NYEAH!!! WE CAN 2008!!!::

!!! Got into an accident just this weekend.  it was early sun morning (3am) and it was still raining...

after a saturday night out with da boys (zac31, bochog, digitabe, twotrickpony, and denver abet), denver abet dropped me and zac31 off at EDSA cor Pasay Road.  we took an ordinary (non-aircon) Dela Rosa Bus, but immediately went off the bus and transferred to an aircon CHER (buset kayo!!) bus...

we sat somewhere in the middle of the bus, and on the three-passenger seat (on the left side.)  the bus is not even half-full... maybe more than half-empty.  the bus conductor already got our fare.  the bus stayed for a few minutes in that corner before heading to Magallanes interchange and entered the South Luzon Expressway.  yehey!!!

i'm already half-asleep but i know we're already cruising on the South Expressway.  it was raining, but it's not so hard... but suddenly, this EFFING bus driver tried to overtake another vehicle... at HIGH SPEED... on a WET and SLIPPERY, not-so-well-maintained road of the South Expressway...

AYUN!!!  the bus swayed from left to right a few times, hit the concrete barriers and rolled over on its side!!!  luckily... on it's right side, and not on it's wrong side... hehe

"bro, gising!!! labas na tayo dito" sabi ni zac31.  obviously, i'm still asleep. it's either i'm still asleep or i was knocked unconscious during the crash, i don't know.  i did'nt noticed that the bus was already on its side, i did'nt noticed that we went out thru the back window of the bus...

i sufferred a cut on my head and a few bruises on my right arm and shoulder.  i also experienced a momentary amnesia or a short-term-memory-loss (a la Dory of Finding Nemo).  it might be that i'm in a state of shock, but maybe not.  as i've said, i'm half-asleep, but i saw how the bus swayed from side to side, and i can hear the other passengers screaming.  maybe i'm just dreaming, i did'nt feel any fear or panic that time...

a batch of passengers were taken to a hospital somewhere in sucat.  i don't know if there were any seriously-injured persons there.  the driver and the conductor were also taken there, and were detained (daw). 

while we, about ten of us, were taken to the nearby hospital, the one along the right service road, if you're coming from Makati, just after the Bicutan interchange or SM Bicutan.  yeah, that's right, it's the South Super Highway Medical Center... you might want to remember the name of this hospital.

what's with this???  After some first aid treatment, this hospital refused to do any additional laboratory tests (xray, ctscan, etc), without the approval of the bus company!!! WT_!!!  (at doctor daw sya, at di siya nurse.. F**k!)  i was thinking they could test and diagnose all they want and let the bus company foot the bill, right??  but NO, they are so worried, we might not be able to pay for the expenses on lab tests or any other extra medical services they render.

waiting for a few more hours, i and zac31 decided to have our x-ray taken, since talking to somebody from the bus company over the phone did'nt gave us any assurance that somebody will be coming to attend to this mess. 

anyway, we have to pay up front, for the x-ray.  WT&!!!  luckily, we still have extra cash on hand.  the others have their own health card, so no problem for them and they can have their lab tests right away.  but there's this other guy, who does'nt have enough cash, so he'll just have to wait for the bus company rep to arrive.  i told him to follow-up by calling the bus company, again, if and when, are they coming.... or not.

and what's with this???  their x-ray system is so slow, it took 20min or more just to get one image.  i understand it's not so safe being exposed to x-ray radiation for extended periods, that's why you have x-ray tests during annual check-ups.  but i was exposed for a solid 15min, maybe more... it's either they have an incompetent xray tech or a defective xray system.  i'd say, the latter. 

the bus company liason officer arrived when i was about to enter the xray room.  so i told zac31 to talk to him and have our payment refunded. 

in fairness to the bus company liason officer, he refunded our money, and advised us to contact them for any more concerns regarding the incident.  and he proceeded to settle things like the medical certs, medicines, etc.

but wait... there's more: what's with this???  we were asked to sign the copy of the medical certificate, or a sort of a waiver, and were advised that we could not use these medical results for any future claims or legal actions???  what if the injuries will evolved into something serious later on?  or what if their initial diagnosis are wrong???  can somebody shed some light on this, please? 

we left the hospital at around 8am...

looking back now and just thinking about what-could-have-been situations and what-if scenarios sends chills and goosebumps all over me....  we could have taken another bus, we should'nt have transferred to that bus, we could have joined abet on his way home , we could have finished earlier , i should have brought my car,  or we should have stayed home since it's raining ... etc...

anyway, all is well now...

i know HE watches over me and that HE still loves me, no matter what.

and i thank zac31 for being there, and for being my guardian angel that night...
here's for you, bro: (bro, pamamam ka daw uli..)

(sorry, no pictures here... not from the incident, not from the hospital...)