And then there was silence

The morning started off like any other exam morning: 5am wake up, drag laptop to my bed, wait for my study buddies to arrive at 5:30am to cram for our latest and most important exam. A wonderful cup of tea. Frantically turning pages and pages in my notes to soak everything in.

Took the exam in under an hour. 83 questions on the reproductive system. There were so many that I had no idea what the answer was. Surprisingly, I didn't really care. Clicked answer after answer. Uncharacteristic of me, but I had a full day planned ahead. Had to hurry back to my apartment to start cramming for the anatomy practical and histology image exams at 1pm.

Tania and Katy came over to look at histo, X-rays, cross sections on my tv. Used every minute we could to stare at images and figure out nerve contributions and where the heck the arteries were going.

I hopped in Tania's car and we took off behind Katy to head to campus.

Neither of us saw the guy who slammed into the rear passenger side moments later.

I heard nothing. And then I heard deafening silence. My lumbar vertebrae ached.

Shit. Why does my back hurt? What happened? Tania. Is Tania okay? Who hit us? Why didn't they brake? His hands are shaking. I can move my toes but I'm scared to get out of the car. Katy. Did Katy see what happened? I can't reach her, but I think I'm waving.

Shane? There's Shane! He was right behind us. Tears are flowing down my face and I don't know what to do with my phone. My back hurts. My bones are aching. Shit. We have an exam. We have to get there. There's a cop coming. I've never been so happy to see a policeman before in my life.

No, I don't need an ambulance. My back hurts but I can move my legs and turn my head. I'm a medical student; shouldn't I know more about what to do in this situation?
Hey, the cop is a left handed person. I'm left handed. This guy is nice. I'm amazed that I have my driver's license. Why am I so confused? My dad isn't answering his phone. I have to call campus. They have to hold the exam for us. I don't know who to call.
Shane will take me. I'll explain to the professors that Tania and I were in a wreck and to wait for us. We're coming. We have to take it today. I have to write an essay after the exam.

I'm feeling scared still and I can't seem to stop randomly crying. Confused. Shane drops me off at the anatomy lab at 12:59pm. I run to the lab door and knock, realizing the shooting pain on my left side is shockingly sharp. Dr. Rosales answers and tells me I can't come in. They've already started. I explain to him what Brighton already did for me because I called her from the wreck even though I don't remember calling her.

I break down in tears because I am in more and more pain. It's crawling up my left side from below my ASIS to the bottom of my ribs. He says I can take the Histo practical with my normal group but I have to come back later for anatomy at 2:30. For some completely logical reason, I head to the 3rd floor to talk to my curriculum director because I don't know if I need to go to the ER or not. Why does this hurt so fast? That scares me.

I make my way to the elevator like any normal, competent, dry heaving, crying medic student would. There are no professors to be found. There is a mail guy present who seems alarmed that a woman would be crying, limping, and breathing so loudly. I desperately ask him to call Dr. Smith. Suddenly, another one of my professors appears behind me. Dr. Gwirtz! Please help me, I've been in a car wreck and now I'm in an increasing amount of pain. I think it's just muscular, but.. Please, yes, take me to see a doctor. Not the ER. My internist is in Beaumont. That's too far away. We wouldn't make it there before 5pm.

Dr. Gwirtz says she will drive me to the student health center. A woman waits with me while Dr. G gets the car. Are you sure you don't want to go to the PCC? Actually, I would rather go to the PCC... Now that I think about it. But I don't want to wait. We arrive at the health center. Dr. G waits with me until the nurse takes me back. So sweet. So grateful for her being there with me.

It really hurts to walk, to laugh, to breathe deeply, to lie down -- that's the worst. When the doctor palpates my abdomen, it hurts. laterally. There's a bruise forming and it's only been 45 minutes. She gives me a steroid shot in my buttock, two pain meds scripts. I realize I don't know how to get back to my car.

And I'm so tired. The Vicodin has set in.

It could have been so much worse. Thank the Lord it wasn't. Tania and I are both beaten up, but, in my medical student opinion, we'll be okay. Nothing a little R&R can't fix, right?

And Happy Texas Independence Day.