Injury Update: 2010 Edition

I seemed to be especially injury-prone in 2009 and I was hoping for a better 2010.

On New Year's Day I got hydrogen peroxide in my eye. I tried to think of it less as a bad start to the new year and more as hoping that was the worst injury of the year.

Yesterday the temperature high was -28C. As my car was warming, I tried opening the door to put my ice scraper away but it only opened partially. I won't open anymore or close completely from the outside. I tried opening the door from the driver's seat but I tried using too much force at a strange angle. At first I thought I had dislocated my shoulder I was in so much pain but after a couple minutes it felt like it was probably just a strain. I eventually opened the door by getting into the backseat and using the full weight of my body with my other shoulder. Thinking back that was pretty stupid of me since I tore my rotator cuff almost exactly a year ago. Why didn't I kick the door open?

Regardless of the type of injury, it only hurts when my shoulder moves or touches anything or is still for a long time. I'll wait until my chiropractor is back from vacation to see a doctor about it. In the meantime, I know how to treat it but am not looking forward to frequently using an ice pack when it is -41C with the windchill outside.

Tough and Rumble

As I eluded to earlier, I had a rough day. To be more specific, a brief klutzy moment caused a rough day.

I had my first chiropractor appointment in 5 weeks this morning and on my way back to work I decided to pick up a sandwich from Italian Star Deli. On the sidewalk right outside the store, I tripped on the uneven sidewalk and fell hard. I scrapped both hands and knees. The welts on my knees were so big, I had a hard time driving home to clean up. Still determined to go inside, I entered the store bleeding, barely able to walk and growing increasingly nauseated from the pain. I quickly grabbed a sandwich and a ginger ale for the nausea (which the owner was kind enough to open for me). This year has been a rough for Janny:
A Little Banged and Bruised - January 12, 2009
My life as a character in a silent film - January 16, 2009
Ok, Maybe I Should Have Stayed in Bed - July 2, 2009

Ok, Maybe I Should Have Stayed in Bed

This morning I woke up with my right eye completely blood shot. I got something in my eye last night at Canada Day fireworks last night so maybe it is scratched.

My work email has not worked for over two days but at least now I can received most mail. It is a system wide problem so all the IT dept could do was take my complaint and tell me they'd get back to me.

Suddenly today I can't access an online journal for work that I could last week. The database manager is on vacation so all the librarian could do was take my complaint and tell me they'd get back to me.

As I left the library, the door got stuck on a rock underneath. I pushed the door harder then it jerked back and hit me square on the forehead. I have a HUGE red welt, it hurts and I feel barfy.

Out of Wack*

I went to a chiropractor today since my shoulder and lower back are not getting better on their own. He agrees that I had a very bad week, now I have scientific evidence to collaborate. I strained my rotor cuff, jammed my left hip bone (which caused it to lock) and two of my lower vertebrae are askew. Good news is I probably only have to go to the chiropractor for about a month.








*of the wiggity variety.

My life as a character in a silent film

While still smarting from my fall on Monday, I fell down the stairs at the university on Wednesday. I tripped over my untied boot lace and fell head first down the stairs. Thankfully I was able to grab onto the rail with both arms so I only fell down about three stairs and landed on my knees. My arm and back are worse and my knees are badly bruised but at least I didn't hit my head or break any bones. I expect next week I'll fall from a a 20-foot barn ladder, slip into a giant vat of fresh cream and while vacationing in Egypt, manage to stir a 5,000-year-old mummy from its restful slumber.

A Little Banged and Bruised

I fell hard on my left hip crossing the street -- the road had a layer of soft snow over ice. I had just got off the bus and was only about a half block from home so I didn't have far to walk. My hip is a little swollen but doesn't hurt even if I touch it. I tried to break my fall with arm and I think I sprained it. My back and neck are stiff and incredibly sore. I'm incredibly grumpy now and just can't shake it.

Circus Freak Tall

Mom an I got a treadmill this week and it arrived yesterday. Mom got one with a long surface but it is still too short for me -- 5'9" with a 36" inseam aka Janny gots a long stride. The end of the treadmill is about 3 inches from the wall and I ended up kicking it 3 or 4 times. If I move up closer to the console, I have to be careful not to step on the front thingy*. Do other people have this problem or is just me?

Secondary question: what is your favourite music to work out to?







*Technical term.

Just when you think your life can't get any more ridiculous...

then you go accidentally flush your only pair of glasses down the toilet.

In other news....

I smell like burnt popcorn.

Old Familiar Tale of a Girl and Her Torn Ligament...

Seriously, I don't think I can spare anymore fingers. I went back to the doctor today for x-rays and as suspected there is not break. The nurse laughed at me again. I'm getting a reputation.

One student noticed that the splint on my finger was on a different hand. Before I could answer, students told her she was wrong but she was very right.


Good thing is it is doing much better and I can still shoot a basketball. Those are the things that matter in life.

Here I go again...

Remember how I tore a ligament in my pinky finger? Last night I was playing football and my right hand middle finger bent back at the knuckle trying to catch. In technical terms, I hyper-extended the proximal interphalangeal joint and I believe I tore the volar plate.

To summarize, I tore ligaments in two fingers on my dominant hand. I was so swollen and in so much pain last night I couldn't barely drive myself home. Good thing my car is automatic because I hand to put my car in drive with my left hand.

I dedicate the following poem to my "tall man" and "little Petter fiddler" -- sorry for being such a hater:

Tommeltott,
Slikkepott,
Langemann,
Gullebrand,
og Lille Petter Spillemann
- traditional Norwegian nursery rhyme

ETA: I just back from the doctor and my diagnosis was dead on. My finger is splinted in the neutral position and will remain that way for most of the summer. I really hope my pinky doesn't give me too many problems because I'll look like a freak with two splints. I'm supposed to go back for x-rays and re-examination when the swelling has gone down (and the lab is open). The doctor on call feared that it could be pretty serious.

Since this is the walk-in clinic where I get my allergy shot, the nurses know me and know that I came in with a torn ligament in my finger a couple weeks ago. They thought I had made it worse. They shook their heads when I explained it was a different finger on the same hand. I'm getting a reputation.

Skeletal Pop up

I lent a friend my laptop so she could edit some video. When she got it home and turned it on, an x-ray popped up and she could not get rid of it. A little creepy and confusing. The doctor gave me a CD of my x-rays and an examination program. I must have forgotten the CD in the drive.

Good News, Bad News

More than a month ago, I hurt my finger playing floor hockey. Of course being me, I didn't do anything about it.

About 10 days I went to the doctor with a considerable about of pain in my right pinky finger. The evening doctor was stuck in traffic so the nurse told me to put it in a splint. If it wasn't better in a week to come back and I would get x-rays.

Fast forward to Saturday when my finger was hurting even when it was in the splint. Before that it was pretty good. Sunday it was even worse and today on the way home from work I was nearly in tears.

The good news, as you can see, I do not have a fractured pinky. The bad news is I have a torn ligament that will take upwards of 3 months to heal. D'accord, d'accord.

"'Tis but a scratch!"

Journey of a Fractured Pinkie
During a floor hockey game last month, some jerk hit me pretty hard with his stick. I'm a tough broad, I shook it off but I was pretty sore and bruised the next day. The littlest pressure even from writing or hole punching, I get bruised. Classic Janny: I help her team out and she ignores my pain. She is too busy to take care of her most valued player.

A week later, my pals and I were playing this crazy Korean pointing game. Janny was hitting me pretty hard on the table but she was having so much fun she ignored my pleading. I was in so much pain and I went numb. Janny was worried but hoped I would get better with time. I felt unloved.

A couple weeks went by, I was still numb but not in pain anymore. Foolishly, in attempt to occupy bored students, Janny taught them Jenkins Up. Jenkins Up, with me still numb? Is she mentally deficient or just sadistic? How could she put me through that? I have never been in so much pain in my entire life. I really left Janny know that I would not be ignored anymore.

She FINALLY took me to the doctor yesterday. The nurse told Janny to tape me up with a splint and if I'm not better by next week, I'll need X-rays. I feel better but every once in awhile I let Janny know how much she hurt me. This will not be forgotten anytime soon.

Changing Plugs or How Ky Will Be Framed for My Murder

I had a truly craptacular day yesterday.
Stupid, silly me did not deal with getting my plug replaced for my block heater when the weather was nice. Yesterday my car barely started and I didn't want to wreck my car battery so I had to deal with it. (Please note that I was tired and not feeling well).
First I made some phone calls to find a garage where I could work. Either people were not home or not available. It was still daylight so I decided to take my chances to work on it outside. After buying the necessary materials and receiving specific instructions from my dad, I bundled up and got to work.
The old plug was impossible to remove. The screws and wires were pretty rusted so I eventually just cut the cord above the plug. My dad told me that there will be insulated wires coloured white, black and green, however there was only green so this confused me. After many phone calls back and forth I finally was able to get back to work again.
The insulation was striped away and I was ready to attach the wires when I discovered that I had not exposed enough of the wires. It about -33C with the windchill and the insulation was very difficult to cut. My utility knife slipped and I cut my finger pretty badly. I ran inside, put on a band aid and then finished removing the insulation. As I was screwing a wire tight, I realized that the inside of my mitten was completely wet. I took it off and my entire hand was cover in blood. I ran inside, cleaned off my hand and waited for the bleeding to stop before going back out again.
Returning to my work, I discovered I had attached the wrong wire to the wrong screw (it was getting dark). I had to undo my work and start over again. I tried to start over again but my hands were so cold I couldn't do anything. I went back inside and tried to make some more calls again to see if I could find a garage. I still could not get a hold of anyone so I went back out to finish the job with a flashlight. With the flashlight I saw that one of the wires had been cut through so I was going to have to start all over again. Do you know what does not help when you are working outside in the cold? Huge crocodile tears rolling down your face. I went inside to calm down and warm up. By the time I went back outside, my landlord came home and he let me use his garage. He even helped me to put the plug on.
I was very confused when I got inside and there was red paint all over my screwdriver. I looked closer and realized it was bloody fingerprints. Good thing the light was dim in the garage or my landlord would have noticed he was using a bloody screwdriver.

***Note: The reason Ky would be framed for my murder is she can seem suspicious even if she didn't do anything.

I am such a dork. I was eating choclates after parent teacher interviews and I drooled all the way down my shirt in front of half the staff.

Open Chest Wound

Unfortunately I am too much of a klutz to have finger nails that shine like justice. I stabbed myself in the chest with my nail putting on my tank top. The cut is about 2 cm long and bled like crazy.

My nails are so pretty, I can't bare to cut them. I made my dad laugh out load at Staples when I regaled the fact people think that I have fake nails because "how could something so beautiful be real?" My dad rarely laughs out loud. Yes, I know I am ridiculous.

Powered by Qumana

Great Moments in Klutziness

I stubbed my big toe and split the nail two days ago. Yesterday I stubbed the same toe again and made it way worse. It is not as bad as the great toe injury of July 2005 but pretty close.

Powered by Qumana

Perils of Sunscreen

On Sunday afternoon, I met some friends at a beach south of the city. It took me over a half hour to drive there. It was a beautiful hot, hot day.
The beach had volleyball courts but no nets. Some of my friends decided that they would fashion a net out of towels. I declined to help and instead watch this comedy of errors. Of course they didn't even consider they would not be able to see through the net. Just as they were about to finish, a wicked wind storm started and blew all their hard work away.
The wind caused the temperature dropped 14 C in about a half hour. Do you know what is not a pleasant feeling? Sand hitting you at 60+ km/h. Good thing I wore sunscreen so all the sand stuck to me. I don't think I have been so filthy since the week I pretended to bath when I was 4.
We abandoned the beach for BBQ at a friend's house. I was only at the beach for less than an hour. I spent more time in the car than at the beach.

Powered by Qumana

From Greeks to Majorettes

Two events of note from this weekend:
1) Late Saturday night, I saw two teenage boys walking down the street in togas.
2) Yesterday some people from my church went to sing at a nursing home. After I finished reading a verse instead of shutting off the microphone, I pushed a button that produced a drum roll.