We went to a geoevent today and while there I had to keep telling the story of what happened. Although this medium obviously won't tell everyone in the world the story, it's a start. So here goes.
One bright, lovely morning "J" and I went after a couple of FTF's and breakfast. We got one, got STF on the other, then off to breakfast we go. On the way there (Cafe Java, a GREAT place) we passed a cache called "Humpty Dumpty". Don't look for it. It's been archived.
This cache had been on my radar for a while and I had a bad feeling about it from day one. But any cache in my home turf that I haven't gotten just gnaws at me. It taunts me. As we pass by I say something about always wanting to stop and grab it, but I probably shouldn't. We had breakfast and we were headed back home. We get close to the cache site and we decide to stop and I'll just go "check it out".
So we find a place to park and "J" decides to stay with the "X" (my xTerra, not my ex-wife) while I go to the cache. I get there and I'm faced with a 20-25' retaining wall. It's those dry-fit blocks. The big ones. I knew from the description and talking to other cachers that climbing was required. I test out the blocks to be sure there is enough room for good hand and toe holds. All looks good. I climb up a row or two just to be sure. Still good. So I make the momentous decision. I go for it.
I climbed up the wall just fine. I traversed from side to side checking out some obvious hiding places. Then I start feeling my hands and toes getting tired and I decide it's time to get down before I get too tired to hold on any longer. So I start working my way down, getting my feet down a couple of rows. I make sure they are well in place and I start moving my right hand to a lower point.
It is right then that the block I am holding with my left hand just flies out of its place. In a blink of an eye I tried to get my right hand to a block. At the same time I thought of the trash can below me that had a bundle of sticks and limbs sticking straight up out of it. Then I have the realization that I'm going down.
With the can in mind, and my body starting to fall back, I push off out and a little to my right to avoid the can. Then that 30 year old Marine training kicked in. I thought to hit the ground fairly squarely with my feet, trying to flex mainly on the balls of my feet, and go into a "tuck and roll".
It would have worked if Round Rock would learn how to lay a sidewalk straight and level, but this one was angled to one side and that made my feet hit squarely on both heels. The moment I hit I tucked and rolled, but I felt something give and I knew something had broken. I thought it was one or both ankles. When I came to stop I grabbed my cell phone and called Julie and told her, "Get over here, I think I broke my ankles!". She started asking a question and I yelled at her to "Shut up and get here!"
She was there in a flash. I could see the terror in her eyes, so I took over and yelled at her to call 911. That got her into action. We spent the next few minutes trying to explain to 911 just where the heck we were. During that time I was getting my boots off. Then the pain came. In huge, mind-numbing waves.
In what seemed like the passing of eternity but was really just a few minutes, a fire department emergency unit was there and very soon after an EMT was kneeling over me and saying hi. It was then I found out I had a compound fracture with a piece of bone sticking out of the heel of my right foot. In no time they had me checked out, on a board, stabilized, then on a gurney and headed to the hospital. They were extremely good at what they did and they tried to ease my pain, but as it turns out all they had was morphine and morphine has absolutely NO effect on me.
Through the pain, about all I remember after that is getting into an ER trauma room, they took me for some x-rays and CT scans, kept trying to get morphine in me to ease my pain, and then they got me into surgery to put the bone back into my right heel and get the hole stitched up. I vaguely remember returning from that surgery, but I don't remember where I returned to.
If you want details of what happened from there until I got to the HealthSouth facility, you're pretty much on your own.
Well, that's it as best as I can remember.
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3 comments:
We've talked about that day several times since, but having it written down really brings it home.
I was the only other person to find that cache prior to Howard's attempt. It was very precarious and when I was up there, I got that feeling that there was something just a bit wrong about this cache. I actually relayed my feelings to a group of cachers the day after I found it at lunch while doing a local earth cache.
It really sucks that anyone got hurt, but to have it happen to a friend really... well, I just can't put it into the correct words. Know that it weighs heavy on my heart and you are in my thoughts and prayers constantly.
I've thought many times, "Damn! Is there something I could have done after finding this cache to prevent this?"
Thank you so much for sharing your story with all of us about that very painful day. Please continue to share, even when you think we may not be interested. We are!
Get well soon Brother! God Bless!!
-paul
Yep, I agree with HiDude. That day was worse than 9/11 for me. But the coolest thing about it is that I have gotten to know you and the family even better than ever. It has been so much fun hanging out with you, especially now that you don't have tubes coming out of everywhere :)
There is a good reason for everything and sometimes our peanut-sized brains can't comprehend what is really happening. I'm confident that we will all see the brilliant plan that is behind all of this and we will say, "Woe! That was AWESOME!"
Hang in there my friend. I love you!
C
I do not know any of you, but I understand your concerns. I shattered my ankle 18 months ago. It was not caching, but it has really slowed my down. With both, I know your caching friend really has his wings clipped. We had a caching friend fall 35-40 off a bridge into a rocky creek bed one night and we really thought we had lost him. Luckly, he recovered. We love this sport and we love the thrill of the game, but we all need to look at the cache and not over extend our abilities. I hope you recover well and are back caching soon. You will be better than you think in time. Hope to meet you cachin sometime. You sound like a really great guy. Yours in caching, GeoFoxy Central Oklahoma GeoCachers.
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