Dumb Mistake!

 3/21 - 3/25/2022 Biloxi, MS to Bonifay, FL, 218 miles, Outback Springs RV Park, $47/day

About a week ago, I was taking my walk on a beautiful sunny morning along the Gulf of Mexico in Biloxi. I was about a mile from home, about to turn around, when I saw that the tide was out, exposing sand bars.  I though I’d like to explore for seashells and sand dollars.  The concrete side walk at this point was about 2 feet above the sandy beach, or so I thought judging from my new bifocals. It should be an easy step down, right? Wrong!

I misjudged the step and fell hard just to the left of my tailbone, an area I’d previously injured when I was about 11 or 12 years old.  A kid would have jumped up, brushed off the sand and say, “I’m fine!” And go about her day.  At 56, I was stunned.  I pulled my knees up to my chest, and whispered to myself, “I’m okay, I’m okay”, as I took deep breaths fighting the feeling that my vision was narrowing and I might pass out. No one came running to help, so I don’t think anyone saw.  I would have been mortified.  

I had my phone in my pocket, so could easily have called Bill, but this was such a dumb mistake. There were other places along the sea wall that had steps, or were even with the sand!  I convinced myself I could walk it off, and it would go away. 

I crawled onto the sidewalk, pressed up to my feet, and shuffled to the nearest bench, where I rested until my head was clear.  Sitting was more painful than standing, and the transition between the two was most painful of all, so I got up and gingerly walked from bench to bench, pausing when necessary to catch my breath, smiling and saying, “Good morning” to other walkers I passed.  

It seemed to take FOREVER to get back to the RV park. I pulled myself up the stairs and sat quietly for about an hour in the easy chair. The pain still was not going away. I finally woke up Bill and asked for help, breaking down and sobbing, all of my muscles quivering. He gently scolded me for not calling him sooner, helped me get undressed , shower the sand off, take meds and crawl in bed for the rest of the day.

The week has been a blur of pain meds,massages, Deep Heat, ice packs, hot pads, trying to find a position to sit and sleep in that didn’t hurt.  Every day I’m getting better, but it’s SO SLOW!  I missed everything that I wanted to do in this cool Gulf Coast area. Bay St. Louis is supposed to have a great historic downtown and cool art vibe.  Gulfport has an aquarium. They released turtles into the gulf while we were there!  Jefferson Davis’s home, Beauvoir, “Presidential” library and confederate grave yard was a block away. I had planned to visit the day I injured myself.  I walked like a mummy up to the deck overlooking the beach, and watched a few sunsets, but never got my toes in the water, or searched for seashells. 

Tomorrow is a long travel day.  I’m getting a donut to sit on!  We’ll have to come back another time. There’s so much to explore in this area!  Next time, I won’t leave the RV with my bifocals on. 🤓