Grateful to Recover
Last month I happened to not only dislocate but fracture my
left ankle after getting off the bus. At
first I thought I just took a misstep but when the bus driver got off to assist
me I realized it was much worse. I
couldn’t feel my foot and luckily the bus driver and a fellow passenger
assisted me back on the bus while the driver called ahead for an ambulance and
asked them to meet us at the following stop.
Unfortunately, I live in an area where we have volunteer ambulance techs
and firemen so this particular evening the ones located in my area were all in
training in another city so I had to sit in the bus with the remaining
passengers till they finally arrived.
Twenty minutes later I was being assisted off the bus by one
hot police officer as he was the first on the scene. I now had to lean against his back as he took
a step at a time and then lifted me off the last step and placed me in front of
the ambulance gurney. That was one of
the highlights of the evening so I couldn’t complain much then but then on
route to the hospital the pain began to set in and I had to be driven to the
nearest hospital which was another twenty minutes away and the ride was a bit
bumpy due to the terrible winter we've had and the many potholes left behind on its wake .
Upon arriving at the hospital I was relieved to see my
family there waiting for me and the nurses and doctors assigned to me were
absolutely amazing. They treated, popped
my ankle back in place after taking X-rays and then monitored me for a little
over an hour before the nurse taught me how to use crutches, issued my release and handed me instructions
and a referral to schedule an appointment with an Orthopedic Specialist in a
couple of days. A couple of days later I
was seen and then by the end of the week I was scheduled to have surgery as a
plate and screw had to be placed in order to keep my foot intact.
Having never broken a bone in my life this was all not only
an inconvenience because I had to apply for disability at work but also
frustrating to say the least. A week
after the surgery I was managing my way around the house with the crutches but
my being able to sleep comfortably was out the window. I had to get accustomed to doing things
around the house I could manage, watched a lot of TV and did some writing on my
current WIP but was still missing being able to get out of the house. According to my doctor I would be out of work
for three months and although a month and a half has gone by so far I still
find my being unable to do certain things or even going to work a bit
stressful. In the interim, pain meds
prescribed gave me a severe allergic reaction so I broke out in hives and a
rash that targeted certain areas of my body so now I not only had to deal with
the uncomfortable feeling a cast brings but an itch and rash that wouldn’t let
up.
Miserable couldn’t begin to describe how I was feeling but
thankfully I have a great support system at home I could certainly rely and
lean on when needed. Between my
boyfriend and son they helped a lot around the house but since I couldn’t stand
up for too long we had to eat out a lot and that alone put a damper on my
mood. I enjoy cooking, cleaning and
being able to take long showers and all this with exception to showering had to
be done solely by them during the first month.
I didn’t get back into the kitchen until I felt comfortable enough to do
so, so now I cook twice to three times a week and feel like I have a little to
offer.
Being independent since I was a
child has made my relying on anyone else hard but unfortunately I had no
choice, and can honestly say I am glad I have the support I need from those I
love. They have been wonderful from the
onset so I am also truly blessed. I have
another month and a half to go and can’t wait to get back to work but know that
vacation and days off will have to be limited once I return so I hope we can
take a week or weekend off prior to my return to do something fun like a
romantic getaway or family retreat. We
so need it and I can hardly wait. I have
certainly learned how important having all your limbs intact is and wish this
on no one as it isn’t easy.
It is best to take very good care of your health. Appreciate all you can do and certainly have
compassion for those that can’t ever get better. I will be back to walking soon but there are
many out there who will forever struggle with pain and the inability to walk
again. I have much to be grateful for
and shall never take it for granted again.
Copyright © 2014 ~ Susan B. Anna
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