Sunday, November 10, 2013

I asked for change. My accident pt 1

After sitting here for 30 minutes thinking about starting this long overdue blog post, I realized that what happened in the past month was something I wanted in a very indirect way. A while back I was getting sick of the monotony of it all and wished there will be change. My life changed. Both for better and for worst, surprisingly. Before I get to the subject matter, I skipped October because there really isn't much worth blogging about. There is progress in gym but hardly noticeable. I guess I have hit a plateau in appearance for now. But thanks to the change in my life recently, the December schedule is impossible now. I wanted to give myself a birthday present by achieving something at the gym. Sounds lame but hey it is something.

The good change is actually me landing a new job at hopefully a better place with better pay. Yes, after more than 2 years of reading about how I hated my job, maybe I will be able to love my new job. No guarantees though. Maybe there will be different problems. My boss was not surprised though. And I pity my colleague who needs to pick up after me. Not that my work is horrible but there is so much to follow up. I am proud to say I did a lot of stuff but so did my colleague. Now her responsibilities more than doubled-up. Regarding my new job, I am still involved in online development but at a different area. This time it is focused on cloud computing. For the tech-savvy, I will be working on Software as a Service products. I will be starting on November 11 so it is both exciting and nerve-wracking. How will things turn out?

As for the bad, I was involved in a motorcycle accident. No broken bones but I will get to that later. What I want to do now is basically chronicle the entire incident for my personal reference. This is not something I want to forget. It was Tuesday, 22 October 2013. I just handed in my resignation letter less than a week ago but I will be leaving on the 31st so my focus is on preparing documentation for some stuff that I did and am currently doing. Anyway I wasn't early nor late on the day and traffic was okay. As I cruise along, a line of cars appeared waiting for the traffic light further down the road so I kept to the left. The cars can cut out the right side but usually people cut in instead. I thought I was safe. I was wrong. There is no left turning except for one near the petrol station. People might use it as a detour to the front of the line. Thinking it was just any other day, I paid no heed as I approached the turning while maintaining a steady speed forward. Then a taxi turned and hit me.

Last thing I remembered was struggling to maintain balance then grimacing for the fall. I had no idea what happened next. I opened my eyes to see blood everywhere as I tried to make sense of my surroundings. I tried to search for my bag as I carried my personal laptop on that day. The pain has not set in yet. Still in a daze I could hear a lot of noise as people from a constructions side nearby approached to help. Then someone tapped me on the shoulder to my surprise. It was an auntie who was behind the taxi earlier and she told me the taxi ran away. I do not remember much but somehow I ended up asking her to take me to a nearby clinic for help. They said I have to go to the hospital but at that moment I could only think of the clinic near my office. My thoughts empty as I got into her car while trying very hard not to stain it with blood.

Thankfully I was able to direct her to the clinic without incident though once I started thinking again, I was terrified at the extent of my injuries. She stopped her car as she rushed to the clinic on second floor while I wait. It was a horrible feeling. Thankfully the adrenaline kept me awake and the pain minimal. Once she returned, she helped me into the lift. Luckily nobody else was around. As I was escorted into the treatment room the doctor started to analyze my wounds and the nurses got to work cleaning up to the best of the capabilities. The pain sets in and I start to feel dizzy and nauseous. It is here. This is not my first accident so I know the symptoms of adrenaline pullback all too well. As I grit my teeth and endured the pain while trying to do what the doctor says, one of the nurse mentioned 'Doctor, there is so much blood'.

They cut skin and dabbed antiseptic. The pain numbed everything. The doctor gestured to the nurse for painkillers and to take good care of my palms knowing that it is central to all hand movement and vital for recovery. The nurse asked if I had my breakfast yet and I promptly said no. At that moment I am basically begging for painkillers or alcohol solution. The pain is beyond numbness. I wanted everything to just go away. It was beyond my mental capacity. Breakfast is the least of my concern. But in a deep corner of my brain I thought, I would be eating breakfast on my table as usual, if only. It stops there. Nothing can change the fact I am lying here with pain coursing through my entire body, cursing everything I know.

Once the first aid is done, I was escorted out of the treatment room. Still in a daze as to what happened I sat at the waiting area. Instead of wasting time complaining I contacted my colleagues for help. I thank the lady, got her number and told her my colleague is on his way. She wished me well and she left me there. I can't possibly ask her to stay with me. But I felt something weird. Eyes. Everyone there is staring at me. Looking. I felt horrible. I cannot hide. I cannot do anything. Time passed slowly as I waited for my colleague. They were whispering. I felt very uncomfortable. However, little did I know that this is the beginning of my nightmare. When someone I recognize came through the front door, I felt relieved. Finally. To say that he was shocked at my condition is an understatement.

That's it for part 1. It's already quite long. I will continue tomorrow hopefully.

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