[Magdalen] A bad fall

[Marion Thompson]

How quickly we can pass from going about our business to being loaded 
into an ambulance!  I wish Laura a quick and complete recovery from this 
trial.

Marion, a pilgrim -- nearly 11 weeks after the concussion still without 
taste or smell.

On 3/23/2015 1:23 PM, James Oppenheimer-Crawford wrote:
> I have often said that whenever I am feeling bad about something happening
> to me, I always see someone far worse off.  It's not hard to feel a bit
> chastened to have been feeling bad about a sprained ankle when you see what
> some other folks have to put up with on a daily basis.
>
> We were arriving for our group's rehearsal today, and another member of our
> group was just behind us.  Suddenly we were aware that she had fallen.  The
> sidewalk has a gigantic frost heave and the concrete slab is up about two
> inches on one side.  They put an orange cone.
>
> I am sure Laura was well aware of it, and tried to avoid it, but she
> apparently tripped on the jutting concrete edge and went down face first.
>
> As we approached, we all assumed she probably had some fractures, as she is
> a lady of a certain age. Keeping my calm voice, I asked her to help us
> before we thought of moving her, was she in pain, did she think she might
> have hurt something or sprained something. She replied, still not moving
> (another red flag), that she didn't think she had hurt herself in her
> limbs.  She had struck face first. She thought she had broken her nose.
>
> At first she was able to respond clearly, but as the minutes went by, she
> sounded more like her mouth was being obstructed. We had called 911
> immediately and a security guard for the residence came and we got blankets
> to cover her until the ambulance came.
>
> A member of our group who is also an MD and a friend of Laura's went with
> her to the hospital.
>
> Later on we learned that she had not broken her nose, but had fractured the
> bone of the "upper jaw" if you will, under the nose.  She will probably
> have to have dental work to repair all of that.  This is such a shame.  It
> goes without saying she won't be able to play in the group for a while, and
> I have no clue how long her recovery will take.
>
> She's a cancer survivor with extant severe back problems, has diabetes, and
> also has a pacemaker. She lost a son (a Master Sgt nearing retirement in
> the Green Berets) in Afghanistan.  This is one of those good people to whom
> things happen.
>
> Probably her big concern will be who will take her friend to his doctor's
> appointments now that she cannot.
>
> Those who wish to may pray for grace and healing, and wisdom for her and
> all of us in our little group, of which she is the associate director.
>
>
>
>
>
> James W. Oppenheimer-Crawford
> *“A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved,
> except in memory. LLAP**”  -- *Leonard Nimoy
> .
>