And just like that, my life changed…

Hello everyone! Those of you following me on Facebook or Twitter know that I suffered a pretty bad accident on Friday.

What should have been a fabulous day skating…

Turned into a three-day hospital stay:

That’s me looking attractive post surgery. Greasy hair, oxygen line, pee-bag and all.

Because I’m limited to one hand, the details are coming to you in point form:

• After a wobbly start on the ice, I managed to skate the full length of the 7km Rideau Canal.
• Just as I was turning around to skate back at the 7km mark, I lost my balance, falling backwards directly onto my elbow.
• The second my elbow hit the ice, I knew something was wrong. Well, that and I was immobile with pain and yelling.
• Two people sitting on a bench just watched me as I crawled off the ice all by myself. I will never forget that.
• I managed to get my skates off and tie my sneakers with one hand. I walked off the canal to the nearest intersection and called a cab to take me to the hospital. It was in a residential area and I was sick with pain and shock. Waiting was a challenge.
• Why I thought wearing knee pads and not elbow pads was a good idea I’ll never know…

 

• My sister Sara rushed to the hospital as soon as I got there (she was at work as it was a Friday afternoon)
• The original wait wasn’t that bad and I got in for my first x-ray quickly. I was wearing two really nice long sleeve technical shirts that I refused to cut off. A lot of pain and screaming ensued and I was promptly given painkillers.
• The x-rays revealed a severe fracture and I was told it would have to be operated on. I went for a second round of x-rays, which revealed a severe fracture at my radial head and a piece of my elbow broke off. Thankfully, an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in elbows was on call for Saturday, so they admitted me into the hospital Friday night.
• It was then that they told me I wasn’t allowed to eat or drink until surgery and I was left with an IV diet.
• I went into surgery around noon on Saturday. My first time ever undergoing anaesthetic, or open surgery for that matter. The drugs kicked in quickly. What was supposed to be a two hour surgery turned into five, and I don’t remember anything until being pushed through a hallway at 5:30.
• The only scary parts of surgery were waking up with an oxygen mask on and a pee bag inserted. Fun times.
• They let me eat a meal of broth, apple juice and jello afterward. The effect it had on my energy levels was amazing. They kept me in the hospital again Saturday night. I was in and out of it all night with only one really bad episode of pain.
• Talked to my surgeon Sunday and got the scoop on my condition and why the surgery took so long. Apparently I smashed a lot of the cartilage off. They had to remove the elbow and try to reassemble the pieces. Surgeon said one of the worst he’s seen. Right now it’s being held together with three screws in hopes that my young healthy cartilage will grow back. If not, I’ll have to get a prosthetic for my radial head.
• I went 40 hours without solid food. Ugh.
• I’ve got a cast on for 1-2 weeks. I’ll know more after my follow up appointment 0n Friday here in Ottawa. I’m no longer in hospital and staying here at my sister’s until next weekend at least.
• Suffice it to say, I won’t be skating again for a while.

• Thankfully it’s my left elbow and I’m right handed. So I can still eat and type, just slower.
• I’ll know more after my first follow-up, but it’ll be around three weeks until I can start physiotherapy with flexion/extension of the elbow. Rotation will be several more weeks. And lifting anything with it could take 6 months.
• Work is obviously on hold for the time being. My number one concern right now is dealing with the pain as my body adjusts to its new metal parts. I don’t have the mental or physical energy to stress about anything else right now.
• My active lifestyle as I know it is forever changed. And I’m okay with that. I trust the universe knows what its intentions for me are, and I am more than capable of moving on and dealing with the cards I’ve been dealt.
• If you have any mindless movie recommendations, leave them below.
• I have a pre-written post scheduled to go up tomorrow. It’s a fun one and couldn’t let current circumstances prevent it from being read.
• THANK YOU for the tweets, messages, comments and e-mails. I was attached to my cellphone all weekend in the hospital bed and reading them helped my spirits immensely xoxo