The Mad Ramblings of EMPaThY - My evening in the emergency room.

The Mad Ramblings of EMPaThY - My evening in the emergency room.

EMPaThY

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My evening in the emergency room.

[Dec. 16th, 2005|08:32 pm]

[	Tags	\|	accident, life	]
[	emotional state	\|	drained	]

First off -- I am ok. Really. Nothing is broken, fractured, or twisted. I'm just in a lot of pain and badly bruised. Haven't seen my car. Don't care.

The scene: The Porter Exchange parking lot at 4 pm today (Friday, December 16th, 2005)

Things to note: I stayed up late last night and got up early for schoolwork reasons. Got everything done, but was somewhat sleep-deprived at 4pm, and totally hopped up on caffeine.

I paid for parking at the security desk and got my little ticket to be able to leave the parking lot. I pulled up to the "ticket eating/exiting machine" in my car, but was too far to reach outside of the window. I opened up my car door and put my left foot on the ground so I could reach the machine better. I did not put the car into park. As I was reaching my foot either slipped off the break or I lifted it off the break. I do not remember. All I knew was my car was moving forward when my leg was out of the car and the door was open so I slammed on the break. Except it wasn't the break. It was the accelerator. My car slammed into the gate-mechanism box, and my car door was slammed shut because of the angle I was going at and the booth that sits out there made contact with my car door. My ankle, foot, and/or shin were all caught in the door. I managed to find the break with my right foot, put the car into reverse, back up, put the car into park, leave my foot right where it is hanging out of the car door, find my cellphone in my purse, and call 911. It took 4-5 rings for 911 to pick up. I don't remember much of the call. I was not coherent and/or lucid. I apparently got my information accros sufficiently. I then passed out. I did not hit my head, at any point. I laid down over my shifter across the front seats of the car while on the phone with the 911 operator because I thought I was going to pass out. I think I passed out from the pain, and the EMT's and Nurses at Cambridge Hospital agreed.

EMT's showed up at some point right after I regained consciousness (all on my own!) One of them moved my car after I got onto a stretcher. The EMT guys were really nice, even though I wasn't coherent at all (did I mention I was in a lot of pain?) They took me to Cambridge Hospital. I got checked in by the EMT guys. I called Darxus. I'm fairly certain I wasn't completely coherent then either. I waited a bit, got like 8 x-rays of my foot done (and moving it for each position hurt and when I got back to the room they put me in he was in the waiting area. I saw him through the glass doors and had my awesome orderly/transport guy (I don't know his exact job, but he wheeled me around the hospital and sat next to me for a few minutes when I started sobbing uncontrollably.) go and get him. Everything immediately was a little better once he was holding my hand.

Doctor-type lady came in (I don't think she was an actual M.D. Maybe a N.P. or a med student) looked at it, went back out to look at the x-rays, told me nothing was broken or torn or twisted. She wrapped my ankle and wanted me to try and put weight on it. That didn't work. Too much pain. I now have crutches, but I should be able to walk soon as it's only pain preventing me, and that is steadily decreasing. I was given a bunch of Tylenol (I can't take Ibuprofin) but nothing more interesting/useful. We got a cab home. Darxus is going to go pick up my car tomorrow so he can then get me things like juice and more food.

I didn't even know that there was a Cambridge Hospital before today but most of the people I encountered there were nice (one of the Nurses was a little brittle but I'm guessing she's just been a Nurse too long and she was probably at the end of a shift, so I'm not holding it against her) and very friendly and very helpful. While the experience sucked -- big time -- it could have been far far worse. I wish security and the Porter Exchange had attempted to do something other than direct traffic around me and ask me to move, but eh, I was only semi-conscious anyways.

If you have any questions feel free to ask. I'm sure I'll laugh about this six months from now, but right now I just feel like a dumb-ass. "Sure Kris, it's a good idea to get partially out of your car when it's not in park."

Darxus is taking excellent care of me. He's not even poked the bruised area once. I'm very proud of his restraint. :-)

Tired but in good spirits,
Kris

P.S. Picture of my swollen foot

link

Comments:

From:

thiamoon
2005-12-17 02:20 am (UTC)

Boo Hoo

(Link)

Sorry to hear of your accident! It true that accidents are more likely to occur when we are over-tired or stressed out. Luckily this was minor, in the scheme of life, but not minor in pain and aggravation. I'm sending you some healing, restful wishes. Take good care of yourself!