Well the bro got his bionic ankle yesterday....
For those who didn’t have the pleasure of the story....this past weekend my brother… who just turned 40….broke his ankle playing Rugby….the fact that he probably should NOT be playing Rugby because of the many issues like having three young dependant children, a wife, being the bread winner, and that there is more mileage than dirt on his body... should all be VERY GOOD reasons WHY he should NOT be playing... but the bro is a hardhead... lets see:
Rugby is a fast-moving and high intensity team sport. As many as 1 in 4 rugby players will be injured during the season. On average each player performs 20-40 tackles per match. Almost 25% of neck injuries occur when there is a mismatch in experience between the two opposing front rows. Rugby injury rates are reported to be nearly three times higher than soccer and football.
My brother being the proud Irishman that he is... thought that perhaps it was a sprain and thus didn’t seek medical attention until the following evening after he had already utilized the foot to drive the 2 hours to Scranton and back and after his foot look like a cross between Dumbo and T-Rex's paw…. so my mom got the gift of having to drive his stubborn ass to the emergency room on Mother’s Day. Happy Mother's Day mom!.. tee hee..
If that is not funny.. that fact that he had to tell his wife that he broke his foot playing something she advised him not to.. kinda makes you snicker... and say, "Sucks to be you!".... he found out that not only did he break his ankle ... he dislocated it.. and now would have to be operated on in order to have it stabilized with a bolt, plate, pins, etc… whew...
If that is not funny.. that fact that he had to tell his wife that he broke his foot playing something she advised him not to.. kinda makes you snicker... and say, "Sucks to be you!".... he found out that not only did he break his ankle ... he dislocated it.. and now would have to be operated on in order to have it stabilized with a bolt, plate, pins, etc… whew...
So... we arrived at the hospital on Wednesday for his operation… as they were going over the paper work they asked him if he wanted any clergy here.. huh?? .... then they asked him if he had a living will… … UM ... (as the blood drained from his face)..everything is going to be A-O-K.... Diane and I told him they were routine questions..I gave him a bit of a pat on arm... (all the time thinking in the back of my head yeah sucks to be you... )
… some of the paper work had his wrong birth year.. it had him 10 years older or was that 7 years older than he was…kinda funny in that he was already having issues with just turning 40.. and now according to the paper work he was like 50….. and then they didn’t have any employment info on his forms… even though he provided it.. so he was getting a BIT concerned that this was not a good sign.. Diane and I told him not to worry it.. these “things” happen (and in the back of my head I am thinking ....um yeah... I WOULD BE SOO OUTTA HERE)
So it was time to wheel him to his room (as he would be staying over night)… Diane and I followed the medical staff ... when we arrived at the room.. there was no bed in it… hmm... so the medical staff went a looking up and down the hallway in search of a trapeze bed… Diane and I were doing our best to keep Chuck calm.. he had never had surgery before.. and never been in hospital for any type of operation… I even made the joke of … they will have no problem knowing what foot to operate on (with its big ole bandage on it)….. I mean it's NOT like they are going to operate on your arm or head…or anything!!!…… laugh laugh…
....doesn’t the nurse down the hall ask, pointing at Chuck.. "Is that the man for the back operation??".. Chuck's face was void of all color .. if he could of… he would have took off out the door in his wheelchair….priceless.
Alas they found a bed…and in the room we go.... amid a bunch of medical personnel and nurse Marta.. nurse Marta was the one who had hollered down the hall asking if Chuck was her back patient… she was a bit difficult to understand as she had a heavy accent…perhaps she was German?
"EEEEHelllo… mynama is marta.. I am to be ya nurse…" ..( Holy Hell I would be sooo outta here I am thinking) ...I just smiled at the brother... ... next comes in the blood guy.. he looked like he just stepped out of high school.. he took 5 vials of blood ..and left.. kinda a creepy like.. like in.. no talk.. suck out blood.. and leave... I am thinking .. maybe I could do that as a profession... no talkee to people just suck out their blood.
So it was time to wheel him to his room (as he would be staying over night)… Diane and I followed the medical staff ... when we arrived at the room.. there was no bed in it… hmm... so the medical staff went a looking up and down the hallway in search of a trapeze bed… Diane and I were doing our best to keep Chuck calm.. he had never had surgery before.. and never been in hospital for any type of operation… I even made the joke of … they will have no problem knowing what foot to operate on (with its big ole bandage on it)….. I mean it's NOT like they are going to operate on your arm or head…or anything!!!…… laugh laugh…
....doesn’t the nurse down the hall ask, pointing at Chuck.. "Is that the man for the back operation??".. Chuck's face was void of all color .. if he could of… he would have took off out the door in his wheelchair….priceless.
Alas they found a bed…and in the room we go.... amid a bunch of medical personnel and nurse Marta.. nurse Marta was the one who had hollered down the hall asking if Chuck was her back patient… she was a bit difficult to understand as she had a heavy accent…perhaps she was German?
"EEEEHelllo… mynama is marta.. I am to be ya nurse…" ..( Holy Hell I would be sooo outta here I am thinking) ...I just smiled at the brother... ... next comes in the blood guy.. he looked like he just stepped out of high school.. he took 5 vials of blood ..and left.. kinda a creepy like.. like in.. no talk.. suck out blood.. and leave... I am thinking .. maybe I could do that as a profession... no talkee to people just suck out their blood.
Chuck tells us later that they couldn’t use the blood he extracted because the vampire got bubbles in it.. so they had to take another 5 vials… hmmm.... next comes in a nurse resident.. and boy was he sharp… don't know if he knew a blasted thing but he SURE WAS PRETTY... his name was Jack… Diane and I liked Jack.. boy Jack is PREEEETTYYY.... Chuck who?
Anyhow.. off we go... Jack, Diane and I... to wheel the bro to the OR...to get his "new" ankle... boy... such a LONG wait ...for the operation and then for the recovery.... but he came out really well… I think the fact that he was in great shape helped tremendously…. and I hope he learns now to pick a sport with a better injury to not injury rate.. like running (lets not discuss face plants or trail running injuries)
Anyhow.. off we go... Jack, Diane and I... to wheel the bro to the OR...to get his "new" ankle... boy... such a LONG wait ...for the operation and then for the recovery.... but he came out really well… I think the fact that he was in great shape helped tremendously…. and I hope he learns now to pick a sport with a better injury to not injury rate.. like running (lets not discuss face plants or trail running injuries)
I wish I could say the drama stopped there.. but alas it did not... when waiting for Chuck to be wheeled back to his room from recovery, Diane and I were waiting.. and waiting ..and then zip... um Diane I think that was Chuck that zipped by on a bed with two nurses.. . Diane actually had to run out into the hall and tell them that's our guy ....he goes here... so the two nurses, Chuck and his trapeze bed turn around and come back to the room..
.. where then nurse Marta ....so happily.. boy she was a happy woman.. brought back the wall clock that she so kindly had added a new battery to since it didnt work.. and then she proceeded to drop it on the floor smashing it into pieces.. the thought crossed my mind of perhaps not allowing Marta back in his room... but Marta was a kindly lady... still couldnt understand a blasted thing she said... but she said it all with a smile...
Glad my brother made it out alive..
I tell you I walked out of the hospital 6 hours later feeling like someone just sucked every bit of life out of me… I can run marathons.. I can do ultras and ironmans.... but I cant handle one day in the hospital!!!...
