who knew to watch out for falling springboards?

May 3, 2014

DRAT IT ALL!

I don’t want to post this story, I don’t want to share the dismal news of another injury (and I certainly don’t want to break my mama’s heart again), but I feel in the interest of honesty I must.

I have had a fabulous week. My right foot has been strong and stayed in place. Walking has been nearly pain free and about a gazillion times faster than it has been the past few months. All week long I had comments from people about how well I was moving. I exercised and rode my Ellitigo and smiled from ear to ear all week long. Yesterday at gymnastics I was able to be up on my feet and even played catch with one of my students who needed some love from her Miss Tracy. It was such a fun, wonderful day.

And then it wasn’t. I was walking by the equipment wall when a springboard that was leaning up against the wall fell and hit my left leg, scraping it on the way down. I must have jumped out of the way and fallen because the next thing I knew, I had landed on my back on top of the springboard.

At first, I thought I was okay, just scraped up a little, but over the next couple of hours we figured out I was in worse shape than I thought. When the amazing Grant (the young man who teaches my gymnastics classes for me since my body can’t do that anymore) moved me off the springboard and onto the floor, my left shoulder was touching the floor and my right shoulder wasn’t, which meant my pelvis was twisted. Soon my legs started trembling and my hands got tingly and I knew I needed help, so I called Sheri to come and bring me some ice packs, her nurse know-how, and most of all her great big loving heart, full of laughter. She found me on the floor with my muscles tight and trembling, my leg bruising from the springboard attack, and my hip starting to go into panic mode.

She decided we needed my wheelchair to move me, so we called Blythe to bring it over, got me loaded up in it, and started pushing me to the car. And then I passed out. My hip really can’t handle me sitting in the wheelchair. That position pinches the femoral nerve and almost always causes me to pass out, but sometimes it is necessary when I can’t walk on my own or the risk of me passing out from a standing position is too great.

Sheri and her husband got me home and settled on my couch so I could rest for a few hours before the iFamily Spring Showcase which I was determined to attend. Kat and Sheri both encouraged me to not attend, but I could not fathom that idea – all my girls were performing in various numbers and I wanted to watch them. How could I miss my Annesley performing her clogging dance she has been SO excited about for months?

So, with a lot of help from a lot of people, I made it to the Showcase and laughed and smiled and cried. I love this organization so much! Everywhere I looked I saw people I love and my heart swelled with joy at their accomplishments, contributions, and presence. The 50+ families that attend iFamily are intentional, invested, inspiring families who bless my life in innumerable ways. I couldn’t stop crying as I heard Jen’s iFamily Orchestra perform their three pieces they have worked so hard to prepare all year long. My Jen is a woman of purpose, vision, and determination. She is a one-woman powerhouse of talent and heart who has created an orchestra out of a hodge-podge of musicians with widely varying skill levels, ages, and commitment levels. I am so, so proud of her! And grateful for her dedication to not only music, but the development of the human souls she teaches.

All of the other groups were fabulous as well – the choirs, Spanish class, and dancers all did a wonderful work. Our art teacher took pictures of the art projects and brought them over to my chair so I could see. Such talented students!

I loved watching the girls perform – Annesley rocked it as she clogged her little heart out, Keziah played violin in the Orchestra, and Blythe’s ACTivate troupe performed the epilogue from their recent play. I was able to visit with dear friends, especially all the little children that call me Miss Tracy, and smile and laugh with my grown up friends as well.

When Richard and Sheri finally got me wheeled back into my house and got me into bed, the tears and pain finally hit in full force. My feet ache. My back feels like it has been hammered for hours from the top of my neck all the way down to my tailbone. The bruising on my left leg is very tender. My pubic bone is out of place and the femoral nerve feels like it is being plucked like a guitar string. The top of my pelvis on the right side is protruding and all the muscles are in spasm trying to hold those skeewampus bones in place. I am pretty sure some ribs are out of place since it hurts to breathe and I can’t use my right arm very well. Every time Richard moved in bed last night, I would moan in pain and beg him to please, please hold still – surely the man doesn’t need to breathe, right?

Despite all this, I do think this will be a minor setback. Jeremy will put me all back together on Monday and I am hopeful once the bruising and feeling like I have been hit by a Mack Truck subside, I will be right back to building muscles. But I don’t know. I am sore enough that something could be quite wrong.

Today is Paige’s baptism. I don’t think I can go. And that makes me cry even more. Miss Paige is my girlie – I attended her birth eight years ago and held her mom (Jennifer, from iFamily Orchestra fame) in my arms as Paige was life flighted to Primary Children’s Medical Center for a heart defect. I can’t imagine not being there, but I also don’t want to mar her special day by my needing to be taken care of while there.

So, I will spend the day, this glorious day, in bed and hope the arnica I am smothered in kicks in soon and relieves the don’t-move-don’t-touch-me-I-am-sore-all-over-feeling.