Shortform: I am "ok", I guess. Nothing "serious" according to those that saw me at the ER. "Just" a fractured fibula and sprained ankle.
Longform: Got to the ER about 330pm, and only took about two hours, which must be some kind of record. There was only ONE person waiting when I got there, and one in registration. Was about 15 minutes between seeing each different nurse, doctor, tech, paperpusher, etc., so it took a while to actually finish, but there was no hours-long wait like I had with my mom years back (where once we waited 3-4 hours in the lobby while she was having a heart attack, and some poor guy ahead of us was bleeding all over the floor, already passed out from it, because they were simply that crowded!).
Anyway, turns out I actually have a broken, or at least fractured, leg. The "fibula" is fractured, although for some reason the attending doctor couldn't tell me where (or was ignoring my question). Both of the nurses and the pre-screen doctor and the x-ray tech all said that the blood pooling under the skin and swelling my whole leg and foot up is "perfectly normal" for this type of ankle injury, and "not to worry", that as long as I keep it elevated above my heart it will drain and heal, especially once it is wrapped to keep pressure on the whole thing.
Other than the xray, and a distant visual glance over the bruising (no physical examination at all), there was no other exam. All they did for treatment was to make an L-splint under my foot and up the back of the calf to about 2" above that bruise on my calf in the pics, and wrap it in those self-sticking non-adhesive bandages, pretty tightly. Immediately everything felt better, though now several hours later it is beginning to throb a bit, though I have banged it about some by accident here and there.
The splint itself is interesting, as it is self-curing fiberglass, just add water. I assume it's some sort of cyanoacrylate-based resin, as that is what's in those sprayfoams that are moisture-cure, but the tech wrapping it had no idea. He just does the work and is apparently not curious. Took just a few minutes to harden completely, and was already stiffened even by the time he was done wrapping it.
No ETA for the healing process could be given, and no recommendations other than ice and elevation were given. No instruction on how often I should unwrap/rewrap it was given, either, so I am assuming only when I need to shower; I couldn't find anyone that had an answer while I was there (a few went to go ask but never came back before I was discharged). I got a prescription for Vicodin, but I can't afford to fill it, as they haven't processed my application for AHCCCS aid yet (dunno when they will, either). Hopefully the ER will work with me on the bill if (when) AHCCCS turns me down.
It did seem like every single person was surprised I had my own wheelchair already, even though I didn't normally need one. It's one sized for a teenager that I picked up on Freecycle a while back, intending to eventually use parts of it for another bike trailer or perhaps a tadpole trike's front wheels, but I had not yet done anything to. It fits me fine, though, and it's an older Quickie model that has easily-removable bits like the footrests, armrests, etc., and it has a seatbelt too.
I would've reported in sooner, but as soon as I got home I had to first look for my crutches, which took some time to get to, not being able to just climb over the stuff in the backyard and instead having to first move it all piece by piece from in front of me to behind me, while sitting in teh wheelchair, then do the same in reverse to get back out of there with the crutches.
Then I had to undo what I did to CrazyBike2, so it will be rideable tomorrow for work, test it, fix and tighten, retest, try not to fall over to the right (cuz I can't stop a fall on that side, it hurts way too much to put that kinda weight on there!). But it worked perfectly, just like it used to before I messed with it.
In the process of getting it back in the door afterward, I slipped and fell on the steering tie rod and bent the point at which it connects to the handlebar-end steering tube, which then broke off the tab when I tried to straighten it. Had to wheel it back out front (so I could reweld it) without being able to steer it, basically sitting on the ground and dragging it by the front wheel, cuz I couldn't get the wheelchair out the door with the bike in the way, and coudln't stand even on crutches and still move the bike. This was around midnight, after about 20-30 minutes of riding, testing, adjusting, etc, and several hours of all the other stuff above, so I was already exhausted.
Rewelded it after much effort moving welder, helmet, clamps, tools, etc., all out front, moved all the stuff back inside so I could ride around testing it more, and since it didn't fall apart I have to call it good and stop for the night; I'm just way too exhausted. Hope it stays together for the work commute tomorrow. I didnt' even have any energy to do more than bolt on the non-lidded rightside cargo pod (since the vpower pack is still on the left side, and I can't get the batteries out to unbolt it from the bike on the bottom bolt).
I'll tell you what: I have way more respect for AussieJester being able to do all this stuff with essentially NO use of his legs, when I can barely do any of it with complete use of one leg and a little bit of the other! Plus I really wish I had long ago implemented those stabilizers he's got on his, back when I thought about copying them originally. Riding would be so much easier right now if I had them.
Anyway, that's enough OT for the thread for now.
Longform: Got to the ER about 330pm, and only took about two hours, which must be some kind of record. There was only ONE person waiting when I got there, and one in registration. Was about 15 minutes between seeing each different nurse, doctor, tech, paperpusher, etc., so it took a while to actually finish, but there was no hours-long wait like I had with my mom years back (where once we waited 3-4 hours in the lobby while she was having a heart attack, and some poor guy ahead of us was bleeding all over the floor, already passed out from it, because they were simply that crowded!).
Anyway, turns out I actually have a broken, or at least fractured, leg. The "fibula" is fractured, although for some reason the attending doctor couldn't tell me where (or was ignoring my question). Both of the nurses and the pre-screen doctor and the x-ray tech all said that the blood pooling under the skin and swelling my whole leg and foot up is "perfectly normal" for this type of ankle injury, and "not to worry", that as long as I keep it elevated above my heart it will drain and heal, especially once it is wrapped to keep pressure on the whole thing.
Other than the xray, and a distant visual glance over the bruising (no physical examination at all), there was no other exam. All they did for treatment was to make an L-splint under my foot and up the back of the calf to about 2" above that bruise on my calf in the pics, and wrap it in those self-sticking non-adhesive bandages, pretty tightly. Immediately everything felt better, though now several hours later it is beginning to throb a bit, though I have banged it about some by accident here and there.
The splint itself is interesting, as it is self-curing fiberglass, just add water. I assume it's some sort of cyanoacrylate-based resin, as that is what's in those sprayfoams that are moisture-cure, but the tech wrapping it had no idea. He just does the work and is apparently not curious. Took just a few minutes to harden completely, and was already stiffened even by the time he was done wrapping it.
No ETA for the healing process could be given, and no recommendations other than ice and elevation were given. No instruction on how often I should unwrap/rewrap it was given, either, so I am assuming only when I need to shower; I couldn't find anyone that had an answer while I was there (a few went to go ask but never came back before I was discharged). I got a prescription for Vicodin, but I can't afford to fill it, as they haven't processed my application for AHCCCS aid yet (dunno when they will, either). Hopefully the ER will work with me on the bill if (when) AHCCCS turns me down.
It did seem like every single person was surprised I had my own wheelchair already, even though I didn't normally need one. It's one sized for a teenager that I picked up on Freecycle a while back, intending to eventually use parts of it for another bike trailer or perhaps a tadpole trike's front wheels, but I had not yet done anything to. It fits me fine, though, and it's an older Quickie model that has easily-removable bits like the footrests, armrests, etc., and it has a seatbelt too.
I would've reported in sooner, but as soon as I got home I had to first look for my crutches, which took some time to get to, not being able to just climb over the stuff in the backyard and instead having to first move it all piece by piece from in front of me to behind me, while sitting in teh wheelchair, then do the same in reverse to get back out of there with the crutches.
Then I had to undo what I did to CrazyBike2, so it will be rideable tomorrow for work, test it, fix and tighten, retest, try not to fall over to the right (cuz I can't stop a fall on that side, it hurts way too much to put that kinda weight on there!). But it worked perfectly, just like it used to before I messed with it.
In the process of getting it back in the door afterward, I slipped and fell on the steering tie rod and bent the point at which it connects to the handlebar-end steering tube, which then broke off the tab when I tried to straighten it.
Had to wheel it back out front (so I could reweld it) without being able to steer it, basically sitting on the ground and dragging it by the front wheel, cuz I couldn't get the wheelchair out the door with the bike in the way, and coudln't stand even on crutches and still move the bike. This was around midnight, after about 20-30 minutes of riding, testing, adjusting, etc, and several hours of all the other stuff above, so I was already exhausted. Rewelded it after much effort moving welder, helmet, clamps, tools, etc., all out front, moved all the stuff back inside so I could ride around testing it more, and since it didn't fall apart I have to call it good and stop for the night; I'm just way too exhausted. Hope it stays together for the work commute tomorrow. I didnt' even have any energy to do more than bolt on the non-lidded rightside cargo pod (since the vpower pack is still on the left side, and I can't get the batteries out to unbolt it from the bike on the bottom bolt).
I'll tell you what: I have way more respect for AussieJester being able to do all this stuff with essentially NO use of his legs, when I can barely do any of it with complete use of one leg and a little bit of the other! Plus I really wish I had long ago implemented those stabilizers he's got on his, back when I thought about copying them originally. Riding would be so much easier right now if I had them.
Anyway, that's enough OT for the thread for now.
