Many of you know that a week ago last Saturday I had an accident - I'm typing with my left hand only because of that event. It might not be long before I quit using capital letters - shift key action is tricky with one hand...
It's taken me a week to get to the point where I can recount the details of the accident - I'll admit a little emotional trauma.
Anyway......... Saturday evening a week ago we we were walking down the hillside to the mailbox, checking out the beautiful views like this one.We didn't know it, but the big sheepdog that we care for escaped from the fence around the property and followed us. Kora probably weighs about 140 pounds - she is very powerful and does pretty much as she pleases.
When we realized that she was behind us, we were almost to the mailbox. Since it's a steep uphill climb, and we were lazy - we didn't turn around and take her back to the house. Bad mistake......
Kora with one of her bone "snacks"
Near the mailboxes there is another walled house, and unfortunately Kora decided to head for their gate and pick a fight with their 3 dogs. I was standing around the corner at the mailboxes, but it sounded like all h*!! was breaking loose.
Somehow David pulled Kora away from their gate and back up the hill a little way, even though we didn't have a leash. When David tried to grab Kora's collar she snapped at him, so he had to use the other end to pull her away from the gate.
I had grabbed Kora tightly by the collar, but suddenly I looked up and saw that one of the neighbor's dogs - a big black dog that looks like a wolf - had gotten out of their fence. This dog has always terrified me - even three years ago I remember being afraid of this dog. See, guns are illegal in Italy so everyone has big guarddogs. It's sure kept me honest during my visits here......
Anyway, the dogs wanted to fight, and I tried my best to hold Kora, but she lunged very hard and pulled me off my feet like I was a rag doll. I was still trying to hold her collar when I hit the ground flat out with my arm extended. I knew the second I hit that something snapped, but I wasn't sure if it was bone or muscle, tendons or ligaments. Whatever it was hurt.
This is where everything gets crazy and fuzzy - dogs barking, David screaming, me wondering if the black dog would have me for supper since I was aleady down ....... or if there would be a horrible dog fight between Kora and black dog. Kora is strong, but she's not in her prime - i think black dog might have the upperpaw on her.
We don't know how, but David pulled Kora further up the hill while I managed to get off the ground. I guess the neighbors took control of black dog because I don't know what happened to him.
Kora was straining against David because she still wanted to rumble - I think he was screaming that he needed me to go get the leash. I was stumbling around in the first stage of shock, holdng my arm - hand bleeding, completely dirt-covered (of couse I had on my nice white pants because our guests were due at any moment), spitting dirt out of my mouth, wondering why my chin hurt.
Some man I'd never seen offered to take me in his car up to the house, and after he helped me find the keys that had flown out of my hand, he drove me to the house so I could get a leash for David. Poor Gabriele - I walk in looking like I've been rolling around in the dirt - telling him that he's got to help us get Kora home. He doesn't understand what has happened of course - he just gets caught up in the tornado.
They got Kora home, and I started feeling nauseous and close to passing out. My arm was swelling and it became obvious that an episode of "ER" was about to begin. David stayed home to get the guests settled, while Gabriele and I headed for the ospedale (hospital). Saturday night in the emergency room - I was thinking the worst. But I have total respect for their system now ..... I walked in and gave my info at registration, we sat in a waiting room for about 30 minutes or so, they called me back for Xrays, back to the waiting room for a few minutes, and then I was called into the treatment area for the news.
The force of the fall had fractured the top of the humerus bone of my right arm in two places. I don't remember all the conversation because the orthopaedist looking at my Xrays was speaking Italian and Gabriele was translating some of what was being said. Later Gabriele told me that the doctor told me that I could have surgery that night or wait for a week to see if the fracture remained stable. My paperwork (all in Italian) says that I "refused" surgery. I didn't know he was offering surgery that night, but I know I didn't want surgery. I think if my arm had been hanging on by a vein, I would have said "let's see if it gets better over the next few days...."
So the Pronto Soccorso (emergency room) doctor wrote me a prescription for pain and sleeping meds and called for an assistant, I was taken in an area, the curtain was pulled, the lady peeled off my shirt and trussed me up in this immobilizer
contraption that keeps me from moving my arm. They said they would call the next week to set up an appointment to take more Xrays to see if surgery was necessary. With that pronouncement I was sent on my way home. Total cost of doctors. Xrays, brace, and prompt service (less than two hours) - libero - FREE!!!!!!
Near the mailboxes there is another walled house, and unfortunately Kora decided to head for their gate and pick a fight with their 3 dogs. I was standing around the corner at the mailboxes, but it sounded like all h*!! was breaking loose.Somehow David pulled Kora away from their gate and back up the hill a little way, even though we didn't have a leash. When David tried to grab Kora's collar she snapped at him, so he had to use the other end to pull her away from the gate.
I had grabbed Kora tightly by the collar, but suddenly I looked up and saw that one of the neighbor's dogs - a big black dog that looks like a wolf - had gotten out of their fence. This dog has always terrified me - even three years ago I remember being afraid of this dog. See, guns are illegal in Italy so everyone has big guarddogs. It's sure kept me honest during my visits here......
this is not our neighbor's dog - but he looks like this
Anyway, the dogs wanted to fight, and I tried my best to hold Kora, but she lunged very hard and pulled me off my feet like I was a rag doll. I was still trying to hold her collar when I hit the ground flat out with my arm extended. I knew the second I hit that something snapped, but I wasn't sure if it was bone or muscle, tendons or ligaments. Whatever it was hurt.
This is where everything gets crazy and fuzzy - dogs barking, David screaming, me wondering if the black dog would have me for supper since I was aleady down ....... or if there would be a horrible dog fight between Kora and black dog. Kora is strong, but she's not in her prime - i think black dog might have the upperpaw on her.
We don't know how, but David pulled Kora further up the hill while I managed to get off the ground. I guess the neighbors took control of black dog because I don't know what happened to him.
Kora was straining against David because she still wanted to rumble - I think he was screaming that he needed me to go get the leash. I was stumbling around in the first stage of shock, holdng my arm - hand bleeding, completely dirt-covered (of couse I had on my nice white pants because our guests were due at any moment), spitting dirt out of my mouth, wondering why my chin hurt.
Some man I'd never seen offered to take me in his car up to the house, and after he helped me find the keys that had flown out of my hand, he drove me to the house so I could get a leash for David. Poor Gabriele - I walk in looking like I've been rolling around in the dirt - telling him that he's got to help us get Kora home. He doesn't understand what has happened of course - he just gets caught up in the tornado.
They got Kora home, and I started feeling nauseous and close to passing out. My arm was swelling and it became obvious that an episode of "ER" was about to begin. David stayed home to get the guests settled, while Gabriele and I headed for the ospedale (hospital). Saturday night in the emergency room - I was thinking the worst. But I have total respect for their system now ..... I walked in and gave my info at registration, we sat in a waiting room for about 30 minutes or so, they called me back for Xrays, back to the waiting room for a few minutes, and then I was called into the treatment area for the news.
The force of the fall had fractured the top of the humerus bone of my right arm in two places. I don't remember all the conversation because the orthopaedist looking at my Xrays was speaking Italian and Gabriele was translating some of what was being said. Later Gabriele told me that the doctor told me that I could have surgery that night or wait for a week to see if the fracture remained stable. My paperwork (all in Italian) says that I "refused" surgery. I didn't know he was offering surgery that night, but I know I didn't want surgery. I think if my arm had been hanging on by a vein, I would have said "let's see if it gets better over the next few days...."
So the Pronto Soccorso (emergency room) doctor wrote me a prescription for pain and sleeping meds and called for an assistant, I was taken in an area, the curtain was pulled, the lady peeled off my shirt and trussed me up in this immobilizer
contraption that keeps me from moving my arm. They said they would call the next week to set up an appointment to take more Xrays to see if surgery was necessary. With that pronouncement I was sent on my way home. Total cost of doctors. Xrays, brace, and prompt service (less than two hours) - libero - FREE!!!!!!obviously not me - but this is my new fashion accessory - real alla moda
Monday the hospital called - my appointment would be on Thursday. This visit to the hospital was quite interesting. We went to a desk where I took a number - even though I was the only one waiting (they're big on the "take a number" system in Italy). A man took some information for the computer, gave us a piece of paper and told us to go pay. We stood in line in front of a machine in which we inserted money and received a receipt. This was to pay for seeing the doctor.
Then we were sent for the Xrays, and we were instructed we needed to pay for those also. So Gabriele went and fed the machine while David and I waited in an empty hall. That was a bit of a wait. After the Xrays, we were sent back to the desk in Radiology and waited a little more. Finally they called us to see the doctor. All 3 of us trooped into the office, and a doctor and his assistant started chattering away in Italian. I'm looking at Gabriele, who is quite reserved. I couldn't really tell at first what the verdict was, but the second I heard the words "no surgery", I jumped up and said, "grazie, Dio!!!" (thank you, God!!!).
I know so many of you have prayed for us this past week, and I cannot express my gratitude enough. Prayer is a mighty and mysterious privilege, and I do thank you for investing your time and energy to interceed for us.
Two last things - the cost of all this - doctor $16.90, Xrays $34.06, medicine $12.12 - total cost $63.08!!!!!
And you know what was in the mailbox? Two pieces of junk mail :)
That's how health care should be: easy and practically free for everyone.
ReplyDeleteWhat I want to know, though, is why on earth you typed the * in "all h*!! was breaking loose"??? I just tried with one hand, and it would have been far easier to type an @ symbol instead.
Oh, but wait...you're using an Italian keyboard. I'm guessing it share a key with the number 8...
actually the @ (produced by pressing the alt key in conjunction with key) sign shares a key with ò and ç (produced by pressing the shift key with the key) - you know we use THOSE characters sooooo much :)
ReplyDeleteHere are the shift symbols for numbers 1 thru 0
! " £ $ % & / ( ) =
apparently i love me a challenge ...... good to see you on the comments!
Now I know why we don't have DOGS...GUNS really are SAFER!!!
ReplyDeleteI hope before you take the medical device off that your muscles in your arms do look like the pix though, how nice!!
I am glad you finally told us what happened, I was thinking that David had finally 'rolled' you down a hill or something (only kidding, David!).
Miss you much...luv, pam