Broken Foot
[Written on Friday 15 January 2016, accident happened on Monday 11 January 2016. Ouch!]
I (Hrefna) fell as I was walking towards the entrance to my workplace this Monday morning. I slipped on some newly snow-covered ice, but as I was about to land, my heel slid off the ice onto the hard surface, so my lower foot stopped moving, while the rest of me fell like gravity intended. As a result, I dislocating my right ankle, and broke multiple bones around it.
A lot of people were arriving for work at that time, so help arrived immediately as I screamed, and a coworker called an ambulance. It arrived 5-7 minutes later (although I have no idea, I was in a lot of pain), and I’m very thankful for the many coworkers who stayed by me, talked to me, held my hand, gave me support, and brought a blanket out to the parking lot.
In the ambulance, they managed to drug me enough that I don’t recall them popping the foot back, but I came to as we arrived at the hospital. Once there I got more meds, and got put in a temporary cast, so they could take x-ray images. Once those had been analyzed, I was drugged again, and a doctor realigned the foot (both upper pipes were broken), and another temporary cast was put in place. This one felt “right” and the worst of the pain went away. Still, to be sure, they took a second (smaller) set of x-rays.
I got transferred up from the ER to orthopedics, where I waited out the day. The day really went by fast, and shortly before 4 pm I was rolled into surgery. There a plate was installed, and some 9 screws. The plate will probably never be removed, but the screws might come out after a year has passed. There is one special screw though, which will be removed after 10 weeks, after which I will be allowed to put some weight on the foot again.
Since it was a open fracture, I had to stay in the hospital for two days, getting intravenous antibiotics. Oh, and the good painkillers, which they don’t give you at home! But yes, I’m home now, slowly getting better.
This is me today (11 images total)
What a lovely sight!
This is the first day I’ve had the mental stamina to open a laptop since the accident. I guess that means I’m getting better?
Anyway, some photos. Be warned that there is some BLOOD two images down!!!!
Monday 11 January 2016
Barely controlled chaos in the ER. This day was reportedly the worst day for falls this winter, and I heard people saying that some 70 people were waiting to be examined due to various fractures. It sounded like there were two other women with ankle injuries like mine, but it sort of sounded like I was the worst off.
Proof it was an open fracture! This is when the first temporary cast had been cut open, and the doctor was preparing to realign the foot. Finnur had arrived by that point, although he had to leave soon after to deal with kid-stuff.
Second cast of the day, now waiting up in orthopedics.
The surgery came and went, I think it took about two hours. Waking up went fine, and after some confusion as to where I’d end up, I was wheeled to ward B6, which is for brain, neural, and orthopedic operation patients.
Tuesday 12 January 2016
I was the single occupant in a double-occupancy room. I spent my waking hours reading a book on my pad, and nodded off to podcasts of RadioLab, and Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me!
The view outside my window at 10 in the morning.
Big cast! “This way down”…
Lunch. Yay?
Wednesday 13 January 2016
In the wee hours of Wednesday, an elderly lady joined me in the room. I was very thankful for my noise-cancelling headphones, as she was a loud breather. Other than that, she was mostly harmless.
Beautiful, but cold, day out.
The cast was opened up to check on the open wounds. They needed to look ok, or I wouldn’t have been allowed home.
I managed to take a much needed shower before heading home, and we departed the hospital around 3 pm. At the hospital they’d insisted I practice moving around, and I was pleased that all the boot-camp excising seems to have made me stronger. The hospital workers at least seemed pleasantly surprised by how strong and mobile I was, so that was nice.
Thursday 14 January 2016
My hospital arm-band, with the name of the operating doctor.
Being home was both quieter and louder than the hospital. I ended up going up the stairs on my butt the first time, but I’ve made it up on crutches at least once, so hopefully that’ll only get easier. (Insert hope that I don’t mangle up my shoulders using the crutches!)
Friday 15 January 2016
Lady in waiting… for things to heal!
So yeah. That’s life taking a bit of a sharp left turn. I just hope there aren’t many more sharp left turns ahead!
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