The Fall (pt 2)

En route to the hospital, I called Ted. He was confused, thinking I was at the other pastor’s house when I fell. I was probably a little snippy (don’t do too well with pain and all) and told him it didn’t matter where I was when it happened, but where I needed him to MEET me at. I don’t think I told him then we had been toilet papering. I still haven’t told my mil. If she reads this blog, sorry Bonnie! Yep, I was stoopid! After I had fallen, I knew my head and nose hurt and my arm…oh yeah baby, my arm hurt. Lots of road rash, too. When I got out of the jeep at the hospital, I was also made aware that my foot and ankle were broken. Ever try to walk with a broken foot and ankle? Not what I’d recommend. Did I mention this was a Sunday evening? And one of only 2 ER’s on our side of town? The waiting room, with seating for about 15, had about 25 people in it. The sweet little receptionist (read this with dripping sarcasm) tossed a clipboard underneath the bulletproof glass at me and told me to fill out the top form before she could talk to me. Then she growled at my by now somewhat shaken 17-year old son to “move that car—NOW!” I was left standing at the window. With a broken foot and ankle. And a broken right wrist. And she wouldn’t even talk to me until I filled out her little form. Standing. At. The. Window. Are you freakin’ KIDDING me?!? A nice lady there with her son, who I apparently scared to death, helped me sit down and held my clipboard until Tyler could come back in and fill out my form for me. After about 30 minutes in the waiting room they took me back to triage me. Offered me Vicodin, which I throw up…I opted for a big dose of Ibuprofen. And sent me back out to the waiting room (in a wheelchair this time) with a bag of ice. By then, the absurdity of it struck both Tyler and I. I was (at the time) 46 years old, and sitting in a hospital waiting room with multiple injuries sustained while toilet papering. Whether it was from release of tension or just plain silliness, we both just cracked up. By then, the whole waiting room wanted in on our little joke. Needless to say, I had one of the more interesting stories of the evening. By the time Ted and Pastor Dan arrived, the waiting room was our little stage and we were the entertainment for the evening. The rest of the evening was typical….I guess. My road rash was not treated (Ted picked gravel out of my knees the next day). They never looked in my ears or nose (diagnosed at Primary dr a few days later…she also suspected a minor concussion), and totally missed the ankle. I was booted and splinted and told to call a specialist the next day (Monday 9-15).
(EDIT: If you are a driver on a toilet paper party, it is NOT wise to leave your vehicle behind at the scene, especially if the owner of the house you are tp'ing would recognize your vehicle. When Tyler and Ted went over around 1 a.m. after leaving the hospital to retreive Tyler's truck it had every scrap of tp that had been used on the yard stuffed in and around his truck. In the wheel wells. In the grill. In the bed. Windshield wipers and antenna. In every nook and cranny. Oops.)
I had surgery on my wrist on September 25. They put in a plate, several screws and pegs and some wires. The wires will more than likely need to be removed in another surgery later on down the road. I have some really gruesome photos, but in the interest of lady-like appeal, will not be sharing them here. My nose is healing very nicely, black eye is completely gone. Unless you were really looking for it, I don’t think you could see a difference. There’s still a bump on my eyebrow….I am still wearing a walking boot. I began physical therapy for my wrist last week. If I tell you that my dr (who my best friend and I have dubbed McYummy—why are ortho docs always so darn good looking?) wrote out another Rx for Percocet for me to take on therapy days, it will tell you how fond I am of therapy. I do, however, really think my therapist is the bomb….I had a different wrist surgery back in January, and he thinks that based on how well I healed up from last time, I will eventually be able to play my violin again on the worship team. I still can’t drive because of the boot, so am at the mercy of whoever offers to take me anywhere.

Throughout this whole thing, God has above all taught me humility. I was always the one who provided the meals. The one who drove people to appointments. The self-sufficient one. Let me tell you: Not. Self. Sufficient. If God had not placed the wonderful people in my live that He did, I don’t know what we would’ve done the last month. Now that I am getting better, and am starting to see light at the end of this, the thing I am struggling with the most is a feeling of betrayal. My body totally betrayed me. And I was a little bit (ok, honestly, a LOT) angry that this had happened. I’m better there tho’….God is using this in so many ways….growing my kids, as a witness of what a real church family is to their friends, stretching people in ministries that I usually handle, stretching me in patience and in allowing people to bless ME. I am struggling also with fear. I grew up timid and physically afraid to try things. I freely admit to being a klutz. But because I wanted my kids to be fearless, I have prayed through lots of things and done things I never thought I would: Jumped off a cliff into a lake, white-water rafted, ropes challenge courses and zip lines. Things that required me to really push through and pray that fear down. Now, I am timid again. Much, much, much more than I ever was. I hesitate walking down a sloped driveway or theater aisle. Leaning out the car door to shut it is a little scary. A flight of stairs makes me tremble. I pray that as I heal, as my body becomes more balanced once again, that this fear will lessen. But until then, I know that God will never let me go. And however, and whatever I go through, He will be there. So that’s the story. Inquiring minds have been asking. And now you know….

p.s. This song has kept me going.....even if you hate clicking on video links, humor me and click on this one:



Proverbs 3
21 My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; 22 they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. 23 Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble.