Nisima and the bus - help!

Nisima · 06-01-2007, 11:21 AM

Hey buzzers - on the way into work this a.m. I was happily listening to Shaabi music on my Nano and when exiting the back door of the express downtown bus, somehow tripped and fell, kersplat, right on the curb. OUCH! But wait, it gets better - my legs were off the curb under the bus so passengers were simultaneously trying to get me up and yelling at the driver to STOP - "lady under bus". It took at least a minute or two for me to get up because guess what, my ankle took a nasty hit from the curb. Unbelievably, the driver did not even come back to check - as soon as I was up, he just roared right off! A few passengers stayed with me and made sure I was okay to walk and I eventually made my shakey, hoppy, limping way in to the office.

Okay, so here I am with swollen bruised ankle propped up on a box wrapped in a cold pack. Hurts, hurts, hurts, but I can put weight on it. So, should I worry about a fracture? How long should I put up with the pain (did I mention it REALLY hurts) before I go get it x-rayed!

Darn it darn it - and I have lots of rehearsing to do for a gig later this month.

Suggestions on assessing damage?

Thanks....................

antimony · 06-01-2007, 11:24 AM

Go to the doctor today! Just suck it up and do it!

Get it x-rayed today, so if anything is broken you know and can get it set right away, or if it's not broken, you can be certain about how to help yourself heal.

After all, if it is broken, you don't want to wait to make it worse, and if it isn't you don't want to be wondering if it is.

kina · 06-01-2007, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by antimony

Go to the doctor today! Just suck it up and do it!

Get it x-rayed today, so if anything is broken you know and can get it set right away, or if it's not broken, you can be certain about how to help yourself heal.

After all, if it is broken, you don't want to wait to make it worse, and if it isn't you don't want to be wondering if it is.

Ditto antimony, poor baby!!!! go to the doc! Iwated once after I broke a joint in my elbow, not hte big one, one of hte smaller ones, massaged, etc, nothing helped, didn't seem broken cause i could still move the joint. Go to the doctor!

Michelle75 · 06-01-2007, 11:48 AM

This is from footcare.

Quote:

A broken ankle is a serious injury and requires immediate attention. If treated properly at the onset of symptoms, the broken ankle will heal properly within a six week period and will not cause long-term debilitation.

I would go to the doctor to find out if it is broken or not JUST so you will know what to do about the gig later this month.
I hope it's not broken.

Michelle

kat · 06-01-2007, 11:51 AM

Definitely go to the doctor or ER immediately! And I would think about calling the bus office and complaining about the driver.

Nisima · 06-01-2007, 12:25 PM

Thanks, bhuzzers just rak! I called my doctor and not surprisingly, he wants me to get it x-rayed TODAY to assess what's going on. Apparently, just because I can manage to "walk" on it doesn't mean there isn't a fracture and then treatment depends on exactly what kind of fracture. At least the skin isn't broken, but there is a peculiar looking crescent shaped bruise right on the lower left side of tibia and the whole area is very red. Even with icing for half an hour, the area is very very tender. Not going to risk having it heal wrong so, I'm leaving work early and getting it x-rayed.
So we'll see - I was just hoping it would feel much better after a couple of hours with elevation, ice and rest, but it is not, and besides that, the whole leg, knee and hip on that same side are well, not happy campers.

Waaaaaaaaaaa!

Lauren_ · 06-01-2007, 01:47 PM

I'm so glad you're getting it taken care of. I would call & complain about the bus driver, his behavior was despicable!

Be sure to let us know if you're OK!!! And keep ice on it all day, 30 minutes on & 30 minutes off might be a good plan. And take anti-inflammatory pain relievers.

Nisima · 06-01-2007, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lauren_

I'm so glad you're getting it taken care of. I would call & complain about the bus driver, his behavior was despicable!

Be sure to let us know if you're OK!!! And keep ice on it all day, 30 minutes on & 30 minutes off might be a good plan. And take anti-inflammatory pain relievers.

Lauren, you got that right - 30 minutes off ice is about all I can take before it starts huuuurrrrting! I will keep you all posted (hobbles off to kitchen to eat lunch, look for chocolate, prop up foot and read trashy novel handily stashed in desk. I'm leaving for x-ray clinic in under 3 hours and I'll be glad to know what the heck this is. Have one Advil gel on hand and will take it after lunch since I'll have to be moving around.

acmcgraw · 06-01-2007, 03:06 PM

owie owie owie owie! I hope you feel better soon!

*Shira* · 06-01-2007, 03:23 PM

Oh Nisimi, how absolutely dreadful for you! It's pretty scary to consider that the driver was starting to move the bus forward while your legs were still partly under it! I do hope you call the bus management to complain about that driver. Luckily other passengers helped you get out of harm's way before he ran over your legs!!!!

Your injury sounds horrid, but I'm glad it wasn't worse than it was. I'm so glad you're going to the emergency room. I've known people who broke their ankles simply stepping off a curb, so it's good to have it checked out!

Nisima · 06-01-2007, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Shira*

Oh Nisimi, how absolutely dreadful for you! It's pretty scary to consider that the driver was starting to move the bus forward while your legs were still partly under it! I do hope you call the bus management to complain about that driver. Luckily other passengers helped you get out of harm's way before he ran over your legs!!!!

Your injury sounds horrid, but I'm glad it wasn't worse than it was. I'm so glad you're going to the emergency room. I've known people who broke their ankles simply stepping off a curb, so it's good to have it checked out!

No, no, - the bus didn't move but since I could not get up for a full minute, that's what I was most worried about - I asked passengers to help me get out and they did and I sorta *crawled* further up the curb. Miserable, just miserable -was another couple of minutes before I could get vertical again, even with two people helping me and even then the one guy passenger stayed with me another five minutes and then walked with me (well, I sorta limped along) to make sure I could manage and kept asking me if I was okay.

It was scary but I have to believe that the driver was told "lady down, do not move bus" becuase it did not move until I was vertical. However, the driver was SUPPOSED to stop, and get off bus and check passenger himself and he did not do that which is annoying.

I have to leave for x-ray but I'll keep everyone posted and Monday I will file an incident report with Muni. I'm so tired, ankle hurts, neck hurts and now there are these interesting pain sensations now and then all the way up to right hip. I just need to take care of self first and THEN I will take care of Muni driver.

Thanks all for your support!

bintbeled · 06-01-2007, 04:28 PM

Nisima, fingers crossed for you! Hope it's just aches and pains and nothing more serious!

mish_mish · 06-01-2007, 09:23 PM

Is it SamTrans? Call and complain after you have gotten yourself together enough.

What a bummer!

zumarrad · 06-01-2007, 11:49 PM

*shudders*

That's like my worst nightmare. I get buses a lot. And I had a traumatic experience - not dissimilar, but much better handled - in London where I hopped off the back of a double decker bus, thinking it had slowed almost to a standstill to stop, but was really just slowing for traffic. It gathered speed again just as I jumped off, and I very calmly sort of increased my trajectory so I flew briefly, then hit the ground running, rolled twice and hurt my knee. Luckily I was on the footpath, not the road. The driver and several passengers came running to my aid, which was very reassuring.

Ugh, just thinking of your accident makes my skin crawl. You are VERY lucky. Get to the emergency room and have it looked at at once!

Nisima · 06-04-2007, 10:49 AM

Update - xray tech Friday told me she didn't see any "big obvious breaks" but I'm waiting for doctor's report today. The swelling has gone down a lot, but the tedon that runs all the way under heel is very very sore. So, no dancing this weekend - took my doumbek to Sunday class and joined the drummers for the live music class.
Other than that, I'm resting leg, elevating, icing but not as much as first day, and have to prop leg up under knee on pillow to sleep at night because it is still very "ouch" all around the ankle, not just at site of deep bruise.
Well, could have been so much worse - I just need to know final x-ray results and whether I can wrap it to stabilize it so I can dance or what.
Trust me, this morning I exited the bus at the front door and I dare any driver to challenge me; those back doors are hideous -half the time they don't open, and then they close too fast and heaven help you if you trip and fall, as I did, because driver can't see you.
Sign me,

Hop along

dunyah · 06-04-2007, 11:55 PM

Glad to hear that you are recovering. That was scarey!