My Fall

I've been in denial about my risk for years.  But, last Tuesday at 8 a.m. it caught up with me.  About halfway through my usual walk, a patch of ice threw me off and—swish, boom—sent me to the ground, falling hard on my right hip bone.  Lying there, I realized those low bone density numbers could not be denied any more.

Of course, I slowly tried to get up, but flashes of pain quickly ruled that out.  If I didn't move, it didn't hurt.  So, I didn't move!  I wasn't really cold in my big coat and weighted vest as I fished for my phone and called Steve.  Then came twenty minutes of praying and admiring the surrounding grass and goose poop until he got to me.  A helpful guy named Jeff came by walking his dog.  Together he and Steve carried me to the car as gently as they could.  But, Ouch! 

ER.  X-ray.  Yep, fractured femur.  IV.  Admission to OSF hospital.  Two-and-a-half-hour surgery ended around 8 p.m.  I wish I could say the twelve hours of that day zoomed by in a blur, but alas, that would not be accurate.

There followed a long night connected to the IV and various monitors, and interrupted eight times by either machine malfunction or staff.  The good part of that was I never had to signal for someone to come with the bedpan.  Someone was likely already there!

More to come.  :-]