Yesterday I was on my way into my favorite grocery store to fill a prescription, when all of a sudden I hit an ice patch. BOOM!!!My feet go flying out from underneath me. I hit my head badly. Keys, cellphone and whatever else go whipping down the pavement. A gentleman I have never seen before asks if I’m all right. Yes, I say as I continue to lie there. He asks again. I sit up and say I don’t know. He asks one more time and I get to my feet and tell him I’m fine. I make my way to the service desk in the store to tell them about the ice patch so an elderly person doesn’t slip and break a hip. About this time I start shaking and my head is pounding. They ask to call an ambulance. After much persuasion I decide to let them. I don’t know how bad I’m hurt and you can’t be too careful with head injuries.The paramedics arrive. They want to take me to the hospital. Okay I say.Then they tell me they have to strap me to a backboard and put a neckbrace on me, it is standard procedure in these cases. No,no,no.I even move my neck back and forth and tell them it’s fine. They don’t like this. Well, I have to sign a waiver then. I agree to sign a waiver.They are not happy. Finally I say “Fine just do what you have to do, Let’s go” (I figure if I’m on a backboard at least the doctors will take care of me right away)
After a short agonizing ride in which we hit every pothole in a five mile radius, we finally arrive at the hospital.They leave me in the hall for about five minutes while they figure out where to stick me.I can only look at the ceiling because I’m strapped down with a neckbrace.I’m finally placed in an examing room and left. I think an nurse will be there any minute.NO. I’m kept waiting another 20 minutes. Meanwhile I’m having agonizing back spasms from being strapped down.(I have arthritis in my back, and I had major hip surgery last year wich still isn’t completely healed)The nurse comes in and tells me she is really sorry about my agony but only the doctor can release me from my strapped in prison. Okay, I think. She will tell him I’m practally in tears here, I can expect him any time. I WAIT ANOTHER HOUR FOR HIM!!! Thank god my husband showed up 35 minutes after the nurse(He was at work they had to hunt him down) I was trying to undo the straps and get the hell out of there. I was minutes away from screaming my head off. Remember during all this time I couldn’t see anyone. I was staring at a ceiling and could only hear voices in the corridor.My husband did his best to distract me and make me laugh. He was sooo disappointed he didn’t have his digital camera.
The doctor finally shows up. He says I have to get my neck x-rayed, because it is hurting. No, I say my neck does not hurt it is my head from being tightly strapped down(I hit the back of it when I fell) and my back. He argues with me. No! I tell him again my neck does not hurt! Are you nauseous or vomiting he asks. I tell him it’s lucky I’m not vomiting or else I would have asphyxiated myself long before he got there. I got the ‘look’ from him. Too bad.He finally takes the damn neckbrace and backboard off. The whole time he’s poking me and asking me if it hurts.I don’t mind this so much because I realize he would be terribly remiss if he didn’t find out if I have anything overy sore or broken. He decides to have my back x-rayed because I told him of my back spasms and that’s where I hurt the most, plus my major groan when he turned me over.
Well to make a too long story not longer. My x-ray was fine,(He was amazed by the amount of hardware in my bad hip) I was given a prescrition of Vicodin for my pain and sent home. I am very sore today but no worse for the wear. This is why I avoid the emergency room even if I think I’m dying.