The Injury… a detailed account. Part 2 – The Hospital – 1st Night

I started this post a couple of weeks ago and had planned on inserting all of the pics at a later date. Well, as I was inserting the pics into the post today, I deleted the whole thing! ARGH! So, this will not be that wordy, as I am totally worn out from therapy today and grocery shopping.

Where I last left off, I was waiting for the ambulance. Once the new EMTs arrived, one of them told my husband not to take any pics. Um, excuse you? We take pics, that’s just what we do! I’m sorry Mr. EMT man, but I will not allow you to deny me the right to document this very important and life-changing event. This is MY life! That being said, my husband kept snapping away. Although he did not take pics of that EMT, fair enough, right?

The new EMT, I’ll call him Mark, was in a pretty bad mood. He was scheduled for two (2), twelve-hour shifts back-to-back. How do I know this, you ask? Well, as I was being loaded into the ambulance, I told Mark and his partner that they could attend our after-party at the Detroit Pub in downtown Mt. Clemens. The other EMT said, “we don’t get off til 7 (am), the party will probably be over by then, right?” I nodded yes. Mark said, “I don’t get off at 7 (am). I’m working a double”. Mark went on to say that he had accidentally, by accident, signed up for back-to-back shifts. Apparently he wasn’t paying attention and their supervisor really didn’t care. Poor guy. I tried to cheer him up as he was getting ready to start my I.V. and I didn’t want him taking his frustrations out on me. But some people can’t be helped. Misery loves company and I’m a loner.

It was kinda scary when they closed those doors… the resounding thud shook me.

So I wasn’t exactly out of it when these pics were taken, I was however, getting a little loopy and I was very talkative… lol

Just a lil loopy… lol!

I was just snapping away the whole ride to the hospital, all I had was my iphone and nothing else, not even shoes! LOL! No one rode with me, as all of my friends and family had driven themselves (we need to carpool more often). My oldest son Eric had to drive my car home and my children and husband were responsible for collecting ALL of my belongings. I had a lot of things with me that day, which included two pair of shoes (platform mules and Chuck Taylors), three boutifts, my camera, my huge Derby Bag, my Reidell’s, my M.A.B., two sets of knee and elbow pads, 4 rolls of duct tape, my tool bag and a lot of incidentals. I didn’t even get my Chuck Taylors till weeks later and I just realized that I don’t have my Triple Eight wrist guards. Hopefully they’ll turn up at our practice/bout facility.

The EMT took this one… I call it my “Ring” photo… Lol

My POV… Look up… Emergency Room sign above entrance to McLaren Macomb’s ER… Such a good hospital!!

They’re rolling me into the ER…

Yay! My family was waiting for me when I got to the hospital. Here’s my youngest child, Elijah, keeping me company.

We’re pretending to pout…

I was in pretty good spirits considering the injury I had just sustained. I made a conscious effort to deal with this crazy turn my life just took, with as much positive energy and grace as I could muster. Grace under fire? Yup, that’s me. I truly believe that everything we put out into the universe comes back to us. This whole ordeal, the bout, the injury, the surgery, my hospital stay… I approached all of it with a smile on my face and no fear. That’s right, I said “No fear”. I was nervous on my way to the bout, but I calmed down once I saw my family. From that point on, I was good. I had already won. I was rewarded with an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment and warmth. So that’s why I’m giving the thumbs up in all of this pics. I knew God was going to take care of everything. He’s never given me anything I couldn’t handle.

Thumbs up! I’m alive!

I only took like, 5 or 6 or 10 thumbs up pics! lol

Last one…

The doctor wanted to cut my fishnets and sock off… I said, “no no no… let me take my sock off… no biggie…” I still have my socks. The fishnets are minus a leg, which came in handy when I wore them with my cast just the other day (I’ll show those pics in a different post).

Check it out! Owwww…chee…

A different angle of my mangled ankle… try to say that three times, real fast… lol!

My I.V. right next to my lines and positions… Lines 1 & 4, Inside Blocker for both…

Here’s my temporary wrap before I get my first x-ray…

One leg up, One leg up… Lol! Dontcha’ just love my Hello Kitty duct tape? It’s so awesome!

Time to go get an x-ray… One of my favorite watches: Invicta Sub Aqua Noma III

My first X-Ray

Here’s the side view x-ray…. ugh

Can you see the fractures? Oucheeee….

The diagnosis: fractured ankle in three places, Trimalleolar Fracture is the term the doctor used. Treatment: Surgery. Prognosis: I’ll walk again.

The doctor is getting ready to stick me with a huge needle to numb me up before he popped my ankle back in place… aye yai yai!

I do NOT have a pic of him popping my ankle back in place as I was way too nervous for that. Elijah tried to video it, I don’t think he was successful.

All popped into place, now I’m getting a temporary cast to hold me until my surgery in a few hours….

By now, my family had gone home and I was taken to my first room, 483 on the fourth floor.

My vitals… it was a long night.. awaiting surgery, doped up and hungry as heck!

I was sooooo hungry and just wore out…

Time to go to sleep. I will continue the hospital stay in a different post or I may just add on to this one. Haven’t decided yet. Until then…

Today I cried…

I suffered a Trimalleolar Fracture (ankle fractured in three places), on May 19th, 2012, during my first roller derby bout. I will write more about that day in a separate post. I did not cry when I broke my ankle nor have I cried since, that is until today. While I have been in pain since my surgery on May 20th, 2012, I have remained upbeat and have not allowed any self-pitying. FYI: I’m usually late to the pity party and sometimes I don’t even show up.

Fast forward to today. I had a follow-up appointment with my surgeon today and after a look at my x-ray, the doctor says that my ankle is healing up nicely. So far, so good. That is until they removed my cast and revealed the nasty Frankenstein leg that has been a part of me for the last few weeks. Eew. I couldn’t see my ankle very well (bad angle), but I did take a few pics. This is what the thing looks like:

I was still doing relatively well. Smiling while talking to Dr. Balazsy and Dr. Kim. Only slightly grimacing as I had to hold my ankle at a 90 degree angle while Dr. Balazsy applied my hot pink cast. I hopped out of there with my new cast and Hello Kitty crutches with the help of my most handsome and capable son Eric. We don’t really get along (too much alike), but Eric has helped me tremendously! I don’t know what I would do without him.

I’m home now, and as I looked at these pics I couldn’t help but cry. When I mentioned to Dr. Balazsy that I had finalized plans to go to Miami for my 40th birthday in August, he told me that I probably won’t be able to do a lot of walking without my ankle swelling. I think that put me over the edge. I have finally realized that I really fucked my ankle up! I injured myself doing something that I love to do and I have no regrets. That being said, I can’t help but feel sad for all of the time that I’m about to lose in rehabilitating this ankle. I’ve already been on bedrest since my surgery on May 20th and I don’t forsee a whole lot of activity in the near future. So, here I lay, leg elevated, body medicated and mind reeling. I’ll be better tomorrow, but today I cried…