White Rose's Adventures

As luck would have it, I am hurt and at home. Last Thursday morning I stepped out of my Peterbilt at the TA in Slidell, La. instead of stepping onto solid ground there was a stick just under the step. As I stepped down, with the momentum from being that high up and all my foot rolled. As it rolled I went down and I heard it pop real loud. I was afraid that I had broken it. I got up and tried walking around on it, but it hurt very bad. I crawled back into the truck and rested it for a bit. It was still early, there would be no-one in the office and my load needed to get there, so I drove the 90 miles to where I had to deliver…..through the New Orleans traffic. Using the accelerator was not a problem, that didn’t take much pressure, but stepping to the break hurt like hell, so I use the johnny bar as much as possible. Thank goodness it was my right foot hurt and not my left. I don’t think I would have gotten out of the parking spot if I had had to mash on the clutch.

As I was driving out to Convent, La to deliver my load, I called the office once I knew there was someone there. I told them that I would deliver the load, but that I was not sure that I could walk on the foot. I would call them once I get there and let them know.

One step out of the truck and I knew I was not going to be able to walk on the foot. I was set up to reload right where I delivered, then go to Orange, Tx, then reload in Houston and come back to Gautier, Ms. That was out the window now. I had hoped that I could do all that and go to the doctor on Friday when I get back, but I couldn’t. I hobbled around and got my load unstrapped, using the trailer as support. It was a long and very painful job. As much as I hate to cry, I just couldn’t help myself, it really hurt bad. Every step sent SHARP pains through my foot, ankle and up my leg.

When I called the office and told them, they said for me to drop the trailer and bob-tail back to the yard. That was going to be another 130 miles or so I was going to have to drive, and right back through New Orleans. The drive back to Gautier, Ms was more painful than the trip from Slidell to Convent. By the time I got to the yard, it was really more than I could stand.

I parked my truck and hobbled into the office in tears. They called the doctor and had another driver take me there. When the doctor looked at my foot, he said that he wanted to get x-rays before he massed around on it to much. So off to x-ray I went.

About 45 minuets later, the doctor walked back into my room. He said that he would have sworn that I had broken i, but the he didn’t see any breaks or fractures on the films. Course, “you could have a stress fracture, and that will take a few days to show up.” I have also messed up the tendons and ligaments in the foot and ankle. As the doctor says, those are worse than a sprain.

So, I am in a splint and on crutches for now. It is driving me crazy sitting around the house and not being able to do anything.  Today I can put weight on it, but I still can’t walk without great pain. I go back to see the doctor Wednesday. I hope to go back to work then, but am not counting on it. I figure I am going to be off another week. With pulling a flatbed and getting on and off the trailer like I do strapping and chaining loads, I am afraid that I will not be allowed to go back to work till it is totally healed.