There is Kindness in the World

 Ma'am, are you okay?

Ma'am, should I call 911?

Ma'am, can I help you up?

Unknown voices swirled around me as I lay, face first, on the sidewalk.

"Don't call 911 please. I need my husband please!"

"Where is he?" 

"He is reading in a Subaru, parked by the big house that looks like an office building." 

The sun hat I was wearing shielded my sight as it lay over my face, glasses askew while lying on my camera. I remember asking if any women were there and if so,  could she would pull my dress down as I could feel it ridden up far too high. Indeed there was.

Moments before, I'd been admonishing myself to keep my eyes on what I was doing as we all know I am easily distracted while in the presence of nature. I think what happened is that I was trying to avoid an oncoming dog, stepping off the sidewalk to do so, then tripping on the edge as I was attempting to resume my walk. 

Bruce, meanwhile heard a man call out to him, asking if his wife was wearing a yellow dress. Only hearing this last night as he described it to Mary during her visit, it broke my heart as I know he must have been petrified hearing that I had fallen. He jumped into action, bringing the car to where I still lay, with many people surrounding me. 

"Oh, darling" I remember him saying. With the help of another man, he pulled me to my feet, seeing the extent of the damage. A woman who lives across the street got some paper towels, another brought a bottle of water, and there were other niceties I cannot recall. Bruce wiped the blood from my mouth, hand, right knee and elbow, while I held my left arm still on the quilt he had given me. Sadly, I knew it was broken again. Not because my bones are especially weak, but because the healing from the previous fracture was not complete. After all, most of the impact this time was on my right side, which although scraped up, has no serious damage.

So, continuing the story of how miserable the experience has been with our doctor's office, because it was only about 1/2 mile away, Bruce drove us there, explained what happened and they responded that Dr. Nguyen was not working and they could not help me. Seriously? No one could help?

Instead they sent us down the street to a walk in clinic where I had an x-ray that confirmed what I already knew. Leaving with my arm wrapped in a splint, they advised that we call my doctor when we got home. Bruce was one step ahead, having already left a message with high hopes that they would return the call. 

They did not!

Taking matters into his own hands, he called the office of Dr. George White searching for help. For weeks people had been begging us to get a second opinion there, certain that I would get some advice on my hand situation. The many testimonials were glowing. They not only answered the phone in a timely manner, he was told if we could get there before 2PM, a doctor would see me, an offer we could not refuse.

In no time at all we were seen by an associate of Dr. White. Off came the splint, new x-rays were taken, and we were ushered into Dr. Patel's office where we learned in no uncertain terms that surgery was the answer. Both Bruce and I liked him immediately, in part because he looked us in the eye rather than spend our time together staring at his computer screen. Furthermore, he actually put on the new splint himself rather than a "cast tech" ! Surgery is scheduled for Wednesday and it will be done in their surgery center onsite which is a big plus in my book. Rather than general anesthesia, my arm will be put to sleep. 

When Connie heard that, while delivering an amazing dinner last evening, she laughed thinking that I would be so curious about what they were doing I would probably want to take photos!

She's got a point, don't you think?

Before this happened I'd been looking forward to passing along some good news regarding my progress. While I do plan to share that story, not today as I plan to lie down and rest. Fortunately this break hurts a whole lot less than the previous one, or is it that I am now accustomed to pain? I'm thinking the former.

Before I sign off, I did get to see this beautiful sight on my walk, so all was not lost.

your friend,

Gail