Some North Oxford idiot, in a big 4WD, had parked their car so that a huge cycle rack on the back protruded out over most of the pavement & I walked right into it. I have no idea why or how because of the memory loss. Someone found me on the floor & somehow called M & the ambulance. A kind person, I, brought a chair out for me to sit on. When the ambulance didn't arrive, a Good Samaritan, J, took us to hospital in his car.
M is obviously going to be excellent at dealing with someone with no short term memory because I apparently amused the occupants of A&E enormously repeating things over & over. I also had no inhibitions & pointed out things about other people in a loud voice - For example how silly it was not to do up your shoe laces because you might trip up. (I doubt M found it funny after several hours & I imagine it's quite surprising someone didn't take exception to me & add to the facial bruises!)
Apparently I was triaged, had scans, xrays, blood tests etc. But none of it registered. The result is no broken shoulder or nose, but a face like a prize fighter's after coming out the worst from a boxing bout.
We eventually got home late in the evening. M had been told I had to be watched for 24 hrs. My lovely grandsons couldn't hide their shock when they saw me the next morning.
It's not appropriate to go into all the circumstances here, but it is interesting that the person whose car it was, & definitely knew what had happened as a result of their poor & probably illegal parking, didn't have the grace to ask how I was or apologise. Instead she apparently left a very jolly message on M's answerphone, which incensed M quite reasonably.
The thing about this story is that one thoughtless person has caused all the people involved so much time, cost & trouble. The cost to the NHS must be considerable & there might be long term consequences as I'm in my 70's. The people who helped me really put themselves out & were kind & considerate. M had to leave her teaching job & spend hours in A&E & then come home to check on me the next day. She is very capable, but it must all have been very stressful & worrying.
I have been in quite considerable pain for 2 days. As well as the facial / head / shoulder injuries all my leg & arm muscles hurt because I must have fallen quite heavily. In effect I have lost a complete day of my life & may never recover it. I never turned up for two appointments on Monday & have had to cancel everything since. I'm not sure when I will be fit enough to resume my life.
I'm trying to keep a balance between the many people who were kind & helped me & the one person who is responsible for all this but doesn't seem capable of accepting that responsibility. An enquiry how I am & an apology doesn't seem too much to ask.
Not sure where I will go from here. Accidents happen, but this was an accident waiting to happen.
PS
Someone who was blind or partially sighted would stand no chance. Equally if the weather was bad & you had a hood up, or very bright sun. I think the point is that it was predictable that the obstruction might cause an accident.
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