Ian on the injury list

Ian was knocked off his motorbike on his way home on Friday afternoon. Fortunately he was nearer home than work, just 5 minutes away, so when he rang I was able to go see what was what.

A motorist had pulled out from a side street on to the main road Ian was travelling along. Ian had seen him but the motorist says he didn't see Ian at all. He hit Ian who tumbled over and over. Luckily he tumbled towards the curb and not into the oncoming traffic on the other side. Ian says he remembers the car moving out - he was surprised it did and the tumbling but not the point of impact.

When I arrived the ambulance and the police were there. He'd come down heavily on his right hand and his wrist was very sore and he'd a 20c/10p sized gauge (down to the wood) at the inside of his left ankle but otherwise was ok, just very shaky. The ambos carted him off to Nepean Hospital for Xrays, the ankle looked like it might be broken.

Just as the ambos were putting him in their van, Ishbel's school bus came round the corner, Ishbel in the front seat. She had a wee panic at seeing who was going into the ambulance. I shouted for her to go home and she said the bus driver and the lady sitting behind her were very kind and reassuring when she said that was her Daddy. I rang home to let the boys know what was going on and arranged for Robbie to meet Ishbel off the bus and tell her Dad was OK. I saw Ian on to the ambulance then went home to sort the kids out before going down to the hospital too.

Ian, the boys and our friend, Steven, were supposed to be going to a rugby league match on Friday night. Ian had been given corporate box tickets by one of his suppliers. Steven was kind enough to take the boys himself and he arrived at home to collect them just as Ishbel and I were leaving for the hospital. Not long after I got down there Ian got a text message from Steven telling him what brilliant seats they had!!!!

We were five hours down at the hospital while they Xrayed (no broken bones), stitched Ian up and gave him a tetanus injection. The wound on his ankle was perfectly circular and I couldn't see how the edges were going to be brought together. Indeed, the young intern dealing with Ian went off to get advice from a senior doctor who ended up doing the stitching for him. It all looks pretty gross. They sent us home with a stash of dressings and a pair of crutches, although the crutches aren't easy for Ian because his right wrist hurts more than his ankle does so he can't weight-bear on it.

Yesterday I rang to make a GP appointment for Ian but was told they are all fully booked for next week and I'd have to ring first thing on a morning to try and get a cancellation, or come in for the walk-in clinic (GP coverage in the Blue Mountains, especially out of hours, is very bad). So down to the walk-in clinic we went and were told there was a two hour wait and that we could go home and call in an hour or so and see how the queue was going. It'd been such a struggle for Ian to get there at all though that he decided he'd wait it out so I went off to get him his anti-biotics, a cappucino and something to eat then Ishbel and I did a grocery shopping. By the time I got out our GP, Sue, decided to get the nurse to take down the dressing so she could have a look. She's told Ian he'll likely be off work for a fortnight - that's how long Nepean have said the stitches should stay in. (If it doesn't heal well Ian may have to see a plastic surgeon). We've to go back on Wednesday for the dressing to be redone (luckily I was already booked in to see Sue for my Pap smear, etc. that morning so they'll tag him on to that).

So I've been running around all myself. I was up at 6:20am yesterday to take Robbie to work by 7. He's got a job at the McDonalds at Blaxland. Then back home and put several loads of washing out. Then the guddling about with the GP, shopping, etc. At 2:30 Jamie had to be down at Penrith for his AFL match (they lost) then back home, cook dinner, clean up after dinner, etc., etc., etc.

I am going to close now. I am going out this morning to do a bit of extra RFS training with another brigade. The boys and I are doing the Village Firefighter course which involves tackling house fires (from the outside)/property protection and motor vehicle accidents. Glenbrook are doing some extra MVA practice today and they said we could tag along. I'm going to collect one of our brigade members who is coming with me. Better go and brush my teeth.