ER

I do not like dancing.  This is something that I have not enjoyed doing, well, pretty much ever.  Last night I decided to step out of my comfort zone and go country dancing with some friends.  I was just going to have a good attitude and be a good sport.  I drove downtown, payed $4 and started dancing.  At the beginning they have a lesson to benefit all of the people like myself that do not regularly (or ever) country dance.  Maybe 15 or 20 minutes into the lesson I injured myself.  I am not sure what move we were doing, but it involved a drop, twist and pull back up.  The guy I was dancing with, who I had never met before, kept saying that I needed to drop lower.  Well I finally did and then I twisted, like you are supposed to and somehow in all of that I dislocated my knee cap.  It is officially called Patellar Subluxation.  Essentially it means that my knee cap went to the lateral side of my knee instead of staying on the top.  I have done this once before about 8 years ago.  As soon as it happened I was pretty sure what had happened.  I felt my knee and realized that may patella was not in place.  Knowing what to do to put it back in place, I straightened my knee.  The dislocation and relocation hurts like CRAZY.  Like you can't breath and you shake kind of hurt.  I sat on the floor unable to move, holding my knee.  My dance partner (don't even know his name) just kinda huddled next to me and had no idea what to do.  The instructor kept going with the lesson.  Good going.  Luckily one of my friends came over to see what was going on.  He asked if I was okay, to which I responded "no".  At that point he yelled for help and I was carried to the side of the room to a couch.  I knew I needed to go to the emergency room, so as soon as the pain decreased slightly, enough to move, my friend drove me to the hospital.

What this means:

1. I am now in an immobilizing brace- mid calf to mid thigh.

2. My knee is swollen like crazy.  It is the size of a grape fruit or maybe a bit larger.

3. I am taking narcotics to try to stay on top of the pain.

4. To add illness to injury, since I can't swallow pills I am taking liquid lortab- sick!

5. I am on crutches.

6. I won't be able to work for a couple weeks, at least.

7. I am not sure if I am going to still be able to go to europe this fall because I will be using a huge chunk of time off for this.  I think this is what hurts the most.

8. I have given up country dancing forever.

After not sleeping much last night I got up and thought I would watch a movie.  Unfortunately the DVD player is on the bottom shelf, almost at the floor and I am quite sure that I won't be able to get to it.  So I laid on the couch all morning watching the nothingness that is on in the morning.  Good times.  If anyone has some extra time and wants to come put a movie in for me, that would be great :)

Oh and we are taking family pictures today.  That ought to be fun.  And I will look very nice with my big brace on.

Some pictures to curb your curiosity.  They really don't do justice to the swelling.  And today my knee is bruised.