July 3, 2017 was one of the most traumatic days of my life. On this day I got into my first car accident, ever. This was actually just six weeks after I got my first car… Six weeks! Yes, I’m a very late bloomer for driving, don’t judge! My accident was BAD compared to some but MILD compared to others. I was asked… “if you were to get a million dollars for this, would it be worth it?” No. I can truly say that no amount of money would be worth the physical and emotional harm that I feel I endured from this accident.

It was even more overwhelming because my car got smashed and seriously within a second, I had a girl screaming and cursing to my face. Everyone wants to point fingers because no one wants to be at fault. I can understand that but I was no way in the wrong for this. I see why she was clearly distraught since she was involved in the accident too but I really don’t see how she came at me the way she did. This is not to bash the other girl involved but just to make a point that it’s not always the other person.

Thankfully I was in the car alone, and so was the girl that hit me. Neither of us encountered serious injury at the time of the accident so I am grateful for that. As the day went on, my body started to feel very stiff, especially my neck and back. My knees weren’t as much of a bother but there was still some pain there. My mom and I figured I was just a little shaken up from the accident. The next day being the Fourth of July (and my mom’s birthday – sorry mom), I didn’t want to go to the hospital, even with the pain still there and feeling a little more irritated. I went the following day and I was sent home within an hour after getting seen. Nothing came up fractured in the x-ray so I was sent on my way with a couple of medications. For the record, those didn’t do ANYTHING for me! After that it was a long, stressful process between seeing different doctors, going to physical therapy for about six months, and a chiropractor for about three.

Throughout this I learned I had suffered a herniated disc in both my neck and my back and my knees had taken some inflammation that lasted for some time. I think the scariest part of being told I have herniated discs is that they never truly heal… The pain can subside but that doesn’t mean it’s healed. My friend was also in a car accident years and years ago and she said ten years later she was jumping on a trampoline and it came back in full effect…

To this day, I still get shaken up when a car stops short on my side, or talking about the damage that herniated discs cause. I can say I use to get nervous whenever “What Ifs” by Kane Brown came on in the car but I think I’m getting past that at least. So maybe that’s progress? That was the song playing when I got in the accident, and go figure it was my FAV song at the time. This has been really hard for me to overcome. It’s hard to think about that day and relive it in my mind because I start to feel the pain in my neck and back again. I feel like it’s just my mind getting to me but who really knows?

I don’t feel comfortable to share this on social media. I don’t feel this is something I need to get likes or comments on. Plus since it was almost two years ago, I don’t need people jumping to conclusions that it just occurred. This is the damage my boy got, along with a little more.

It’s crazy to think one incident can change your whole week, or even your entire life. I can’t go for a run without feeling it in my back but especially my knees, I can’t lift things anywhere close to how I use to, I have to actually consider if I can do an activity or not. I have never had to deal with issues like this and now I have to probably consider them for the rest of my life.

As you read this blog, you might think “she’s being over dramatic, it wasn’t that bad”, and you know what? I don’t blame you but I know what I went through afterward and what I am still going through to this day. I won’t judge anyone on what they have experienced because I don’t want someone to do that to me.

Thanks for reading!

See ya,
Samm 🙂