so, on my way to work this a.m.

cass · 01-21-2006, 05:54 AM

a bakery van turned left in front of me and i hit it head on. the front of my new van is pretty much demolished.

i ended up at harborview to evaluate the stability of my neck fusion as my neck was hurting (is now which is why i'm up). i looked at my x-rays and there appears to be a large loop of wire tying my C4-C7 vertebrae together. is this how neck "fusion" (as they termed it almost 21 yrs ago) is usually done? it was kind of frightening to see. how sturdy are these things?

no van for quite a while.

carbar · 01-21-2006, 07:02 AM

So sorry to hear this Cass - I hope that you are okay. You sound pretty calm, but it must have been quite a shock and upsetting. How could he have not seen your van?

kkmay · 01-21-2006, 07:18 AM

Hope you feel better quickly!

cass · 01-21-2006, 07:22 AM

he admitted he was looking at the street he was turning into, not the oncoming traffic. and he just made a mistake. unf. it's one i have to deal with for quite a while. no transportation for (i'm guessing) 3 weeks at least. and a brand new 55k van....

but vans can be fixed.

and yeah, i did stay pretty calm (not like me)....got the shakes, dealt w/harborview er (homeless, horribly sick--they were puking on the floor--, etc.) w/o panicking and heading for the door...but i'll tell you one thing...for those in the seattle area: AVOID HARBORVIEW ER! it's more like an insane asylum than a hospital.

i felt like all the cuckoos flew over the nest and landed there.

Jesse's Mom · 01-21-2006, 07:31 AM

I dont think I have ever 'spoke' to you but the accident sounds horrible. It just seems worse when someone who has already been through enough has to go through something like that again. Did you have to sit alone in that ER? That sounds like a nightmare. Hope your neck feels better. Van too.

bob clark · 01-21-2006, 07:35 AM

Did he at least offer you a donut or danish for the inconvenience? Going to the hospital early in the morning on an empty stomach can be a bitch.

cass · 01-21-2006, 07:37 AM

well, i have decided driving to work is the problem so i need to quit. my neck was broken sitting at a red light on my way to work. rearended at 80+ mph.

maybe i should quit working

thx for your thoughts

yes, i was alone in ER. but frankly, there was a fair amount of entertainment. there was one homeless guy the staff all knew. and he sat in a chr making the same repetitive motions with his face for quite some time. exact same sequence: grimace, open eyes, close eyes, open mouth...then repeat. all the while clutching a plastic glass of water and sitting with no shoes on. and i'm not making fun. i kept wondering what he was like as a baby and how he got to this point. he talked to ppl who weren't there, too. or, at least, i couldn't see.

bob, he had a replacement van there in 20 minutes to offload the bakery stuff. now you mention it....NOOOOOOOOO HE DID NOT OFFER ME ANYTHING. and i sat in my crunched van for 2 hours. now you got me thinkin how good a donut and coffee woulda tasted....i didn't get to eat until midnight....ok, ok, deep breaths....

LaMemChose · 01-21-2006, 12:44 PM

Cass, I'm so sorry you were in a wreck. I hope your neck pain eases soon. I also hope you find out about the wire loop you saw on x-ray.

Note to self: avoid Harborview and pastry delivery trucks on West Coast.

Wise Young · 01-21-2006, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cass

a bakery van turned left in front of me and i hit it head on. the front of my new van is pretty much demolished.

i ended up at harborview to evaluate the stability of my neck fusion as my neck was hurting (is now which is why i'm up). i looked at my x-rays and there appears to be a large loop of wire tying my C4-C7 vertebrae together. is this how neck "fusion" (as they termed it almost 21 yrs ago) is usually done? it was kind of frightening to see. how sturdy are these things?

no van for quite a while.

Oh, Cass. I am so sorry to hear this. I hope that everything is okay. Yes, the wiring of dorsal processes was what was popular in the 1980's and early 1990's before the advent of the Roy Camille plates. The wires and plates don't provide as much stability as the bony fusion itself. Wise.

NWC4 · 01-21-2006, 03:47 PM

Cass,

Sorry to hear about your accident. Yeah, Harborzoo is nuts! Spent 6 months there in '81. If I recall correctly the "nest" is on the fifth floor, rehab's on the fourth floor - we use to get escapees all the time. It's also where they take all the Skid Row folks and the drug overdosers.

I have similar wiring. I believe it was used for stability until the bone fusion healed. Looks wicked in the x-rays.

01-21-2006, 05:54 AM	#1
cass Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: WA Posts: 5,722	so, on my way to work this a.m. a bakery van turned left in front of me and i hit it head on. the front of my new van is pretty much demolished. i ended up at harborview to evaluate the stability of my neck fusion as my neck was hurting (is now which is why i'm up). i looked at my x-rays and there appears to be a large loop of wire tying my C4-C7 vertebrae together. is this how neck "fusion" (as they termed it almost 21 yrs ago) is usually done? it was kind of frightening to see. how sturdy are these things? no van for quite a while.

01-21-2006, 07:18 AM	#3
kkmay Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: In your nightmares Posts: 1,707	Hope you feel better quickly! __________________ "No one knows what it means, but it's provocative."

01-21-2006, 07:35 AM	#6
bob clark Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 3,653	Did he at least offer you a donut or danish for the inconvenience? Going to the hospital early in the morning on an empty stomach can be a bitch. __________________ "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." - Philo of Alexandria

01-21-2006, 07:37 AM	#7
cass Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: WA Posts: 5,722	well, i have decided driving to work is the problem so i need to quit. my neck was broken sitting at a red light on my way to work. rearended at 80+ mph. maybe i should quit working thx for your thoughts yes, i was alone in ER. but frankly, there was a fair amount of entertainment. there was one homeless guy the staff all knew. and he sat in a chr making the same repetitive motions with his face for quite some time. exact same sequence: grimace, open eyes, close eyes, open mouth...then repeat. all the while clutching a plastic glass of water and sitting with no shoes on. and i'm not making fun. i kept wondering what he was like as a baby and how he got to this point. he talked to ppl who weren't there, too. or, at least, i couldn't see. bob, he had a replacement van there in 20 minutes to offload the bakery stuff. now you mention it....NOOOOOOOOO HE DID NOT OFFER ME ANYTHING. and i sat in my crunched van for 2 hours. now you got me thinkin how good a donut and coffee woulda tasted....i didn't get to eat until midnight....ok, ok, deep breaths.... Last edited by cass; 01-21-2006 at 07:47 AM.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

01-21-2006, 07:02 AM	#2
carbar Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: France Posts: 2,438	So sorry to hear this Cass - I hope that you are okay. You sound pretty calm, but it must have been quite a shock and upsetting. How could he have not seen your van?

01-21-2006, 07:22 AM	#4
cass Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: WA Posts: 5,722	he admitted he was looking at the street he was turning into, not the oncoming traffic. and he just made a mistake. unf. it's one i have to deal with for quite a while. no transportation for (i'm guessing) 3 weeks at least. and a brand new 55k van.... but vans can be fixed. and yeah, i did stay pretty calm (not like me)....got the shakes, dealt w/harborview er (homeless, horribly sick--they were puking on the floor--, etc.) w/o panicking and heading for the door...but i'll tell you one thing...for those in the seattle area: AVOID HARBORVIEW ER! it's more like an insane asylum than a hospital. i felt like all the cuckoos flew over the nest and landed there.

01-21-2006, 07:31 AM	#5
Jesse's Mom Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Winthrop, MN, USA Posts: 588	I dont think I have ever 'spoke' to you but the accident sounds horrible. It just seems worse when someone who has already been through enough has to go through something like that again. Did you have to sit alone in that ER? That sounds like a nightmare. Hope your neck feels better. Van too.

01-21-2006, 12:44 PM	#8
LaMemChose Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 10,953	Cass, I'm so sorry you were in a wreck. I hope your neck pain eases soon. I also hope you find out about the wire loop you saw on x-ray. Note to self: avoid Harborview and pastry delivery trucks on West Coast.

01-21-2006, 03:47 PM	#10
NWC4 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Washington Posts: 306	Cass, Sorry to hear about your accident. Yeah, Harborzoo is nuts! Spent 6 months there in '81. If I recall correctly the "nest" is on the fifth floor, rehab's on the fourth floor - we use to get escapees all the time. It's also where they take all the Skid Row folks and the drug overdosers. I have similar wiring. I believe it was used for stability until the bone fusion healed. Looks wicked in the x-rays.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Soc. Sec. Trial Work Period	tug24	Life	7	01-06-2006 11:58 AM
House OKs Limits on Malpractice Awards	Max	Funding, Legislation, & Advocacy	54	09-16-2003 02:21 PM
Disabled Arizonans can work, keep aid	Max	Ability & Disability News	0	12-18-2002 06:02 PM
Artist's body of work to fly flag in Venice	Max	Health & Science News	0	09-11-2002 09:31 AM