Where was I? Oh yes. The driver carried me to the van. He laid me down on the seat since I can’t sit. I still have no control over my body. Slowly, I felt my feet and legs coming back to normal but not my arms and hands. I got silent and was staring from afar. The teachers who were with me were talking to me so I will not sleep.

At the emergency room, I was attended immediately. Even at my painful state, I noticed the kindness of the medical staff. They were informing me first of the procedures they were doing and were extra careful in cleaning my wound on my forehead. They even advised me what ointment to apply in order to avoid scarring. Good thing I did not sustain any serious injuries on my head. It was the wound at the bridge of my nose that won’t stop bleeding. The doctors didn’t want to stitch it so as to avoid major scarring.

It was when one of the teachers tried to hold my right arm that I started crying. I was not a cry-baby, to begin with. By now, I was starting to feel something in my arms and hands. It felt like there were many tiny needles prickling my arms and hands. It felt more painful as compared to my wounds. The doctors had a diagnosis of my condition. The carbon dioxide and oxygen in my body had a sudden imbalance when I panic. It made me lose my sensation from my shoulders down to my toes.

The supervisor among the teachers began worrying. She demanded that I must be given all kinds of tests to check if I have internal head injuries and I must stay the night at the hospital to be observed. Unfortunately, the only test they gave me was an x-ray scan. The hospital lacked facilities like MRI and CT scan.

When I was situated in my room, my husband came. I can see he looked worried but cracked a joke to humor me. All I gave him was a grimace of pain. We stayed for the night to wait for my results in the morning. I did not even sleep a wink because I was in pain. The pain reliever they gave me was not working.

In the morning, the doctors took a good look at me and gave me a special bandage and ointment for my wound in my nose to close up. My result turned up negative for any internal injuries so I was cleared and given a Permit to leave the hospital. By this time, my shoulders, arms, and hands did not improve. They only gave me a prescription for my pain.

You’d thought that we have gone straight home. It was just another misfortune that our car suddenly broke down. Our car was not old but not that new and it’s in good condition. The car mechanic had a hard time looking for the damaged part. It was starting to get dark by now.

My son was mumbling about why I have not heeded the advice of the teachers in getting rid of my boots. You see they were blaming my boots for my accident. To begin with they were low heeled and low cut only. Then I told my husband to throw them at the nearest garbage bin. As if my boots were jinxed, the car suddenly came to life. I prayed a silent thanks and we went home safely.

Next and last part: The road to healing