Yesterday I wrote about an injury I sustained when one of my CNAs was getting me out of bed.  I took some Vicodin for the pain and that helped me for a while.  Five hours later, the pain returned and I took more medication, but that did not have any effect.  Within an hour the pain was so intense I had to call an ambulance.   The EMTs examined me and and thought I may have suffered a fractured femur.  They decided to take me to the hospital.  On the way there, they inserted an IV into my arm and drew five tubes of blood before starting an IV drip.   While we were going to the hospital, the ambulance crew said that they recognized me from having taken me to the hospital a couple of years ago.  They wanted to know what had happened to cause my injury and I tried to explain about my foot getting caught between the wheel on my wheelchair and my CNAs leg.  I said this was the second time that it happened with the same man, but that I had not reported the first time.  I was told that considering the amount of medical problems I have, along with my age, they thought I was doing very well and wanted me to stay in that condition, so they strongly suggested that I report what had happened with this CNA.   Once I got to the hospital I quickly saw that there were four nurses and doctors waiting on me.  That was a rarity.  Things do not usually happen that fast for me.  I was sent to the x-ray department where approximately 20 x-rays were taken ranging from below my left knee up to and including my left hip.  I was returned to my spot in the emergency room and left there while the x-rays were developed.  I fell asleep for a short while, only to be awakened by a nurse coming to give me some morphine.  I was not too crazy about the idea of having that since I am allergic to so many medications.  Nevertheless, I agreed to let them give it to me.   A short while later the doctor came in and said they had not been able to find any fractures or broken bones.  I was thankful for that.  She said she did not know whether I had any torn ligaments because the x-rays did not show that.  Even if I did have some, she said, she was not sure there would be any point in my having surgery since I did not walk or bear any weight on my leg.   They wrapped my leg in an ace bandage and sent some type of a leg brace home with me.  I cannot use a leg brace until I get an elevated footrest for my wheelchair.  I am also supposed to try and see my doctor this week.   One of my CNAs started calling me this morning at 5:30 AM to see if I was home.  The cordless phone I use from my bedroom was completely dead.  This led to a number of problems dealing with how I could contact my home health care agency to let them know that I was home and needed their help.   I finally made contact with the agency only to have the head of it become upset with me because one of their people did not get me out of bed in the proper manner.  She said that since two people are supposed to lift me up I should have refused to let one person do it.  She also said that I have been signing forms stating that all of their people had been giving me they care that my doctor had ordered.  I told her they had been giving me blank forms and telling me to sign them.  She said I should not have done that, but that I should have made them fill them out before I signed.  I tried asking her how I was supposed to make someone do what he or she did not want to do, but she was apparently not in the mood to listen to anything I said.   She said she was sending two people to my apartment to get me up out of bed.  One of the people was one of the CNAs who got me up yesterday morning when the injury occurred.  This woman is not very strong, and was not able to help lift me this morning, so my leg was injured again today, although not to the extent it was yesterday.  I do not know how I am going to solve this problem, but something definitely has to be done.   The doctor had told me to make sure that I see my own doctor this week.  I have been trying to call him since early this morning to make an appointment, but I have been told that their computers are down.  I am currently waiting for a return call from my doctor's nurse.   All of this is causing one complication on top of another.  I was supposed to go to my Relapse Prevention Group this evening.  I cannot go because of my injury.  I have talked with the head of the group and explained my situation.  I told him that I would be willing to attend his group for an additional number of weeks beyond the number I would normally have had to attend.  He has agreed to this accommodation.   My pain increased again this afternoon, so I took the second dose of Vicodin an hour earlier than normal and that seems to have helped already.  I think that for the time being I will no longer wait for six hours between doses, but will cut this down to five hours.   Quotes of Attitude:   “Often attitudes are kindled in the flame of others’ convictions.”   Louis E. Le Bar