*copies over a post from another forum. This happened just over a week ago, the 5th to be precise*
Man what a crazy night. About 3 AM EST this morning, somehow, I think a rollover while I was sleeping or something like that, I dislocated my patella (kneecap) on my left leg, and it shifted over to the left. I of course simply woke up thinking that my leg was just asleep at first, but I tried moving it...big mistake. Worst pain EVER! I thought my leg was broken at first, but then I realized what had happened. I'm pinned on my side all this time, unable to roll over on my back, so I simply start hollering, "OOOOOOWWW!! HELP!!!" etc. etc. Praise God that my sister wasn't at a sleepover or whatnot, otherwise I would have been there for hours probably, because my parents room is on the other side of the house. (One story). So, about 3 minutes of yelling, and my sister goes to get my parents. At first they think I'm talking in my sleep again, and I'm like, "LOOK AT MY KNEE!!!" Then of course they figure out something is wrong just by the way it looks. So, they call 911, and the whole time I'm gripping the bed in pain, and shivering from shock. Ambulance arrives, and it takes me about another 3 minutes just to get from the bed to the gurney I'm in so much pain. Keep in mind I'm still on my side, and developing a crap in my butt from just being stuck there so long. The EMT had to try about 3 times to get an IV going on me because the shock had me shaking and that was making the tech blow the vein. Finally got it going when she made an attempt when I wasn't shaking. So we finally get to the hospital, and get onto the bed. The shock symptoms coupled with my tiredness have me just feeling like, "blah". Again, I'm still on my side. They gave me a line of morphine, helped a bit I guess. Managed to shift some so that I could take pressure off my butt to alieviate the cramp...but of course that made the knee pain come back. Then...finally...they gave me some Thiopental I believe, and within 30-45 seconds, I was out. Last thing I remeber was watching the nurse inject the Thiopental into my IV. Then I open my eyes again, and I'm feeling all tingly, and my mouth is writhing around, and so are my arms and legs. I realized slowly that I was on my back, and the nurse told me that my kneecap was back in place. So once the grogginess wore off, I got a knee immobilizer, and a pair of crutches, and was sent on my way. Had to lie in the back of the cab in my dad's truck, across the seats. Now I'm home, chillin in the recliner with this immobilizer on my leg. Out of work for 5 days, gonna TRY going back to school on Friday.
Status now:
Off the crutches and immobilizer, wearing a brace some, but off that today just to see how I fare. Back at work and school. Still can do some things, but overall doing good.
