11/13/2007

Me Monday is about the date listed in the title of this blog post, 11/13/2007. On this date, the writer of this blog had a life changing accident.

I was working in the back of a nearby WM when an employee left a box topper on the floor, no, I did not see it nor did I know it was under my person until I felt my right foot catch the edge of it. As I was falling, I thought, this is going to hurt, it did.

My life changed that night. I was on my way home, out of the store and thought I would make one more contact with a disgruntled department manager, as she always was. I wish I had called it a day and headed to the house.

When I hit the floor with my chin, my head snapped back, my spine crackled from the base of my skull to the middle of my back, this pain is a constant. My right rotator cuff was shredded and slipped over the shoulder joint, repaired by surgery but permanent limitations, pain, numbness in that arm and hand. My right rib cage had a nine inch bruise, healed, of course, but tender three years later. My right hip is still a pain. My lower teeth were bruised and will require braces eventually. I was out but don't know how long. I should have let them take me to the hospital in an ambulance. Somehow I drove home that night but I don't remember the drive, dumb.

My life changed in many ways, one is I can sit for about an hour more or less and that's it. Another is loss of strength, use of right arm, etc., and there are more but why list them all? Yes, depression was a part of it and continues to be a battle. I walked with a cane for months, stuck in the house, unable to get out, no fun. I no longer can work, I am a liability, no one will hire me even though I have applied but what can I do with this situation. Pain is my partner. I am attempting to get disability but I am a Caucasian, overweight female, what are my chances, been denied once already.

So even though it changed my life, it didn't end my life. My neck was not broken. No bones, not even my jaw, were broken. The rib probably was but nothing can be done about a rib so no x-ray was done. The way I fell, hitting the concrete floor with my chin and all of my body weight, could have snapped my neck, didn't.

I am calling the doc tomorrow for a pain management medicine appointment. After all, it's been three years of surgery, therapy, chiropractic care, pain patches, hot showers, cold ice packs, time to take a pill. I have improved as much as I am going to improve, end of sentence.

This post will end the complaining about it all. You will not read about this again. It's the end of talking about my ongoing reality.

Three years is a long time, too long.