In the morning on Tuesday February 22nd, I fainted while getting blood work. I fainted and then had a seizure that lasted about 4 minutes. I started out seizing in the chair and then was helped to the floor by the phlebotomist. During those four minutes, either while I was in the chair, or on the floor, I fractured 3 vertebrae in my back - T7, T8 & T9.
Before I fainted, I remember telling the young gal that it was starting to hurt (she was in a second attempt to draw blood) and I remember her telling me that I was getting pale. Then, I came to on the floor vomiting (thank goodness it was a fasting draw so I was retching nothing but water) with a room full of people. I heard bits of conversations; fainted, seizure, her husband.. And then I heard my Doctor's voice, as she bent down to me.
I've been a patient of Dr Spinks for about 7 years. She is one of those Doctors that truly listen to you when you talk, who will take the time to answer all your questions thoroughly and will call you after hours with lab results. Good Doctors will do this. And I cried when I saw her. They got my phone and called Bill to tell him what happened and instructed him to go to the emergency room. I was taken from the lab via ambulance to the emergency room.
What followed was a week of excruciating pain. I couldn't talk, sit or stand - I could do little more than lay in bed on heavy pain pills. Because of my sensitivity to medication, I could not tolerate a full-strength pain pill, so the pill was halved, and I took it every three hours - round the clock. During the night, Bill set his alarm and woke me up every three hours to give me my medication. I don't remember much of the first 6 days other than my heart was full of gratitude for this man I married.
Bill created lists to keep track of my medications, kept my moist heat pad heated (it was one of the only things that helped the pain), helped me in and out of bed, made sure I ate and kept the house going. He took Missy for her walks and kept up on her quota of belly rubs and took her to the vet. He didn't leave the house but two times in 6 days - for food and my medication. I truly and sincerely do not where I would have been if I didn't have Bill. This doesn't surprise me, I've spent 25+ years with him, I know what kind of man he is.
As I've shared, Missy is not a snuggly kind of dog. Without a doubt, Missy is a very loving and sweet dog, she does not snuggle but I know she loves me. Every time I woke up, Missy was laying in the bedroom at the foot of the bed, taking care of me in the best way that she knows how, by her presence. When I was able to move to the couch, she slept on the floor near the couch. If I stirred, she lifted her head to check on me and when I got up, she followed me.
Ten days after my injury I was able to sit upright for 5 minutes at a time and that is how I worked on this blog, five minutes at a time. I wanted to get this done because there are so many people that I need to thank, so many people that I need to express my gratitude to. Family, friends and neighbors, so many people called, sent texts, cards, flowers and food.
They came to my house to drop off flowers and food. They sent texts knowing that I was not strong enough to answer them and called knowing that I couldn't talk and yet they still reached out to me. To let me know that they were with me. That they are praying for me.
When the pain has me crying for relief, when I am praying for the pain medication to kick in and for some rest, I find comfort, peace and safety in their words and actions like a quilt that I pull up around me.
I am two weeks out from my injury and two weeks from a scheduled surgery (kyphoslasty) to fix the fractures. There have been small victories to be celebrated and there have been setbacks which we don't dwell on. We move forward with grateful hearts.
