An Encounter with the Pavement

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

The Ballard adventures have so far not been what we were expecting to do once we left San Angelo.

After arriving at our campground near Kyle, Texas (Oct. 2) where my daughter lives, I had a hard encounter with the pavement.  While trying to help Ron get the RV set up in our space, I apparently lost my footing in a sloped grass area next to the RV and landed face first on the concrete and gravel roadway.  The bottom line is we made a quick trip to the closest ER where I was treated for abrasions to my forehead, a hole in the bridge of my nose and the area between my nostrils requiring stitches, CT and Xrays of my head, neck, right arm, and right knee.  It was determined that I had a nondisplaced fracture of the C1 with a chip requiring me to be transported to the closest trauma hospital which happens to be in downtown Austin.  A first for me making a trip in an Ambulance to a hospital.  After two days of observation in the hospital, I returned to the RV with a cervical collar and a built in Halloween mask consisting of swelling of the forehead, two black eyes,  a bruise next to my mouth as well as my right hand in a brace to allow the sprain to heal.  Great hospital with great caregivers all of whom awoke me at all hours of the day and night to check my vitals and condition.

The long and short is that I will be having surgery here in Austin tomorrow for my broken nose and will continue to wear a cervical collar until the neurosurgeon says I can go without it.  No surgery required for the C1 issue at least that's what the dr. said in the hospital.  Will see if that is still true when I see him again on Friday.  However, wearing a collar is like being in a straight jacket.  I also have to sleep on my back at 30% level.  No laying flat.   The nose surgery will be non invasive and just require them to straighten out one side and move the septum for better breathing.  They tell me I will have my nostrils packed for five days requiring mouth breathing through that time.  I can hardly wait for this. 

What an experience!  When we arrived here we had only expected to stay in this area for a week or so before traveling south to see more of the state.  We now know that we will be staying at this campground until the end of the month when we will be going to Kerrville, TX for a month.

Stay tuned for further developments.