Trauma in the ER

This morning I was cleaning up my house after the usual weekend tornado hit that plows through here each week. I was simply wiping down the fridge when I felt an all too familiar and horrid feeling as my shoulder dislocated itself.

This oh so painful occurrence has happened to me several times over since I was 14. One Dr. told me I should have surgery. Another said physical therapy would be best. And a different Dr. told me basically there isnt much they can do-that it will just happen, so get used to it. I dont like Drs very much.

Most of the time I can pop it back in. It hurts like a bugger, but relief is immediate and then my arm is only sore and loosey goosey for a day or two. Othertimes I try popping it back but cant get it and then I get to make the not so fun trip to the ER.

Thats what happened today. I called Daniel who had to cancel a VIP phonecall, and booked it over here to take me, and fortunately my dear neighbor was in-tune with a certain prompting and happened to stop by at the right moment and took care of my boys.

I hate the road to the hospital. It is horribly rough with potholes and bumps all over the place. Every jolt just makes the nerve endings go bonkers and I was trying my hardest to be tough- but IT HURT!

So we got to the ER, they got some info and after 10 minutes I was in a room. 5 minutes later the nurse gets my vitals, five minutes later the dr comes in. He asks about it, I give him some answers, he leaves, five more minutes go by. The nurse comes in and moves me to another room. Then a different nurse comes in. She tells me the dr wants me to pee in a cup to make sure I'm not pregnant. I KNOW I am not pregnant and am thinking this is all a waste of time cuz I am in excruciating pain and they are making me jump through hoops first.

So Daniel helps me out, we go back to the room, a different nurse then comes in and does my vitals. My blood pressure drops significantly-(gee i wonder why- could it be my freaking body is traumatized and shaking uncontrollably in pain)- so then she tells me I have to move onto the bed. I bite my lip to endure the pain, and then 10 minutes later she leaves and a different guy comes in and says i have to get in a wheelchair to go to the Xray. Daniel told him since my BP had dropped the nurse wanted me to stay on the bed, hooked up to a bunch of crap. He wasnt to thrilled but then he wheels the bed down several hallways and bonks into a zillion things and finally gets to xray.

The chick there has to get me in a certain position to take the xray so she jostles me around and i couldnt hold back the tears at this point. That really really hurt. they finally get the xrays, move me again and take me back to the room.

Then we wait. Finally a different nurse comes in. Then the dr. He says "yup- its dislocated alright." I guess he didnt believe me. So then he tells me I have to lie on my back. I tried, but any movement just sends shock waves of pain, so I wasnt too successful. So he and the nurses move me around and at that point I am bawling cuz I am just hurting so bad. Then the dr says- we arent ready yet- you guys dont even have her shirt off.

So then he leaves and the nurses leave and five minutes later they come in and cut off one of the only few shirts I like. And then they have to hook me up to some heart machine and get some respiratory nurse to come in and finally after my arm has been out of its socket for 2 and a half hours- they finally give me something to knock me out.

Daniel gave me the rest of the story as I thankfully dont recall the Dr yanking my arm to and fro and not getting it back in. He even had to ask Daniel how to do it cuz he couldnt get it in, and Daniel has helped me before. I am thinking this dr must be some student and I was his guinea pig.

I guess i was screaming pretty loud but i dont remember and really if some dr is yanking on your dislocated arm who wouldnt be yelling.

So when the drugs wear off and i come to I was thinking -ok-they will give me a shirt as they destroyed mine, give me a sling, and send us on our way. Nope. We waited 2 more hours- just waiting. Seriously just waiting.Then a totally different nurse comes in, gives me some papers, searches for a sling, and gives me a hospital gown. Lovely. Then we were finally able to come home.

5 flippin hours. In the ER. What the fetch is up with that?

The last time I had to go to the ER for this was when we lived in Mesa. I had to wait an hour in the waiting room, but as soon as I was taken back, they knocked me out, popped it back in a sent us on our way. Oh- and the sling they gave me was so easy to get on and off and so supportive. The one I got today is a beast.

So I am totally not a fan of the ER here. Since my arm was dislocated for so stinking long, the ligaments, and muscles and whatever else have stretched themselves hay-wire and its gonna take so much longer for them to tighten back up. And that also means my little arm is gonna be sore for a while. And loosey goosey for even longer. So I cant do my hair, carry my baby, or do anything that requires the use of both arms/hands. Its a bugger.

But on the upside- perhaps Daniel will hire us a maid to do the cleaning from now on. hahaha! Wouldnt that be lovely!