Lucky - part 1

January 27, 2011

Lucky, that’s what I am.

The morning started per usual. I finished my sun salutations (yoga sequence) and then decided to do every pose/stretch that I am capable of doing to work my legs.  I then finished prepping for my day. Feeling good I stepped out my doorway in my sturdy Doc Marten shoes and headed out for the day.  Well, that was the plan. I stepped one stair down on my front staircase and ZOOOOOOM.  I tried to scream because of the pain, but only squawks emerged. I finally called Nick’s name. I knew he was, moments earlier closing the door behind me.  I then gently grasped my right leg and moved it so that it was parallel to my outstretched left leg.

Nick brought the little chair that I keep on the front porch to me and I propped my injured leg on it.  I had twisted it and could feel the bones clicking. Surprisingly the endorphins managed to keep me calm. Nick called 911 and we waited for the ambulance.  They arrived and awkwardly splinted my leg onto the challenge of getting me on the gurney. Luckily I have been doing yoga for awhile. I picked up my damaged right leg and set it over to the right on the gurney then the big guys helped me to stand on my left leg and voila, I was ambulance ready.

Two blocks later, I was at the hospital. They immediately brought me into the emergency room where the nurse/assistant looked at me and said, how are we going to do this…  They needed to move me to the other bed.  One of the paramedics beamed at the assistant and said, “watch this” and I redid the move the leg then the body maneuver.  Flexibility, it is my friend. I was promptly offered pain meds via IV. But I HATE needles so declined. The endorphins were still flowing and I get weirdly calm in a crisis.  I did accept a couple of pain pills though. 

Nick arrived just after I had transferred to the other bed. Luckily he was home with nowhere else to go. He stayed with me through the xray and diagnostic processes.  Several times I had to decline the liquid pain meds they wanted to IV me with.  I was then informed that the break in my fibula was up near my knee and a minor issue. The problem was with my ankle. Frankly, they seemed desperate to IV me but NO WAY. I was then told by the emergency room orthopedic doctor that I had ruined all the soft tissue and it had twisted over to the wrong side of my ankle. He was going to have to manually push it back into place.  I said okay and started my yoga breathing.

Several nurses and assistants stood around my bed.  I think they thought they would have to hold me down. In any case, I was lucky enough to know how to cope. He said ready, I breathed and he moved the ankle, ligaments, muscles, tendons, and tissues… Weirdly it felt kinda great like things were back where they belonged. I continued to breath and he continued to manipulate my ankle and voila it was over.  The doctor then said to the staff “I need to have her come in and work with my patients.” This was sweet of him to say. It was also the last time I allowed anyone to touch my ankle for weeks.

They then put a hard cast up the back of my leg and wrapped it in layers of ace bandage and sent me home. I had an appointment for several days hence with a new orthopedist who would manage my continued care.  Before leaving I was informed that I’d probably need surgery and wouldn’t be well for 10-14 weeks, lucky me (yes that one is sarcasm).

Addendum. I was very lucky to have worked out that morning. The fall should have mangled more of my legs and groin but the stretching worked and I didn't suffer from other damage.   The Doc Martens were not my friend. They are good at sticking so instead of sliding with the rest of my body, that right foot stayed put and got mangled.