Monday, June 2, 2008

Memory Monday...Part One

Dr Fix It

My BFF
Home away from home


July 3, 2007...one misstep changed my life. I was in Utah visiting family while my kid went to camps at BYU. My Sis and I had a fun evening of shopping, fries and a Nielsen's frozen custard concrete for dinner. It was midnight and my glass slipper shattered...well, actually it was my tib fib plateau. I slipped down the stairs, only the last three. Literally shopped til I dropped! Not my finest moment. My manly son Jordan and brother in law John helped my sorry butt into a chair. This next part is kind of a blur, it involved paramedics, not the soap opera kind, barfing, moaning and gnashing of teeth. These conscientious EMTs were trying to save me a buck and insisted on carting me to my sis's van so she could transport me to the ER. Now I have great insurance but I was too busy moaning to explain this.

They called ahead to the hospital and alerted them of my arrival. Nurse Ratchet was waiting with a wheel chair and told me to hop in. Seriously?! The Doctor and nurse were very kind and apologetic after reviewing my x-rays. Poor EMTs even got an earful from Dr Kindly. Initially, I thought I had blown my ACL, but no my friends I had the mother of all leg fractures. I said, "At least I didn't break my hip!" Dr Kindly said this was worse. When he said, "I hope you don't have any plans this year." I began to worry.

I was quickly transferred to the University of Utah hospital. Surgery was scheduled for that afternoon. Dr Fix It performed the Humpty-Dumpty procedure. Two steel plates, 9 screws and cadaver croutons put me back together again. I spent 10 days at the U of U hospital. All five siblings were in town, a rare occasion. I got to see each of them, though not at the same time. This was to be the last time I saw my brother Scott.
Tom called every day to see if he should come. I kept telling him there was nothing he could do but soon I was lucid enough to know that I needed him to just come and hold my hand.

Unable to bear any weight I was confined to bed and...a bed pan! SICK! No showers, no shampoos, no way! Can you say sponge bath? I discovered the dry shampoo shower cap. Heat in the microwave, place cap on head and massage into scalp. When you finish your hair looks like you dumped a bottle of product on it, but your scalp feels cleaner.
The days were long and the nights were longer. Friendly nurses and aids would sit and talk me through the darkness.
A fractured knee requires a lot of equipment. Brace from hip to ankle, Continuous Passive Motion machine, (torture chamber) moon boots for circulation, wheel chair, walker...this was just the beginning.

24 comments:

alison said...

All of this from 3 stairs! Well, at least you got a concrete in before the accident!

SavvyGirl said...

Can't wait to hear you re-tell it all! So happy you are doing so well.

Jennie said...

I am just waiting for something like this to happen to me. well not really waiting, but I have been known to fall down the stairs quite often. Once while 8 months pregnant. no real damamge, but it hurt. of course, not like your hurt

Robin said...

I'm glad you shared this. You have hinted at it in previous posts.

I mentioned you in my blog today.

Christie said...

That sounds just plain horrible. I can't even imagine. Wow.

The Family Rasheed said...

wow, I didn't even know. I am glad to hear you recovered well.

tawnya said...

And look at where you are now! Nary a punk walk anymore...

Sorry to send you on a painful memory journey!

Nancy said...

That makes my mom's knee replacement look like a walk in the park. I had no idea you'd been through this when I saw you at BP. You are amazing!

queenieweenie said...

what a nightmare! Glad you survived

Hazen5 said...

That story still makes me cringe! I am so glad you are doing better.

Lunch has to happen when school is out. Why do they shove so many activities together at the end of the school year?

lisset said...

what an ordeal! so glad you made it through!! you're an inspiration diane!!!

Annie said...

Oh,my. Not fun at all...and it sounds like there might be more left to tell!

So glad you're doing better. And you definitely deserve wonderful shoes after all that! (I'll try not to covet them now...as much.)

Annemarie said...

I remember it well...

Harper Family said...

Very interesting to actually read the event. I'm so sorry you had to go through all of this. On the brighter side, you look just marvelous now.

Carpfam said...

That is amazing! I can't believe you fell down just three stairs!! I'm so glad you're doing better now!

the wrath of khandrea said...

i feel like i've been waiting for this story since BP!
i want some pictures of you in the dry-wash shower cap.

*katie said...

Such a sad day...

Annemarie said...

Let's not forget to thank Jordan for the comic relief..."How to get your mama off the floor.com"

Paige said...

WAAAH! So sorry you've had to endure all this. Let's hear some "it's not fair!" screams now. Because it totally isn't. I hope you sued the owner of those dangerous stairs. I'm sure Annemarie wouldn't mind.

Jake said...

Wow. I am fascinated by this. Thank you for sharing!

(Please don't let my husband know...he thinks me and shopping are dangerous enough already!)

AnnEE said...

My EMT husband about pooped his pants when he heard what the EMTs did. WOW!!

He actually sat down and let me read this to him (SOOOO RARE). He requests pictures.

Anonymous said...

You've come a long way baby!! You have done really well recovering just don't give up the handi pass quite yet. It is quite convenient!!!

Jenibelle said...

OUCH!!!

Travelin'Oma said...

Thanks for sharing this. You are awesome.