I ~ I Can't BELIEVE I Broke My Hip

These are the continuing adventures of a Swedish immigrant during her first year as an American. She boldly went where she'd never gone before...please come along on Adventures in America.

If you don't know why I'm lying in a hospital bed, in traction, go read yesterday's post.

They took lots of x-rays of me in traction, re-adjusted the traction (loads of fun...loads...) and then took more pictures. Left me in traction to see if THIS position would work. The plan was for me to lie there and HEAL while in traction. As in months. I was not a fan of this solution.

Meanwhile, Farmor and Farfar (Father's Mother, Father's Father and you really ought to know those by now...) had arrived for their long planned Christmas visit. My parents had decided not to tell them about the accident until they arrived, but when I wasn't at the airport, they immediately freaked out and insisted on being brought to the hospital before going to the house.

We had of course anticipated this, and I'd been sponge-bathed and dressed in regular pajamas, not the hospital gown, all to calm Farmor who was, shall we say, an emotional woman. She of course bawled while hugging me. Farfar? He hugged me hard and then turned away and left the room for a moment. Must have had something in his eye...

It was great to see them, traction didn't seem as horrible when Farmor was holding my hand and telling me stories. But they'd been traveling. No one was going to force-feed them ice-cream before taking them home, but I'd say a stop at the hospital to see your granddaughter broken and in traction would be worse than midnightvanilla.

After everyone left, it was bedtime. I'd never felt so alone in my entire life. I was in a biggish room with at least three other hospital beds, but I couldn't really see because I was sorta tied down in various places – to keep me positioned correctly for healing- and sitting up and looking around wasn't an option. So I stared at the ceiling and cried myself to sleep.

Soon (not soon enough) they decided traction wasn't going to work. I don't care if it would have worked MEDICALLY, but keeping this 9 year old tied to a bed for months would have made me literally insane. I think this incident is the root of my claustrophobia 

Instead, I got surgery, two pins, which I still have, but can't find, so just picture 4 inch bolts from the hardware store. Seriously. I stayed a few more days, now in a body cast which went from my chest to just my toes peeking out on the injured (right) side to above my knee on the left. There was a big metal pole from the left thigh to the right ankle. I think to keep the cast stable. Aunt Risky colored it like a candy cane.

I had great nurses as you can see. That didn't stop me from wanting to go home. Receiving a girl in a body cast takes some preparation, and living in one takes some...patience. This saga (Swedish for story, did you know that?) will continue at another letter...as I learned when I started watching commercial TV, “Stay tuned!”