Friday, February 10, 2023

You Just Never Know

 It wasn't the evening I was expecting.  After Disneyland yesterday, I was planning to relax and watch my new favorite show So Help Me Todd, but fate had other plans.

I was taking out the trash and didn't realize until too late that a rope hanging in our carport had gotten caught on my foot.  It pulled my foot from under me and I went flying with no way to catch myself.  I hit my knee, my hands and finally my forehead.  My glasses got thrown off and I was sprawled in front our Tesla, which proved useful to lean against as I got up.

I never looked in the mirror, but when my family saw the bump on my head growing big, they insisted we go to the ER.  The last time I was in the ER it was 30 years because I put my hand in the middle of a dog fight to try to separate them.  Bad idea.  I ended up with stitches in the palm of my hand.

 A lot has changed in thirty years.  I had to put a backless gown on, was hooked up to checks on my oxygen and a blood pressure sleeve that periodically inflated.  They took some blood and stuck an IV in the vein, just in case.

There was a list on a white board with the names of the people who would be treating me. 

Finally, a trauma doctor came in and decided that I needed an x-ray of my hand and a cat scan of my head to make sure I wasn't bleeding inside. The x-ray person came in with a machine and took picture of my hand.  Then somebody else came in the room and wheeled the bed they'd had me lay on down the hall.  It felt like something out of weird movie.  I was wheeled into the cat scan room.  When I saw a round thing I was going to have my head rolled into, I got a little nervous. I was already nervous from being in the ER, even more than when I fell.  Somehow I shut my eyes and sent my mind to a peaceful place while I held still for what seemed like forever.

The person who wheeled me there, returned and wheeled me back.  I was rehooked to the blood pressure sleeve and the oxygen thing. Everybody was extremely nice and treated me like I was their only patient. Then it was just waiting  for the results.

As I expected, there was no bleeding in my head and no break in my hand.  It hurts a little where the swelling on my forehead but other than a scrap on my palm, my hand didn't hurt.  The doctor said the blood in the bump might migrate to under my eye which doesn't sound like I'm going to be taking selfies for awhile.  I have a big bruise on my forehead which he said would change to a rainbow of icky colors before it fades.  My knee is fine and doesn't even hurt now.  The doctor said I might feel a little spacey and forgetful.  I guess that means brain fog.  Then I was released.

It certainly wasn't the evening I expected, but I'm very grateful that it had such a good ending.


10 comments:

Patty said...

Good morning -- Goodness, that sounds like a bad experience -- glad you are okay. Amazing how something like that can happen so fast. Numerous years ago, I was walking down the hallway and apparently fainted -- went flat on my face. I had on my reading glasses and they pushed against my face -- hit my nose and it swelled immediately. I held a bag of frozen peas against it to help reduce the swelling. I had huge bruises around my eyes -- it was just before Halloween and I looked like I was wearing a raccoon mask. My husband took me to our family doctor, who was nearby -- blood tests showed my thyroid was almost not working and that caused me to faint. I'd had absolutely no symptoms -- felt fine. I've been on medication for that since -- all is well,

My son and I went to see "Knock at the Cabin" -- probably the worst movie I've ever seen. No suspense, storyline was ridiculous -- totally bad. We're going to see "80 for Brady" next week -- he's not thrilled with that but will take me!!

The Super Bowl is here in Phoenix on Sunday -- traffic is already incredibly heavy. I'll watch the game on TV --by far the best way. My son heard tickets were being scalped for as much as $18,000 -- insane!! I'm looking forward to the "Puppy Bowl" -- that's always cute.

Take good care of yourself -- have a nice weekend.

Betty Hechtman said...

Patty, your fall sounds terrible. I have a small tender spot on my forehead and an abrasion on my hand and knee. My job today is to make sure the rope I caught my foot on is gone.

I can imagine that "80 for Brady"isn't your sons cup of tea. I hope you enjoy.

I never watch the super bowl but my family does.

I hope you have a nice weekend.

Linda D Osborn said...

Emergency room pains !! I have made a few visits myself due to really severe kidney stone problems which I couldn't tough out at home. The worst were the countless trips over 4 years with my husbands cancer. He would suddenly get so sick we had to go, and wait and wait and wait. We finally discovered the last time he went, that the way to get in is by paramedic. He had fallen and some teens and I couldn't get him up, so we had to call. Right in the door, no waiting at all. With the bump on your head, you had good reason to call them ! They always told me I had high blood pressure, which I didn't until I got there and was so nervous. The worst was right after my husband died--They put me in a room he had been in several times for cancer flare ups--not a good move on their part ! I am glad you are basically ok--maybe someone recorded the show for you !!

Betty Hechtman said...

Linda, your ER trips with your husband mus have been harrowing. your trips for kidney stones must have have been terrible. How awful to be put in the room he'd been in.

I am okay and yes the show got taped. It seems kind of whiney of me to have even brought it up.

Linda O. Johnston said...

So sorry you fell and got hurt. I know the feeling, but I mostly fall on my knees at airports! Take good care of yourself.

Sally Morrison said...

Yikes! Glad you are okay. Hope the remainder of your weekend is restful with no excitement.

Betty Hechtman said...

Linda O. Johnston, yes, the airport can be a challenge, particularly retrieving your bag. I hope you you weren't hurt. I love worse than I feel and now look like Rocky after he fought Apollo Creed. Jakey is here and did a double take when he saw me.

Betty Hechtman said...

Sally, I am very grateful to be intact. Also have been basically painless. It was enough excitement for a while.

chkntza said...

I am so sorry to hear about your fall and I am so grateful that you are ok. This reminds me of the time I was on vacation and tripped on a tiny step at the hotel and fell forward and hit my head on something at the side of the building. I could not break my fall because my arms were full of luggage. My face turned all shades of purple. I looked like an abuse victim and that's how everybody saw me even though I tried to hide behind sunglasses.

Today Alexa asked my if I want to follow Betty Hechtman. I said yes.

Betty Hechtman said...

Chkntza, your fall sounds terrible. Bad enough to be hurt without people assuming you're an abuse victim while you're on vacation.

I haven't looked in the mirror much, but my family seems to be able to ignore the colors around my eye. Jakey did a double take when he first saw me and then it was just business as usual which amounts to him always being hungry and needing something to eat.

Thanks for following me, though not sure what it means. Maybe it means that you're now following my author page.