Yosemite

A couple of Friday's ago we drove to Yosemite for a couple of days. We left early morning so we could beat the storm that was coming in.  We had good weather until we hit Turlock then it started pouring. It was really bad in Merced. A little ways into the park we had to put chains on.  It was cold with slushy snow falling when hubby was putting on the chains. The road was pretty slick. We got to Yosemite Lodge at the Falls and checked in.  The room was nice and toasty warm.  We went to dinner at the food court.  The food wasn't very good. I didn't sleep well.

Saturday we woke up to sunny weather and new snow.  It was very pretty with the snow sparkling in the sun.  We stepped out and had a good view of the upper Yosemite Falls. We hopped on the shuttle to go to Curry Village for breakfast.  The restaurant was closed but the coffee shop had breakfast items so we ate there.  Then we went to the ice skating rink but they were hoping to open up at noon so we rented snow shoes.  We went back to the lodge to go snow shoeing near our room.  Snow shoeing is hard work it got my heart rate up.  We rested a bit then we headed back to the ice skating rink to goo ice skating.  I was skating along and did a face plant in the ice.  I had my camera in my upper coat pocket so it landed on my breast which hurt.  The skates felt like new skates because they were really stiff. I rested off the ice and then went back on the ice. I skated around a bit then I fell again this time my left arm went straight out when I fell. The rink attendant tried to help me up but it hurt when I tried to push myself up. He called the EMTs. I sat on the ice for a  while before the emergency people got there. First people to get there were the park medics who taped my arm to my side and put a cervical collar on me. The paramedics finally got there the loaded me onto a back board. They had to slide me down the ice so they could put me on the stretcher.  I was freezing after sitting on the ice so they put blankets on me in the ambulance.  They were trying to give me an IV for the pain but they couldn't find a vein so he gave me a nose spray with the pain med in it.  He finally got an IV in me. They drove me to just beyond the park entrance and transferred me to another ambulance for the ride to the hospital in Mariposa. I got sick in the ambulance so they turned me on my side so I didn't throw up on myself.

So I get to the ER and put me on the bed which was really comfy. I got some more pain meds and meds for nausea. The meds made me woozy and sleepy.  They were busy so I went to sleep while I was waiting for them to take an x-ray.  There were some crazy people in the ER that night.  After 2 1/2 hours things calmed down so they took me to get x-rayed.  I fractured my clavicle so they gave me a sling to wear.  It was 1:00am before we got back to the hotel and went to bed.  I didn't sleep well because of the pain and discomfort.

Thanks to the Yosemite Park rangers, EMT's, Mariposa EMT's and the ER staff at John C. Fremont Hospital for their help.