Walking Wounded Update

Tom and Maisy and I spent a much longer-than-expected day in Duluth yesterday getting all the required x-rays, etc. done.

Having broken my rib exactly a week ago today, I am now feeling much better and no longer have the need to constantly medicate myself for the pain! And, I even managed a sneeze this morning - the first allowed in a week - with no rib going POP! (It's the little things.)

My part of yesterday's hospital visits went well with a couple of chest and rib x-rays and a bone density scan. Now I wait a week or two to meet with our doctor when all the results are in (it's the bone density scan that takes a little while). Then, we'll go from there. But, as far as the rib is concerned and as I've mentioned before, there's not much that can be done for it other than rest and pain management.

Now, regarding Tom! As some of you know, he broke his wrist Wednesday night! (Or, at least, that's what we think has happened.) We were working up at the property, and he was standing about 5' up on a brand-new (very sturdy) stepladder. I didn't see it, but somehow the ladder just went ZIP out from underneath him, and he SLAMMED down onto hard-packed ice! He says that it happened so quickly that he doesn't really know what happened. But, his body must have created some torque on the ladder because now it won't fold up flat!

Anyway, Tom thought the injury, if any, was to his hip - which he landed quite hard on - but after sitting down for a couple of minutes, he went back to work. He swept up the dining room and living room in the house, and we loaded the Suburban with cardboard for recycling and garbage bags. But, as Tom was driving home, his hand really started aching. By the time he was out of the shower and we had ice on it, his wrist was growing larger and larger and he was really in some pain.

The pain was increasing at such a rapid pace that I called the ER about 9:15 that night. They said, "Yep, you need to come in! There could be some nerve damage happening." So, at midnight and with some heavy drugs injected into Tom's body, we finally left the ER. X-rays had been taken, a possible break was seen, but the hand was too swollen to cast. A rigid splint was applied and directions were given to follow-up with our Primary Care physician in a day or two. That brought us to yesterday.

We shuffled back and forth between our doctor's office and the hospital (a drive, each time, of a couple of miles) too many times to remember. X-rays were taken and looked at, then a CT scan was ordered. The results from that will come back Monday and then we'll re-evaluate the situation. Depending on the severity of the break - and because of where it is - it could require surgery and a long recovery time. If it turns out to just be a horrible sprain (best-case scenario), he'll still need to wear the splint for a minimum of ten days (except when he's sleeping) and then we'll have a re-evaluation and another set of x-rays done at that time. Fortunately, Tom's been sleeping well, and, when the arm and hand are immobile in the splint, he feels no pain. It has, however, put a crimp in our building projects, darn it!

Maisy handled the stress of the day yesterday by having diarrhea three times. Fortunately, we got her out of the car each time, but once was right in the middle of the cement parking ramp at the doctor's office - with, of course, a businessman walking by right then. Oy. Poor pumpkin. It was a long day for all of us.