25 | March | 2019 | these days of mine

Yesterday morning, Motor Man and I had one of those moments that really start you to thinking. This is an unusually long post, so I apologize in advance. I am eventually going to “get to the point”, actually two points.

We were on our way to the Outer Banks and had stopped at our local Bojangles for breakfast. Motor Man had a to-go box in one hand and his drink in the other, and was negotiating all that, trying to unlock the vehicle AND dealing with the curbing right beside his door. He misjudged the curbing……and fell.

I was on the other side of the vehicle, and heard him scream in pain.

When I made it to him, he was lying on his back on the ground. He had landed on his left shoulder.

I wasn’t able to help him up on my own, but a ~~fellow customer~~ Good Samaritan immediately stopped his vehicle and came over to help. We thanked him, and he went on his way. A few minutes later, Motor Man said to me: “I need to sit down. I’m going to pass out”. He managed to get in the driver’s seat, put his head back….and lost consciousness.

Every few seconds, he’d open his eyes, then “go out” again. Silly me: I’m blowing in his face, slapping his face, asking him if he’s okay….and he’s not responding – even when his eyes were open. I took my cell phone out of my back pocket (convenient) and dialed 911.

A volunteer firefighter/paramedic was next door at a convenience store, and was with us in just minutes. He asked Motor Man to grip his hands, then told me his left hand seemed weak. When the other paramedics arrived, MM was still somewhat unresponsive, and they thought he may possibly have had a stroke….or a heart issue. He was able to walk a few feet to the stretcher, and by then, was starting to become more cognizant.

They asked him where he was, and he gave them the correct answer. They asked where we were heading before he fell, and again, he had the right answer. Then they asked: “What’s bothering you right now?” He replied: “Going to the hospital”. Hmmm..sounds like my Motor Man might be coming around.

They loaded him in the ambulance and had me wait outside. I immediately called Marshall and a couple of our friends to let them know what was going on.

The first point of this post: while I waited outside for word from the EMT’s, I couldn’t help but wonder: is this the moment when our lives change? Has he had a stroke? Did he hit his head when he fell? Is there a heart issue?

It seemed like forever, but a few minutes later, the paramedics came out and told me that he wanted to see me. And as soon as I saw him, I knew that, mentally, he was okay. He was joking with the EMT’s and was “himself”. And his vitals (pulse and blood pressure) had greatly improved from when the paramedics first arrived.

Speeding through the remainder of the day, since I’m trying to get to the other point, we spent six hours in the ER. X-rays were done, as well as a CT scan and blood work. The tests showed two fractures in his left shoulder. We waited and waited for word from the orthopedic surgeon as to his opinion on what should be done.

Finally, the ER doctor came in and said that they were sending Motor Man home with his arm in a sling and to make an appointment to see the surgeon in one week.

Here’s the second point of this post: as I write this on Sunday evening, we are thankful for SO many things.

1.) That, as bad as a broken shoulder is, we aren’t dealing with anything worse. No stroke, no heart issues, no head trauma. Apparently his passing out was because of the pain (and perhaps the shock of falling).

2,) We’re thankful that it’s his left shoulder (he’s right-handed), so as difficult as things will be for a few weeks, he’s still able to do quite a lot with his good hand/arm.

3.) We’re thankful that, as far as we know, he won’t be facing shoulder surgery.

4.) And last, but not least, we are so thankful for our family and friends who have, through FB comments and messages, texts and phone calls, offered their thoughts, prayers and help.

Sometimes we just don’t realize how many folks care about us until we’re faced with a difficult situation.