Snow swirls along the icy black asphalt. I jarringly skid left, crossing the oncoming lane. Reflexively, I slam on the brakes and lose all control. There’s no choice but to surrender. My car lurches at the guardrail, then front flips to a crash under the bridge. When time unfreezes, I’m overcome by the extreme pain searing down my crumpled back, while immobilized and confined in contortions. My left hand is tethered at a grotesque angle over my head. I am trapped upside down. My life is now in the hands of the universe, first responders, and the Jaws of Life.
Amy Y. Tan (she/her/hers) is a disabled practicing palliative care and family physician, scholar-activist, writer, and sudden near-death event survivor living in British Columbia, Canada. Instagram: @rightbrainhealing