Two Weeks

Here's to my health, y'all.

Two weeks ago, hands shaking- heart racing- glass shattered-  sirens wailing- lights flashing, an EMT ran his hand down my back and told me my neck might be broken.

In the rain and the cover of night, something had gone horribly wrong: my car hydroplaned out of control. A truck driver in a semi saw me too late and as he passed by my spinning Forrester, he had no choice but to go right over me. When I opened my eyes, I was completely bewildered by the fact I was still alive.

Covered in an infinite amount of broken glass, I crawled into the backseat to check on little Pixel- thankfully she was still strapped into her seatbelt and patiently waiting for me. Before I could open the door I heard the voice of Patti, a complete stranger, my sweet guardian angel in a ballet pink sweatshirt. She handed me her phone through the window and what else was there to do? I called my Mom. Patti, comforting and helpful, stayed with me from the time I got out of my car until I rode away in an ambulance.

It was about the time the ambulance arrived that I started hearing horror stories of crash victims who were seemingly fine and then later became instantaneously paralyzed due to spinal injury. Everyone I encountered that night told me a horror story, as if to remind me that Death had come for me and unexpectedly decided to leave empty-handed. My heart rate was off the charts for hours.

After being admitted to the hospital, hearing a plethora of horror stories and having x-rays taken, I was half expecting to hear that my neck was broken. Instead, the doctor walked through the door with a smile on her face and began raving about my blood pressure- something I've never heard before!

Well, several weeks ago I wrote and photographed an article for The Chalkboard about the health benefits of beet kvass (one of which is lowered blood pressure) and have been drinking it regularly ever since. I can't even begin to explain to you how good it felt to hear some good news in the shadow of misfortune. I think I'll drink beet kvass every day, forever and ever.

You can read more about beet kvass and how to make it here (as of 05/20/13).