Ouch!

Remember those camp showers that you saw in another post?? Well, a great day ended badly when it was my turn to take a shower....

Lee did the process just like any other day at camp. He pumped water, warmed it on the fire, and then put the warm water into our plastic bucket. We were ready for showers! 

Meghan went first into the shower. She carefully lowered the galvanized bucket and filled it with her warm water. All the while, her Daddy saying, ""Be careful, Meghan". (He would have much preferred to fill our shower buckets for us. But, there was a rule at camp that the men could not go that close to the women's showers...for obvious reasons. This was a rule he really did not want to obey....for our safety.)

While I waited on Meghan to finish her shower I enjoyed talking with the other ladies that were waiting for a shower to open up as well. Then, when Meghan was finished, I went into the shower after her. I put all my things down(clean clothes, towel, washcloth, shampoo, etc. ) and then took off my clothes. The trouble began as my mind wondered.....to the conversations still going on with the ladies outside the showers and then to the young teen girls beside my shower on the upper platform that were saying, "Don't worry....we won't look in on you." 


I walked into the actual shower part (there is a dressing room part and the shower part) and began to lower the galvanized bucket to top it off with warm water. I grabbed the rope and started to unwind it from its hook.....my finger got pinched.....I let go of the rope....and the BUCKET FELL ON MY HEAD!!!!! You see it wasn't just the bucket. Meghan had only used a couple of inches of her water so the bucket was almost completely full of water. (Lee guesses about 40 lbs worth of water.) My first thought was....you idiot...you let the bucket fall on your head!.....You....the one whose husband is constantly reminding everyone to be careful.....just let the bucket fall on your head!!!!!! How embarrassing!!!!!!!


At that point, with my hand on my head, I called for Meghan who was still standing outside the shower. I told her that I needed Daddy. She called for him (to which he said very calmly....OK) and she walked in to see blood dripping from my head. I then called for Lee and told him that I very much needed him quickly. He came in and helped me get some clothes back on....so much for a shower. He walked me to the nurse's tent. And sat me down in a chair. The whole time I was thinking.....oh, please let this be more of a bruise than a laceration!! You see, I hate needles and the thought of stitches in the middle of nowhere was on the top of my very short moving-to-Africa-fear-list!!


Praise God that in our 40/40 group there was our staff nurse (who has been on the mission fields of Africa for about 20 years), an ER nurse and a pediatrician. Dr. Andy got to me first. He took the towel off my head to take a look at my wound and this is what he found (after soaking up some blood).....

OUCH!!!!!

The words I did not want to hear came from his mouth....."I'm going to have to close that up". At that point I lost it. The tears came....I hate pain...

They moved me to a little house on the camp property to stitch me up. There was no lidocaine in the medical kit to numb it, so we put some ice on it for a few minutes while I sipped on a very cold diet Coke and tried to get ready for the job at hand. The worst part of the whole deal was the needle. (I know....obviously!) It was a small needle meant for soft skin....not the tough skin on the scalp. So, Dr. Andy had to really work to get it through my skin and it bent on him every time. Nurses Laura and Renee where great to hold my head for me and talk to me. Lee held my hands and legs (that were shaking out of control) and I cried! It hurt like crazy!!! But, I made it!!!!

After Andy got finished I thought I might die from the pain, so they gave me another cold diet Coke! and a valium to help me sleep. It worked and I was able to sleep all night. 

The next day it felt like I had bumped my head, but it wasn't that bad! I carried on with the task of the day....going into town on the back of a truck. (More about that in a later post.) I covered my head to keep my wound clean and to hide my unwashed hair!!!

Here I am with two of my buddies.....Amanda and Jane!

I couldn't wash my hair for several days. Then, I got permission to wash at it. 

Lee trying to get some of the blood and ointment out of my hair around the wound.

And then washing it!!

After a few days.....I had no headache or any discomfort. Eventually I even got back into that same shower....but, I made Lee do my water for me!!! He figured out a way that this won't happen to anyone else.....I know.....of course he did!!!! 

Over a week later I was all healed and could get the stitches out :)

Renee and her assistant.....Lee

My sweet medical team....Dr. Andy, Renee, and Laura

Thanks guys!!!! 


Tracy