Catch My Fall

"........if I should stumble,,,,,,"

And stumble I did. 

Saturday I went out for an 18 mile run. One of my last long runs before September's marathon. Since I was going farther than anyone in either of my running groups, I planned to do the first 13 on my own and joine one group for the last 5. 

Plans change.

Around mile. 4.5, my foot hit a slightly raised sidewalk section. And down I went.   HARD. 

Super duper hard. 

I was at the end of someone's driveway just laying there deciding how bad was I injured, how much did it hurt and what I should do about it. 

First off, my Apple Watch didn't go into emergency mode as it is supposed to. I'm not sure what I would have done had it. The watch has cellualr for this reason, so I did call 710.  Useless. He was still asleep as it was barely after 06:00. 

Oh, but as I lay there, two female runners run past me. Writing. Bloody. Moaning. 

They didn't stop. They didn't yell out "are you ok?". Hell, they didn't even break stride. 

So I had little option and started to walk. 4.5 miles back to wear I parked. I figured I could get myself to an urgent care. 

What I didn't know was, I broke my femur. Cleanly. 

I proceeded to walk on a broken leg for four miles. I didn't make it back. And all of the sudden I couldn't move at all. The pain so extreme I literally couldn't take one more step. The problem was, now I was in the middle of an off ramp (trying the quickest way is a straight line).  Very few cars. None of them stopping, but me not signaling them to do so. 

I called a running member who said she'd pick me up, but my location was wonky. And then I realized she's 4'2" and I couldn't move at all. How was she gonna help me? 

Then I got dizzy, saw white spots and was fading fast. I saw a car coming towards me. I stuck out my hand for him to stop and then I collapsed. 

As luck would have it, he was a physician. He called 9-1-1 and tried to assess me through verbal actions. 

EMS shows up and wants me to get on my back and roll over. I practically laugh at them. I literally could not move at all - that's how bad the pain level was.  All four of them finally took a limb and got my onto a car - while I screamed.  I'll give it to the guy who rode in back with me. Going 45 mph on a bumpy road he got an IV in me and I never felt a thing. 

Urgent Care became an emergency department. One I owuld be in for 18 hours. Tests. Tests. Pain meds. Another IV port. Tests. No sleep. No ability to rest  Consults and then decision to move me to the main campus facility as I was going to need surgery - and it was potentially a complicated one.

Sine they didn't know when I'd be going to OR, I was not allowed to eat for drink...........for 16 hours. I finally had to tell the nurse, page the trauma team and ask if we are going to OR or can "he" eat. While my nurse was hot, he didn't have that critical thinking skill. 

I got moved to main campus around 0:100. And had tests until 03:00. Finally closing my eyes shortly after propped up by lots of things so I couldn't move. 

There will be another part. But basically I sat all of Sunday doing more tests and a lot of sitting. And playing NYT games early in the a.m. 

I also texted a fuck of a lot of people about my sitch.  Sister. Work. Running Groups. Other family members. 

None of them have used the word "moron" when I said I walked on a broken leg. .....but you know they thought it. Looking back, so do I.  .....I just didn't know (or figure) it was broken. I was told by at least two docs that if I broke the femur that way it would have to be a severe hit.......and I could confirm that. 

They asked if Ilost consciousness.  I always said 'no', but then thought - well, how would I know? 

I had no head trauma. Neuro checks were all good. All cuts and scrapes were right bodied. 

Now I have to find that doc who saved me and thank him. 

More in part 2

Song by: Billy Idol