The Mariners lost game 7 of the ALCS on Monday and I was bummed. But damn, I’m in Moab…so much to see and do! Except, my itinerary has changed a bit. Suddenly I’m resting at a hotel and taking care of business after falling and breaking my wrist. It’s been a tough few days, but the care and support I’ve received from friends old and new, family and healthcare providers has been uplifting and gives me hope.
I was having a great time hiking at Fisher Towers. I’d initially taken the wrong hike – the loop- but when I got to a point where it said “very difficult” I turned around and headed back. It was gorgeous. I had some lunch and talked to a few people, figured out where the other trail was and headed down the stone steps on a trail that would wind around the canyon offering views of spires resulting from 270 million years of nature doing its thing. All was well…spectacular views all around, perfect weather, rock climbers visible at the top of a very high spire. I eventually got to a ladder and climbed down. it wasn’t obvious to me which way the trail went at the bottom so I went left, as is my tendency..
Pretty soon, after some fun and modest scrambling, I realized the path didn’t go on, so I turned back.On a smooth sandy stretch of the trail my foot slipped out from under me and I went down hard, whacking my left hand on a rock and then bearing the weight of my fall. I heard a pop and my wrist immediately swelled, like a ping pong ball had been inserted. I yelled out in pain, getting the attention of nearby hikers…two couples enjoying retired life.
They couldn’t figure out right away where I was but I directed them and Mike made his way to my location. He had wilderness first aid training and extensive scouting experience, contributing to my ability to remain calm even while in great pain and fear. I had a thick trail and activity guide I’d picked up at the visitor center in my backpack and he was able to use it for a splint; he contributed the gauze and tape and got busy splinting it while I tried to avoid future tripping and keep my wits about me.
Once the splint was secure Mike and I scuttled on our butts down a couple parts of the trail and joined his three companions, Liz, Susie and Ron. We talked through how I’d get up the ladder, which turned out easier than I thought it would be. At the top, before I stepped up onto the trail, Liz told me she was going to grab my shirt and pull me up onto the trail, making sure I didn’t fall backwards. It was dramatic – that woman is strong! Mike joined the four of us at the top and Liz gave the orders. Ron in the lead, me following him and then her, Mike and Susie behind.
I marveled at my good fortune at them being there when I needed help. Following Ron’s lead allowed me to take the least difficult path with confidence and less fear than if I’d been alone. I scooted on my butt numerous times when it looked slippery or the least bit treacherous. The walk back felt at least 2 miles, but it was probably only 1.2 or so.
We made it back with plenty of rest stops…one of which included a solo acapella rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Turns out Susie is an opera singer! It was beautiful, mesmerizing and relaxing…a few minutes if joy in the midst of a horrible experience.
We got to the trail head, them talking about cocktails and me eager to get to the ER. I got a photo of my rescue team in the parking lot, we said our goodbyes and my effusive thank you and I got in the van to drive the 25 miles to town and the ER. I pissed off a couple of drivers I’m sure, given I was driving extremely carefully, but I made it into town (passing my campsite with barely a nod), saw the big blue H and headed there straight-away.
As I parked I started thinking about my healthcare coverage – Medicare and Kaiser. (side note: I oppose Medicare Advantage but was unable to figure out a new plan before I embarked on my trip. I’ve been with Kaiser for about 20 years and it was overwhelming to think about plan benefits). I found my two healthcare cards and my license and headed into Urgent Care, eventually discovering that Kaiser’s instruction is to go to the ER…luckily, it’s next door to the ER at Moab Regional Hospital and I got in to see the doctor lickety-split.
The staff at the hospital were fantastic – caring, supportive, nonjudgmental and skilled. I won’t go into the details of the torture imposed upon me to mitigate what turned out be a broken radius, I’ll just say it hurt like hell but set the stage for a better surgery. That’s scheduled for Tuesday. I’ll be “stuck” here in Moab for two weeks after that so I can have a follow-up appointment; well, hey, if you have to be stuck somewhere and need medical care, this location is as good as it gets! I’m so grateful to Ryan, Dr. Winstead (not sureI got his name right), Tracy, Dr. Franke and the front desk staff whose names I didn’t get…they all helped make a lousy situation a lot less so!
This post is already long, but I need to say a little more because a few more people made a huge difference helping me when I really needed it. Before I left on my trip I was at a friend’s baby shower and so was a long-time colleague I hadn’t seen in a long time, Marcia. We discovered that we were both going to be in Southern Utah in the second half of October. It seemed very unlikely that our paths would cross, but we agreed that we’d touch base when we got closer to the time. It turns out we were both going to be in Moab on the 22nd, so we agreed to meet up that evening. Well, I had to let her know I was in the ER instead. Marcia immediately leaped in, figuring out how she could help me. Her hotel happened to be a 4 minute drive from the hospital and she got some dinner for me. I asked if she would check with the hotel to see if I could park/camp in their lot. She headed to the front desk to ask but decided instead to book me a room! I was overwhelmed with gratitude…it hadn’t occurred to me to get a room…I was more focused on how much this accident was going to cost me – her generosity made it possible for me to get a good night’s rest. Marcia was waiting for me in the lobby, we chatted a bit, went to my room, ate together, chatted some more about things other than my ordeal (thankfully) and then we parted company, looking forward to getting together when I get back to Seattle. We were both struck by the serendipity of us being there at the same time – we DID get to connect in Moab in spite of my calamity!
Next up in this saga are my sisters, Linda and Sue. Both were completely supportive and ready to help me problem solve. Linda listened to my story, detail by detail (which is an important part of processing a difficult situation. My boys, Alex and Andrew and friends Shawn and Lynne also listened to all the details…there’s something healing about sharing the story) and then talking through the possible routes for surgery and aftercare and making my decision on what to do. I then called Sue, who lives in Phoenix, is the closest to Moab and is someone I trusted to help me through. Although out of town and not returning home until Sunday, she immediately said she could fly in to Moab on Monday and stay with me until Wednesday. This was an enormous relief and made me feel like I could get through this. As I said to my son, Alex, the situation is a set-back, not a deal-breaker…a big reason for that is because of Sue.
Finally, my campsite neighbors, Jeannie and Bill, also stepped up to help me, a total stranger until the morning of the hike. We had a great conversation that morning, about all sorts of things and they gave me all kinds of recommendations, including Fisher Towers where I decided to go. We had exchanged numbers so when i realized I wouldn’t return to the campsite that night, I thought I should let them know so they didn’t worry. They proved to be another shining example of caring, kind and helpful people, immediately offering their help. They brought the things I’d left at my campsite to the hotel and helped me access things I needed in the garage of the van…there’s no way I would’ve been able to lift the bins and other items by myself. I have to admit, it was much better organized after they repacked it than before!
My accident on the trail is a real big bummer! I wish it hadn’t happened. The silver linings are apparent in my story – one of them is experiencing the reality that the world is full of kind and caring people. Another is humility. I’ve never had to go to the ER for myself…I’m a very active person but I’ve never had an injury that disrupted my life or made me feel vulnerable like this one has (okay, there was the time I tore my ACL while jumping perhaps a bit too exuberantly on a trampoline – but I went to Urgent Care the next day…didn’t think it was that serious). It’s got my attention and, although I don’t feel like I made any big mistake resulting in the fall, I can be more careful and I will be…my rescue team was adamant about the value of walking sticks – I’m going to use them once I’m back on the trail.
So there’s my story. I wish I was writing about how much I enjoyed Salt Lake City, No Kings Day, my Harvest Host stay at a family ranch in Wallsburg, UT and the Olympic Park in Park City…maybe those will come up later. Right now I’m a little more focused on enjoying things in life except riding some of the greatest mountain bike trails in the country and hiking to see Delicate Arch at Arches Nat’l Park. Obviously, I’ll need to come back to Utah!
Karen in the Gap 
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