moore2me
Lions don't need to spank
I thought I would let DIMMERS know what it's like to be treated by emergency response these days. Friday, I shopped at WAL-MART for a couple of hours and was getting help to load purchases in my car when I had an accident. I was talking to the cart helper and was trying to back into my car seat butt first. Something went wrong (not enough butt was in the seat) and down I went, onto the black asphalt of the parking lot. On the way down, I hurt my ankle pretty bad and ended on my back under the car door. I bumped the back of my head on the asphalt, but no major damage.
People immediately started asking if I needed help getting up & I said yes, you better call 911, I may have broken something. The sun was out and the asphalt was hot, so someone put something under my head and they put my car floor mat under my back. I was lying in the lane of car traffic, so several Wal-Mart employees stood around me to keep the cars from running over me until the ambulance got there. I figured this was going to take a while, so I asked one of the ladies to go thru my trunk and get the cold food out and take that back into the store (I had bought ice cream & stuff).
Soon after the police pulled up to help direct traffic around me, then the fire dept. came, then the ambulance. The fire dept. guys checked my pulse (okay) and felt for blood in the back of my head (none). They helped me butt crawl from under my car door once they decided I had no back injury. The firemen were very professional, sweet and considerate and I was happy to see them. They helped me move away from the car by pulling on my slacks waistband.
Then the ambulance showed up with two women paramedics. They put a gurney down to ground level, and we talked about the best way to get me onto it. I said I thought I could butt walk (with help) in that direction and using my good leg and holding onto a couple of beefy firemens arms, sit up enough to allow the gurney to slide under me. Done then they group lifted the gurney to normal height and gently shoved me into the ambulance. They asked me where I wanted to go and I told them and we were there in 10 min. They took another set of vitals and put ice on my ankle during the ride. When we got to the ER, they wheeled me inside and parked me in an ER room. Nurses there told me they were going to get X-rays of my ankle shortly. Radiology had to take three sets of films over time because the docs were having trouble judging the extent of the damage. (I have had several previous injuries to my foot and that old damage interfered with reading the films.)
They suggested I get a CAT scan. But, their main scanner was out and they were using a portable scanner that had a 300 lb. weight limit to the table and I was out of the limit. I told them I normally used the radiation machines at a competitors hospital in town that had machines rated high enough. I could go over there for the CAT tests I had to the emergency workers to bring me to the hospital I was in because my doctors office was upstairs if I needed him.
The ER Doc said I could go to another hospital that night (by ambulance) for a CAT, or I could get a fiberglass splint, underarm crutches, and pain pills. I could then go to an orthopedist early next week. (I picked the splint and the pills.) I am home now, with my foot elevated, being a good girl (altho slightly cranky), looking forward to follow up treatment (not). I am pretty sure my ankle is a blaze of technicolor but I can't see it with my splint on.
One pleasant surprise I had after my accident. My phone rang early the next morning. It was some of the women managers at Wal-Mart. They told me they were sorry I hurt myself and were checking to see how I was doing. They gave me their good wishes and told me I could get free replacement groceries when I came back.
People immediately started asking if I needed help getting up & I said yes, you better call 911, I may have broken something. The sun was out and the asphalt was hot, so someone put something under my head and they put my car floor mat under my back. I was lying in the lane of car traffic, so several Wal-Mart employees stood around me to keep the cars from running over me until the ambulance got there. I figured this was going to take a while, so I asked one of the ladies to go thru my trunk and get the cold food out and take that back into the store (I had bought ice cream & stuff).
Soon after the police pulled up to help direct traffic around me, then the fire dept. came, then the ambulance. The fire dept. guys checked my pulse (okay) and felt for blood in the back of my head (none). They helped me butt crawl from under my car door once they decided I had no back injury. The firemen were very professional, sweet and considerate and I was happy to see them. They helped me move away from the car by pulling on my slacks waistband.
Then the ambulance showed up with two women paramedics. They put a gurney down to ground level, and we talked about the best way to get me onto it. I said I thought I could butt walk (with help) in that direction and using my good leg and holding onto a couple of beefy firemens arms, sit up enough to allow the gurney to slide under me. Done then they group lifted the gurney to normal height and gently shoved me into the ambulance. They asked me where I wanted to go and I told them and we were there in 10 min. They took another set of vitals and put ice on my ankle during the ride. When we got to the ER, they wheeled me inside and parked me in an ER room. Nurses there told me they were going to get X-rays of my ankle shortly. Radiology had to take three sets of films over time because the docs were having trouble judging the extent of the damage. (I have had several previous injuries to my foot and that old damage interfered with reading the films.)
They suggested I get a CAT scan. But, their main scanner was out and they were using a portable scanner that had a 300 lb. weight limit to the table and I was out of the limit. I told them I normally used the radiation machines at a competitors hospital in town that had machines rated high enough. I could go over there for the CAT tests I had to the emergency workers to bring me to the hospital I was in because my doctors office was upstairs if I needed him.
The ER Doc said I could go to another hospital that night (by ambulance) for a CAT, or I could get a fiberglass splint, underarm crutches, and pain pills. I could then go to an orthopedist early next week. (I picked the splint and the pills.) I am home now, with my foot elevated, being a good girl (altho slightly cranky), looking forward to follow up treatment (not). I am pretty sure my ankle is a blaze of technicolor but I can't see it with my splint on.
One pleasant surprise I had after my accident. My phone rang early the next morning. It was some of the women managers at Wal-Mart. They told me they were sorry I hurt myself and were checking to see how I was doing. They gave me their good wishes and told me I could get free replacement groceries when I came back.
