What do all of these things have in common? They have all interfered with the quality of life I normally enjoy!
The saying goes, "When it rains it pours," well that is no exception for my medical experiences as of late.
Short Version: I had a few accidents!
Long Version:
When my thumb was hit by a flying missile (Volleyball) during a game of volleyball I thought..."Dang that hurt! Oh, it cannot be broken it is just jammed! Quit being a hypochondriac and worrying so much!"
Later that week, I decided to go on a boating trip with my friends. The kinked neck I had been experiencing all week and the throbbing thumb should have given me huge "red flag signs" that I should probably pass on the wonderful outing....but no! I wouldn't have ever wanted to miss an opportunity to be with friends and ski, wakeboard and/or tube. So after 5 hours on the lake my arms were experiencing sharp shooting sensations and numbness. No biggie, I am sure it was just from the long ride, right!
Well, that philosophy about my arms didn't last long! When the spinal headaches started, I immediately went to a Chiropractor. After the first adjustment didn't work, a second was sought. Of course, during this time my thumb was hurting like crazy. I thought on the pain and remembered the time I hairline fractured my arm. It felt quite similar. I decided, "Well, I waited 2 weeks before I went in to get my arm checked, I will wait 2 weeks to see if the pain is still the same...that way I will know for sure and not be a hypochondriac."
So, off I went to Chicago to visit my parents! Mistake!! Not a mistake to visit my parents of course (I love going there and always have an enjoyable time), but a mistake to postpone going to the doctor. My trip was plagued with pain. I woke up nightly with shooting pains from either my neck/back or thumb! I decided that as soon as I got home I would make an appointment....of course that was also postpone.
The day after I came home from Chicago, I was in charge of hosting a multistake singles activity (Monday). Tables were needed to be brought in, chairs set up, volleyball nets to assemble, etc......Definitely no time for a doctor visit. Of course, the last group to leave the party was 2 in the morning and it was 2:30 am before I actually was able to climb in bed. That also was not a very smart thing to do to my aching body!
Tuesday was a blur!
Wednesday was the "OH MY HECK" day. My body decided that it was going to scream as loud as it could to capture my attention. I literally drove around my grandparents’ house looking for a family practice that would see me immediately. I even debated on going to the ER. With no luck, I returned to my home and called my regular doctor to schedule an appointment (he was not available that day). I was told that the first available appointment was the following week. I told the nice little lady on the phone that,---quote: "I am SORRY but I CAN'T wait that long! Could you PLEASE find ANYTHING available in the very NEAR future, I will kiss the ground you walked on." I think she got the hint because after a long pause she finally said a Thursday appointment at 3:20 would be available with another doctor.
Thursday could honestly not come fast enough! I told the doctor about my thumb and back/neck pain. I also decide that it was time to tell him about my mysterious toe pain I have been having for 4 years. It is an indescribable pain. It has left me crippled at times. (When I was living in Michigan I even had gone into the doctor to have it x-rayed because the pain was so bad and I was sure it was broken. Of course, the x-rays came back showing no break and I ended up looking like a hypochondriac--my biggest fear!!! Another reason I have kept it a secret from this doctor).
Of course, the first thing the lovely doctor asked me was how it happened and how long I had been experiencing the symptoms. I thought he was going to fall out of his chair when he heard my responses. "Why did you wait so long?" was written all over his face. He asked me a few questions, poked me a bit and then immediately had blood drawn to see if I have gout (I SURE HOPE NOT!!!).
Once I was stabbed and wrapped up, he handed me a paper that had different neck exercises written on them. He told me I was to do these exercises for 2 weeks and if the pain didn't subside I am to go to radiology for an MRI to see if the disks in my neck are really OK--GREAT, I thought!
Finally, he sent me down to radiology to have a stress x-ray (whatever that is) of my thumb done (when he was poking me he pointed out that it was odd that my hurt thumb was able to bend way farther back than my other---I wanted to scream "AND IT HURTS A LOT MORE TOO YOU IDIOT----QUIT TOUCHING IT!"--but I didn't!
The trip and return trip to radiology was a mess and is too long of a story to write about (this is already too long of a story as it is---I will spare you that major fiasco).
So (I told you this was the long version), I was sent home on Thursday with a new whole in my arm (no answer as to when I would get the results from my blood test), neck exercise instructions, the promise of a phone call the next morning on the results of my thumb stress x-ray, and a co-pay poorer! I left deflated! Maybe I am a hypo. I didn't feel like I left any more knowledgeable about what was wrong with me then when I went in. My neck hurt (still does)..."do some exercises", my thumb hurts..."we will call you"....my toe is crazy..."we will let you know what the blood work says as soon as we know." Ugh!
The next morning, Friday, the nurse called (right after I had to move all of my desks, chairs, easels, bookshelves, etc out of my classroom and into the hall for carpet cleaning---boy did that feel good on my thumb) to tell me that my ligament in my hand was torn, that the doctor wanted me to immediately get it into a thumb splint so that it would be immobilized and that I could either go to a medical supply store and buy a thumb splint or drive down to his office and have him put one on me. Thus, the above black "Thumb Immobilizer" was purchased--by me--to avoid another co-pay!
So that explains the first three images above that you see.
Now to the house.
I was very saddened by the thumb immobilizer. It actually was/is quite uncomfortable and made/makes my thumb hurt worst. So, when a good friend of mine, April, invited me to accompany her parents and her up the canyon for a barbecue I thought it would be a great distraction. It was such a blast. On the drive back home, we passed a house April and I had walked through a few days prior. April and I were shocked at how poorly the 5000+sq' home was planned. We were telling her parents about it and then decided to go check it out again. When we entered, April and I immediately noticed that there was now drywall stacked against the walls and laying on the floor. Should we still walk through the unfinished home?!?! The doors were left wide open?!?! Well, not being too smart I encouraged the group to proceed. As we entered the kitchen, there was a stack of drywall on the floor about 2 feet from a group of drywall leaning against the wall. As I was walking between the drywall, we noticed the house plans on the wall side. I stupidly moved the leaning stack of drywall so that we could reach the plans. As soon as my hands touched the unstable leaning drywall, they all (about 7-9 sheets) started to fall towards me. My wonderful thumb immobilizer was a lot of help. I was quickly able to get my left leg out from between the drywall on the ground and the falling drywall....unfortunately, I wasn't able to get my right one out in time. The drywall landed right on top of my kneecap and pinned it to the corner of the drywall on the ground. During this time, April's mother was also trying to "catch" the drywall as it was falling. April joined our efforts in trying to move the drywall off my leg...tingling in my toes started to occur---how I felt that threw the screaming pain of my knee is still beyond me. I knew that if the drywall sheets were not moved immediately I could possibly lose my lower leg. By this time I screamed/asked "PLEASE GET THIS OFF MY LEG! JUST PLEASE GET IT OFF!" April's mother started to scream for her husband. All three of us were trying as hard as we could to push the boards and nothing was happening. He immediately ran over to us and with his efforts were able to move the drywall enough for me to scrap my leg out from between them. I immediately curled up into a fetal position. April's dad wanted me to stretch it out and look at it but I couldn't. I need a moment and said. "Please give me a minute." The pain made my thumb and neck/back seem like a walk in the park.
Once I finally tried to stand, I could see my knee swollen through my pants. I tried to play it down---I was so embarrassed. We walked around a little more (because I insisted....I didn't want to ruin their evening and cause hysterics--OK I am a dork I know)....this was also a bad idea because the pain was so bad I wanted to throw up! They must have noticed because we didn't get much farther into the house when they insisted that we leave. I really must have looked as sick as I felt, they kept asking how I was feeling and suggesting that I might need to see a doctor--but I said home would be fine.
When I finally got home, I lifted my pant leg up. I thought I was sick before....ugh! The sight was terrible! It looked like I had 4 extra kneecaps stacked on top of my original! The back of my leg felt the worst. It felt like a jackhammer was going at it. I started to panic at the sight. My grandmother asked if I thought I should go to the ER. I didn't want to go to the ER....didn't want to be a hypochondriac...so I called John to ask him his opinion (poor John...his crazy sister wakes him up in the middle of the night to diagnose a smashed knee over the phone---like that is possible). After receiving great advice, I decide to ice the leg over night to see if the swelling would go down by the next day.
Let's just say that was a very sleepless night. The next morning the swelling had not subsided in the least. I wasn't able to straighten my leg at all! I finally gave in and had grandma drop me off at an urgent care facility. The doctor examined my leg and then had x-rays done (during the examination he proceeds to tell me his son just had 6 pieces of drywall land on his leg a few days before and broke his ankle---way to calm your patient!).
When the x-rays were developed, I was able to look at them with the doctor. He looked and looked. He even leaned in closer and looked at it even closer. I was not sure why but he immediately calls a nurse in to get me a leg immobilizer (I asked him if I could have one that matches my thumb immobilizer....as a joke of course....he didn't get it and said he was sorry he only had the tan color---as shown above).
He then proceeds to tells me I am very luck that nothing is broken and that I will need to get an MRI to ensure I do not have any blood clots. He then writes me a prescription for a painkiller and crutches. I remind him that I am allergic to large quantity of codeine and that when I have taken Lortab in the past my face itched really badly. He assures me that the prescription he is given me is not Lortab but is in the same family and I would be fine. He tells me I am to use crutches for at least two full days and longer as needed. I am then given an appointment for an MRI at the hospital down the road a few hours later. So here I am, left thumb in hard thumb immobilizer and right leg in a leg immobilizer waiting for grandma to pick me up---I looked pathetic....but luckily, I felt worst so I didn't care!
I then asked grandma to take me to the drug store to get my crutches and painkillers. When handed the crutches I immediately realize there was no way I was going to be able to use crutches with my thumb immobilizer. I ask the lady there for some help. She was able to produce a soft thumb splint that made it almost possible to use the crutches correctly. After I paid for the new thumb splint (the blue one above), painkillers and deposit on the crutches I returned home. Not the best day of my life for sure!
Well, it is 4:05am and I am tired of telling this story.....so I will end the saga here....needless to say....all of the above items relate to my current quality of life and am hoping that they will soon become a funny memory in my past!
I still have no idea to this day what is wrong with my neck/back that is causing such massive shocks down my arms and pain! That I guess will be answered as I continue with my exercises--or MRI.
Oh, and the first warning on my painkillers are "if you have a sever allergy to codeine DO NOT take this medication." So much for any help through the pain! Someday I know I will laugh about all of this....right now I am not yet finding that much humor in the situation...but I will!
Life, you never know what it is going to throw at you!
