My name is Margaret Chen.
Six months ago, I thought I was being careful during my nightly walks with Bella, my 8-year-old Golden Retriever.
I live in Tucson with my husband Frank. We've had dogs for over 40 years.
I thought I knew everything about safe dog walking.
Fresh batteries in my flashlight. Reflective vest. Same route every night for 15 years.
But that Tuesday night in September, everything went wrong...
It started like any other evening walk. Bella and I headed out at 7:30 PM, just as the sun was setting.
What I didn't realize was how much my night vision had declined.
About ten minutes into our walk, Bella spotted something and pulled toward the bushes.
I lost sight of her completely.
In that split second of panic, trying to find where she went, I stepped wrong.
My ankle caught the edge of the sidewalk, and I went down hard.
The pain was instant and overwhelming.
I lay there in the dark, unable to see Bella, unable to get up, unable to call for help.
For twenty terrifying minutes, I was completely helpless.
When the neighbor finally found me, I had a broken wrist, sprained ankle, and severe bruises.
But the worst part wasn't the injuries.
It was realizing how close I came to something much worse.