Syncopal episodes, two handed typing and other asshattery.

I did a very, very dumb thing last week.

I fainted. On the stairs. And I fell down half the flight. When I wasn't wearing my sling.

Here's what happened: I'd felt faint in the shower a couple of days before and had half-fallen, half-slithered down the wall to a sitting position in the tub. I kind of frightened myself with that, so I decided that it wasn't a good idea to shower without Urbaner being around to keep an eye on me.

Friday morning the kids were home from school because of parent teacher conferences. They were all downstairs playing the box of exes, so I decided that instead of showering, I'd run myself a bath and soak in the tub for a while. Can't faint as easily laying in the tub, I thought. Be safer, I thought.

It was safer, alright. I didn't feel faint or lightheaded at all when I was laying there in the water. Oh no.....that didn't happen until I got out. As I was drying off things started to feel a little....odd. Off kilter. Wonky. So, I sat down on the bed for a bit, then laid down with my feet up in a modified Trendelenberg position. I stayed there for a few minutes, then got up and went about getting dressed, feeling generally much better. I grabbed my sling and headed out of the room to go downstairs and have the kids help me strap myself in to it.

That's where things get a little muddied for me. I know that I started feeling lightheaded and thought that I'd better sit down on the top step of the stairs. That's the last clear thought I have. The next thing I remember clearly is seeing the kids worried faces staring down at me and a HUGE pain in my shoulder.

My left arm (the one that was supposed to be the sling) was above my head and I was halfway down the flight of stairs.

Long story short, I had to go to the ER (via POV, thankyouverymuch. I was embarrassed enough to have fainted without having to go to the ER via ambulance). Nothing was broken, just some bruised ribs and, as the doc put it, 'insult added to the injured shoulder'. And a serious case of feeling like an asshat for fainting. My shoulder is painful, yeah....but it's not as bad as it was right after the surgery. It feels worse than it did on Thursday, but it's getting better with each passing day.

The cause of the syncope? I was vasodilated from the warm bath, slightly dehydrated, hadn't eaten that day, and was in pain. My blood pressure dropped, and I fainted.

I saw the ortho surg today, and luckily I haven't delayed my recovery by too much. I bought myself an extra 10 days in the sling, but I get to take the abductor pillow off - which I did as soon as I got home. I can actually type two handed now, which I LOVE. My next ortho appointment will see the start of physical therapy, which I'm excited about - I'm ready to get this show on the road. I'm also ready to shave my left armpit. I can't really see under there too well, but from what I have seen ...*shudder*. Some serious deforestation is going to be necessary when I can raise my arm high enough to get a razor under there.

In the meantime, I'm going to make the most of having my arm in a more 'normal' position, and I'm going to try some knitting.....