Good Evening Felinity Assembled!
Nurse Elvira here, dressed for the serious job at hand, thanks to the incomparable Ann of Zoolatry. ;-D
As you may have heard Daddy Kiril's curiosity about a Cat overrulled his common sense, and he got himself a serious Boo Boo, yesterday morning! ;-D
We have blogged, in the last 6 months, several times, about a Feral Black Cat that has been hanging aound our apartment community, and the on next door.
Daddy had not seen him for 2 months, until yesterday, and, well, I'll let Daddy tell the tale.
There will be several pictures, including one of his foot, taken at the hospital, that could be disturbing for some, so just be aware....
Thank you so very much, from all of us, to everyone who have expressed concern, and support, since the news broke last evening. It means a lot to us. As I fell, and suffered my Boo Boo, the first thing that popped into my pain-filled head was...Oh Boy, THIS is Gonna Hurt! ;-D I was heading to the nearby gas station to pick up the newspapers, a coke, and a couple fo sandwiches, for breakfast, when I saw the Black Cat walking in the drain. I went home, got my camera, and returned...only to find him hiding in the tunnel, 2 yellow eyes staring at me from behind a flower on the right in this photo. I went and got my papers, and food, and came back. I decided to try and take a closer look at his hiding place.
I walked over the tunnel, then must have slipped on a bit of weeds, hitting my butt as I fell, and something abnormal happened to my right ankle. ;-D The foot, and the leg just above the ankle swelled as Big as Nikita's head, I think, and I yelled in pain, as I propped myself up just high enough to be seen, I hoped. As cars, and people on foot, left our complex, over the next 10 minutes, I yelled out "Help me!!!" at the top of my pain wracked lungs. Finally a mentally handicapped Hispanic dude who lives in our complex heard me, and came over, followed by another man, and a woman, and I was helped out of the ditch. As one of them called one of my sisters, and got no answer, we debated calling an ambulance. The sidewalk is on the right, here, and the fence on the left is by the exit from the garages area of our complex.
Needless to say...the Cat beat a hasty retreat. ;-D
A car pulled up with a couple, from the complex next door, on their way to church, who had seen me in the ditch, took the freeway a couple of miles, and came back.
They offered to take me to nearby St. Joseph's Hospital emergency, and off we went.
Once there I was shown to a room of my own, and the investigation into what damage had been done soon began.
Avert your eyes from the next picture, if you feel the need because, even thought there's no blood, my ankle is really one twisted sister. ;-D
They gave me morphine up the wazzoo, and soon took me in for x-rays.
I heard them whispering and none of it sounded good.
I got my first good look when I took this photo, and my first thought was...I don't know squat about anatomy, but even I can tell this ain't natural. ;-D
All during my stay I kept my sense of humor, telling everyone I delt with that I had been checking on a stray Cat, and that my own Cats were the OC's Premiere Cat Bloggers! ;-D
Several of the nurses, docs, and interns, were Cat, and Dog lovers, and imagine my pleasant surprise when I encountered someone who not only knew what a blog was, but was familiar with Critter Blogging!
The Official Diagnosis was "Fracture Ankle Trimalleolar" as well as a dislocated joint.
At one point the Docs took hold of the foot, and yanked, and twisted, in an attempt to fix the joint.
Happily high on morphine I didn't feel any pain, even as I felt the bones, and joint, being manipulated unsuccessfully.
Soon they went about putting my foot in a splint.
I had a choice of either crutches, or a walker, and after disccusing both options I chose the crutches as the better of the 2, especially considering I would have had to pay for the walker from the nearby CVS if they had any.
Finally I went home in a taxi, dropping off my pain med prescription at the CVS.
Nikita & Elvira were glad to see me, though puzzled, and concerned, by my leg dressing, and the crutches.
I had to walk to the bus stop, & take the bus to the CVS, to get my meds, and return home.
My first effort at using the crutches to go someplace was slow, and difficult going, but I survived, despite the pain.
I had to sit on my butt, and scoot up, and down, the steps to the 2nd floor where I live, and in the apartment the placement of my bed meant I cant't use the crutches all the time to get around the apartment, but sit on the edge of the bed, and move around, and walk, leaning one hand on a wall, or counter, or door.
Nikita, and Elvira, have taken to their nursing duties, nervously, but with determination.
It is said that the purring of a Cat has health benefits to us Humans...we shall be putting that theory to the test. ;-D
The biggest frustraton, as much to Nikita, as to me, is in feeding Nikita, who is a grazer.
I can't leave his bowl down all day or Elvira would sneak a nibble, the naughty little lady!
He spent all night, when not napping, rustling papers to get me to go feed him, then not eating much, or at all, because he was made nervous by me, & my crutches.
Same during the day, today.
The hospital gave me paperwork to apply for financial assistance to try to pay my medical bills, as I don't have insurance.
I have to set up a follow-up doc appointment, and my surgery will be by the end of this week, as well.
I live alone, and have to do everything myself, which can be difficult because I can't put pressure on the damaged leg, and this affects my balance.
Living alone, and having to walk everywhere on crutches, life will be a challenge in so many ways.
I have 2 younger sisters, but how much help they can give me, of any type, in my daily life, I don't know, as they have very busy lives of their own.
They have always had very mixed feelings about my creative writing, and blogging, not understanding exactly why I've done it over 9 years, on 2 personal blogs, a bike blog, and finally, at long last gving Nikita his own place, after yrs. of sharing space, in Jan. 2010. ;-D
I am still determined to go to BlogPaws in late August, but whether I will have a sponsor, now, even if I had a chance before the accident, is anybody's guess.
Well, that's the latest, & I'm gonna get ready for bed, and try to get some sleep.
Making Toothless Old Hispanic Men, Lady Bus Drivers, & Cops, Laugh...
Yep, we're furries and we too can tell that leg wasn't meant to go so many directions at once.
All we can say after seeing that is OUCH!
Your ankle would be healed well before Blog Paws - we hope????
Posted by: jansfunnyfarm | May 24, 2011 at 09:26 AM
I am so, so sorry you got such a bad ouchie on your ankle.
I hope you feel much better soon.
Harley and I are purring for you!
I hope you will still get to go to Blog Paws.
Posted by: Daisy the Curly Cat | May 24, 2011 at 05:55 PM
Nikita and Elvira, you have your work cut out ahead of you!
Your human certainly took a very nasty fall! Nikita, if you want to get back to your regular grazing any time soon, you will have to purr extra hard!
Posted by: Sparkle | May 24, 2011 at 06:39 PM
GET WELL SOON!
Posted by: Jaspar | May 24, 2011 at 09:11 PM
{{{{Kiril}}}}
I must say when you do a thing; you do it big time. *G*
Get well soon.
Posted by: BJM, Zozo & Molly | May 25, 2011 at 09:44 AM
Oh Kiril!
We are so sorry that you have hurt yourself so badly.
I hope you have lots of very good pain medicines to make you comfy.
Our Mum fell into a cesspit on a farm once when she was trapping ferals, but she didn't break anything.
Nikita and Elvira will look after you very well.
Perhaps you could keep some dry Nikita foods by you so you don't have to get up to feed him when he wishes to graze?
We are sending you lots of rumbly purrs (good for bone healing - scientific fact) and love and hope that ankle heals up fast.
Big props to you Kiril for trying to help the feral puss!
Whicky
Oliver
Gerry
& The Ape
Posted by: Everycat | May 26, 2011 at 07:42 AM
Hey Kiril - Hope you are fast on the mend!
Thanks goodness for morphine. Ouch!
Posted by: Tim Tyrell-Smith | June 06, 2011 at 10:45 AM