Ooooops! See me fall down!

[hyphenate]

When I go to doctor appointments, I get rides with the local transit company, which will often pick me up in a transit van.

The van is the kind which will often transport wheelchairs or electric scooters, as well as an area for people who can sit in regular chairs. I'm one of the latter people.

So I get on board the van, and sit in the front row. Right behind the van driver is one of those areas where wheelchairs are secured, and the seats are opposite that area. I tried to buckle my seat belt, but it wouldn't latch, so I had to re-insert it into the "well" area, and bring it back out all the way to have it latch. In the meanwhile, the driver started the bus, and asked me if I was all set, and I said yes, expecting the belt to be hitched by then.

Well, it happened really fast--the driver started down the hill a little, and was taking a sharp turn, and the seat belt wouldn't close, so I left the chair, falling off, and somehow or another, banged my head and knee. The driver was mortified, and kept asking me if I was okay, and since I didn't want to make her worry, I said I was fine. At that moment I was fine, I think, but I was getting the teeniest bit of a headache.

My ride was to see a new doctor, and I felt fine enough to go to my appointment. The new doctor was a neurologist, and we were taking about my really rotten sleep patterns. At one point, I was rubbing my neck a little and he asked if I was okay, and I told him I had fallen on the van, and he said "So that's why you have blood on your head."

Jeez! He examined it to look at it, and said I had a laceration of about 3cm, which I later found out is essentially an inch. He said when I was finished there, someone would take me down to the ER for treatment. Well, I ended up having to cancel my ride home, and then spent about 4 hours in the ER, most of the time just sitting. I didn't even have my cell phone with me, or a book. I figured if I fell asleep they would think I was reacting to a concussion, so I tried really hard not to let that happen!

When the docs looked, they agreed with the neurologist, and said I had a laceration, and they would put staples in it. So, when I left the hospital, after my friend Steve picked me up, I felt like Frankenstein with 4 staples in my scalp. Follow-up is within a week to 19 days, to have the staples removed.

And to make it even worse, I didn't have my cane with me! It wouldn't really have mattered, I guess, as I was sitting down, but there is always the thought that it might have helped.

My knee remained normal, with no evidence of trauma. Now, at least I know that while my skull is pretty thick, my skin is not so hardy!

[kimi]

1. Glad it wasn't worse than that!

Are you going to be able to sleep tonight? Sometimes it's not advised after a head bump. And best wishes on the sleep problem, bad sleep is almost as bad as no sleep.

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4. I have a real problem with sleeo

and schedules, and that doesn't help my fibromyalgia at all. I take naps, sleep when I shouldn't, and am awake when I should be sleeping. It sucks. I hope things get better.

[siligut]

2. So glad you are OK

Gee, I guess it is good you were on your way to see the MD, head lacerations can really bleed. They can hurt too, and make it hard to rest your head on a pillow. Did they say you can take some Tylenol? Did you bang your head hard enough to have rattled/bruised your brain? Do you remember? Usually if there is concern about a possible concussion, they don't let you alone for 24 hrs, so I am thinking it is OK for you to get some sleep.

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3. I think the only real impact was whem the doctor and student doctor

were getting ready to look at it, I asked them if they could see any brain matter oozing out of the wound. They laughed a little and told me no, there was no brain matter.

Thankfully, the wound is on the top of my head, so since I sleep on my side, I should be okay. I'll have to take something for the really dull headache which started, but I don't like taking pain pills, so I'll only take a small one.

When I was in Triage, they asked me a couple of questions to see if my mind was wandering or hurt. I answered the questions correctly, so I think I'm with it. As much as I can be, anyhow!