I was ending my housesitting job and figured I'd put in one last load of laundry before I left (who doesn't like coming home to clean sheets?), but I didn't quite make it. While coming down the stairs I missed the last step (or two) and tumbled to the ground crashing into the wall. I immediately realized my left wrist was hurt when I saw it bent all the way back. I couldn't move for a moment and all I could do was pray and ask God for strength and healing to get up to get help.
After a moment I got up and I realized at that time more than just my wrist hurt. I was in so much pain I felt nauseous. I hobbled to the toilet and then realized if I passed out the bathroom would be a bad place to fall. I somehow made it to the couch and laid down. I just remember praying and asking God for help. I was hurting and needed help. When I felt I could get to the phone safely I got up to get it. I called my mom and asked her to call my pastor's wife who I was supposed to take her boys to their sport practices in an hour. I don't remember much of the phone call, but realized if I needed any other numbers they were in my phone upstairs. I somehow got upstairs and got my phone. I also unlocked the front door and put on decent clothes. This is now all a blur and I'm amazed I did all that considering the pain I was in!
My pastor came in a short time later and assessed the situation. I somehow had my wallet by me and called my insurance to see where they wanted me to go. By the look on his face I knew I was hurt bad. My mom was on her way to get me and I had an appointment in 2 hours to go to the orthopedic. The doctor called back and said to go to the ER. I passed the phone to my pastor and he explained the orthopedic office was closer and the better option (the doctor was worried about administering medication while setting the bone, but getting me to the ER would be longer).
Gina and my mom came and Gina made a splint for my wrist out of a piece of wood, my laptop case, 2 towels, 2 lanyards and a bow clip. It's amazing how much that splint helped! (I'll post a picture if I can get it off Gina's phone)
After the x-ray the doctor examined me and I felt sick again. The nurse came in to help and when I was feeling a bit better she gave me some juice. I didn't think to tell anyone I'm allergic to pineapples until I took a drink. Fortunately the only reaction was a tingly tongue. The nurse felt bad and realized I hadn't eaten anything since I fell around 6:45 am and went to her personal snack and brought me a Nutri-Grain bar. I was so impressed with her thoughtfulness I couldn't thank her enough.
The doctor came in and announced I had a broken toe that was going in a special shoe with a steel plate to keep my foot straight. He couldn't see a break in my wrist/hand, but because of the tenderness to touch he wanted it casted and re-x-rayed in 2 weeks when the swelling goes down.
My pretty purple cast and my Frankenstine shoe.
While getting my pain medication Gina stood in line at the pharmacy and I sat down to wait for her to get to the front of the line. While waiting a teenage boy asked what bone I broke. I thought about messing with his head and just saying my toe, but figured I'd say it was a bad sprain. He then told me he broke his wrist once and has a screw in it. I asked how he broke his wrist and he said skateboarding. He asked how I got hurt and I told him fighting ninja elephants. He was surprised and thought for a moment and then asked if I work at the circus to fight ninja elephants. I tried not to laugh when I told him I fell down the stairs. He didn't hear me at first because he was imagining me in the circus. Once he heard me correctly he started to laugh and then apologized for laughing. I told him it was fine - mostly because I was then laughing at him!
Later after my mom was dropped off and we picked up Glaphre to help me get my things from the housesitting house to go to the other house I'm housesitting at through next week. Glaphre and Gina helped me bathe and get settled. All the while laughing at the weird things I would say because of the vicodin in my system (in between me crying for very little things that shouldn't upset me - like crying because it's too hard to sit down in the bath with a broken toe and casted arm).
Later that evening it came up in discussion about how I wasn't going to be able to paint Glaphre's toes (an arrangement made a few days before the accident). I told her I could with my good hand and got to work. Gina got in on the action and I painted her toes as well. Glaphre choose purple polish with blue cow spots. Gina chose pink polish and green and blue plaid.
Glaphre's cow spot toenails.
Overall I'm settling into the fact I can't drive for 6 weeks and I'm continuing to find bruises all over my body from the fall. I'm going to the doctor again to see if I can get a pain medication that doesn't make my head so crazy (crying over there being too much ketchup on my plate is too much!!!).
God has helped me thus far and during this period of depending on others for help I will hopefully learn to ask for help humbly very quickly!
No comments:
Post a Comment