Trip to the Emergency Room

On Monday I fell in the parking lot of Day Care that is part of the Hospital I work at.  I tripped over crack in the pavement and twisted my right ankle.  I fell like a ton of bricks on to my left knee and knew there was no way I could get off the ground with both legs injured like that.

My purse and my daughter were still in the car.  I was walking around the car to get her out to take into the building when - WHAM, down I go!

I started calling for help.  There were lots of other people around dropping off their kids.  The first person to (sort of) respond was a man who asked me if I was okay.  I said "No."  He then asked if I had my phone.

"No, it is in my bag - still in the car - like my daughter."

He then went to my car, got my purse -- and left me there!

I then got my phone out myself and called the Hospital Switchboard.  They patched me over to Security.   I had to contact them because I was a Hospital employee injured on Hospital Property.  The woman from Security got there in about 5 minutes and started doing the "Incident Report".  I let her know that I could not get off the ground.  She called in and asked to dispatch an ambulance to get me.  I then added the fact I am 20 weeks pregnant.  That seemed to spook her a bit.

Apparently lots of parents were telling the staff I was laying on the ground because the manager of the Child Care Center then came out to check on me.  She finally got my sweet baby out of the car.  Alexandria was SO HAPPY to finally be out of her carseat and that car!  She took her inside to her classroom.

After a few more minutes more staff came out with washcloths and crushed ice filled rubber gloves.   They handed me the items so I could preform a bit of first aid on myself.

WHERE IS THAT AMBULANCE!?  I AM ALREADY AT THE HOSPITAL! YOU JUST NEED TO TAKE ME THE TWO BLOCKS AROUND TO THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT!!!

I just cannot get off the asphalt!

After 20 minutes I was really starting to feel the pain. The crowd of people around had grown. The Chief of Security was now there (who has the same birthday as me!)  and two more staff from the Child Care Center.  The antsy staff called up to the ER to see what's going on? 

Apparently no one actually called for an ambulance!

30 minutes after my fall the police officer arrives who is staffed at the ED.  He is excited to drive my Volt once I am carted off.  

Now that the EMTs have actually been called, they arrive pretty quickly.  They splint up my right foot with padded cardboard and tape. Then the "lucky"  guys get to pick my butt off the ground and on to a gurney.  They jokingly ask which hospital I want to be taken to.

They drive me up to the Emergency Room and when I arrive the staff is like, "Oh, there's the woman that fell in the parking lot!"  Apparently they had been made aware of my impending arrival -- but again  no ambulance was informed!

The first nurse to get to me had the microphone to monitor the baby's heart.  My "passenger" was A-OKAY!

Then the Rad Tech arrives with a moble x-ray machine to image my knee and ankle.

Then I sit there for about 40 minutes with NOTHING TO DO.  I am then informed nothing is broken.  Here is a prescription for some pain meds.  No work - bed rest for 2 days, and here are your bandages and crutches.  We will get a wheelchair to get you out of here.

Great!  I am so over this morning and have not had breakfast (It's been about 2.5 hours since my fall now.)

So the nurse wheels me over to the pharmacy where the pharmacist says "I cannot fill this medication because the incident report is not on file for my Workers Compensation."

WHAT?!  So apparently my fall was admitted to the ER as "Workers Compensation" because I am an employee having an accident on the premises.  I am told to go to Employee Health to do the needed paperwork there.

I break out my phone and contact my husband letting him know how my morning went.  He is going to come get me.   I foolishly thought that it would be an easy process to get whatever needed to be done to fill my medication.  I sat in the waiting area for about 20 minutes watching people go to lunch now... me still starving at this point.   I finally called out.  I am in pain and really need to get his taken care of so I can just get home and put my feet up.

My Husband arrives at this time from his work and joins me in the waiting area.  Finally I am taken back where the manager is like "I am not sure what happened to you is workers comp."  I said.  I don't care -- just please help me get my meds so I can go home."  It is amazing how I was able to control my temper because I was so HUNGRY and in PAIN.

Finally, she fills out another report and calls the pharmacy to dispense my meds.  Aaron wheels me back over to the pharmacy where the Pharmacist then says that taking the medication will effect my pregnancy... so great.  Perfect.   All that for really nothing!

It was a struggle getting up to our 2nd floor walk-up condo, but I made it.  Between the Left Knee and the Right Ankle -- I wanted to limp on both legs.  I could not bend the knee or put weight on the other leg.   It sucked!   Aaron has been taking care of things that I normally do because I am laid up.  it is nice that he helps but also hard.