Sunday, June 1, 2008

Stuck-Leg-Itis

That is the name my girlfriend gave the name of what happened to me. In March 2006 I went with a friend of mine to her someone talk about homeschooling high-shoolers. We had another homeschooling mother take care of our children, they were in good hands.

We listened to the lecture, then made our way to Whole Foods and did some shopping. On the way home, called the mother who had the girls (my son, she had already taken to work) and said we were on our way. She had one final errand to run and then she would bring the girls to my home.

My friend came into the house to see the new furniture we had purchased for my daughter, and same said friend had painted my daughters room so she wanted to see the furniture with the new paint. While she was scoping out the room, there was a knock on the door. One of the neighborhood children had come to see if my daughter wanted to come out and play. I told him that she was not home and to try back in about 30 minutes. He said, "Fine." I took the door handle to close the door and started to turn and come into the house, when all of a sudden, I heard a crack. Yep, just like in the movies. I knew it was my knee, and the pain was excruciating. I would rather have given birth again...naturally.

I thought I had broken my knee. I screamed and just dropped to the floor. My girlfriend heard me, and ran to my side. But her first thought was that I was goofing around. Until I screamed, "Don't Touch Me!" then she knew I was not fooling around at all. Luckily I had on gaucho pants (Wide legged) so she said that maybe she could take me to the hospital. She got to my side, and lifted my pants leg. She knew right then that there was no way that she could pick me up. Because the bottom part of my leg was going the opposite direction of my body. We were in trouble.

In the middle of my screaming, and dog running out the front door, she asked me what should she do. I collected my thoughts long enough to tell her to call 911. She picked up a piece of junk mail to give the correct address and she knew my age, so we were good to go. She hung up with them and asked who was next. I told her to call my husband. She did and his voice mail picked up. I asked her what time it was and I knew he was on his way to massage school. She then called the school and gave them the information.

She then called back the mother who had our daughters and asked to keep them until she could get them picked up. No problem. Paramedics got there and had to stabilize my leg. No fun trust me. But due to the fact that one of the paramedics looked like Vin Diesel did not bother me at all. And I think it might have even lessened the pain a bit. The morphine was starting to kick in. The ride to the hospital was nearly bump free. they decided to go slow, and due to the fact that I was not a real emergency, I felt no need to run every red light. The paramedic asked basic questions on the way to the hospital. He was putting into some sort of handheld implement. When we crossed over the door to the ER , he plopped that thing into some contraption and by the time we got to my bed, all that info was on some screen.

My husband and friend were there. I was now feelin' no pain. I was then told that I had dislocated my knee, it had not been broken. Then Doc then told me that he was going to give me some medicine that would make me forget what was going on. all I wanted to know was that, was I going to feel any pain when he set my knee. He kept telling me that I would not remember. I brushed him off and asked the nice little nurse that had been by my side. She told me that the medicine would block the pain that the receptors usually sent from the brain to injured part. Thank you, have a nice day. Give me the meds and let's get this over with.

Meds were given and out I went. About 1 hour later, I woke up. Little nurse came back by an I asked her if I had said anything that could get me in trouble. She told me that once I was under and he began to set the leg I started screaming, "I Hate You...I Hate You!" And then once the knee was set I then began uttering, "I love you...I love you!" Got to love medication

3 comments:

Robin said...

That sounds horrifically painful! Did it ever dislocate again once they set it or was it a one-time thing?

Red said...

It was a one time thing. But what was worse, was the damage I did when I fell, hitting the tile. I herniated 3 discs in my back. The knee has since healed, but my discs are giving me such trouble that surgery seems to be in my foreseeable future.

We have tried every other means of alternative methods before we go under the knife, but we may be heading that way. I am keeping my fingers crossed and trying to find my happy place.

Time will tell, so keep me in your thoughts.

Anonymous said...

I am so sorry for all your pain.
It sounds so much worse than a broken bone!!
Please take it easy.
bunny