Face Plant

For the second time in less than 15 years I have managed to eat asphalt in a big way.  I was on my way to the Ford dealership to pick up my Escape.  I decided to run the five miles to the dealer.  About a quarter mile from the house some unseen force sent me face first into the roadway.  I rolled over and out of the road to assess the damage.  A kind man pulled over in his SUV to offer assistance.  I knew I had slammed the asphalt pretty hard.  The bloody scrape to my right knee and my left hand were ample evidence of what had happened.  I jogged back home, cleaned it up and bandaged the wounds.

I decided since my arms felt "okay" that I would try to run to the dealership.  The five miles went pretty quickly.  By the time I had driven home I was starting to stiffen up.  I decided to hustle over to my doctor's office and if worse go to the clinic.  It's less than a mile away.  It was 10:30 a.m. and the clinic didn't open until noon and my doctor was packed.  So I went home, took a pain pill, showered and headed into work.

I sensed that trouble awaited because it took me five minutes to peel my shirt off prior to the shower.  Then I could button up my dress shirt to the top.  By 2 p.m. the pain was overwhelming and I headed back to the clinic.  Just the act of driving had become a challenge.  My left arm screamed with pain, especially the elbow.  The right elbow hurt but I could move it with much less difficulty.

The clinic is amazing.  I've used it three times now and it's always been in and out.  I got checked out by a doctor and x-rays in less than 40 minutes.  I screamed my way through the x-rays on my left arm nearly passing out for the first time in my life.  Shockingly enough the x-rays showed that my right elbow is fractured, not the left.  The pain only got worse through the day.  Sleep was a challenge last night.  I had to sleep sitting up with my left arm sitting atop a "Hello Kitty" pillow.

I'm visiting my orthopedic doctor this afternoon.  It will be interesting to see if he decides to put the right arm in a cast.  The last time I took a fall like this I suffered hairline fractures in both arms.  I was in a sling for a couple of days but the pain was nothing compared to this.  Changing clothes is an interesting challenge.  But the weirdest part of all of this, how the hell did I run five miles to the Ford dealership?!?  Shock?!?