Stitches and Staples and Fracture; Oh My! Seeking Assistance
Donation protected
I've set up several of these campaigns for friends in need before, never thinking I'd need to set up one for myself one day. Yesterday, Friday, December 6th, I was returning home after an overnight stay at a good friend's and lost my balance walking up the stairs to my second-floor apartment.
I tumbled down all the way to the bottom of the stairs, striking my head on the edge of the steps. Luckily, Andrea was home and heard me yelling her name to come find me. I was contorted at the bottom, covered in blood, and still bleeding profusely.
Andrea went next door to Pop Culture Socie Tea to get assistance from January and James Simpson. My head was bent at an extreme angle up against the wall with my feet tangled up and splayed out. I was unable to get up in the narrow hallway. With the help of January, James, and Andrea, I was able to get propped up and out of the doorway and to my feet, with the added assistance of their son, Robert.
Andrea drove me to Christus Good Shepherd Hospital emergency room, and they were able to get me in right away. After they were able to stop the bleeding, it was off to the CT scanner. Complications there led me to having to go back 3 times to finally get a good scan with the dye to reveal that I had fractured my C2 vertebrae. Ugh, now I had to be in a cervical collar to immobilize my neck due to the fracture. An angiogram was also performed to make sure there was no damage to the cervical blood vessels in my neck. Luckily, there was no damage there.
They then performed X-rays on my arms and legs to verify no further fractures. Again, I was lucky, and there were none.
Finally, we got to the lacerations on my head. They had been cleaned up when the medical staff had gotten the bleeding stopped, but my suggestion of a couple of butterfly bandages to close the wounds was overruled. I received 17 stitches in my forehead and 6 staples in the back of my head.
After my CT scans, angiogram, and X-rays were examined, it was determined that I would not need to be held overnight (thankfully), but I will need to see a neurologist Monday.
Bottom line, the need for assistance is the fact that I am uninsured on social security. I have already filed for Medicare, but it doesn't go into effect until March 1st of next year.
If you are able to assist, I would be most grateful. If unable to donate, please consider sharing on social media. And if you are willing, thoughts, prayers, and white light for healing are very much appreciated.
Funds raised from this campaign will go towards the medical bills due to this accident.
Organizer
Craig Woolheater
Organizer
Jefferson, TX