Posted on December 19, 2011 - by Nicole Humphrey Cook
The Gift of More Time to Write
I try to make my posts over here as inspirational and as positive as I can. This one however, might just be the exception to that r
ule. But how can it be, when I title it like that? More time to write? That is a gift!
Except when you do it like this:
Yes, my leg says “Yes”. Why? I had surgery Friday and they do that to make sure they have the correct limb. Because you know I woulda been pretty mad if I had woken up and they had operated on my perfectly good right foot.
So I’m sure you’re wondering what I did. Oh how I wish I could tell you I did some awesome thing like Skiing or Dancing With the Stars (that would be a terrible sight btw, so maybe it’s a good thing I don’t have such an awesome story to tell).
No. Here’s what I did, and what happened afterward.
Last Friday night (I did not dance on tabletops, I may have maxed out credit cards with an ER bill, but I did not go streaking in the park – sorry for Katy Perry reference, but man oh man, that was what I hear in my head after I typed that haha)
ANYWAY.
Last Friday night, Dec. 9 at 6pm I was dropping one of my daughters off, to do this: (see photo on right)
During the month of December, my kids participate in Christmas Traditions on Main Street in St. Charles. Year round they are in a Fife & Drum corps. and we travel all over, but come Christmas time, they lead the parade down main street every single Friday, Saturday and Sunday followed by all kinds of cool Victorian characters and carolers and Santa’s from all over the world.
So last Friday, my daughter (who is visible in the background behind the flag), was heading down to play her fife for the evening crowd of shoppers that swarm the streets at night. The rest of my kids had opted out of that night and were returning home with me after we dropped her off.
We had to park a bit further away than usual, so we had to cross over a street to get to the cobblestones. See the cobblestones they are walking on? They are so pretty. It’s one of the things I love about main street and my town. You have to be careful when walking on cobblestones though, they are uneven and certain shoes can be detrimental to your health. I strongly recommend NO high heels, and I shake my head when I see people down there in them. So unsafe. Anyway.
That’s not the point. But anyway, here’s a blown up picture of the cobblestone. (see photo on left)
See, uneven, as I said. But again, that isn’t really the point here. So already I’m cautious when I’m down there. After we crossed the street, there is a step up onto this sewer before you get to the sidewalk to walk along. Well, anyone who’s ever seen a sewer knows that in front of it, is usually a dip where the water collects to fall down into it.
When there’s cobblestones involved, the dip is larger than normal, and WAY uneven. I stepped down into the dip and my foot decided it liked that spot so it stayed put. I fell forward while my foot stayed totally straight and wedged into this little dip. I heard a snap, I felt a snap and my kids scrambled to help me up. What I can remember is that my foot didn’t actually dislodge from its location until after I began to get back up. By then the pain was excruciating and I knew this was not a simple sprain. In fact, I guessed at the time that I had torn at least a ligament if not two. I knew it wasn’t broken, or at least I assumed it wasn’t. It took me about 5 minutes standing on one leg and balancing on my daughter to work up the nerve to hop back to the van. I sent my fifing daughter on her merry way to go fife the night away, telling her we’d be back in a few hours.
I won’t lie – I was wondering how I was going to manage coming back to get her, but I was thanking God, literally that it was my left foot and not my right.
Did I happen to mention that my husband was out of town for this? Yeah. Like 2000 miles away in Portland, OR for work.
So I’m not sure how I did it, but I did manage to drive us the 20 minutes home. Hobbled into the house with a lot of support from my kids and crashed on the couch trying to figure out what to do. It took me 15 minutes to work up the nerve to actually take my shoe off because the pain was so bad.
I took some Motrin, put some ice on it and come 8:00pm I hobbled out the door to get my daughter from main street, making a brief stop at Walgreens to see if they had a brace of some kind. They didn’t. But I did pick up some crutches because there was no WAY I could get around without them.
By 11pm I knew I had to go to the ER. My foot & ankle were swollen about 3x’s the size they are normally. Taking my two oldest with me, we headed down to the ER.
Three hours later I was on my way home with a partial cast, a diagnosis of a sprain, a prescription for Vicodin and a follow up appointment requested for Monday with an Orthopedic Surgeon. That probably should have been my first clue something was amiss.
Monday morning I was calling the OS and they didn’t understand why the ER doc would have me follow up with an OS for a sprain. I couldn’t really answer that. At all. After several hours and many phone calls later, and everyone being booked until after Christmas, my mom called and remembered my OS’s name that we used when I was a kid. What are the chances he’s still practicing? He is! This was good news. I loved him. He reminds me of Albert Einstein. I’m not sure why though 
Do you happen to know?
Anyway. Appointment was scheduled for Tuesday, which was good, because my ankle was looking REALLY bad. And it only seemed to keep getting worse. The pain was awful. This photo was taken on day 3.
Anyway, after only 10 minutes with my Orthopedic Surgeon, I was scheduled for surgery for that Friday (which was this past Friday). Turns out, I didn’t sprain my ankle or my foot. In fact, what I did was apparently much worse than that. Ready? I ruptured my Achilles Tendon. In layman’s terms, I snapped the damn thing in half. Yep. Not connected. At all.
Don’t even get me started on how irritated I am with the ER for not seeing this in the 3 x-rays they took, or for not calling in a specialist. My OS said I should’ve had surgery that night.
So Friday I had surgery and I have been told this is going to take 12 weeks to heal. The pain sucks, the Vicodin doesn’t seem to work for very long and I don’t like taking it, and I’m tired of sitting still and not being able to do anything. (yes, I’d like some cheese to go with my whine). I’m allowed to whine – you don’t want to even know what this feels like.
However, as everyone keeps reminding me, I do have more time to write. Yes, I suppose I do.
Except this is not how I wanted it.
Popularity: 7% [?]
18 Comments
We'd love to hear yours!
Trackbacks/Pingbacks
-
-
January 9, 2012
[...] hopefully on the road to recovery. To read the whole terrible story, you can read all about how I severed my Achilles Tendon [...]
-
-
January 23, 2012
[...] at the time we made this delicious pie, I was fresh out of surgery from my severed Achilles Tendon. I am still on the long road to recovery, but that’s okay because mini-chef has stepped up to [...]
Leave a Reply
Here's your chance to speak.
-
Connect with me
Visit My Website
December 19, 2011
Permalink
Estrella Azul said:
Oh gosh, hope the pain goes away soon!
And I hear you on the having more time to write, but “this is not how I wanted it”.
I’ve had more time to write today (and I wrote, and read, and wrote, and commented), but being in bed all day long because of a nasty cold while doing my best not to drown myself with nose drops wasn’t how I wanted it.
ERs are weird like that. Just be glad it wasn’t anything fatal they might have missed, like before I had surgery…
Estrella Azul recently posted..Recap: In a Year of Loving Fearlessly
Visit My Website
December 19, 2011
Permalink
Nicole Humphrey Cook said:
Yikes Estrella, I don’t even know that that last comment meant, but it scares me for you. I hope you feel better soon – stupid colds are just as rotten as the flu and other things that leave us caught up in bed. I am grateful it wasn’t a fatal mistake. Definitely grateful for that. Feel better!
Visit My Website
December 19, 2011
Permalink
Estrella Azul said:
I see I’ve phrased that wrong, didn’t mean to scare you! It was meant to say “possibly fatal”. I could have died of blood poisoning a few years ago and no one at the ER noticed in time for it not to require surgery.
But it’s all good now, your story just reminded me of this
Estrella Azul recently posted..Recap: In a Year of Loving Fearlessly
Visit My Website
December 19, 2011
Permalink
Lynn Hallbrooks said:
I’m so sorry that you have to go through all of this. It is amazing what we mothers do and apparently you have some great children for them to be so supportive and helpful. It is also amazing that husbands seem to be gone when this type of thing happens.
Please take good care of yourself.
Visit My Website
December 20, 2011
Permalink
Nicole Humphrey Cook said:
Lynn, thank you. You’re such a sweetheart. I do have some wonderful kids, I really do – one of my daughters has been making dinner (including elaborate desserts) to keep my food blog running smoothly, my son keeps me standing most days because I cannot get the hang of crutches and I constantly feel as if I’m falling over and then the rest of them just wait on me hand and foot. It’s times like this I need to remember how truly blessed I am.
Thanks sweet friend! xoxox
Visit My Website
December 19, 2011
Permalink
Cathy Dreyer said:
OMG I don’t even know how I would cope. Your kids sound amazing. Good job, in more ways than one. At least by what you’ve reaped you know you sowed GOOD. Cathy x
Cathy Dreyer recently posted..The confusing truth about tweedy bottoms with Arturo Perez-Reverte on drugs
Visit My Website
December 20, 2011
Permalink
Nicole Humphrey Cook said:
Cathy that was what I was thinking the night it happened – unfortunately I had to quickly find out. It’s not easy, I’m so bored, I hate lying still (ADHD does that to me) and I am running out of things to do. LOL
thanks for the reminder of how awesome my kids are, they are – and sometimes I think we forget until we’re forced to focus on that.
xoxox
Visit My Website
December 19, 2011
Permalink
Debra Kristi said:
Oh girl, I am so sorry this happened to you. I remember when I was propped up in bed with my foot injury. Absolutely no fun. And I didn’t get a lot of writing done because I wanted to sleep a lot. I hope your situation turns out different. I’ll say a little prayer for you. I can’t believe they didn’t see that in the original x-ray. Ugh!
Debra Kristi recently posted..Immortal Monday Fails the Holy Grail
Visit My Website
December 20, 2011
Permalink
Nicole Humphrey Cook said:
Debra, thank you. I think I’m winding up being a bit more like you than I’d like to admit (being like you is not a bad thing hon, not at all – but the sleeping thing – oh yes the sleeping thing). I’m getting nothing done because either I’m sleeping or apparently my injury has caused my attention span to drop to that of a flea’s… I cannot focus or concentrate on anything. LOL
The original XRAY – not a happy moment for me when I got the news 5 days later. Ugh! I’m hoping to get copies of the xrays this Friday and if I do, I’m curious what I will see. Thank you so much for the prayers. xoxox my sweet friend!
Visit My Website
December 19, 2011
Permalink
Kenra Daniels said:
Wow, Nicole! So sorry this happened to you! Hugs for a speedy recovery!
And as a long-term chronic pain patient, on heavy narcotics for nearly a decade now, I can tell you from experience – if the label says 3 times a day, take it 3 times a day. The more consistent the levels of the med are in your bloodstream, the more effective it is. Also, the less likelihood of psychological dependence, according to my psycho-neurologist.
At least you have something to occupy you other than watching soaps and sit-coms all day, every day. ;D
Kenra Daniels recently posted..Six Sentence Sunday 12-18
Visit My Website
December 20, 2011
Permalink
Nicole Humphrey Cook said:
Kenra! Thank you. I’ll take all your hugs!
Good info on the pain meds, I did notice that yesterday. I actually went most of the day without anything except 600mg of Advil so I guess its getting “better”. Either that or I’m getting better at channeling the pain. haha! I want KNOW dependence, so I really appreciate that info. Instead I’m all worried about stupid blood clots now LOL
Thanks for your sweet words!! xoxox
Visit My Website
December 20, 2011
Permalink
Brandy Walker said:
I am sorry about your injury. Will pray that you will have a good recovery. Blessings,Brandy
Brandy Walker recently posted..Veterans Day!
Visit My Website
December 21, 2011
Permalink
Sher A Hart said:
I was hoping you had some magic time saving formula because I already dovetail everything I can. People say to be careful what you wish for, but oh what a painful way to get more writing time. I hope your heel heals fast. That sounds so funny, maybe you should write a short story. Try your Achilles heel at humor to keep the pain at bay.
Visit My Website
December 29, 2011
Permalink
Rebecca Fyfe said:
Oh, ouch! That looks incredibly painful! I was wincing just looking at the picture! I hope it heals quicker than they expect it to and that it doesn’t hurt for long.
Rebecca Fyfe recently posted..Four Simple Steps to Achieve Your Goals in 2012
Visit My Website
December 29, 2011
Permalink
Elizabeth Chanter said:
Oh my! What an incident! I guess we have to be thankful for the time we do have to write, huh?
Elizabeth Chanter recently posted..An Excerpt…
Visit My Website
January 3, 2012
Permalink
Glynis Smy said:
And there, I dropped by to wish you a Happy New Year!
I do hope your leg is better asap!
Glynis Smy recently posted..Well Look Who’s Here…2012!