Monday, February 4, 2019




Make Mine Mystery

February 2019
Linda Lee Kane


I was looking forward to the new year and had so many exciting plans, book blogs, tours, radio shows, tv appearances, traveling, getting my floor done, horse shows, taking care of my grandchildren and then on January 2, I tripped over a mat in a horse stall, my leather boots caught on the rubber mat and I flew, hard, right onto the ground. I was holding bags of horse food so my elbow was bent when I landed and that’s what did the most damage. First, when I landed on my elbow and flew head first into a metal barn door. I shattered my right arm (humerus), had a concussion, and just ached everywhere.

The one thing I got out of this experience is how lousy hospital emergency rooms are. They are overcrowded, people that are sneezing were seen before me, and only when I began to throw-up did anyone pay any attention to me. I received no care from 9:40 am until 7:00 pm that night. At that point I did get x rays done and a shot of morphine but at that point the shot was worthless. To add to this after the long wait, I was sent home and told to contact an orthopedic surgeon and to take it easy because I had a concussion.  I could have been home this whole time trying to get into an orthopedic surgeon (well not exactly, but you get my drift), I had no food, no water, (I was told I couldn’t have anything if they operated). I sat in a waiting room on a hard chair.

I would have to say this will give me a great memory for writing in a novel. I never realized our system of health care is so broken, and the staff at the hospitals who do try and help are up against a machine at the higher levels of indifference or they are just plain overwhelmed and no one knows what to do about it.

I also discovered that no matter how painful it is to write and draw for me, I still need to do it. It keeps me grounded, it gives me a purpose that I can’t deny. I think I will become more active in writing letters to hospital administrators and maybe we can put our collective brains together and come up with a better solution for health care.

5 comments:

Jackie Houchin said...

I'm just looking at a little sign I have on my board by the PC. It reads "Nothing that happens to a writer is ever wasted."

I mean this to encourage you, after a horrific experience (I hope you heal well and soon.) You already have ideas - a novel with a theme of our broken health care system. May I suggest you read some of Robin Cook's medical thrillers while you are disabled. (TIP: Avoid TOXIN, if you ever want to eat meat again.) You might come up with a bestseller from a trip on a rubber mat. Best of luck.

Good post. Thank you!

Marilyn Meredith a.k.a. F. M. Meredith said...

Yikes! I've had much similar experiences in ER waiting room, and also much better ones. Twice I've gone to the hospital in an ambulance and I was treated with excellent care and quickly. I've taken hubby in and he was taken immediately into the exam rooms. I have no idea why one time can be so much better than another. Heal quickly!

L Lee Kane said...

i have no idea why the experiences can be so differeny. i've been collecting data on emergency rooms in our area and the consenus is noy good. i think thats why more urgent care places are opening up. sorry i dont have a right arm to help with caps.

L Lee Kane said...

Sorry, typing with left hand only is difficult and I seem to have misspelled several words.
I go back into surgery again and maybe I'll be able to use my left arm in a few months.

Morgan Mandel said...

Yes, now you have first hand experience of emergency rooms not run right. Too bad you had to do it the hard way!