Fue un accidente

I fell! I was helping set up for a dance. I was on an A-frame ladder, guiding a rope through an eye-screw. The moulding that the screw was in came off the wall and knocked the ladder over (with me, 17 or 18 feet up on it).

When I fell I knew I wanted to get away from the part of the wall that had knocked the ladder over (because it had nails in it) so I tried to propel myself away from it and I also didn't want to have the ladder land on me.. and neither of those things happened, so I consider it a successful fall. Haha. My aunt measured today, my feet were at least 17 feet in the air. I'm so lucky that I am not hurt worse. I tried to roll when I hit the ground but I didn't have enough control so I just crumpled instead. But my mom ran over and held me and then the missionaries ran over and gave me a blessing right away. They were shaking and super scared, poor Elders.

Then my aunt and mom debated whether to call 911. I said no because I was just thinking about how pricey the ambulance is but I couldn't sit up and was having a hard time controlling my breathing. So then they called. The paramedics were nice and one of the policemen that showed up was a member, I think. He said "The Lord has a plan, don't stress out." and said that the church has insurance for accidents like this. Then my mom and aunt called my dad and Joe and my bishop.

I went to the hospital in the ambulance which was not very comfy. The guy gave me some pain medication which was nice. Then at the hospital I was rushed in and it was called a trauma code (trauma fall= any fall over two times the height of whoever fell). So they got me in to get X-rays and they asked me lots of questions. The X-rays hurt a lot because I had to bend and roll over and stuff. Then they gave me more pain medication. Dayna and Darla brought me dinner in the ER (Boston Market, mm). Bishop Hardy came and told me not to stress out or worry about anything. The doctor came in and said I would need to stay overnight for pain management and that I had two breaks (my spine and my foot) and that it would be 6-8 weeks for treatment and I started crying really hard. I had held it together until then, but I was just so excited to get out of MN. You know? Anyway, he was confused about why I was so sad about it, but my mom explained it to him.

Then they brought me to the special care unit and I spent the night hooked up to lots of machines and getting lots of pain medication in my IV. The heart rate monitor kept beeping because I have an irregular heartbeat, so that was really annoying. Taryn came after work and brought me my Erik-pillow and toothbrush and deodorant. Darla and Dayna brought me underwear and a bra. The nurse said she wanted to get the Spanish speaking nurse to come teach me Spanish so I wouldn't have to be sad about not leaving on my mission yet. Everyone was so nice. I got my foot nice and wrapped up in a splint.

The next morning I got more X-rays and then they moved me to a general care room. A spine doctor came to talk to me and an orthopedic surgeon. I got a back brace (the guy had to make it smaller like five times before it finally fit me, ha ha). My family and the nurses had to help me pee-- goodbye dignity. I couldn't stand up or roll over on my own at all. The narcotics they were giving me made me really dizzy and nauseous. They started giving me my medication orally to see if I could handle it.

I was fine except any sort of overexertion (meaning, staying sitting up for more than a minute without help) made me really weak, shaky, and light headed. I enjoyed having a hospital bed that I could sit up with. My aunt and cousins brought me clothes and another toothbrush, plus hairbrush and headbands. My mom and sister went to Target and picked up my favorite snacks so I always had something to eat when I took my medicine. Dayna and Tianna spent the whole day with me. President Kerr and his wife came to see me that night, it was nice to chat with them. He gave me a blessing. I appreciated his support and encouragement.

I spent that night in the hospital, too. That night my foot started hurting a lot. It woke me up every 4 hours or so, burning. It was awful but I am guessing that means it is healing? My mom helped me shower that morning. I am really regressing, needing help using the restroom and then having my mom see me totally naked. :/ No dignity. It was great to wash my hair and face, though. Melanie braided my hair so it was off my face and I spent all morning sleeping and taking medicine and talking to various doctors and nurses.

I was finally released and given a leg scooter. The nurse wheeled me out to meet my mom at the car and I threw up three times, which is really painful with a hurt back. The nurse gave me vomit bags, which look like giant condoms, so that is fun. When I got home I tried to stop taking the narcotic pain medicine, but the ibuprofen and tylenol were not cutting it. So I will deal with nausea for a little while longer and try in a few days to give up the narcs again. 

So last night my foot was hurting really badly. Madam Pomfrey wasn't kidding when she gave Harry Skelegro and told him that growing bones is painful business. OUCH.. It feels like there are two fires in my heel and sometimes they touch and then shoot up my leg. Yeck. Don't jump off any ladders, okay team? My back is mostly just really sore like muscle sore. You know when you shiver a lot and then your back hurts from it? It feels like that constantly, like my muscles are just tensing all the time. It feels better if I lay flat for a long time. After naps I feel fine in my back, but when I have to get up or sit up or move it starts hurting and takes a long time to stop spasming.

Dayna had moved my bed to the main floor, so I'm in the living room now. I feel totally helpless. I tried to brush my teeth and ended up just crying because it hurt too bad to stay upright for that long. My siblings, mom, cousins, and aunt and uncle have been so wonderful to me. They are incredibly selfless. They're all willing to stay up with me to keep me on a medicine schedule, they've all offered to get me food and drinks and to help me stand and put on my brace and scoot around. I am so thankful. My dad offered to bring me to AZ so Luna could heal me with her dog powers (I declined, mostly because I doubt I would be able to sit up in a plane for longer than five minutes without passing out).

We also got ding-dong-ditched with a plate of delicious cookies and a get well card from someone mysterious. I've had so many friends reach out to me on Facebook, email, and texting. I'm really really blessed.

Bishop Hardy and President Kerr have been in contact with the mission people. My call still stands, I'll just be reissued a report date once we know when I will be physically able to go. Hopefully that will be February (my own timeline, not anyone else's, haha).

I don't know why this happened now. I don't know if I will ever know why (but I hope I do someday). I'm thankful for the support and service I've been given.  I'm so thankful for my family. I'm thankful for insurance. I'm thankful for prayers.

I know that God already has this all figured out. I just have to keep doing my best and trust in His timing. In the meantime, any suggestions on books to read? :)

xoxo

Chanda