COE and a broken arm

 A few weeks ago I went on the 7th grade COE trip to the Smoky Mountains.  It was a gorgeous backpacking trip with beautiful weather.  We spent time hiking parts of the Appalachian Trail and camping out at miles 28 and 26.  On the third day we were crossing a creek.  I quickly thought in my head about how I wasn't sure my legs could reach the next rock so I put my foot down on a mossy rock.  I could feel myself falling and next thing I knew I was in the creek, soaking wet from my waist down, and my left wrist was hurting.  The students had already crossed the stream as had Matt (Sunshine).  Matt came over to where I was and I said, "I hurt my wrist... I think I'm going to throw up."  Thankfully I didn't; was just in shock.

Matt bandaged my arm up as best he could.  Surprised I didn't cry.  We had already covered 3 miles that day and had another 4+ to go.  I felt fine after a little time sitting down and put my backpack on.  He noticed my fingers were already swelling so he worked hard to get my wedding rings off, put them in a baggie, and put the baggie in the brain of the pack.

My boots, socks, and pants were sopping wet.  But my water shoes were soaked as well because we had crossed a deeper creek earlier and had worn those.  So I just dealt with it.  The pants dried up within the hour; the boots and socks not so much.  We hiked for a while.  Every time we stopped I would put my left hand into the air to try to keep the swelling down and reduce blood flow there.  It hurt, but there wasn't much we could do.

Matt mentioned heading out and going to base camp so that I could go to the ER to get it checked out.  I didn't want to take a day of camping away from the students and was feeling pretty fine - figured it was likely just hyper-extended - and wanted to be sure that the students got the full experience.  After we had almost reached the next camping location, Matt and I talked and realized it was best to get my wrist checked out.  The students were fine with going to basecamp - after all, there were bathrooms there! - so we hiked the miles we would have done the next day.  In total, we hiked ten miles (3 before my fall and 7 after it).

When we arrived at basecamp, Lori and Casey drove me to the ER while a coworker helped unpack my bag into the tent.  The X-rays showed a fracture in the left radius.  I was given a splint and sling.  Lori took a pic of me smiling with a thumbs up in my right hand.  (Little did I know that a few days prior my mom had injured her elbow playing pickle ball and taken a picture of herself in a sling with a thumbs up in her right hand - always twinning!).  The next day I went to the ortho in TN for a cast.  They did new X-rays and said that it was actually a break in the distal left radius - end of the radius bone.  Common location for breaks/fractures, but really sad.

On Thursday, we were leaving for home.  As we stood around talking at basecamp, I felt my left finger.  Hadn't thought about my rings since they had been taken off Tuesday because there was so much going on around me.  I realized I didn't know where they were.  The bags were all searched; the trash was searched; all of my bags/tent were searched.  Nothing.  The rings are gone.  This was the moment I cried.

Now we're a few weeks in.  I've had a cast for three weeks and getting a removable splint this Monday!  Bone is healing SO well and so quickly.  The dr said that my swelling was significantly less than what is typical for how far along I am.  No sign of the rings - got my bags back and they weren't there.  Will figure out what Jeremy and I want to do about that in due time.  Continuing to heal and moving in the right direction.