Friday, November 19, 2010

A Very Clumsy Day

Well, I knew this day wasn't going to be my best when I spilled half a (tall) cup of coffee at 5:30 this morning. It was confirmed when I dropped the wand part of my mascara down the sink drain at 6 am. But it was made crystal clear when at 9:30 this morning, in front of my students, I stepped down from the stool I had been reading from only to find my left leg wasn't there ~ at least I couldn't feel it at all ~ and promptly fell down, hearing a loud "snap" as I did so. All my kids rushed up to me, trying to help. Picking up the papers and clipboard I had dropped on my plunge to the floor. Picking up the cup of coffee (with lid) I had been holding ~ didn't spill this one, though! I had to sit for a few moments before I could even consider getting up, since my foot was really painful. I hauled myself up, and sat down in a kid's chair, since my left foot wouldn't hold me up.

Of course, I told the kids to calm down, I would be alright, and just needed a few moments to recover. And then I noticed my foot swelling up. So, I asked one of the kids to go next door to get my teaching partner (who broke her foot at school last year) and when she arrived, I had to tell her I'd at the very least sprained my foot, but might have broken it. (We both laughed about this, and when the teacher on the other side of me came in a couple of minutes later, we warned her that it was going to be her turn next year.) They sent one of my kids to the office to get the wheel chair, and then wheeled me up to the office.

I ended up at the clinic that handles work injuries. I insisted on driving myself, which made my principal very nervous. I called once I'd arrived and been put in the waiting room, so that he wouldn't be worrying about me driving. So, an exam and an Xray later, the good news is I didn't break it. The bad news is I sprained it badly, with ligament damage. And the swelling isn't swelling, but a large hematoma, which the doctor said would probably "express itself as bruising". Yay for me. They wrapped it and made me wear a "shoe". They wanted to put it in a boot, but I convinced them I wouldn't be able to fit it in my car. Those boots are huge!. I am vertically challenged, so I have to have the car seat as far forward as possible, and in my Corolla, there's no way I could fit my foot in the boot in the space left between the seat and brake/gas pedals. They gave me extra-strength Tylenol and Darvocet. Haven't taken either one, and probably won't. Pain meds don't generally work for me, anyway.

This is, of course, the leg I've been having so much trouble with, with my knee. And I noticed just a little while ago that my knee is swelling up, too. At least, more than it usually does by the end of the day. No pain yet, but given this week, I'm expecting that to kick in when I try to go to sleep later.  (This is the week I also received a jury duty summons and a speeding ticket).

I had lots of plans for next week, since I'm off work for the whole week. Was taking my niece and nephew down to the Natural History Museum. Was spending a day making cookies with my sister in law. Now, I have to stay off my foot, and be back at the clinic Tuesday morning. Not what I was looking forward to. At least I don't have to take sick time at work, and write lesson plans for a sub.

Maybe the rest of this week will go really well. I mean, if bad things come in threes, I've met the target, right?

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