Skip to main content

Squirrel! Part 2: Well, Swell

Ever fallen from a ladder? It's a surreal experience. After spending time making certain the ladder was on solid ground outside my house, I carefully ascended it while confirming balance and stability. When I reached two steps from the yellow top of the six-footer, I stabilized myself further and began shooting hornet spray into an opening just beneath our townhome's roof. Sufficiently saturating the opening and hopefully interior of the breech where the evil squirrel had taken up residence, I began to make my decent.

Then, it happened. The ladder was on the corner of my neighbor's stoop. It must've shifted just enough to tilt to the side. Maybe it slipped off the stoop. I didn't process those details. In a split second, I knew there was no stabilizing the ladder nor could I hold onto the awning over my neighbor's door. Whether the words came out of my mouth, I at least thought, "Lord, help!"

In slow motion, I fell. So many people say similar incidents happen in slow motion. They really do! I recall thinking, "When am I going to hit the ground?" It actually seemed to take longer than expected. Meanwhile, I was basically riding the ladder down at least half way before falling to the ground.

Impact. The crash took out 3 snowmen lights guarding our little flower box area beneath the front window. A portion of the cement edgers for the flower box was knocked flat. I sprang to my feet with the weird mental rush that I hoped no one saw the incident and that I needed to get up quickly to convey that I was alright. How silly to think that before even assessing my damage. Pride kicked in immediately.

Nothing felt broken or mangled. Then, my eyes locked on my right hand. The top portion between the knuckles and wrist was swollen a purplish-red-blue and clearly raised. I wiggled all my fingers without much pain but I wasn't sure if my hand was broken or at least fractured. I collected the ladder to take inside and noticed the folding arm on the right was warped. Repairable, but confirmation of the direction the ladder fell.

Keeping an ice pack on top of right hand reduced the discoloration and some of the swelling. This wasn't one of those moments to wait and see or tough it out. This needed to be X-rayed. Going to Patient's First in Columbia probably wasn't the best option as it took me three hours from the time I checked in until I left with a splint. However, going to the Emergency Room at Howard General seemed extreme and could've taken just as long.

The X-rays showed no breaks or fractures and the doctor praised my putting ice on the injury so quickly. He determined the injury was a hematoma but recommended an aluminum splint for some added comfort and some Ibuprofen.

My record for no broken bones remains...unbroken. I'm very blessed to not have injured myself more severely. However, the bruising and soreness is setting in as I have a a bruise on my right collar bone and a sore right bum. Seems like the right of me took the most beating!

Today, the breech in the roof was sealed. Victory is mine. Time for some egg nog.


Also, check out:


Comments

  1. Yikes! Glad to hear nothing is broken. That damn squirrel has been nothing but trouble!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I Can Honestly Say Jon Is My Best Friend

At the beginning of this year, these were Kate Gosselin's words in an interview with Today's Christian Woman : "I can honestly say Jon is my best friend." Kate also says, "When the babies were born, I was well aware that our marriage could crumble. It was close to doing so at times. But we survived that first year. And then the second one. And then each year after that. Even though the issues have changed, it's never gotten easier. "But Jon and I are more determined than ever that we're in this together. We've told our kids many times that we're always going to be a family. There are no other options. Sure, Jon and I take our stress out on each other, and no, that's not always good or healthy. But we work hard as a team every day."

Die Rush Limbaugh!

On the Eve of New Year's Eve, Rush Limbaugh is rushed to a Hawaii hospital with chest pains. News reports mention his condition as "serious" but little information is available. Hours later, it's reported that he's "resting comfortably" at the hospital. The hours in between paint a pathetic picture of our country: New York Daily News described Limbaugh as a "radio loudmouth" and a "right-wing talk show host." The article also mentions that Rush's "nemesis" President Obama and "target of Limbaugh's bile" Nancy Pelosi were also vacationing in Hawaii this week.

Palin Keeps 'em Guessin'

People lash out at things that they don't understand and at things that scare them. It's rather clear that liberals don't understand and therefore are scared of Sarah Palin. Since she came out of the proverbial woodwork of Alaska and onto the national scene of a Presidential campaign, the media has lashed out at her like hungry wolves waiting for any chance to pounce. Remember her wardrobe, for example? The media highlighted the Republican National Committee’s purchase of $150,000 in clothes for Palin, even though the dresses would be donated to charities. The story was page-one for The New York Times. Yet, Barack Obama’s trips to Hawaii on a chartered Boeing 757 cost $800,000 and received appreciative "nods" from the media. Then Presidential Candidate Obama used a Boeing 757 for two trips to Hawaii over the summer for a vacation and to visit his failing grandmother. Palin being a modest person without a wardrobe to withstand 24/7 campaigning had clothes gi