Going to the doctor

April 22, 2015

I woke up the next morning feeling sticky from the crusty sweat from yesterday's hike. I was also feeling a little anxious thinking about the possibility of having some serious problems with my injury.  I packed up slowly and made my way to the hiker camp in Warner Springs. When I got there 20 to 30 hikers were lined up outside a small building. I asked someone what was everyone waiting for? Someone simply said, "breakfast." Then I saw a sign on the door that said, "breakfast, eggs, sausage and pancakes... $6." It sounded good so I got in line myself. Once I got inside and got to the sign up sheet there was already a page and a half of names on the paper. So I put down my name and went to the charging station. I was lucky enough to get the last spot to plug in my phone. This was one of a couple charging stations and there were constantly people walking around looking for a spot to plug in their smartphone. 

As I waited for my food I went around and asked all the people that were not hikers if they new anyone going to a city with a clinic or a doctor. Finally I found someone that was going to Idyllwild, another hiker town that was about seventy five miles up the trail or about a hundred mile drive. So I told him about my situation and he said it would be no problem but to be ready at one o'clock. 

Once I finally got my breakfast I really wasn't feeling super hungry but managed to slowly eat the food. After breakfast the local sheriff was offering to give people rides down to the post office and jumped on the opportunity to skip the two mile road walk there and back. I was not the only one that jumped in, there were five other hikers that crammed into the sheriff's car. After getting my food at the post office I went back to the hiker camp to reorganize my food and pack. 

While I was just finishing up the my ride came out and said that he would be leaving shortly. One other guy got into his small SUV and he sped off with his head out the window yelling, "Wooooooooohoooo! Last one to make it to Canada wins!" Everyone in the hiker camp suddenly looked up looking surprised. Once we got on the small road he took the car up to speeds that I really didn't think were possible for that road. During this time he was playing drum and bass as loud a the speakers could handle. He would give snippets of information about the places we passed, "That's an awesome restaurant. They have elk, bison, and all types of wild game meat..." After an incredibly short time we were approaching Idyllwild. I was thankful because while going around one corner the car started sliding going 80 + mph. Once we got to town he took me to the medical center. He said that they were really good and would fix me up. 

I went in and asked for a doctor. The girl at the desk saw my and cringed a little and told me told me the doctor was out of town and wouldn't be back until tomorrow. Then she said that there was another clinic about a half of a mile down the street. 

I walked slowly down to the other clinic and asked to see a doctor. The lady said with an incredible amount of empathy, "Sorry, but we don't have the equipment to take facial X-rays you'll have to go down to Hemet. It's about a half an hour drive from here." I thanked her left and got some food and started asking people if they were going towards Hemet. There were no offers right off the bat. So I got a little food really quick and then went to the gas station down the street. 

I approached a car with an elderly couple. I asked the man if if I could get a ride and told him what happened. He said, "Do you know what day it is?" Yes. "Do you know where you are?" Yes. "You're fine you don't need to see a doctor." Right as I was walking off the older lady on the driver seat jumped out and asked if I was a PCT hiker. I told her I was and she immediately told me to get into the car and said that she would take me to the hospital. The man shook his head but said nothing. 

We started driving and the lady started asking me a million questions about the PCT and about what I did before getting on the trail. I told her about teaching English and traveling. She was delighted and told me that she loved to travel and loved adventure. He name was Janet and she was in her seventies. She told me about how she climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, kayaked up to the North Pole, trekked up to Everest Base camp and has a goal to climb Mt. Fuji when she is ninety.  She was very nice and even her husband started to be a little nicer. We got to the hospital and they wished me luck. 

I got to the hospital carrying my backpack in with my trekking poles strapped to the side. The security guard was nice enough to put my pack behind his desk. Then I just waited for what seemed to be forever. I eventually got in and did my cat scan and went back to the waiting area. Then some paramedics came and told me they had to take some blood samples and do some test. "Everybody that comes to the ER has to do this." They put an I V in me, hooked me up to a ekg machine and took some blood samples. As I was hooked up to all these machines I told them that I had to use the bathroom. The nurse stopped me a said they also needed a urine sample. All this seemed strange. I was starting to think that something might be seriously wrong or the thought I was a drug addict. This is a picture of me in the hospital bathroom.

So I waited for a while and then suddenly they came in and told me that I need another CAT scan. As I was walking to the CAT scan room the guy said something was up.  So I took my second CAT scan this time while the machine was running my eyes started to blackout during the process. All I know is that CAT scans are not fun and it probably involves lots of radiation. After hours and hours of waiting I finally got to see a doctor and explained that I have multiple fractures. According to my written report I have "...a modified tripod fracture on the right side. There is a fracture of the anterior maxillary sinus wall, posterior maxillary sinus wall, the orbital floor, and a fracture of the Ziggomatic arch at its junction with the temporal bone (probably part of the temporal bone and possibly a fracture near the temporozygomatic structure." Basically he said I need to see an ear, nose and throat doctor because one of my bones might push into my nasal cavity and create an infection. Then that can spread to my eye and making me go blind. I thanked the doctor and felt relieved that I didn't have any internal bleeding in my brain. I was also glad that I can finally get the IV out of my arm. I left the hospital and got to a hotel to figure out what to do next.