28 Dec 2020: 1 Year Since

 Today, 27 Dec 2020, I drove again. Since 28 Dec 2019 was the last time I drove. That morning, I woke up with a slight nausea, and drove to our breakfast cafe and there was where it turned into to massive vomiting experience for me. We had to head to a local medical centre, where I was told I had food poisoning, given anti-nausea medication and told not to drive. Since we had our accommodation booked up north, we decided the only way was to have my FIL drive.

As I sat in the right backseat, I felt like vomiting again due to the intense curvy nature of the mountain roads. I decided that I would just be buckled around my waist as the chest part of the seatbelt was making me want to vomit more. I closed my eyes, focused intensely on trying not to vomit. As the drive continue, I drifted in and out of 'nap', although I did feel the car was getting more and more wobbly, maybe due to strong mountain curves - I thought.

About 45min or 1 hour-ish into the drive, the car went through a suddenly strong bump that sent me off the sit, but tied down where my seat belt was. The next 2 impacts were even stronger, lifting me off upwards, then down and up and forward hard (which I felt my spine crack) and down again. And the next impact through us upside down, where I was pulled down strong against my belly - this was where the car flipped to its side. 

We came to an abrupt halt, and I was left hanging in the 'air', secured around the waist by the seat belt. Intense pain shot through me, and I had to push on the release seat belt button, to drop down on to the broken glass window on the left. BOM, thud. I was down, in pain.

First worry was for my FIL. I started shouting, "Baba, are you ok? Baba, are you ok??"

His reply in Mandarin, "Yes, aiya, why this happen?"

I started calling out for my SIL, and my FIL said, 'She's unconscious."

Worried about them, yet concerned about my extreme pain and broken spine, I knew I had to exit the car ASAP. I couldn't stand up, as my spine was broken. But I felt a slight sensation down my leg, which was slowly losing it's feeling. The only way out was the broken window at the bottom, which happened to be located where there was a slight dent in the ground. As I used all my arm and upper body strength, I dragged the bottom half of my body down and through the broken window, calling out to my SIL to regain consciousness, while hoping and praying that the car won't collapse and crush me.

While I managed to successfully extricate myself from the vehicle, my SIL woke up. I called out to her to quickly exit the car. Thankful for her pole dancing skills, she managed to lift herself upwards and exited through my FIL's side window, which allowed my FIL to unbuckle and stand on her window.

My SIL managed to get reception, and call hubby. Hubby was already concerned as we weren't following behind. He got the call and location, and quickly returned to where we were, leaving MIL and bubba in the car. He found us and he quickly googled the ambo number, and called the ambulance. I had been calling out for the ambulance to be called now. "Shannon is very serious, call the ambulance." My SIL told hubby. 

Thankful to God, passerbys (who were halted by the roadside by MIL) came, and managed to help hubby tell the emergency services where we were. A few strong men also managed to help lift my FIL up the top window. At this point I could only hear the commotion around me, while realising my legs were already numb. Hubby was beside me, and another lady came to me. They tried to give me water to wet my lips. I kept calling ambulance, ambulance, get the helicopter ambulance. I was told they are on the way. 

I thought I was going to die. Call on the name of the Lord - Jesus. I started to say Jesus. Hubby said yes, Jesus.

The lady asked, "Are you Christians?"
Hubby said, "Yes."
She said, "We are also Christians, can we pray for you?"
Yes. Of course. And she prayed for us and immediately I felt the presence of God amidst my uncertainty.

It felt like forever and I heard the sirens. Yes, help was coming. 

"Is it the ambulance?" I shouted.
"No, it's the police." Someone replied. Disappointment, yet hopeful, shot through me. I need the ambulance.

The police came, and resassured me the ambulance was on its way.

I heard the sirens again. No... it's the firemen. Not the ambulance.

It felt like forever, the ambulance finally arrived. And it felt like another forever, before they accessed me and lifted me onto the stretcher into the ambulace. I was screaming for painkillers.

"Can you swallow panadol?" The paramedic asked.

"No!!! Injection please." I shouted in extreme pain. I was already getting delirious. 

"We need you to calm down. I am getting you something stronger." He replied.

I don't remember what happened but they eventually put a mask over my face, to deliver me some 'oxygen, or painkillers'. I wasn't sure. They told me they were going to drive me to the helipad, and the helicopter was going to take me to the hospital.

I had to say bye bye to hubby. SIL was in the ambo with me.

We finally arrived, after what was like 30 minutes I was told, at the helipad. I heard the chopper whoosh, the sound of helicopters, which I loved. Yes, I was going in the helicopter, and they were going to take me now. I was losing consciousness.

The helicopter started to take off. They put headphones on me, and told me they were going to communicate with me through headphones. I spoke with them once. Then halfway through they asked me if I'm ok. I told me, "I'm passing out."

And then I called on the name of Jesus. And I passed out. I don't remember what happened after that. I don't even remember the helicopter landing, or the ambulance that took me to the hospital. I don't remember entering emergency at the hospital, the awesome team that saved my life and the trauma nurse, Mel, who said she had been with me from the moment I arrived in the hospital.

The next moment I woke up, I saw a nurse in front of me, hear the beep beep beeps of machines, and the nurse telling me I am in Christchurch Hospital, and that I was in ICU. I was given oxygen, I was very sleepy. I hear hubby beside me, I felt so much warmth. He said my mum and dad is coming tomorrow. I wanted to ask how is FIL and SIL. But the next moment they told me to get some rest, and sleep, I drifted again.

The next time I woke up, mum and dad were beside me. Then I slept again.

Then I woke up again, mum and dad were there. Then I slept again. Fayfay was there. Hubby was there. MIL was there. But no SIL or FIL. I was worried about them, but I still don't know what's happening.

Finally the day I woke up, they told my mum, dad and hubby that they were going to let me slowly gain strength breathing and removing the breathing support for the day. Yes, it did come out.

Different doctors came to tell me about the surgeries they had done for me, and the other surgeries I would still need.

Long story short... this was the beginnings of the hospital day. The rest, will be a story for another day.

Thankful to God, who preserved by life. Given me another chance to be a mum, wife, daughter and friend on this Earth, in this time, and the life He's created.

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The following images contain scenes of the accident. 

Please do not continue scrolling if you will be affected.

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Me lying outside the car, after extricating myself. Thank God the car didn't fall on me. It was stopped from falling by a very strong tree, that never gave way. You can see where my right hand is, that was the hole under the window that I climbed out from.

The car being barricaded by the firemen.

I don't even know how this happened. No one remembers. How did the car get trapped between 2 trees. However, it got there, it was a blessing in the midst of trouble as it enabled us to get out safely. And it prevented the car from going even further.