Well, I'm not a tree and I didn't fall in the forest. I was closing up buildings last Monday (July 15) and walking down the boardwalk from St. Ann's Church, I caught my toe on a board and down I toppled. What thoughts went through my mind as I fell, I am not too sure. I seem to have had the presence of mind not to catch myself with my hands, so I avoided breaking my wrists. I landed on my right side, and managed to break my right femur very high up, but as I was lying on my side, my body sort of splinted things and I didn't feel any pain. Not right away, anyway.
I was carrying a walkie-talkie with me, so I radioed back to the front desk and my rescuers quickly began to arrive. The first gave me a quick first-aid checkover, then called for the ambulance and called my husband. The rest provided varying degrees of sympathy until the ambulance arrived. I think I was more afraid of them being upset by my tumble, but I sure didn't feel like driving home.
The ambulance arrived, and then the fun began. They decided the best way to move me was as I lay, so they fitted a clamshell around me, lying on my side, and lifted me into the ambulance. They buckled me in and gave me nitrous oxide (laughing gas ... marvellous stuff!!) and away we went to Emergency. I didn't appear to be much of an Emergency until I started listing off all my illnesses .... polymyositis, pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, and of course, I had to explain the peripheral neuropathy every time they asked whether there was numbness or tingling in my feet. So I got bumped ahead in the line for X-ray and pretty soon the ambulance attendants were "not telling me" that I had broken my right femur, right up near my hip. Which I suppose could be worse. At some point in the next 24 hours (without food, might I add!!), I also heard that I wouldn't be mobile for about 12 weeks ... which I quickly calculated to be near the end of the O'Keefe ranch season. I think I cried then.
Family members appeared and disappeared. I think they gave me morphine (the hospital, not the family members) until they could get me into surgery. Which apparently took 4 hours instead of 2. The worst part was when the anesthesiologist said he wanted to do a spinal anesthetic and I was really scared of the pain that would cause ... however, he must have convinced me and gave me something strong very quickly because I don't remember feeling a thing.
And then it was Wednesday morning and I was waking up in a hospital bed, listening to the man across the way chatting about his prostate surgery and his urine output. I'm not sure what bright light saw fit to give me orange juice and oatmeal when I had just gotten out of surgery, but the combination of the conversation, the coffee smell, and the food caused a violent upheaval and I ended up wearing the orange juice/oatmeal combination. I didn't have much appetite for lunch either, and only had a bit of supper.
Thursday was better, but then physio caught on to the idea that I was the mother of the bride and expected to be at my daughter's wedding on Saturday. I only had about half a night's sleep, and every time my nursing student wanted me to get up and sit in a chair or wheelchair, all I wanted to do was nap. I was managing to use a walker to get to the washroom, only about 6 steps away from my bed, but I was keeping a close eye on the call button in case I toppled again.
Friday, I got my favourite cinnamon spread and some dry toast for breakfast. Prostate man went home and was replaced by a woman. I hadn't had much more sleep, but I was more comfortable getting in and out of bed. I think the fears that I wouldn't make it to the wedding eased a bit -- my husband made arrangements for the wheelchair taxi to pick me up on Saturday. I did feel a little lonely on Friday night, with the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner going on without me. But my sons came by and had recorded the rehearsal so I didn't feel totally out of the loop. I had been having visitors all week from work, from the church, my family, my daughter's future in-laws, Facebook friends, and other friends who work in various capacities on the hospital staff.
I think I will leave you in suspense about Saturday. You see, my leg starts to hurt when I sit up for extended periods of time ... so I will try to make it back here tomorrow.
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