First after 40

There's a magazine that runs a column titled 'Firsts after 40' and ever since I started reading it, I have now & again thought about what cool hobbies I could take up in my 40s or interesting adventures I could undertake.

Well I know have a first after 40 - but it's not a fun one. In fact it's painful and frustrating. For the first time in my life I have a broken bone. Wrist to be precise. My right one, yes the dominant one. So writing this is a slow process, but there is not much else I can do right now.

I am not ready to share the whole story of what happened but it was what might be referred to as a 'stupid accident'. Some assumed I slipped on the ice . . . and I could have concurred but I know the truth will come out eventually! All I am saying is that it involved a skateboard and a concrete floor.

Thinking it was only sprained and that a quick trip to Emergency to get it bandaged up would have me home in time to get prettied up for the SBME Banquet, I drove one-handed to the hospital where I waited for triage. I hate hospitals and have often joked that I would have to have a limb hanging off before I would go there, so I guess deep down I knew it was more than a sprain.

The doctors, nurses and paramedics here are wonderful but when the doctor mentioned possible dislocation and surgery I freaked out a bit. The deep breaths that I hoped would calm me only brought up more emotion. So I'm sitting alone (because I persuaded Jonathan to take DJ out to get some food) behind curtain #4, tears pouring down, hugging a limp wrist and thinking how lucky I was. . . Lucky compared to some of the other people in the ER last night - the older lady who dislocated her shoulder; to the man in resuscitation; the baby in pain; the man with chest pain. Thinking all the while of things to be grateful for.

Not long after, they took a few pictures, yes x-rays, and the news was good (relatively speaking), it was only a broken bone in my wrist. It may be two, I'll know when I go back on Wednesday for a full cast. No surgery and I walked out with my arm in a splint nearly 5 hours after getting there. Others were not as lucky.

Yes I missed the party which sucks but in a strange way, knowing I was missed helps. The next few days will be quite an adjustment as I have no use of my right arm, getting dressed was fun, and no matter what I do I just can't get comfortable. And though I love my hubby dearly he is not Florence Nightingale. And DJ just wants to play. So we'll muddle through for a few days, by then hopefully I will have strengthened the muscles in my left arm a bit and figured out how to get comfortable.

Meantime, be careful out there and if you go skating, wear lots of padding!