Concussion!

Soo this past Monday I got a concussion. It was really weird, because I am SUPER healthy. Like, I have never had anything like that happen to me in my life. I guess I have twisted my ankles and fractured my wrist from ice skating on the kitchen floor in my socks, but those were in my childhood; I don't even remember how old I was. A concussion seems so much more serious... Anyway, this blog entry is considerably less happy than most, but it’s still a good story I think, so read on if you don’t mind hearing about me getting emotional and dramatic (sorry, I’m usually way more happy-go-lucky than this, trust me).

Here is the story:

Monday's are never the best days of the week, and I'm not even a Monday-hater. However, this particular Monday I was feeling very stressed. Work was not the happiest place (PS- usually, it is, I really do need to write a whole entry about it), I felt like EVERYONE was in a bad mood, including me. I had just started my period (if you don't wanna hear about it, don't read my blog), and I knew Heather was coming back the next day. That meant I had a lot of cleaning and preparing to do. This preparation was not just physical, it was mental and emotional as well, because I was worried about how she and Dahl would get along. This particular dilemma had had me worried to the point of it being unhealthy, I think. I am seriously one of the happiest most content people on the planet, but I had been crying far too often, especially for me. Although it had never been huge sobbing fits, I had managed to tear up each day for the past week which is just not normal, for anyone who knows me, which you probably do if you’re reading this blog. This is not to say I was completely unhappy, I was happy when I forgot about the issue, but it was always somewhere in the back of my mind. All of this emotion must have exploded on this particular day, because I allowed myself to have a full-on breakdown in Dahl's car. Poor Dahl, he was dealing with me so nicely, just telling me it would be okay and in general being consoling, but I refused to be comforted for some time. Finally, I pulled myself together after we got drinks (Sobe and Mountain Dew) and we separated so we could change clothes, I think (I don't really remember). The plan was we would meet back at my apartment, make corn on the cob, and clean for Heather's arrival. We were also supposed to set up my iPod. However, none of these things actually happened. And this is why:

I remember reading somewhere that sometimes people added sugar to the water they were boiling their corn in so it would be sweeter. I thought it would be very clever of me to add a little bit without Dahl knowing, and then see if he noticed or liked it or whatever. The sugar was on the very top shelf of the pantry, so even if I stood on a chair I still had to reach up high to get it. So, I got out my little chair and I don't remember anything except hitting my elbow really hard. So that made me dizzy and lightheaded which is normal, except for the next thing I knew I was on the ground crying and I heard my roomie, Malorie, coming in. The first emotion I remember was embarrassment; I vaguely recall not wanting her to hear me crying because I hardly even know her, and so I stopped and tried to pick up the sugar and act like I was okay. When she came in and asked if I was alright, I kept saying I was fine and apologizing. She thought I was acting almost like I was drunk (she knew I wasn't because she knows me) but I was just super confused and I kept saying that I wanted to go to sleep (I don't remember saying that). She ended up leaving and going back to her room.

Left alone, I sat down on the couch and began to examine myself. I started to panic as I found more and more injuries on my body: I had a big bruise on my left knee, my right hand was swollen, my left elbow was scraped and bruised, the left side of my jaw hurt, my left ear was bruised as well as my left shoulder, and some of my left side was sore as well. On top of all of that, I was very disoriented and nauseated, and my head was pounding. I suddenly needed Dahl to be there RIGHT THEN, because I knew something was very wrong and I needed someone to take care of me. I called him and asked when he was coming over. He replied that he would be back in 15 minutes (he was actually about to get in his car to get me flowers, cute boy). I didn't think I could wait that long all alone, as my fears were becoming more and more pressing, so I told him what was wrong: "I think I fell..." I dropped off because I had nothing more to say. "What?!" he asked, alarmed. "I don't remember..." I replied, my voice cracking, and my complete state of confusion becoming more apparent by the second. "I'll be right over."

When he got there, I lost all my control once again and started BAWLING, incoherently telling him how I didn't remember what happened and how I was scared and confused and I thought I fell and I don't know what was wrong with me. So then he had me call my dad so we could get insurance information to go to the hospital, and he went to talk to Malorie. She said she had heard me fall when she was in the shower, but didn't think much of it because it could have been anything. She finished her shower and put on clothes and heard me crying about 10 minutes later, so I must have been out for about 10 minutes before she came and found me.

Dahl took me to the Provo Hospital, and I got a CAT SCAN, an EKG, and some blood work done. The doctor said that he couldn’t find anything wrong with me, so they sent me home with a prescription that we picked up on the way. (Weird, the doctor was my old Bishop… small world, huh?) They recommended bed rest, and the information sheet I got said that it was normal to sleep for up to 15 hours a day after a concussion. They said someone should watch me for the next 24 hours.

Dahl tried to find someone to help him give me a blessing, and finally Kevin answered his phone. He anointed and Dahl sealed, and said I would have a speedy recovery. He also blessed me that I would be comforted and my relationships would continue to grow, and he especially blessed me that I would have a good relationship with my sister, which made me happy.

I stayed home sleeping and such for the next 2 days, especially the day immediately following, because my head hurt sooo badly, and all I wanted to do was sleep. I did go with Heather to see Diary of a Wimpy Kid in the dollar theater that night, however. It was super funny, which was great except every time I laughed too hard my head hurt again. Haha. But it was worth it! Yesterday I ventured out to the pool to relax outside which was nice as well. I also visited Greg’s farm with Dahl to double with him and Mel. I met a baby horse-pony mix that was born this morning, and I watched them tackle calves and brand them. If they were bulls, I watched them put a rubber band around their balls so the circulation would get cut off and they would eventually fall off. This makes their meat more tender. Crazy, huh? They did not seem very happy! We also had a BBQ and watched Ace Ventura. We were supposed to go shooting and 4 wheeling but changed plans because of my head.

This is Thursday, the third day after my accident, and I’m at work now as I’m writing this. It's getting a lot better! My head still hurts pretty consistently, but it’s less of a pounding pain which is good. Hopefully it goes away completely soon J

Anyway, I’m really grateful everything worked out the way it did, and that I am safe and healthy!

PS- The beginning of this post may seem slightly irrelevant, but I think it is very relevant because I feel like my emotional state had something to do with the whole thing. If I wasn't so emotionally drained, I wouldn't have been so physically exhausted, and I might have been more able to stay conscious. I mean, I've hit my elbow and gotten dizzy many times, but I've never blacked out. I was never standing on a chair either... but the point is, I think all of these things played a part in the whole accident.