Thank you everyone for your loving thoughts.
A couple of mass replies here-
I too thought of the trailer emergency brake although only after the thoughts, "don't use the truck brake" and "stop correcting for each movement!" Unfortunately by the time I finished
those thoughts things were becoming so violent I didn't dare take a hand off the wheel to reach down for the controller. It's in a good spot for my dad or even my mom but being so much more petite than either, in order to reach it I have to duck down with my head below the dashboard and I can only say that at that moment letting go of the wheel and taking my eyes off the road again seemed like a very bad idea.
There's no way to know now if it would have helped so I'm trying not to second guess myself.
Maybe if I'd been contorted in that position when we hit the barrier I would have snapped my neck or something. I don't know.
I can't take credit for being mentally controlled during crisis, my little brain just seems to keep ticking away without me. It gets me into a lot of trouble sometimes when it's NOT an emergency!
And believe me, I fall apart when it's over and everyone is safe.
About the vehicle insurance maybe covering the trailer- I sure hope so! Apparently that's why my mom did not insure the trailer directly; the agent told her at the time that she could insure it for theft, vandalism, etc. but it would be covered under the truck's coverage if there was an accident while hauling. I'm sure praying that's true!
I agree with you all that the damage even to the vehicles was amazingly light for what happened and I'm fairly confident the truck at least will be fine shortly.
I have a wonderful osteopath who I will see as soon as my body's had time to decide where it hurts and Kody's chiropractor will definitely be called for him next week. Of course she's going to have to come out here since I can't exactly haul him in
there right now, but hey! What's another $100 call charge?
I will definitely be watching him for the next few weeks, but when am I not?
Don't worry too much about our mental health, at least not beyond the usual.
Kody and I are both pretty practical, anchored, sensible kids and I don't think I'm going to suffer any PTSD over this although the writing of it last night had me adrenalized again as I relived that awful swaying sensation. I'm obviously going to be very careful but this was just one of those moments when things went wrong and I'm still not really sure why. That happens and I've gotten away with hauling safely in some very dangerous situations in the last year or two so in a way I think chance just caught up with us. We were extremely lucky and I'm mostly feeling blessed at this point! Kody may have an issue being hauled by anyone else for awhile but I get the feeling from him that as long as I'm in the vehicle hauling him he'll be okay. We're a team, we two, and as long as we're together and we're both unharmed we can handle anything.
I wish like heck I did not have to haul alone, I even tried to coax my dad into coming along this time as I simply didn't feel like being by myself. But I guess with that many guardian angels you're never alone.
A Little Blessing said:
I have to admit, I was reading this and when I got to the point where the truck finally came to a stop and you were gripping the steering wheel I couldn't help but think "Get to Kody! GET TO KODY! PUT THE CELL PHONE DOWN AND GET TO KODY!"
I know, believe me I know!
I am a little fuzzy on the order of events there but that was the best I could reconstruct.
I know I turned off the truck and I know I at least grabbed my cell phone before I got out because all I could think was there would be no help coming for him or I if I didn't call 911. Then that guy was running up and Megan was pulling her yellow car over and I was moving towards the trailer and and and....
Believe me, Kody had been the only concern in my heart as everything went south. I figured whatever happened would be because of something I did so in a way I'd deserve any injuries I got (and hey, I work at a hospital. I've got full health insurance, sick leave, disability coverage and no copay in my ER!) but he was innocent and deserved none of it. The heck with my own neck! If I'd hurt him....
Marty said:
Leia, add me to the list of people you gave a heart attack to. I just couldn't handle it if you and Kody were hurt. I don't know
about you but this caused me to have a giagantic cup of hot tea
this morning. My nerves are shot for the day. I am so thankful
to whatever angels saved you. Maybe I know one of them.
I think maybe you do Marty.
That is very near a stretch of freeway where I sat in traffic on the way to Happ's a few days after Michael was killed and got tears in my eyes thinking of him as I stared at the beautiful clouds and blue sky. The light yesterday morning was very similar.
Leia
