Time for Gratitude

It was Sunday morning and I was really looking forward to fun with my friend Ishwar and the group of friends he invited to join for a run while he was in town visiting. It was to be a casual Sunday morning run/hike with friends. I was excited Annie came as I learned she had just finished running a trail marathon the day prior. Her husband Nate had talked about sleeping in the evening before when we were all at dinner. The last time I got to see Annie and Nate was a month earlier in Utah when i was volunteering at Wasatch 100 70 mile aid station and Nate was participating in the race. Larry came too and I had not seen him in a long time. We had already done the hike up and were making our descent. This next photo of Ishwar and I is moments before I fell.

I maybe was talking (of course I was talking) and the next thing I knew my right foot slipped and I was falling forward off the trail smashing my head against a rock and just tumbling and tumbling down what I thought was a hillside not knowing if or when I would stop. It all happened way too fast and I kept my eyes closed just thinking to myself I have to be okay. When I came to a stop I was face down with my head looking up at the trail. I knew I was hurt but couldn’t assess how bad. I heard Ishwar ask if he should call 911 and I was so mad I needed to say yes. I knew a fall and head injury was going to create a rapid trauma response from dispatch. For those who may not be familiar with my background I was a former civilian employee with Santa Barbara Sheriff Department working in the jail and it wasn’t uncommon for me to escort emergency medical personnel into the jail. I later pursued a certification as an EMT and did elderly care and endurance event volunteer work with that certification in California. I didn’t keep my certification current but when I came to Colorado I joined a local urban search and rescue unit and took an EMT refresher course. I knew that a command and response team was going to be dispatched to me and all the questions they were going to ask. I asked my friend to put their phone on speaker where I relayed to the dispatcher that I was a and o times 4 and I didn’t want the ambulance emergent because I could already hear sirens. I later learned it was relayed i was arguing with the dispatcher. I asked my friend Nate who had made his way down to me if he could hand me my buff that had fallen off my head because I knew my head was bleeding and I wanted to apply pressure. I was asked not to move but I wanted to be off that hillside so bad I told Nate I just needed to move. Yep thats me not listening to anybody, climbing back up to sit on the trail and wait for help.

My friends all created a plan. Larry, Annie and Chaco (annie and nates sweetest dog) would go up the trail to meet the first responders and rescuers.

I saw a Ranger was the first one to me and I knew from a recent social media post all the training he went through for his job and I knew I was relieved. His name is also Nate. He sees me and the first thing I tell him is I am a and o times 4. He asks me questions to verify that. I tell him person place time and event. I say my name, that I’m at Gregory Canyon its Sunday October 20 in the morning and I was going down the trail when I slipped and went ass over tea kettle down the hill. I say my head and neck hurt and he does a physical assessment palpating my spine and then relaying a message to command about my status. He asks if I know my neck collar size but it’s been way too long since I practiced that in class. We decided its a short. My friend Larry helped him place the collar on my neck while I continued to hold pressure on my head and face.

Nate asked if he could take some vitals and I guessed my blood pressure was 117/88 when he took it I was really close with my guess and thankful considering my state it wasn’t lower or higher. Please tell me how I am smiling in that neck collar someone must have said something funny. Ishwar is taking a picture and smiling too. Thank goodness no one lost their sense of humor I needed the comic relief. Lets be honest I was shivering, nauseous, in shock and very scared of what was in store.

The rescue team made their way to me. I asked if I could transfer myself into the rescue device. They said I could I then asked if it was a stokes or a litter. The answer was both. They explained that I would be secured in and carried then transferred onto a wheel device to bring me out. I asked if AMR was transporting me and if I could go to BCH. I knew BCH was a level II trauma center and could help if anything was serious. I frequently do blood draws at my work for patients of bch.

In the following picture my head has been wrapped by Nate with a pressure dressing and seen is individuals from Boulder Fire and Rescue and SAR unit Rocky Mountain Rescue.

Pictured below they have prepared me for lift and carry out.

I was later told by Annie that there were so many different units and responders there. I told Rocky Mountain Rescue personnel how I had been on the fence about wanting to join them. Suffice to say I am no longer on the fence, but I will need some recovery time before I submit that application. Jenny from rmr was really sweet when I asked her what kind of gift cards they like. Her response was exactly what you would hear me say,”I appreciate the thought, but we’re volunteers no thanks needed.”

Quinlan the paramedic from AMR was great and her partner did a great job starting my iv. She asked me questions they took vital signs and we drove down flagstaff road to the hospital. Quinlan and I talked about her work and what I do and she tried to get me to relax my arms.

Quinlan did a great job relaying my info to the ER team. 

Matt was the first ER staff I would meet he is an RN and he was not only really funny, but really compassionate. His first line was,”so you took a header?” I replied that was good and I would pardon the pun. He helped me get nausea and pain meds and then I met the doctor who relayed instructions to the emt to help clean out my head would really well with saline. Selina the emt did such an awesome job. The following picture is before any wound care.

The doctor began to numb up my head and face and it hurt so much I had to fight to keep focusing on my breathing through it. The doctor began stitching and I asked what he liked to do outside of work and he began telling me about mountain biking and Leadville. I have a theory that people are placed in our path when they are supposed to be. I believe that doctor was 100% supposed to be available for me Sunday afternoon. I thanked him for distracting me. He had to step away to attend to another patient but would return to finish my stitches and locate another gash in my scalp that got stapled.

I had to leave the neck collar on and get wheeled down the hall to get a cat scan. I would be told I had a stable fracture of my c3 in my neck and would be going home with a neck brace to wear with instructions to follow up with a neurologist.

My friend Vanessa came to the er room where I was and checked out my owies and gave me a ride home

Sunday afternoon I went home and cried and tried to sleep with the neck brace on. I just kept praying I wouldn’t need it.

On Tuesday I met with the neurologist who assessed my neck and range of motion and said I could have the collar off as long as I promised to walk down to radiology for xrays that he will follow up with me on in a few weeks. 

Today I took a walk without the collar my neck is kind of sore but I am okay.

I’m so grateful for every rescuer, responder,  friend and family that has reached out. It is humbling and overwhelming and I don’t take for granted how fortunate I am this wasn’t any worse.