Well, folks, I ended 2008 with a boom instead of a bang. On the afternoon of December 28, 2008, I tripped and fell onto the tile floor. As usual, my face broke my fall. That afternoon I was at home alone and the television commercial where the elderly lady says, “Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” came to mind. As I struggled onto my knees, I soon found that my knees had hit the floor soon after my face and were very painful. By that time, blood covered my face and was dripping on the floor. Fortunately I was able to grab the small cushions from a footstool and used them to kneel on and ease myself to a standing position.
A glance in the mirror showed the aftermath of my clumsiness. There was a gash where my glasses cut the bridge of my nose; the inside of my upper lip was cut; my upper front two teeth felt loose; and blood was dripping from both nostrils. Now with all my various falls where my nose was the part of my body to hit first, this was the first time since I was five years old that my nose was a bloody mess.
As embarrassing as it is to fall on my face again, it was more so to call for a ride to the emergency room. After four hours in the crowded E.R. waiting room, I was released from the E.R. By the time I got home, both eyes and most of my nose were purple. Purple raccoon eyes are never a positive fashion statement. In addition, my upper lip was swollen and made me look like I’d been beaten with a baseball bat.
The following Wednesday I went to my E.N.T. and he confirmed that my nose hadn’t been broken. At last, some good news! I also went to a hand specialist and learned that I had a hairline fracture in my right hand. Unfortunately, I’m right-handed. Alas the bad news, my hand was put into a cast for four weeks. Having a cast on your dominant hand is bad enough, but when it also encases the ring finger and pinky is like adding insult to injury.
Needless to say, I haven’t spent much time on the computer. Hopefully, no more fall down, go boom!
