For those of you not on Facebook...
I was supposed to leave to head back east this morning. Instead, the Universe decided it'd be awesome if I wound up in the emergency room.
I was getting out of the car at the airport and I was arching my back in a stretch. Something in my neck crunched, I have no other way of describing it, and there was a shooting pain. I thought it was that sort of thing where you turn your head too fast and there's that sharp burning sensation that would pass within minutes, so I waved my dad off and went inside. Got my ticket and headed through security, but the pain wasn't going away. It wasn't until I had to start putting stuff on the belt to go through the X-ray where it was excruciating. I couldn't take off my jacket or lift my messenger bag over my head without crying out in pain. I couldn't bend over to take off my boots. I needed help to put everything on the belt.
I managed to get through and got to my gate where I called my dad and left a voicemail saying that I made it through but I was in pain. I wandered over and bought one of those neck pillows because I knew it was going to be an uncomfortable flight and got breakfast. By this point, Dad had called Mom and she was calling me. She told me to tell the gate agent that I needed medical assistance. At this point, I'm in tears.
The American Airlines gate agent was extremely helpful and she called First Aid for me, who then in turn called 911. A couple of Sheriff's Department guys showed up, started taking my info. I could see some sort of paramedics arriving outside on the tarmac, and all of a sudden, there's a dozen guys standing around me. One guy kept reassuring me that I'd make my flight, even though by now, they're boarding. Then the head paramedic guy said that it was his recommendation that they'd take me to the hospital to get checked out. I was in a neck brace, but they removed it because since I was still able to move around and be somewhat functional, it wasn't a skeletal issue, it was muscle. They put me on a gurney and I was wheeled out of the airport, my embarrassment level was through the roof. I must have looked amazing, mascara leaking down my face.
Outside, there's a fire truck, some sort of EMT truck thingy and an ambulance. I got put in the ambulance and headed out on the 405 to the new Hoag hospital in Irvine (I had options, but I chose that one because at least it was the closest to where my dad works. Also, Hoag is very very awesome. My brother has had treatment there many times for all of his hockey injuries). I managed to get a hold of my mom who was already almost at the airport.
Got to the hospital, got hooked up to machine thingies, talked to many nurses and a doctor. I got a shot of Advil or something and a prescription for liquid Vicodin stuff. At one point, a super hot guy nurse named Rory walked in. You know exactly where my brain went. The doctor said that I was super-tense in my shoulders and back and thought it could have been stress-related and I just moved my head wrong and that's all it took for me to pull a muscle. It's going to take a while for it to heal, so I need to relax and get plenty of rest. GOOD LUCK.
So yeah. Not a bad way to end a trip, amirite? Got home and drugged myself up and slept on the new couch upstairs while watching episodes of Dog Whisperer and Top Gear. We were able to reschedule my flight for super early tomorrow morning and Mom repacked my bags so I am checking stuff in and have nothing more than a small purse as my carry-on. I also have Thermacare and liquid Motrin (long story short, I can't swallow pills, so I have to take childrens' medicine) for the flight because the Vicodin bottle is huge and I don't want to be groggy during my layover in Dallas. I've had a couple of offers of people picking me up at the airport in Boston which is very kind and I will be taking up that offer.
As of now, I can move my head very slowly. This morning at the airport up until just before I took the meds, I couldn't turn it at all to the left and I had to hold it at an angle to the right, so that's an improvement. I also couldn't lift my arms over my head, and now I can. It still hurts a bit when I turn it to the left more than the right and I'm just very sore and stiff.
I'll have a Gallifrey post at some point. I had funtimes and saw many of my pals and met some new ones and spent far too much money of stuff. Right now, I need to shower and drug myself and BED.
I was getting out of the car at the airport and I was arching my back in a stretch. Something in my neck crunched, I have no other way of describing it, and there was a shooting pain. I thought it was that sort of thing where you turn your head too fast and there's that sharp burning sensation that would pass within minutes, so I waved my dad off and went inside. Got my ticket and headed through security, but the pain wasn't going away. It wasn't until I had to start putting stuff on the belt to go through the X-ray where it was excruciating. I couldn't take off my jacket or lift my messenger bag over my head without crying out in pain. I couldn't bend over to take off my boots. I needed help to put everything on the belt.
I managed to get through and got to my gate where I called my dad and left a voicemail saying that I made it through but I was in pain. I wandered over and bought one of those neck pillows because I knew it was going to be an uncomfortable flight and got breakfast. By this point, Dad had called Mom and she was calling me. She told me to tell the gate agent that I needed medical assistance. At this point, I'm in tears.
The American Airlines gate agent was extremely helpful and she called First Aid for me, who then in turn called 911. A couple of Sheriff's Department guys showed up, started taking my info. I could see some sort of paramedics arriving outside on the tarmac, and all of a sudden, there's a dozen guys standing around me. One guy kept reassuring me that I'd make my flight, even though by now, they're boarding. Then the head paramedic guy said that it was his recommendation that they'd take me to the hospital to get checked out. I was in a neck brace, but they removed it because since I was still able to move around and be somewhat functional, it wasn't a skeletal issue, it was muscle. They put me on a gurney and I was wheeled out of the airport, my embarrassment level was through the roof. I must have looked amazing, mascara leaking down my face.
Outside, there's a fire truck, some sort of EMT truck thingy and an ambulance. I got put in the ambulance and headed out on the 405 to the new Hoag hospital in Irvine (I had options, but I chose that one because at least it was the closest to where my dad works. Also, Hoag is very very awesome. My brother has had treatment there many times for all of his hockey injuries). I managed to get a hold of my mom who was already almost at the airport.
Got to the hospital, got hooked up to machine thingies, talked to many nurses and a doctor. I got a shot of Advil or something and a prescription for liquid Vicodin stuff. At one point, a super hot guy nurse named Rory walked in. You know exactly where my brain went. The doctor said that I was super-tense in my shoulders and back and thought it could have been stress-related and I just moved my head wrong and that's all it took for me to pull a muscle. It's going to take a while for it to heal, so I need to relax and get plenty of rest. GOOD LUCK.
So yeah. Not a bad way to end a trip, amirite? Got home and drugged myself up and slept on the new couch upstairs while watching episodes of Dog Whisperer and Top Gear. We were able to reschedule my flight for super early tomorrow morning and Mom repacked my bags so I am checking stuff in and have nothing more than a small purse as my carry-on. I also have Thermacare and liquid Motrin (long story short, I can't swallow pills, so I have to take childrens' medicine) for the flight because the Vicodin bottle is huge and I don't want to be groggy during my layover in Dallas. I've had a couple of offers of people picking me up at the airport in Boston which is very kind and I will be taking up that offer.
As of now, I can move my head very slowly. This morning at the airport up until just before I took the meds, I couldn't turn it at all to the left and I had to hold it at an angle to the right, so that's an improvement. I also couldn't lift my arms over my head, and now I can. It still hurts a bit when I turn it to the left more than the right and I'm just very sore and stiff.
I'll have a Gallifrey post at some point. I had funtimes and saw many of my pals and met some new ones and spent far too much money of stuff. Right now, I need to shower and drug myself and BED.