I've been in a few fender benders. As is said, the day after is horrible for feeling the physcial aftereffects. I've never been in such a major accident and I must say feeling the aftereffects NEARLY TWO WEEKS LATER IS TIRESOME!
Granted--I do have broken ribs and they take around 6-8 weeks to heal. I should really give myself a break, but going from 60 to zero in one evening's drive really wears thin. All I can do is sit around, or well, lie around. Sure I can read, watch tv, learn to knit, complete oodles of word searches, and nap....but after a while....
It doesn't help that all that sitting around in nursing school aggravated my tailbone and so now you can add that as a collateral effect of my accident. To sit upright I have to sit with a pillow halfway under each butt cheek, leaned against yet more pillows.
Then there's the plantar fasciitis -- diagnosed earlier in 2012. Of course, I have it in both heels, but karma works in mysterious ways and my left heel is my worst heel for PF, not the right one. I'd told the physical therapist when she was here for a visit the other day that despite all my injuries, I somehow came away with less pain from the PF in my left heel than I'd been experiencing. Duh. Pain meds help with all sources of pain...NOT JUST THE SURGICALLY REPAIRED ANKLE PAIN (non-existent now) and the broken rib pain!!
I am thankful I can feel the pain. I'm not paralyzed and I am alive. Over time the ribs will heal, the heels can be managed, the bruises are healing and the bruised areas are no longer as tender.
With all this time I've spent many an hour reflecting on well, everything. Prior to the accident I'd prayed a lot about being given some time to be able to sit back and make some decisions on where I want to be career-wise.
Be careful what ya wish for...
I haven't come up with much. I do still have a job; that job being the one I last spoke of when I last spoke of my work. I started (not that I ever really stopped) the job search in Spring, to no avail. I've been on a few interviews and it just seems that the perfect job is still lingering, but is ton not be held until later.
So, this time off will give me a chance to gain some perspective. I'd also spoken of returning to school, which is still a goal.
Right now, my priority, aside from my guys and my pets, is to heal.
I'm a work in progress.
I'm being cared for by home health. This has been a great opportunity for scoping out home health in action. I've toyed with the idea of going that route. Physical therapy will be visiting me twice a week. Nursing will see me 1-2 times a week, depending on my lungs. Occupational therapy stopped by yesterday and wrote me off, basically at my request. I don't need much as far as OT is concerned, since I am lucky to have all my faculties in place and don't need to learn how to do my ADLs again. The OT in the hospital gave me enough tips to keep in my arsenal and I always have their number if something else comes up.
This evening has been rough. Right now I'm being held together with ibuprofen and Flexeril. Frustratingly enough, I think I'm coming down with the flu.
Like I said, "a work in progress" and many a construction zone goes through some speed bumps on the path to the finished product.
