Anniversary: January 8, 2004

The radio played a song from the Beatles Abbey Road album, softly, as the car hummed along the road way. As it was late afternoon and traffic was building to the inevitable climax known as rush hour, the smell of newly-laid asphalt drifted through the slit of the driver side window. Stop, first at one light and then another, snaking along the two-laned avenue. The last in a line of cars creeping homeward...It wasn't until I extended my leg toward the accelerator, pushing my body forward and glancing into the rear view mirror that I heard the sudden crunch of metal, breaking glass and felt a wave of something up my spine...

The paramedic unit further along the street, which was about to return to its station, stopped, and all of the first responders came running...I was told a woman had hit me in a rear-end collision at about 45-50 miles per hour...

Strapped down. unable to move my neck and head, I was taken to an area hospital. Though in shock, nothing was broken or bleeding, merely bruised. I was eventually released with a stern warning to see my own doctors within the week and return if further symptoms developed...

In the eighteen months that followed, I saw doctors, physiotherapist, chiropractor, massage therapist and two acupuncturists, none of whom could provide any answer regarding the chronic pain that appeared to plague the left SI area of my low back.

Finally discharged from treatment, I was told that I would simply have to live with the situation, that nothing further could be done. Dutifully following medical advice to stretch, my alarm grew exponentially when one morning, I found it nearly impossible to get out of bed due to pain and pronounced spasm.

Seen the following day at the medical school's clinic near my home, the doctor said my back was visibly spasming and that I should return to my chiropractor, who was, as it turned out, unavailable. Instead, I called another physician in private practice whom I had seen for something else, explained the situation and asked if she might know where I could possibly go for relief.

That conversation was a godsend. I was referred to a small, private physiotherapy clinic specialising in back care. A four-month regime of pain reduction, continual core and back strengthening, some restricted activities, and work outs, supplemented by daily stretching left me pain-free for the next two years. It wasn't until my knee was wrecked and I began using a wheelchair that my back once again became a concern, since sitting exacerbates the original problem.

I now stretch daily and see my physiotherapist regularly. Soft tissue injuries such as this can appear deceptively minor. The bills from the original accident mounted into thousands, and I was able to have them paid with the aid of an attorney. In the years since, I have spent increasing amounts for physiotherapy, fitness specialists and trainers not covered by insurance, even as the cost of insurance has skyrocketed.

That said, I am grateful to be writing these words, happy that these events weren't much worse, as they so easily might have been. Eight years on, I know that all doctors, physiotherapists, hospitals and allied health professionals are not created equally, so to speak, and that the healthcare system many like to rave about here is, in fact, difficult to navigate and in many instances, inefficient and broken.

 I have poured over articles from both medical and training journals which told me things about this injury which my doctors and other professionals should have known, including the fact that the majority of injuries of this kind are the direct result of rear-end collisions.

If any of you were to experience these things, I would suggest doing your own research and turning over every stone until you find qualified help. If they cannot provide answers, keep looking and learn what you must do to take care of yourself.

Until Next Time...