This is the week that shouldbee

This is a 3 part blog.  See the two previous blogs below to get the flow of the thing.

Review:  got car after hassle with Covid Ford of Hutto (Covert).

Ice / Snow / Ice / Snow / power outages / water outages / record low temperatures.  

Backed car out of garage / slipped on ice / went to town

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Sometime after 4 o'clock, we were home.  My arm/shoulder was aching.  My left side started to hurt.  It was the left side, towards the middle, towards the back - not to the actual back though.  It started to hurt.  I took a Tylenol.  The pain increased.  I took an Aleve.  By bedtime, the pain was getting severe.  I hurt.  The old joke:  it only hurt when I laughed.

Don't sneeze or cough when your side hurts.  I went to bed at 11.  For me, this is remarkable.  I am never in bed before midnight.  I laid in bed on my back.  I couldn't move.  My thoughts were of ambulance to the hospital.  The pain grew.  Sympathy, I need sympathy.  About midnight I attempted to roll a bit to my left.  I felt something move inside me.  This cannot be good.

Thump. Thump.  I tapped my wife gently and whispered softly - I NEED HELP!!   She most graciously got out of bed and helped me sit up.  Once up, I moved to my chair in the living room.  She brought a blanket.  I was still in my clothes of the day. There was no way I could change into my nightie.  I slept in my chair all night.  It was not good; but, it was better than the bed.

Sunday dawned and I shuffled around all day - move the wrong way and pain hits.  It was decided that I would go to the doctor on Monday if the pain was still there.  It was.

Called my primary care doctor.  He was booked solid for a week.  The nurse suggested I go to the "Family Clinic" across the street from the hospital; they take walk-ins.  I called.  The nurse told me to go to the Emergency Ward of the hospital.  The Family Clinic has no X-ray machine.  Sigh.  I didn't call them.  We drove to town - to the emergency room - met a nice young man with an ear ring who checked our temperature - sat in waiting room (or rather Waited in Waiting Room) - was called into the first room.

I told my story.  A nurse cam in and put a yellow band on my wrist:  "Fall Risk."  I explained that I was not a fall risk unless they had patches of ice in the hallway.  It didn't matter.  I was put in room 9.  X-ray and doctor visits.  I had a choice:  sit on the bed or on a chair.  I took the chair.  Beds and I are not friends yet.  Much to do.  Results.  I have a fracture of the 9th rib on the left side.

Go home and heal. they gave me 12 pills.  Tramadol.  Opioid, my first.  they said it would take from 2 weeks to 3 months - depending.  sigh.    In the future I am going to list the possible side effects of Tramadol.  Isn't interesting that Tramadol doesn't kick in my spell chek?  I don't know how to spell opiod.  I save my drugs for night time sleeping in the chair.

Yesterday, I slept in my chair for 12 straight hours.  I made myself get up today.  

Why?

BECAUSE, WE GET OUR STUPID COVID 2ND SHOT TODAY AT 2 P.M.

Now TV is saying we'll need more shots in the fall to counter the covid variations.  Of course this means that people who know more than I will proclaim that masks must be worn through 2025.  When the time comes, they will try to bury me in a mask.  When will it end?

I'm stopping here.  Next week must be better than the past 3 weeks.  All we need now is a meteor shower.  Over and out.

WHINE IS OVER.

M