Everyone is always saying “write what you know.” Well, I hope most of you don’t have to write about this kind of thing from first hand experience, because it is unpleasant.
I have a history of easily injuring myself, so it’s an accomplishment when I can manage more than a year between emergency room visits.
So please consider this first-hand account when you are researching injuries. To give you some background, I am a certified medical assistant and I worked as a lifeguard for two years, so I have a solid anatomical knowledge and know-how regarding injuries and emergency situations. I also have a high pain tolerance, and am not prone to tears when injured (this is actually hugely problematic, because ERs almost don’t believe you are in pain if you aren’t crying).
The big sprain
When I was almost 17, I took a bad fall off of some playground equipment. The sprain was severe and I was in a walking boot for three months.
I was on this thing that spun, and it was titled at an angle, and you had to try to stay on it. I lost my balance and fell, landing of course on top of my right ankle.
I was not really able to stand up on my own, and my dad had to help me to a bench and wrestle my shoe off. The ankle was already swelling, and by the time they got me to the car, it looked like there was a grapefruit where the joint usually is. Once in the car, I almost passed out from the pain (keeping in mind my history of injuries, pain is not something I am a stranger to) and was light headed for a few minutes. My mother, who is also a lifeguard and has been one for more than twenty years, recognized it was the beginning of shock, and was able to calm me down enough that I didn’t go into full shock.
The pain was not constant. Sometimes my ankle felt fine, if a bit puffy and immovable. Then there would be a sudden throb and a really intense pressure enough to squeeze out some tears. I still felt weak and shaky, but not like I was going to pass out. Once we got to the ER it didn’t get any better; I wasn’t crying constantly, but the pain was like an 8-9 on the 1-10 pain scale. I wasn’t given any ibuprofen and it took like two hours for us to be seen (if you ever find yourself in the Bay Area of California and are injured, don’t go to Marin General, they really suck).