista]

hugs to your whole family. Sounds like your daughter is doing great

[Melalvai]

Thanks all, the latest round of well-wishes came at a great time for me as I just woke up from a bad dream (an actual dream, not the real nightmare) that left me feeling kind of low again.

Nell is doing great. We think she'll be in school later this week. We even thought maybe a half-day yesterday, but she (wisely) took a 3 hour nap instead. She's eager to be back with her friends and she is sure getting bored. She hasn't looked at her homework yet, and I've told her she has to do that before I let her go back to school, so that I know she can do something mentally fatiguing.

As she is getting better I'm more able to focus on myself and realize for the first time that I'm not actually fine. Yesterday the screaming in my head stopped at last! (For several days whenever I closed my eyes I endlessly replayed my own screaming.) I felt so calm and peaceful that I finally quit cleaning like a maniac and felt very lethargic. I even took a short nap at the same time she did.

I could tell I was feeling down in the evening so I did some yoga, and this is kind of weird: "Warrior II" reminded me of my left turn signal and suddenly I was replaying the entire thing again. It was so strong & vivid it left me with that bitter taste & nausea. So much for yoga!

I know I'm going to be ok, give myself time, these things will stop, and get back into a normal routine sooner than later--and get back on my bike too. My parents are coming up this weekend and I told my dad to bring his bike. We're going biking no matter how cold it is, just to get me back on my bike. I dread getting on my bike by myself, and forget about biking on the road where it happened (in front of our house), but I am really looking forward to going for a ride with my dad.