With the humidex pushing to the mid to high 40'sC (that's 110 to 116 F !!!!), it was a good day to head to the lake for a dip in the water ... So, supper was readied and popped into the oven to cook over a low heat all afternoon, the inner tube was strapped to the roof of the car, and everyone was slathered in sun screen and off we went ... But as the man said - "life is what happens when you are busy making other plans ..."We arrived at the lake and the girls dashed into the water to frolick on the massive inner tube we bought last year ... after awhile I could resist the temptation of water and coolness no longer and I swam out to join them ... Together we played for awhile trying to tosse each other off ... Then Noahkila arrived to join in - the problem from the outset was and is - he is too rough and doesn't know when to stop ...
(so now we switch to the time frame:)
2:50 pm - playing on the inner tube with Ms H, Beetle, Noahkila and one of Ms H's friends.
2:52 pm - Noahkila, after being told to stop - dumps the inner tube and sends ME to the bottom where my head and the hard sand bottom of the lake collide with a "CRACK" in the back of my neck as I feel my weight try to drive my forehead into an unforgiving lake bottom ... the shooting pain up my arm and in my neck convinced me something was amiss ...
2:53 pm - I come up out of the water with both hands clamped tightly on my neck to minimize movement, and to ensure I don't jar something lose ... The fact my feet were moving and my arms, even with a slight tingling were still moving was a good sign ... I started making my way for shore ...
2:55pm - I call a paramedic friend on my cell and ask him to walk me through whether I should go to the hospital ... Neck injury ... some tinging ... dull pain ... "not a bad idea to just go," he says, "then they can x-ray and make sure ..."
2:56 pm - I call another friend and ask if he could come to the lake and look after the kids while i take myself to the hospital ... "Absolutely" comes the reply, "be right there ..."
3:00 pm - The friend arrives and takes over watching the kids while I drive myself to the hospital ... not an easy thing to do ... but I got there ...
3:05 pm - I arrive at the front desk of the nursing station and am immediately greeted by a flurry of nurses and nurse aides who want to make sure I'm looked after ... Even with good natured teasing and few threats of painful, yet unnecessary medical interventions, I know I am good hands and I will be cared for and cared about through whatever follows ...
3:10 pm - The nurse begins her assessment and intake ... within 10 minutes I'm slated for an series of x-rays and the doctor has been called.
3:55 pm - I'm wheeled (they stopped letting me walk from place to place and put me in a wheelchair ... not that I minded either way) down to the Xray lab where I am xrayed a number of ways ...
4:30 pm - x-rays are complete and they are regarded by the Dr as inconclusive. He suggests that I need to get a CT scan in Brandon. "When?" I ask. "Tonight of course," he offers in his indomitable way. "Okay," I reply, "but I need to make some arrangements for kids and cars and M's work ..." "Whatever," he says as the nurse begins to take me back to X-ray, only to be turned around when the Dr announces that they have a 5:30 appointment available in Brandon if I can get someone to drive me there ... I was talking to M on my cell phone at that point and asked if she could drive me ... she agreed and said she'd be right up ...
4:40 pm - M arrvies to take me to Brandon. She had been feeling crappy all day and had called in sick, only to be hauled out in the heat to take me to Brandon in a hurry ...
5:32 pm - We arrive in Brandon and I get to the CT Desk about two minutes later. I sit for about three minutes before being taken in and placed on the CT bed.
5:50 pm - CT scan is complete. The radiologist tells us he only sees soft tissue damage, but that he can't tell whether there is ligaments involved or not. We then begin heading back to the hospital in Minnedosa for one last look by the Doctor here.
6:30 pm - The Doc checks me out again and suggests that I leave the hard collar on for a few days - I balk. He then suggests a soft collar until I can get in to see him Thursday or Friday. I accept the soft collar suggestion and am quickly fitted with one. As his exam of me ends he says - "oh by the way, can you give me a ride home ?" - "Sure," I say laughing, "you gotta love small towns ..." "Absolutely," says the Doc.
6:40 pm - I'm home with my neck incased in a "whiplash" collar ... and my day in the sun and water by the lake got a little re-routed ...
Now, as I look back over my day I can appreciate many things ... one is the prompt response of friends when you need them ... two is the incredible care we recieve in our local hospital (that can't be said enough) ... three is the speed at which we DO get care in emergent situations - we can complain about wait lists and having to wait to see someone - but often we are dealt with in a timely and speedy fashion ... four is the care that comes when humour and friendship inter-mingle. Even being the threat of an enema, was softened with the smile of genuine, caring and very capable nursing staff ...
Throughout my day I also took time to focus on being present in the moment and to use that point in time as a place and a time of refreshment ... using Buddhist techniques, I closed my eyes and focused not on the pain, discomfort or the turmoil I was experiencing, but rather I focused intentionally on the peace and serenity that came in that moment when I focused only on my breath and the act of breathing in, and breathing out ... It brought a serenity that I have been lacking lately ...
So, today has not turned out anything like I expected nor planned, but it turned out far better than I could have imagined ... It's all good ...
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