Mittens and Sunglasses

In July 2008 I was in a car accident. Today it feels like something that happened a long time ago, and in many ways it is. In July it will be 14 years ago. The accident happened on Sunday 6 July 2008. I think it’s one of those things that one think about from time to time.

A friend and I had been to a wedding, and were on our way home. It had been raining heavily, and on our way home we had to drive through several tunnels. Right outside of Drammen, we drove through a tunnel, and suddenly the car windows fogged up. We quickly rolled down the side windows, but all of a sudden we could feel the car spinning. Another car had somehow gotten into our lane, probably due to the same problem, and crashed into my friend’s car. I remember someone asking me if I was OK, and I answered “No!” Next thing I remember is waking up, laying on the ground inside the tunnel, with people standing around me. Right then in that moment, I thought I had a nightmare, and tried to wake up…

I was so scared, but there were people by my side comforting me. Strangers, how showed nothing but kindness. My friend was also there. It didn’t take to long, though, before the ambulance arrived and we were brought to the hospital.

At the hospital I was surrounded by staff who did a lot of tests, and I was brought to do a CT scan. I had to wait outside the CT scan room, as someone else needed it more urgently. With me was a medicine student who was very sweet and really helped me feel safe. When it was my turn, I got an IV inserted contrast agent. It was really unpleasant!

Fortunately, I had no serve physical injuries, but I was in a lot of pain. It was a big relief when I got to go home in the evening, and could sleep in my own bed.

Something I’ve thought about later, is the fact there was never an offer of psychological help after the accident. Never a question if I needed to talk to someone. Even though I’m fine today, that might not have been the case.

If there’s something I’ve learnt from this, it’s that life is precious. You never know what tomorrow brings, and you should never let an opportunity pass just because you’re scared of what you don’t know. The future is uncertain, take chances! Follow your dreams, don’t let your fear stop you.