911 - What is your emergency?

***Warning ... This post contains pictures of my gnarly foot***

I injured my foot a few days ago. Most folks on Facebook are aware, but I have family and friends who only read updates here and since it helps to tell this story at least once for the sake of recollection ... here goes:

• 5 am Saturday morning I headed downstairs to get Benjamin a drink of water (he was coughing a little)
• approximately 5:01 I missed the second step and proceeded down my stairs without the help of my two feet

• After a dozen or so thuds coupled with yelps and maybe one very loud cry I landed at the bottom in a heap and hobbled over to the chair in the living room ... Chris was not far behind me.
• I was kind of moaning/crying when Chris came around the corner and declared that there was blood.
• BLOOD! BLEEDING! A WHOLE BUNCH OF BLEEDING! KIM IS BLEEDING!
• I looked down and he was right. Pooling around at my feet. My foot was throbbing like mad. Later we figured out that I had split it open on that corner piece on my way down:

• I said, "I think I am gonna pass out".
• Then I passed out.
• When I came around (maybe 45 seconds later) Chris was on the phone with 911. The towel that I had been holding around my foot had come unfastened. The bleeding had started again. My face felt hot and my vision was narrow ... again.
• While Chris is explaining what is going on to the 911 dispatcher, I am trying to keep eyeballs in my head and I start yelling.
• I start yelling, "HELP ME! HELP ME!" because even though Chris' intention is helpful (the calling for emergency assistance) it isn't actually "helping" me at the moment.
• At this point, the 911 dispatcher gets suspicious with the whole "she fell down the stairs and she is unconscious" story.
• She asks to talk to me.
• Why not? I have nothing else going on ;)
• She asks if we have been drinking?
• I think to myself, "Not yet but strong liquor sounds like good medicine right now."
• She asks if we have weapons in the house and then tells me she is sending help.
• I beg her ... please no sirens and tell them we have 5 children sleeping.
• That part wasn't entirely true because Clara woke up and so did Hannah.
• Minutes later we have TWO Chesterfield County police cars in our cul-de-sac and the ambulance.
• Let's give'em somethin' to talk about.
• The police come in and establish that there is actually no domestic violence issue here.
• They then decide that my kitchen is an opportune place to discuss March Madness.
• One of the officers comes over and looks at my foot and determines that it is too gruesome too look at.
• His actual words?
• "I can't look at that."
• The EMTs come in and wrap me up ... put me on the stretcher ... and precariously take me out into the ambulance.
• Thank goodness they could "look at that" ;)
• My emergency room experience at St. Francis was very fast, excruciatingly painful, and a bit lonely.
• Except for the part where all the nurses and other doctors came to see the gaping hole in my foot. Apparently they live for this sort of thing.

***Warning***

Here is the pic. After the doctor injected the anesthetic into my gaping hole at least 40 kazillion times the nurse asked if I had seen it and if I wanted a picture. She took this with my phone so it isn't the greatest. Chris described it as a gunshot wound.

Good thing he didn't use those terms when talking with 911. Wowee, what a reaction we would have gotten then ;)

• I tried to be brave for a minute during the whole needle probing process and then I remembered that I was by myself. So began the wailing and gnashing of teeth.
• According the doctor, the bottom of the foot and the palm of your hand are the two worse places to try and deaden with anesthetic.
• That my friends ... is the gospel truth.
• By the time Chris made it there I was all stitched up and ready to come home.
• Of course the hardest part about this whole ordeal is walking.
• Can't do that.

• I have fought off discouragement and even depression several times because with five children and homeschooling, I already often feel like I am in over my head.
• But in showing up for the fight, the Lord stands in my place each time and I am instead met with encouragement and peace. Seriously, this could be so much worse and what in the world do I really have to be discouraged about? (besides the fact that I trained and PAID for the 10K two years in a row and didn't run it?)
• My husband ... glory to God ... my husband has put on every possible hat and kept our ship afloat. The laundry does have me twitching but he promises that it's under control. Part of that could be because Benjamin has stayed in pajamas for four days ;)
• My girls are working in shifts to keep the routines going and babies happy while Dad is working. I know this has been especially hard on them.
• The bright side?
• Dad goes to Wal-Mart which always works in favor of the children:

The Obvious Lesson?

Be careful.

The Not-So-Obvious Lesson?

When you are given the opportunity to serve someone, you should always do it with joy because it's not service at all when the person you serve feels like a burden.

Thank you Chris for serving me with joy. If I come away learning nothing else, this one lesson is worth it all.