Here's what happened...

Here's what happened...

I suppose I'll write about the accident, since I just spent some time in a meeting this morning talking about it. It's probably good for me to write it all out anyway. This post probably isn't for the faint of heart.

State weekend went pretty well. The marching band this year is the best I've ever worked with, and we were all excited about their chances at state. They performed so well and we were all proud of them. The band placed third overall and our drumline got second place. I was glad to get back on the bus and relax after the show because I was coming to the end of a long week. When we finally pulled out of the parking lot, we watched the video of the band's performance on the TVs in the bus. G popped in a movie after the videos were over and I settled in to take a long nap.

About 2 am, a semi jack-knifed ahead of our coach buses and blocked all lanes of traffic on the interstate. Thankfully, I don't remember the crash. It must have knocked me out pretty good. I have a faint memory, which may be real or may have been from a dream, of being confused and laying in my bus seat. My head was wet and cold and I was in a lot of pain. Raji was asking me what hurt, and I told him it was my leg. I don't remember it, but somehow Raji got me out of the bus and handed me down through the window to someone standing on the ground. The next thing I remember is laying on the road somewhere by the bus, while a man sat with me and kept talking to me. The pain was incredible and I was so cold. I kept asking where Raji was and if he was okay, because at the time I didn't remember him helping me off the bus. One of the chaperones went to find out for me and came back to tell me that he broke his nose but would be okay. The man who was talking to me asked a lot of questions about who I was and asked what hospital I wanted to go to. I remember him saying I would probably be taken somewhere in a helicopter, but I ended up going in an ambulance. I must have been one of the first to be taken to the hospital.

The ambulance ride was long and bumpy. Words can't describe how much pain I was in. The EMTs kept talking about traction and splints but I didn't really know what was going on. My leg hurt more when it was straightened out, and that's what the EMTs needed to do to put a splint on. I begged for painkillers and they gave me morphine, but I didn't feel any difference.

Coming in to the ER was comforting at first. There were so many people holding my hands and introducing themselves to me and telling me that I was going to be okay. Everything was happening so fast. The things I remember probably aren't in any particular order because it all seemed to happen at once. They kept talking about the cut I had on my head and all the blood I was losing. They asked if my head hurt and I said I didn't notice it - I couldn't feel anything beyond the pain in my thigh. They unwrapped a cloth that had been wrapped around my head and I saw a lot of blood. There was a lot of yelling from the nurses who were freaking out because they were having trouble finding veins to put IVs in. My veins apparently are always hard to find - I've heard that complaint from nurses - but they were saying they couldn't find my veins because my blood pressure was really low. I lost so much blood that I had to receive a transfusion. Then came the worst part - they started yanking on my foot over and over again. I screamed and begged for them to stop or sedate me first, but they kept doing it. My foot didn't hurt, it was my thigh - it spasmed painfully every time they did it. Again, words can't describe it. I found out later that my foot was dislocated and no blood was getting to it. Some of the skin on my foot died (gross, huh?). They couldn't sedate me because they weren't sure how bad my head injury was. Finally they stopped yanking on my foot and then x-rayed almost every part of my body. One of the doctors pointed out that my hand was badly bruised and swollen. He asked me about it and I said it didn't hurt at all. He had me grip his hand and decided that it must not be broken. I was really cold the entire time I was there, and couldn't stop shaking. They finally covered me with some warm blankets while they did the x-rays. I was really tired and they kept yelling at me to stay awake. I asked them to call my parents, and the ECPD chaplain wrote down my dad's number. I also asked him to call Raji and Ali. I kept asking what happened and if everyone was okay. The doctors and nurses kept me updated as they learned details. Someone told me two buses crashed into a semi. Someone else informed me that five people had died. At some point they put a breathing tube down my throat, and I kept gagging on it. I was strapped to the gurney and kept trying to tell them I was gagging, but I couldn't talk and I couldn't signal with my hands. Breathing tubes suck. Finally they told me they were going to put me under anesthesia so they could do surgery.

I woke up after surgery and they finally took the damn breathing tube out. I looked at the clock - 11:00. A nurse walked into my room, and I asked her to look up Dr. Heidel and call him to tell him I wouldn't be able to perform in the concert.

As a result of the crash, I broke my femur and fibula in my right leg. My right foot was dislocated but they were able to get it back into place and pin it. I had severe head lacerations but luckily I didn't suffer any brain damage. I had bruises all over, and bad upholstery burn over the left side of my face. I had a black eye and broke a blood vessel in my eye.

I am so lucky.

The crash could have been so much worse. Everyone on the bus was asleep. If we'd been awake, we'd have braced for the crash, causing more injuries to ourselves. Diesel fuel leaked everywhere but did not ignite.

We lost five people in the crash - something I'll write about more later. It still hasn't completely set in.