Saturday afternoon AMBULANCE Ride

Yes, it was for me! About 3 PM on Saturday, we went out to the patio to sit for awhile and enjoy the beautiful weather with a soft breeze blowing.  I started to move my chair back and all of a sudden the chair collapsed and I fell straight back hitting my head on the cement. There is more detail about the patio chair, but I won't go into that now. Needless, to say, my physical condition is what is important here. I hit the back of my head very hard and instantly I had a huge bump on the back of my head. I felt very very dizzy. I did not loose consciousness but felt very startled and knew it could be more than a "bump on my head". When MSM (My Special Man) wanted to help me up, I said "don't touch me, let me just think for a minute".   The dread and horror that transformed his face was so difficult for me to see. He felt so helpless! I am a retired Registered Nurse and I guess my natural nurse instincts kicked in. I asked him to get me some ice for my head while I figured out what was the next best thing to do. Since putting ice in a bag can sometimes seem to take forever, I yelled "Bring the bag of frozen blueberries." and he did.  After using the " ice" for a short time I had him help me to the living room sofa. And, again I spent some time assessing what was best for me/us. I decided that I needed an ambulance to transport me to the hospital for professional care. Boy, oh, boy, I did not want to need an ambulance. But, it was best to be smart instead of sorry.

I called 911 and told them "my story" and asked for an ambulance without sirens! The Fire Department arrived in minutes and than the ambulance with an EMT and  paramedic. The medical emergency assessments were good except for a blood pressure of 200/110 which did not surprise me. Since age 29 I have dealt with fluctuating Hypertension and difficulty in finding a stable medication regime.

The medical teams were excellent in their professionalism and care and - - - - - - - they all were very good looking men! I bet you didn't expect me to say that. I really surprised myself and had the best time flirting with them as they carried me to the stretcher. You know, an old lady can get away with that! Even though I wasn't wearing purple it made me think of the poem "When I Am An Old Woman - I Shall Wear Purple" which was written in 1961 by Jenny Joseph and became popular in the 1980's. It speaks to growing old in a wonderfully outrageous style. Check it out -  http://www.inspirationline.com/EZINE/7MAR2005.htm.  Up until a few years ago, I was quite shy and reserved in my public persona.  So, perhaps you can imagine how surprised I was with myself! We all had a lot of fun even in a potentially serious situation.

Anyway, the ambulance crew took very good care of me on the way to the hospital and got me all settled before leaving. The EMT even went to get a warm blanket for me and wrapped it nicely around me making sure my feet were covered. An I.V. drip was started and a CT scan was performed which demonstrated  large soft tissue trauma (aka a concussion).  No brain swelling/damage was noted nor any fracture. It will take about three weeks for the soft tissue trauma/swelling to be absorbed. Just a note - outward swelling (bump) is always better than inward swelling, which causes pressure on the brain.

So, I was discharged and did not have to stay overnight even though I had profound continual dizziness, especially with any movement of my head. I stayed at the home of MSM until today. He has taken excellent care of me and I have stayed very quiet, some of it in bed because I do not want to interfere in any way with the recovery. I am still very dizzy but I notice improvement day by day.

So, that's my story!  I feel so blessed and thankful that my head injury is not more severe! I hope your weekend was less eventful. Now, I am going to lay down and rest.

Have a Great Day