Having trouble putting a near-death experience behind me; how I almost died last week

[Hugh R]

July, 1977, I was on my 10 speed in Boston at twilight. I went through an intersection and a yellow cab going the opposite direction made a left right in front of me. I hit it and don't remember anything after that until I woke up in a hospital two days later. The down handle bar went into my bag, took out my right nut completely and badly damaged the left one, and the end of the handle bar came out just below my belly button. It was a Catholic teaching hospital associated with Harvard (Mt. Auburn Hospital) I'm told that I was given the last rites. I was also told that I'd never have kids, I have two kids of my own. Never found the cab.

[Head416]

Originally Posted by Hugh R

...and the end of the handle bar came out just below my belly button.

[Chocaholic]

Not your time. Be glad. Thank the man upstairs. Let it go.

[Gretch]

The running story. Me and a buddy out running at lunch. He was a couple feet in front of me as he stepped off the curb. I saw the car, apparently he did not. I grabbed him by the back of his shirt and jerked him off his feet, back out of the path of the car.

I don't know which of us had the bigger adrenalin dump......... Poor bastard, I chewed his ass all the way home!

[wdfifteen]

I do hope writing it down helped. You may never forget it (I haven't forgotten mine). You are the only one who can tell whether remembering is seriously affecting your life or is just a disturbing memory now and then. If it's affecting your life, a psychologist can help.

[LeeH]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I do hope writing it down helped. You may never forget it (I haven't forgotten mine). You are the only one who can tell whether remembering is seriously affecting your life or is just a disturbing memory now and then. If it's affecting your life, a psychologist can help.

As disturbing as the event was, I think overall it's been positive. My time could so easily have ended then. It didn't. May sound corny, but I certainly have a new appreciation for life and life's experiences, so that's good.

The only time it's bad is when I imagine what would have happened if I had launched off the curb. Would I have gone over or under the car? Would it have hurt for long or at all? Would my running partner have called my wife or would it have been the police? The worst is wondering how my absence would have affected my daughter.

And yes, I am thankful for above average reflexes and balance.