Sunday, November 4, 2012

Broken Wrist and 12 hours in Emergency

No, not my wrist but Mrs Skoot had a mishap on Saturday night.


It was Saturday night, we left home and headed out to Langley, BC which is a city about 1 hour east of Vancouver.  It took us nearly and hour and a half to go about 50 kms because of the heavy rain and horrendous traffic and also the closure of Hwy10.  

It was our annual Christmas dinner and awards banquent for our Club.   We arrived a bit late but soon our Buffet ham and turkey dinner was served, one table at a time.


I had a couple of helpings and then a few plates of dessert.  Soon the tables were cleared and the DJ was getting the turntables ready and the dancing started.   We were dancing the night away with our friends and Mrs Skoot lost her balance and fell.   Someone caught her head so it didn't hit the wall, but when she put her hand down to break her fall, it must have been on the wrong angle . . .


We were on the East side of Langley and the closest Hospital was the Langley Memorial on Fraser Highway near 222nd Street.  We waited and waited and eventually we got a bed and a nice nurse.  They took X-rays and sure enough her right wrist was broken.   The decided to do the procedure right away and put her under sedation.   They had to assemble their crew of 4 and a new magnetic scanner C arm machine (whatever they called it)  


I'm squeemish so I stayed out of their way across the hallway.  I imagine this procedure is painful so they put the patients "out".   This machine is like a sort of x-ray machine and you can see your bones on the laptop monitor.   The Doctor can move the bones back into position by looking at the screen and when finished they put your cast on, to keep the bones in place.


The patient (Ms Skoot) is put on intravenous to "put you out" and when finished they allow and hour or two  to "wake up".   Then when you are awake, they take another X-ray to make sure all is well.   So we left our party early, arrived at the hospital just after 9pm and we were released around 2:30 am in the morning, plus another hour drive back to Vancouver, so it was a very late night.  I didn't get to close my eyes until after 4 am.

The next morning (this morning, Sunday) came early.  I got up around 8am but didn't get up until 11.   The first order of the day was to get our pain killer prescription filled and have a quick bite to eat.   Mrs Skoot was on pain killers but her hand didn't look good.  It was badly swollen and black and blue looking.   After lunch we decided to go to Emergency again.   This time we chose UBC: University of BC, Urgent Care Facility.   We arrived around 2pm and were told there was a 2 hour waiting line. 


After waiting for around 4 hours we finally got to see Dr Merkel, who was also the one who saw our Grand daughter last Friday afternoon when she got her cast for a fractured arm whilst playing soccer

It seems that Mrs Skoot's wrist had swollen inside the cast which didn't expand causing a blood constriction.  They had to remove the cast, do another X-ray and then put on a shorter splint type cast in case of swelling


It's amazing how hard it is to remove the cast.   He needed a hand saw and these special scissors, and that spreader tool


Eventually he got it off


We had to sit around for another hour or so to let the swelling go down.  And also to have them take another  X-ray to make sure all was in alignment.   Eventually we were allowed to go home

We arrived just after 2pm and got home just after 8pm, so over two days we had been in two different Hospitals for a total of around 12 hours.

Without the use of her right hand guess who has to: cook the meals, wash the dishes, tie her shoe laces ?   The thought of doing all this just overwhelms me . . .


Granddaughter like Grandmother . . .  must run in the family


51 comments:

  1. Poor Mrs Skoot....look on the bright side Bob...you should get some brownie points for all your hard work!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Roger:

      What can I say, it's my job to pick up the slack and be there to do what I have to do. If a woman can do it, then a man can do it better, RIGHT ?

      Delete
  2. Sorry to hear about the accident. Hope the arm is healing well and quickly for Mrs Skoot. My treat next lunch.

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    1. Benny:

      I think it's my turn to pick up the tab. I was too busy last Saturday to make an appearance. It's going to be a long 8 weeks.

      Delete
  3. Hard to say which is worse, breaking the wrist or all the falderol and waiting around at the hospitals. Get well quick, Mrs. Skoot!

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    1. Doug:

      Our Healthcare system is being stretched, budget shortfalls create long lines and few qualified people to handle the volume. Plus they assess the priority of the injuries, there were people with more serious issues than us so they took care of them first. We chose UBC: University of BC for our 2nd visit as they have more modern equipment and lots of students in training.

      Delete
  4. Bob, if you're going to take your wife out on the town, ply her with alcohol, and then dance the night away, you have to be ready to catch when she falls.

    I have seen all those pictures of you posed like a dancing Inuit bear, standing on one foot, with your arms up and outstretched like a Yoga guru. I would have thought that you would have had the presence of mind to dive under Yvonne as she fell, expertly cushioning her fall, and using a free hand to sweep her wrist away from that inevitable straight-arm impact, PLUS have a decent series of stop-action GoPro shots to post. I'm starting to suspect that Bob Leong may just be human like the rest of us.

    Still... maybe you do have some paranormal skills. After all, there is plenty of evidence.

    All my best to Yvonne for a speedy recovery.

    Time to press your considerable cooking skills into service. And don't forget tidying, dusting, vacuuming, running errands, keeping her pain meds prescription filled, dialing the phone for her, typing her e-mails, and making sure the construction crew in the backyard doesn't disturb her naps.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. David:

      One thing that has come out of this is a revaluation of work vs life balance. We all work too hard when we should take it easier, relax and enjoy the time we have, while we are healthy enough to do what we want to do.

      Let's say, you plan to take a vacation next year but what if something happens and you can't go. Maybe you should just go NOW while you are able. I have found that Work can wait. You think you are indispensable but somehow when you are not there the world doesn't fall apart like you thought. It just goes on it's merry way without you.

      This was just a fluke accident when she lost her balance, I wasn't anywhere near her, I didn't do it and I have witnesses. The butler did it . . .

      Delete
  5. I love the last picture! At least they both have smiley happy faces for the time being.

    Horrible ordeal in the long run. But hopefully it is over for awhile and things can calm down.

    Wait!! It's means you will be the cook for Christmas! Hahahaha. Forks work just as well for feeding as spoons... ;)

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    1. Lori:

      I never thought about it at the time when I snapped that photo but we also happened to see the same Doctor at UBC Hospital, and the Doctor remembered our Granddaughter from last Friday, and we were there on Sunday afternoon. He said that these type of injuries are more common than you think.

      I'm going to challenge you to post a "spoon" photo and I will post a "Fork" photo. :) (You know what I mean)

      Yikes !! Double Yikes !!! Christmas Turkey ? I love Turkey and I am usually involved in the stuffing making process anyway. Maybe we will get lucky and someone will feel sorry for us and invite us for Christmas Dinner this year



      Delete
  6. Wow, Bob.....it's hard to believe that with a team that size they could'nt get their ducks in a row and get it right the first time. Well, I'm glad that things are better now and that the second hospital run got it figured out...:-.)

    Glad to hear that it was not more serious.....:-)

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    1. Pat:

      The first team had to put the cast on tight so keep the bones in place, loose would NOT be good. But we didn't count on the swelling and she couldn't feel it due to the pain killers.

      This 2nd fibreglass, splint-type cast is only temporary until the swelling goes down in a few days. Then they have to put on a more permanent tighter cast

      Delete
  7. Sorry to hear about Mrs. Skoot. You like to cook, and this will give you the opportunity to refresh your skills. A pair of Crocs will save you from tying her shoes. If you granddaughter stands on Mrs. Skoot's right side, they'll have a pair of working hands... hehehe. Still, I'm sorry to hear of her injury.

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    1. Erik:

      No Crocs© for her, she needs orthotics but I have loosely tied laces on a pair of boots for her to slip into. Cooking is not so much of a problem than the deciding of what to make and having the ingredients on hand.

      just goes to show you that things can change in a second . . .

      Delete
  8. ouch!!!!!!!!!!!! hugs to mrs skoot! get out the crock pot bob...

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    Replies
    1. Ms M:

      Thank you. I love our Croc© pot. We use it more during the colder Winter season. I made spare ribs a couple of weeks ago. The meat just falls off the bone. Mmmm, which reminds me that we can make pulled pork soon . . .

      Delete
  9. Ouch, ouch ouch. That is just no fun at all. And they say motorcycling is dangerous - not as dangerous as dancing!!

    Good wishes to Mrs. Skoot and I hope the pain and swelling go down quick.

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    1. i agree trobairitz, my demise was 1st noticed after dancing new years :( that's it, mrs skoot needs to dance on two wheels ;) it's much safer =)

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    2. Trobairitz:

      When she is with the "girls" she likes to enjoy herself. You know how it is when the guys leave, the girls all dance together. We have some party animals in our Club. I knew better and was heading back to our table when all this happened. We have to be careful for the first couple of weeks and hopefully it will heal as good as new. Right now everything will be a challenge. Even tying shoe laces, or putting on a garment but I am going to let her keep control of the TV remote control

      Ms M:

      I think it was your 4" stiletto heels that did it, or your form fitting leather one-piece catwoman outfit which didn't allow for much movement.

      Delete
  10. All the best to Yvonne. It happens to the best...
    Thanks to the gods it wasn't more serious.
    It definitely looks like you are running the house for a change ;-)

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    Replies
    1. Sonja:

      Thank you, could have also been a head injury, but my friend leaped in her direction and made a flying catch before she hit the ground. I wasn't even close as I was heading back to our table

      Delete
  11. Best wishes for Mrs Skoot....I figure you were trying to show off your Tango moves and flung her a bit too hard?

    dom

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    1. Dom:

      I was still recovering from my foot so I didn't wish to stress it too much dancing. Mrs Skoot was dancing with the girls and got overly ambitious . . .

      We did take Ballroom dancing for a few years but I have a mind of a blonde with no retention value and my feet don't always go where my brain tells it to, at least where music is concerned.

      Delete
  12. 12 hours in the ER. It sounds like you both had a wonderful weekend. I wish Mrs. Skoot all the best but you may need to expand beyond eggs benedict. So is the crock pot one of the "my" appliances or a "our" appliance?

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    1. Richard:

      It's the waiting in lines that I don't like. Plus you are sitting beside sick people who are coughing and leaving germs.

      Funny you should ask about the Eggs Benedicts. Mrs Skoot likes poached eggs, Oatmeal & mini-wheaties. I am going to be a "remote control" chef in the interim. I will be receiving verbal instructions but I can also use the hearing aid battery dead excuse too.

      Of course I will be using "Our" appliances and "Her" pots and pans

      Delete
  13. Oh noooooo.......

    Sorry to hear about Yvonne Bob and wish her all the best from Down Under. Relieved that it wasn't more serious but you're right in that it's incidents like these which make you review how you approach life.

    Enjoy the household chores and grit your teeth about taking orders....

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    1. Geoff:

      Thank you. It was just one of those twist of fates, a random accident. Makes you think about things differently that we should LIVE FOR TODAY, and not make plans for the phantom tomorrow which may never come.

      Sort of like your plan to visit sometime in the future. DO IT NOW before dementia sets in.

      Sorry, We appreciate your well wishes. You notice that we are viewing things differently now. We can make all the future plans we want, but in the end there is no guarantee that we would be capable of fulfilling our dreams .

      I have no problems taking orders, it's the completion of those orders that will take some effort

      Delete
  14. Good Grief!
    Sorry to hear about all this and hope that Mrs Skoot gets well soon.
    BobSkoot, take good care of her!
    Will be thinking about you both,

    Jimbo

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    1. Jimbo/cpa3485:

      I was thinking about you when I was waiting in the Hospital. I just can't imagine having to stay there, even overnight. As compared to what you went through last year, this is just a bump . . . Glad to see you are nearly back to normal. Thank you for your good wishes

      Delete
  15. Wow, it ain't a party until someone ends up in the emergency room, I just wouldn't have thought of Yvonne as the rowdy one. You go girl, I'm sticking with you next time!
    Get better soon or you'll both starve ;)

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    1. Troubadour:

      Not Me, I'm not the party animal. I'm not the bar type either, but the "girls" have a lot of fun when they get together.

      If I can get through this week, then I will be fine

      Delete
  16. Ouch. Best wishes to Mrs. Skoot! May she get better really fast. Going to hospitals isn't nice. Being there for extended periods of time (even hours) is even less nice. So hopefully she'll recover fast. Best wishes.

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    1. Guido:

      you sound in good spirits after what you are going through. This is nothing, as compared to you. Especially the tests, and tests, and tests, but as long as you are progressing and getting better, then that's okay. It's just the long lines that are created by challenging budgets. The nurses are all very nice but short staffed and time constrained.

      Delete
  17. Bob - the first week is the hardest- you know, while you adjust to taking and completing orders ... poor Yvonne (If I were her, I'd be planning on milking this one for a very long time!)
    12 hours in emerg, that's a long time - but compared to writing a $20,000 cheque, it's priceless (O'Canada). I know she'll be fine though it looks pretty nasty right now, you gotta love the grandma and grandaughter shot.
    Please give Yvonne my best wishes.

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    1. Karen:

      Shhhhhh, don't talk so loud, someone may hear you.

      I'm good at listening to orders . . . that's it ! Completing is another story. We had no choice but to wait, we needed the medical help. Like anything else, later on we can laugh about it, but we are not laughing yet

      Delete
  18. Heal quickly Mrs. Skoot! I've had far too much experience this summer with hospital stays and visits. Be a compliant patient......you've got Bob looking after you.

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    1. Coop:

      Hope you are getting better too. Hospitals are not fun places but we need them. Obviously you think that I am more capable than I really am

      Delete
  19. thank you all for your well wishes.

    The best is yet to come, the nurse's instructions to Mr Skoot, "You do all the cleaning, cooking and yes, bring in "the Chippendales" then report back to me in a week, She is the perfect nurse.

    Shall keep on dancing with 2 wheels and both feet on the ground

    Yvonne

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    1. Attention to ALL:

      My BOSS has spoken. She rarely reads this Blog but because this was about her, I put the laptop in front of her so she could read your comments, and absorb your well wishes first hand

      thank you for caring,
      bob

      Delete
    2. Chippendales for Mrs Skoot - Now there's a nurse who knows how to make you forget about your pain.

      Delete
    3. Karen:

      I think you are forgetting that I can mimic a Chippendale and I don't need the bowtie outfit. Actually I don't need to wear any outfit and I can hum to my own music

      Delete
  20. Ed:

    We were told the same, about 8 weeks, give or take. Now I know where to go when I need my hair curled. Firstly, I need to find some hair. Mine is in short supply these days.

    I am more a preparer of desserts, than a Chef but we do look at the Food Network all the time so I think I can manage. The hardest part is figuring out what to make. It's hard having to come up with a menu, and then have the supplies on hand.

    I've already got the next few days sorted out. I am going to used OUR slow cooker. Pulled pork most likely tomorrow. We had chicken today but I need to come up with some non-meat meals too

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  21. Poor Mrs. Skoot - hope her wing heals quickly!

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    1. Dar:

      I know if you were there I would have my own personal nurse. Thank you for your well wishes

      Delete
  22. All the best wishes for Mrs Skoot, hope you get better soon.

    Make sure you do everything she tells you Bob and look after her!!

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    1. Brenda:

      are you suggesting that her words would go in one ear and out the other ? No wonder it echoes in there

      of course, I am here to please . . .

      Delete
  23. Replies
    1. Katy:

      thank you. The swelling caused constriction and stopped her blood flow so we had to get the cast cut off. It was on very tight

      Delete
  24. Yvonne, there's a lot of love flowing your way! The silver lining is having the whole cast experience to share with your grand daughter. What a great bonding experience.

    Bob, please make Yvonne a nice hot beverage!

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    1. David:

      Wasn't it a co-incidence that both had casts, put on by the same Doctor in the same Hospital ?

      Just on different arms. We usually drink boiling water at home. We used to have Earl Grey tea every evening but we wanted to cut down on our sugar intake

      Delete
  25. Yikes, sorry to hear about the Mrs. But I have to say, I love the picture of Grandma and Granddaughter at the end. :-)

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