broken-leg report (skip it if you already know the story)
[email protected]
I have broken my leg again. The last time was in July, 1985, so breaking it
again October 11th 2002 isn't TOO frequent, I guess.
Well it is too frequent because it inconveniences a lot of people and puts
much of our everyday lives at a standstill. Keith was saintly the first time
and we didn’t have any children yet. This time the kids will get much of the
workload, with Keith still being saintly.
The big inconvenience this time was I was in South Carolina to speak at a
homeschooling conference, and I was on my way to the opening remarks and
intro, after which I was doing a keynote speech. I had a talk and a workshop
scheduled for Saturday, a workshop for Sunday and the farewell address.
Between the second floors of the two buildings in the hotel was a ramp. Too
steep, too slippery, some kind of indoor/outdoor carpet on it, and I went
down. This wasn't the foot I sprained a month ago, but the other one, the
left one.
Marty was not far behind me, several people were on the little patio at the
end of the ramp. Paramedics came. Nice women, smart, friendly, but they had
a gurney that only cranked down to about 18" off the ground. I was afraid to
stand up on the lately-sprained left foot, ON that ramp, still slippery, so
they got firemen to put me on the gurney.
My first ambulance ride! One of the homeschooling moms, Kathryn, went with
me. They took me to a VERY near hospital, a mile or less up the road,
Palmetto Baptist.
I spent several hours in a little closed room in the emergency area, hoping I
could have surgery that evening. It seemed possible, but didn't happen.
X-rays showed breaks just above the ankle on both bones. (Not nearly as bad
as the 1985 breaks.)
I was not happy thatI was going to miss the first alternative homeschooling
conference in the southeastern U.S., and I felt horrible for letting people
down.
Surgery was noon Saturday and I hoped that I could leave the next afternoon
in a wheelchair to at least do the closing speech, or that maybe the hotel
could bring conference people in a bus to some big room at the hospital or
SOMETHING, but on Sunday I was sick from post-op this'n'that, and throwing
up.
I had a dozen visitors, all of whom assured me that although I was missed,
the conference was wonderful and people were meeting others and learning a
ton. That was good to hear, but also sad because I wasn't getting to meet
everyone, and the morphine drip was keeping me from being equally alert at
all times. I was zoning out, but it was keeping the pain down.
Marty sat in on the panel discussion in my place, and seemed really happy
about having done so. He made a good impression on lots of people there. I
heard reports about how good he was at helping the younger kids with games,
that he seemed more mature than they expected of a thirteen year old, and
that he was handling the stress very well. I was grateful to people for
bringing him to see me in the hospital, and we talked on the phone some too.
Because of this accident , the hotel will make concessions for next year's
conference, I hope, and the room Marty and I had, he stayed in free for four
nights. Anne Ohman was right next door to Marty and Joyce Fetteroll past
that. Mary Gold was down a couple of floors. They all helped Marty out on
the weekend, and Anne and Joyce had video-game-playing kids with them, and so
there was some good interaction about that, some sight-seeing, some trips to
good kid-food places (since they had a van). So IF they fix that ramp and
are as helpful to Kelly Lovejoy, our hostess and organizer, as they need to
be, we'll try again next year.
Kelly, thank you for ALL your help, and the ride to the airport. Even though
it wasn't "a good weekend" for me, I had a great time being with you and your
family.
We flew home as scheduled, with me being carried up the steps in a special
chair to the Canadair jet, and down (flight to Cincinnatti) and then helped
into a first class seat on the 737 for the rest of the flight home. My foot
didn't hurt as much as I had been afraid it would, I didn't get woozy, and I
didn't need to try to use an airplane bathroom, so my fears were happily
unmet.
Of the four flat levels of the house, I've been stationed in the den so I can
get to "the cat bathroom" and the office, but the first night home I was in
my OWN bed, next to Keith, and that was good. It was dark and quiet and the
mattress and pillow weren't plastic.
I'll probably end up deleting some of the yahoogroups mail because it's quite
piled up. It might take me a bit to get through all the personal mail too,
but I figured one report on this to everyone would keep me from having to
retell it (because it hurts my leg and my feelings every time I tell it) and
it will give people a heads up on why I might be flakey or a no-show in the
next few weeks. (Kathy, we need to reschedule that lunch; Helena, I can't do
a Jasmine pick-up or delivery as I should have; Jeff and Mike, music practice
will need to be here or not at all for a while, etc.)
No weight on it for six weeks is what they told me in South Carolina. I
guess maybe that means after six weeks I can get a walking cast, but I don't
know. I guess I'll see a Lovelace ortho-guy next week to see x-rays and get
a preview of my coming weeks. They put pins in one bone and a plate and pins
in the other.
So I'm not happy, but I'm safe at home and will try not to bring down the
happiness of those around me. I can only sit up a while at a time now. I
have a wheelchair and a walker.
When some of the photos of me are available, I'll put them on a website so
you can see me downed on the ground, and in the hospital if you want more of
the full effect. I've been to South Carolina twice now, and been in the
hospital both times (well, the first time my parents were living in Aiken and
went across the border to Augusta, Georgia, for my birth, so maybe that
doesn't count).
I'm really sorry for the inconveniences this will cause in the coming weeks.
I have movies to watch and books to read and kids to hang out with, and I'll
be able to sit at the computer longer as time goes on, so I'm not lonely in a
quiet home alone at all!
All o'ya'll be careful walking on wet ramps. (Add that to your list of
things to watch out for.)
Sandra
10/17/02
again October 11th 2002 isn't TOO frequent, I guess.
Well it is too frequent because it inconveniences a lot of people and puts
much of our everyday lives at a standstill. Keith was saintly the first time
and we didn’t have any children yet. This time the kids will get much of the
workload, with Keith still being saintly.
The big inconvenience this time was I was in South Carolina to speak at a
homeschooling conference, and I was on my way to the opening remarks and
intro, after which I was doing a keynote speech. I had a talk and a workshop
scheduled for Saturday, a workshop for Sunday and the farewell address.
Between the second floors of the two buildings in the hotel was a ramp. Too
steep, too slippery, some kind of indoor/outdoor carpet on it, and I went
down. This wasn't the foot I sprained a month ago, but the other one, the
left one.
Marty was not far behind me, several people were on the little patio at the
end of the ramp. Paramedics came. Nice women, smart, friendly, but they had
a gurney that only cranked down to about 18" off the ground. I was afraid to
stand up on the lately-sprained left foot, ON that ramp, still slippery, so
they got firemen to put me on the gurney.
My first ambulance ride! One of the homeschooling moms, Kathryn, went with
me. They took me to a VERY near hospital, a mile or less up the road,
Palmetto Baptist.
I spent several hours in a little closed room in the emergency area, hoping I
could have surgery that evening. It seemed possible, but didn't happen.
X-rays showed breaks just above the ankle on both bones. (Not nearly as bad
as the 1985 breaks.)
I was not happy thatI was going to miss the first alternative homeschooling
conference in the southeastern U.S., and I felt horrible for letting people
down.
Surgery was noon Saturday and I hoped that I could leave the next afternoon
in a wheelchair to at least do the closing speech, or that maybe the hotel
could bring conference people in a bus to some big room at the hospital or
SOMETHING, but on Sunday I was sick from post-op this'n'that, and throwing
up.
I had a dozen visitors, all of whom assured me that although I was missed,
the conference was wonderful and people were meeting others and learning a
ton. That was good to hear, but also sad because I wasn't getting to meet
everyone, and the morphine drip was keeping me from being equally alert at
all times. I was zoning out, but it was keeping the pain down.
Marty sat in on the panel discussion in my place, and seemed really happy
about having done so. He made a good impression on lots of people there. I
heard reports about how good he was at helping the younger kids with games,
that he seemed more mature than they expected of a thirteen year old, and
that he was handling the stress very well. I was grateful to people for
bringing him to see me in the hospital, and we talked on the phone some too.
Because of this accident , the hotel will make concessions for next year's
conference, I hope, and the room Marty and I had, he stayed in free for four
nights. Anne Ohman was right next door to Marty and Joyce Fetteroll past
that. Mary Gold was down a couple of floors. They all helped Marty out on
the weekend, and Anne and Joyce had video-game-playing kids with them, and so
there was some good interaction about that, some sight-seeing, some trips to
good kid-food places (since they had a van). So IF they fix that ramp and
are as helpful to Kelly Lovejoy, our hostess and organizer, as they need to
be, we'll try again next year.
Kelly, thank you for ALL your help, and the ride to the airport. Even though
it wasn't "a good weekend" for me, I had a great time being with you and your
family.
We flew home as scheduled, with me being carried up the steps in a special
chair to the Canadair jet, and down (flight to Cincinnatti) and then helped
into a first class seat on the 737 for the rest of the flight home. My foot
didn't hurt as much as I had been afraid it would, I didn't get woozy, and I
didn't need to try to use an airplane bathroom, so my fears were happily
unmet.
Of the four flat levels of the house, I've been stationed in the den so I can
get to "the cat bathroom" and the office, but the first night home I was in
my OWN bed, next to Keith, and that was good. It was dark and quiet and the
mattress and pillow weren't plastic.
I'll probably end up deleting some of the yahoogroups mail because it's quite
piled up. It might take me a bit to get through all the personal mail too,
but I figured one report on this to everyone would keep me from having to
retell it (because it hurts my leg and my feelings every time I tell it) and
it will give people a heads up on why I might be flakey or a no-show in the
next few weeks. (Kathy, we need to reschedule that lunch; Helena, I can't do
a Jasmine pick-up or delivery as I should have; Jeff and Mike, music practice
will need to be here or not at all for a while, etc.)
No weight on it for six weeks is what they told me in South Carolina. I
guess maybe that means after six weeks I can get a walking cast, but I don't
know. I guess I'll see a Lovelace ortho-guy next week to see x-rays and get
a preview of my coming weeks. They put pins in one bone and a plate and pins
in the other.
So I'm not happy, but I'm safe at home and will try not to bring down the
happiness of those around me. I can only sit up a while at a time now. I
have a wheelchair and a walker.
When some of the photos of me are available, I'll put them on a website so
you can see me downed on the ground, and in the hospital if you want more of
the full effect. I've been to South Carolina twice now, and been in the
hospital both times (well, the first time my parents were living in Aiken and
went across the border to Augusta, Georgia, for my birth, so maybe that
doesn't count).
I'm really sorry for the inconveniences this will cause in the coming weeks.
I have movies to watch and books to read and kids to hang out with, and I'll
be able to sit at the computer longer as time goes on, so I'm not lonely in a
quiet home alone at all!
All o'ya'll be careful walking on wet ramps. (Add that to your list of
things to watch out for.)
Sandra
10/17/02
Rachel Ann
Refuah Shelamah! Have a complete healing...and soon.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
unschooling_dad
Sandra,
I'm glad to hear you're doing better. This will make one of those
great conference stories to tell later in life. Wasn't it ironic that
your keynote speech was to be "Moving a Puddle" and wet carpeting at
the end of a ramp with a puddle of water was what did you in. If only
that puddle had been moved the day before so the carpet could have
been dry by conference time!
Although I've never broken a leg, I completely tore my Achilles
tendon this past year and had to have surgery to re-attach the ends,
so I can sympathize with being laid up for awhile.
You were missed at the conference, but I think it is a testament to
Kelly Lovejoy who organized it, all her helpers, and the great
unschooling attendees who made the conference a big success despite
possibly the worst set-back a conference organizer could imagine!
Heal quickly!
Billy
http://www.FUN-Books.com
I'm glad to hear you're doing better. This will make one of those
great conference stories to tell later in life. Wasn't it ironic that
your keynote speech was to be "Moving a Puddle" and wet carpeting at
the end of a ramp with a puddle of water was what did you in. If only
that puddle had been moved the day before so the carpet could have
been dry by conference time!
Although I've never broken a leg, I completely tore my Achilles
tendon this past year and had to have surgery to re-attach the ends,
so I can sympathize with being laid up for awhile.
You were missed at the conference, but I think it is a testament to
Kelly Lovejoy who organized it, all her helpers, and the great
unschooling attendees who made the conference a big success despite
possibly the worst set-back a conference organizer could imagine!
Heal quickly!
Billy
http://www.FUN-Books.com
--- In Unschooling-dotcom@y..., SandraDodd@a... wrote:
> I have broken my leg again. The last time was in July, 1985, so
breaking it
> again October 11th 2002 isn't TOO frequent, I guess.
>
[email protected]
In a message dated 10/22/02 8:19:56 PM, FUNLists@... writes:
<< Wasn't it ironic that
your keynote speech was to be "Moving a Puddle" and wet carpeting at
the end of a ramp with a puddle of water was what did you in. If only
that puddle had been moved the day before so the carpet could have
been dry by conference time! >>
Even when I was downed, my foot wasn't in the puddle. It wasn't the puddle
that did it. There was water dripping off the roof at the top of the ramp,
and instead of having skidproof surface, the VERY steep ramp had
indoor/outdoor carpetting. I'm sure they'll replace it soon.
Sandra
<< Wasn't it ironic that
your keynote speech was to be "Moving a Puddle" and wet carpeting at
the end of a ramp with a puddle of water was what did you in. If only
that puddle had been moved the day before so the carpet could have
been dry by conference time! >>
Even when I was downed, my foot wasn't in the puddle. It wasn't the puddle
that did it. There was water dripping off the roof at the top of the ramp,
and instead of having skidproof surface, the VERY steep ramp had
indoor/outdoor carpetting. I'm sure they'll replace it soon.
Sandra