Hospitals and Ambulance Rides. Part Two

The hospital has just called (4:10).....they have reviewed my x-rays.....I apparently have a compressed fracture of the12th vertebrae. Apparently I have nothing to worry about......except my back may hurt more for longer.

The doctor says I should keep active. I didn't ask if that meant that hitchhiking with a pack was ok......

As well ambulance service have called and confirmed that my wallet is officially lost.

Not been a great day!!!

Hospitals and Ambulances Rides

I have been in a ambulance twice in my life time.....once in 1980 and once last night. I don't have fond memories of the first one and I suspect that the one last night will not be high on my list of favourite things to remember.

I got up to go to the bathroom around 2:00 AM - I somehow missed the entrance to the bathroom door and ended up falling down the stairs that lead to my front door . I landed on my back. I knew right away that I was in serious trouble. After laying there for a while cursing and swearing I crawled up the stairs  and into the bathroom  (I still needed to pee. It is fortunate that the toilet bowl is quite low. Peeing while on ones knees can be quite tricky). I continued my trip to the bedroom and managed to get onto the bed. I laid there for a while, swearing at my stupidly, the pain and all of the Gods. After 45 minutes of being unable to find a comfortable position,  I decided that I needed help. I manoeuvred  myself around on the bed so that I could reach the telephone on the floor. Every time I moved, my back  spasmed, sweat oozed out of every pore and I had to gasp for breath. It took an extraordinary amount of time to move my head from top of the bed to the foot. I finally got into a position where I could snag the phone. I dialled 911.

The phone didn't work but without my glasses I couldn't read the message on the screen as to why. I reversed the manoeuvring process to get my glasses on the night stand, tried dialling again and found out that the phone couldn't find the base station. After some more cursing, I gently slithered put of the bed - crawled to the dining room, got the other phone, dialled 911 and asked for the ambulance.

The two young attendants were really nice, professional, caring and quite willing to go along with and even participate in my inane humour. Because the stairs are so steep they requested additional muscle power from the fire department. I was, after some discomfort (that is medical terminology for it hurt like hell) strapped into a half backboard and then placed in some sort of  a wheelchair. They placed my wallet, a pair of pants and a t-shirt at the bottom of the chair. The trip down the stairs was not fun. They were careful as they could be but every bump hurt.  At the bottom of the stairs they transferred me  onto a stretcher/gurney and away we went.

It didn't seem that it was that busy at emergency but it did take a while for the doctor to see me.  To make a long story short, after 3-4 X-rays, it was decided that while I may have done some damage to my back muscles etc., nothing was broken and I could/should go home. No one asked me what I thought of that plan. I think I would have benefited from a few hours rest. Getting dressed was a challenge and I had a sense that the nurse assisting me thought I was a bit of a wimp for not moving faster or perhaps jumping up and walking the first time I tried to sit up.

When I asked for it, no one could find my wallet. I hung around trying to get someone to call the ambulance dispatch. When finally a nurse talked to the dispatch supervisor - the answer was - "sorry - we have looked  but we can't find it". I had to walk home as I had no money for a taxi. Fortunately it is normally only a 15 minute walk. Besides the Percocet had started to do its magic.

This afternoon I have (along with my landlady) checked around the stairs and driveway for the wallet but we can't find it. I guess I am going to have to cancel my cards and get a new licence, health card etc. Most of which will not happen before I go out west - if I can go at all.

I have no sense of how badly hurt my back is. Right now, in spite of the Percocet and some other stuff that is supposed to reduce inflammation - I am still a bit uncomfortable (there is that word again). I suspect that by tomorrow I will have stiffened up and will feel worse, but hopefully from that point on it will gradually feel better. The question is not only will I be well enough to travel but will I feel up to getting ready?

Sometimes life sucks.