Day 3

The term "yard sale" refers to when a skier falls down a mountain and his/her skis, poles, hat, etc end up strewn all over the mountain. Thus looking a lot like your good, old-fashioned neighborhood junk sale.

On Saturday, February 19th, I had a yard sale so epic that I not only dislocated my ankle, but broke my tibia and fibula (lower leg bones) in so many places that the bones shattered. To be frank: my lower leg is a pile of mushy skin and bone.


When arriving at the emergency room, the doctors and nurses assumed I had been in some sort of accident. One even asked if I had been in a car accident! But no. I was not sking, or snow-boarding, or driving, or snowmobiling, or doing anything that would be considered a safety hazard in the least bit...unless you're me, of course. 


I was walking. Walking down my own driveway. Granted, the fall was the result of some very camouflaged black ice and unless I had super-hero status night vision goggles, there was no way I could have seen the danger. But still. Come on, Kel.


An x-ray was taken and after that, a doctor with the bed-side manner of a table lamp came in and told me he would have to re-set my ankle. Wait, what? I thought I was hallucinating from the IV pain medications. I knew the top of my foot looked like someone had shoved a baseball up underneath my skin, but having someone pop a bone back into place was not an option. Not an option Dr. Lamp. All I could think of was Callie from Grey's Anatomy and her sadistic glee when she had a patient with a dislocation. Is it really that fun? Because from where I was laying at that moment it did not seem like fun. I hate you, Callie.


Apparently it was my only option and after some tears, harsh words to the table-lamp posing as my doctor and some re-assuring words from the nurse, I relaxed and gave in to the inevitable. I was awake and it was horrific, but I'll leave it at that. 

Ouch!

I had a CT-scan taken once my leg was wrapped in a padded splint and the table lamp came back in to tell me how bad it really was. Surgery was necessary. Bummer. I was given the option to go home with some pain meds, to which I gladly obliged. I have appointments with two different Orthopedic surgeons on Tuesday to go over surgery options, recovery, etc. I have a pretty good feeling I will not be booking surgery with Dr. Lamp, thus the second appointment.

It is now three days after the yard sale of epic proportion and I am already getting ancy. Which leads me to why I am starting this blog. I love writing and I have been talking about starting a blog for years. Since I am going to be out of work for weeks and possibly even months (yeah, my leg is that bad...never thought I would have to use disability at the ripe age of twenty-six), I am going to have a LOT of time on my hands. So why not do all the things I have been wanting to do, but have never given myself enough time to do?


Some of my Must Do! list (sky-diving, visit the Grand Canyon, purchase a kayak) will have to wait for obvious reasons. But many of the others will be more than attainable without the use of a leg: learning guitar/bass, beating Super Mario Brothers, tracing my family lineage, starting a jewelry line and starting a blog.


I could say that the reason I'll be writing about my injury is because it will be such a big part of my life the next few months, but that would be a lie. The real reason is because I think it's going to be quite hilarious. I have no doubt the stories will be quite entertaining (and cathartic); the wheelchair I will undoubtedly hit someone with; the Grey's Anatomy references I will be able to make; going to get a pedicure in a gigantic hot-pink cast. All comedy gold...or at least worthy of a spot on America's Funniest Home Videos.


But my intent is to also document all my Must-Do! list items that I will finally have the time to do and enjoy because of my injury, in the hopes that once I am back on my feet, I always give myself the time for the things I consider a must-do. And hopefully I won't have to break a bone again in order to do so.