Reflections on an accident

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My recent auto accident taught me a few life lessons. First out of the box is that you can’t predict what you will do. When things go south fast, some primordial instincts kick in and they may not always be the best solution. The lesson here is do not judge others. If I could relive that nanosecond again I would certainly do things differently but there are no instant replays in life.

I was fortunate that all I needed was over the counter pain medications. That’s the good news and the bad news. There is regular, extra strength, capsules, gel caps, time release, etc. I’m not feeling great and I have to make all these decisions. I started with the supply on hand. The label on the container is full of cautions. In micro fly poop type. There are no directions on the container.

At the far corner I find a tiny arrow (also in micro fly poop type) that points to the corner. I think that means lift here. Pay dirt. I lift it up and there is more (micro fly poop type) information. A lot more “don’t use if” and “this may kill you” but I keep lifting. The label is almost completely off when I find the directions. At this point I’m terrified to take any but the discomfort wins. I finish that bottle over the course of a few days (there weren’t many left) and had the beloved husband buy me another. I wanted the same thing (strength and delivery method) so I don’t have to read a lot of cautions (in micro fly poop type). Nope. It was not to be. I had regular. He went to three different stores and could only find extra strength. Yes, I had to read more cautions (in micro fly poop type) before finding the directions. Then I opened the bottle. I’m not feeling well and it’s 11 p.m. I can’t get the dang bottle open because it’s made so only 6 year olds can open it. I didn’t have a handy 6 year old. Finally it’s open. Holy cow! These are horse pills. Huge. Ginormous! I’m wondering if my throat is big enough.

What I didn’t understand was that the directions for the regular strength were to take one pill every 4 to 6 hours but the directions for the extra strength horse pills (at a higher dosage) were to take two pills every 4 to 6 hours.

The lesson here is that more normal people need to go into pharmaceuticals. Rational people like me (I can hear you smirking here). I liked the old days when pills came in a bottle inside a box. The box or a flyer inside had all the “this will kill you” information and the bottle contained the directions in a readable type. Easy peasy.

There is more. The accident caused what looks like a tie-died boob. Lots of swirly colors that make me nauseous (only because it’s on me – if it was you I’d be laughing). It took me several days to notice the bruising because it’s on the underside. Perhaps that was best. My ER discharge papers said I was to come back if I started to barf and I’m sure seeing that early on would have made me barf. (This is why I’m not in healthcare. Lots of things make me barf!)

That’s all for now. We’ll see what else comes up on this journey.

58 thoughts on “Reflections on an accident”

  1. I’m glad you are recovering and so sorry about the technicolor boob — no doubt from the seat belt, which I’m sure was good to have. On another note, I can absolutely relate to the problem getting pill bottles opened – sort of. My nemesis is the toilet bowl cleaner. My hands are small and I buy my gloves in the boy’s department. I cannot manage to overcome the child-proofing on the toilet bowl cleaner lids. I finally had to give up. Now, my husband has to clean all the toilets. It’s really sad. 😉

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  2. Love the RX image!
    All that a tiny print! Maybe they think if you needing their pills, you need some additional distraction from the pain…or more pain – I can’t decide.
    Bruising often takes a while to show up. Hope you are continuing to cycle through the bruising rainbow and are feeling much much better

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  3. I hope you’re starting to feel better. I actually looked for “regular” strength Tylenol at the store the other day and couldn’t find it. I ended up buying the extra strength and putting it in the pill cutter. Who knows if I’m actually indeed getting 50% of it. – Marty

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    • Maybe they don’t make regular strength anymore. With all the hype about not getting too much tylenol because of liver damage, it doesn’t make sense. I have gel caps so I can’t cut in half.

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  4. I sure do agree with you about packaging! I completely understand the need, recalling the Tylenol tampering years ago as just one reason, but when you really cannot open them, and that can happen, what’s the answer! I have a couple of good friends with severe arthritis who cannot open the kind of packaging you’re referencing and need to have friends on hand for package opening duty! I am so glad your injuries are not sufficient to have dampened your sense of humor. That’s still evident! 🙂

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  5. At least your sense of humor is intact and bruised. I had frozen shoulder a few years ago and it took about 18 months to leave. My mom had it, did the P.T. and post P.T. we rented a TENS unit, got hot packs and it didn’t help. So I was not going to go that route and decided to tough it out. I re-aligned the way I sit at the table, put the laptop on on a “riser” and got a wireless keyboard. But, all the suggestions for OTC pain relievers had me baffled and worried. I decided to do what Mom did and get an analgesic rub and be done with it … after all, not ingesting it could not be that bad right? Wrong!!! I brought home two and both had a ton of cautions and limitations. I used it one night and after applying it, changed my mind and scrubbed it off. What a wuss, but feel like a safe wuss. Now you can’t even use sunscreen without fears!

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  6. I don’t know when all those small weasel words became standard on meds, but I don’t like them either. I hope you find a way to take your pills, without undue stress, but I hear what you’re saying. It’s stupid.

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  8. You ae right about the tiny little cautions and so on that are very weirdly placed. I’m glad all the medication issues got sorted out enough to let you stay a bit more out of pain!

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  11. Oh! How I laughed! WITH YOU, not at you. I had a cataract removed on Monday, and I was given (paid dearly for) a bottle of drops to use in the eye. I’ll bet the directions ended with “you could go blind”. I assumed there were directions on the bottle, since the label was not blank.
    An electron microscope might have made it readable. The bottle should have come wrapped up in a poster.

    I’m glad you are feeling better and hope you will be restored to perfect health in minutes. I love your posts.

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    • Eye drops are the worst because the bottle is smaller and yes everything ends with “you could go blind or die.” I remember back in the old days when the doc gave you the medication and threw out the cautionary sheet that came with it.

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  13. I totally agree with the print on medicine bottles and getting the stupid bottle open. Fortunately, I rarely have to take pain meds, and the prescriptions I take come in old adult-friendly bottles.
    Sorry about the bruising, but it’s good to hear you are feeling better and there is no barfing happening.

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    • Today is a good day. Other than I have a hard time sleeping very long so I’m tired (and just a tad cranky), I’m doing very well. I can get up and down without screams that wake up the dead.

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  17. Instructions on anything these days. Expiration dates, especially on bread wrapping. Never can read that… I pretty much care about seeing when my bread expires, picked up one too many that expired that day. I am glad you are feeling better and your tie-dyed boob didn’t make you barf. Barfing wouldn’t have been much fun with sore chest muscles!

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    • I have developed techniques for suppressing coughs and sneezes. Both are very deadly! Bread dates are important especially for a 2 person family that doesn’t go through them fast.

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  18. Well, the accident obviously didn’t impact your sense of humor (thank goodness). I completely agree about the micro fly poop type. I guess the manufacturers are complying with government regulations… just barely. Maybe they need to include a magnifying glass with each bottle.

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  19. If you are taking over-the-counter NSAID (Aspirin, Aleve, Advil) for a protracted period of time, try to avoid taking them on an empty stomach. If you don’t want to eat anything (even a cracker is good to neutralize their impact on your stomach lining), then take a TUMS or other antacid.

    Loved the RX=Receipt!

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  20. OMG, trying to find the directions and then trying to read them is a damned ordeal. But at least your description made me laugh.

    Unlike every time I lose a fingernail trying to get at peel away instructions.

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  21. I agree about the type size – my husband has resorted to keeping a small magnifying glass by his chair in the living room so he can read ANYTHING tiny and I probably use it as much or more than he does! On top of that we BOTH wear glasses and STILL can’t see that type!!!! I guess a tie-dye bruise is just a reminder of the whole ugly incident but “this too shall pass”….things could have been so much worse. Just happy you’re OK other than having a very colorful body part!

    Hugs, Pam

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    • I have taken to writing the directions on a piece of tape and putting it on the bottle along with the expiration date. We have a lighted magnifying thing. I use it more than I’d like to admit.

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      • Oh – lighted – I’ll have to mention that to my husband – sounds like a good stocking stuffer for Christmas (if we can wait that long!). Good idea to write the directions out with the expiration date. I’ll do that NOW. Thanks!

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  23. Know where you’re coming from when the pills are ten times bigger than the print on the bottle. Bit worrying to take twice as many of the higher dosage in the same time frame. Everything over here is in push through strips………… if you can push them through. I don’t think I’ve got a paracetamol out in one piece yet. Hope you’re feeling better though and the bruising is fading.

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    • I hate those push through things. On a bright side, the pain meds are loose in a bottle. My IBS pills are push through. When I get a pack, the first thing I do is to undo them all and put in a bottle. I need a box cutter to cut the wrapper. Just nuts.

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  24. You need a magnifying glass to read almost anything on a medicine bottle. And the older the audience is for the medication, the smaller the print I think! They don’t really want you reading all that stuff.

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