Saturday, January 18, 2020, 11:00 AM : I was talking on the phone to our cousin; got up out of my chair; fell straight forward hitting my chin and the right side of my face by my right eye. I am sitting on the floor … blood all over me and all over the floor. Found my call…button … pushed it. Staff came in … they called Craig … put a band-aid on my chin to catch the blood … then a piece of folded cloth … with tape at the ends; that sort of kept the blood off things. I found out that there are many blood vessels in the face ,,, and thus the heavy load of blood flowing everywhere,
Emergency room: It is so cold. I am guessing that within the next 3-4 hours they put an IV in my left arm … someone did. I remember telling each nurse trying to put the IV in that they have two chances … and that is all for them. First nurse took her two chances and could not get the IV positioned. Next nurse: now a male nurse that knew he did not have to use x-rays to position the IV … two chances for this nurse. Note: we ARE NOW FOUR ATTEMPTS!!! A third nurse: makes it on one attempt. I do not remember male or female … whatever. I have 5 … five … clear needle attempts in my left arm!!! I do have the IV in.
Hospital Room: Some time in the next hours … they somehow find out that I have blood clots in both lungs and am being admitted as a patient. All I remember is being in the hospital room and being put on this “heparin” to begin to get rid of the blood clots … of course using the IV. Craig waits with me for a room … he goes home during that time and comes back when they have me in the hos[ital room … bringing a change of clothes and my face-washing stuff!!! (Craig had been suggesting I get a small bag together with what I would need in a hospital trip. Of course, I had not done that at that time … but I assure you I have a hospital bag ready now!!! ) Oh … the hospital room was very cold!!!
Hospital room … Continued: Monday. January 27th … late afternoon … I am told that I can go home that evening. I went off the Heparin sometime that Monday and I was switched to a blood-thinner … maybe that was Sunday … I think they wanted me on the blood…thinner 24 hours before I left. I showed the worst of myself when a rep of the oxygen supply insisted I have a third canister to go from the hospital to my apartment ,,, probably a 5-minute ride … I knew I would not hook myself up to that plastic cord for that little time … and of course I did not!!!
Now … I am on oxygen 24/7 … really about 22/7. I have a horrible runny nose … I am guessing from a cold I caught at the hospital. I have this oxygen tube in my nose the 22 – 24 hours daily … which causes my nose to be irritated … and more runny nose … if such is possible!!! I am doing my walking … trying to get it back up … I was at 2400 feet daily when all this happened … I am back to 1600 feet daily … did it with my oxygen today. I have had two nose treatments during this time … the skin on the tip of my nose has come off ,,, the nose is definitely red … and my runny nose is not helping my nose either!!! I was beginning to think that I could take care of myself in an independent situation … and then this!!! I am so thankful I was here. Sitting on the floor with blood running down my clothes and all over the floor … and people came immediately!!!
A white-out!!! There is a part to this story that I have told only a couple people. I am telling it now. As people were trying to find out what had happened … remember, I was sitting on the floor in this blood as the staff came in,,, a few of the people asked me if I had had a black-out?” I had not … but what happened as soon as I fell if not passing out?? I remember distinctly my fall … everything is white … I am standing where I was before falling … I see a white blur that falls to the floor … I see myself form a white image of my sitting down ... I see myself in the white image … no longer standing beside my fall but being my fall. That is what happened as I fell and, then, got into a sitting position!!!
I am OK: It is Wednesday, February 5 … 2020. I am on oxygen … and trying to get better at my walking.
Love y’all.
Old Fashion with a Twist 