Monday, February 13, 2012

Trip to the Emergency Room?

I love to travel.  I get excited over packed suitcases, travel size shampoo and words like itinerary, journey and adventure.
But there are some trips that just aren't fun.  Last week a good friend of mine and I decided to take our dogs and go for a walk along the railway tracks (yes, another exciting word!) I had Hogan, my beautiful, sweet, yellow lab/retriever, on a very long rope that I could step on if he got too far a head.  He isn't very good at just staying around like his dear friend Rosy, who sweetly runs along beside us.  But I have discovered that if he feels a leash on his neck he doesn't go too far. We, my dear friend and I, were getting along quite nicely talking and laughing.  Until...at the end of the trail Hogan decided it was time to play and ran quickly a head before I could get a hold of the leash.  The further he away he got, the more I panicked.  We were not in my neighbourhood and I had visions of lost dog posters and a staple gun.  I wasn't in the mood.  So I took off running after that crazy animal and before I knew it, I was looking at a sheet of ice and thinking 'this can't be good', then I was looking at the sky!
Apparently it is not a good thing, after hitting your head on a very hard surface if you can't put a sentence together or remember what you've just said.  And people, even or maybe especially, family look at you funny when you repeat yourself too many times. So off to the emergency I went to see if the memory lapses and throbbing head was anything too serious.  Of course it was now hours later.  I had made a call to my husband, my mother and the tele-health nurse to get a second opinion to make sure I wasn't going to be wasting my time.  I know, I know...if it had been one of my children, I would have been there before we could check to see how dilated their pupils were!  But when it comes to myself, I tend to take the wait it out and see approach.
Well after 31/2 hours in the waiting room, an x-ray of my neck and correctly answering questions like, 'what is your name' and 'do you know what day it is', I was sent home with a diagnosis of a slight concussion and list of symptoms that would require a return visit to the doctor.
But wait, I did learn something through all of this.  If Hogan runs away again, all I have to do is fall down and he comes running right to my side!
Oh the joys in the journey!
I hope you have a great day and keep your feet securely under you.  I know I hope to.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

So Glad everything turned out O.K. Jenn . I am sure Heavenly Father was right beside you all the time . Keep Well & God Bless P.S. If your dog runs away & you fall to get him to come back don,t fall to hard.

The Travellin' mom said...

Thanks! I am sure that I was being watched over and protected.

Anonymous said...

Hello Jenn, it's Helene, Fraser's wife, I've been looking at different blogs for the day and came across your new blog site. I love that you are keeping this up, letting your creative juices flow. I'm glad you're okay after that ER visit.

Anonymous said...

I love reading your blog, ya know it's like one of those books that are so interesting I find it hard to put it down!! I am so thrilled that I will know a famous writer soon!!
Glad you are okay and what do you do for slight concussion? Keep up the good work Jenn! :)

The Travellin' mom said...

I would love to see my name on the front of some published book...That would be very fun! Thanks for your encouragement.