Surfer Gril’s Saga VI

Surfer Girl’s Saga VI: Yesterday I went surfing and had my 1st real accident…had to go to urgent care and everything.

The day was rather interesting, very different from any other day I have ever surfed.  It would be flat, really flat, almost as if the ocean were dead, no wind, no nothing, not even a ripple.  Then all of a sudden a huge set would come flying in, 3, maybe 4 in a row.  They seemed really powerful, but then would stop as abruptly as they started.  The ocean would become choppy, to the point that I could not even paddle.  Of course, I would then get stuck getting ripped by the entire set!  Within a second, it all would change again…it became as smooth as glass, calm and beautiful.  I could see all the way to the bottom with all the coral, shells, plant life, and sand.  Next thing you know there’d be another set coming in, more of a medium set, looked to be the type that anyone could catch, not real big, but not real little either.  I would paddle, and paddle, and paddle, but to no avail.  The wave would just drop out, as if it weren’t there in the first place.  There was no pattern, no rhythm or reason, it just was. 

I tried to catch this really huge wave that was coming towards me, but wiped out instead.  When I say wiped out, I don’t mean just falling off the board, no big deal.  I was crushed under the wave, rolling under the water, trying to find the surface.  When I finally did, I popped my head out with my hands above my head.  The board was at the end of the stretched out leash and seemed to be just waiting for me to pull it towards me.  As I begun to tug the leash another wave from this set came crashing in on me.  I tried to duck, which I actually think I did do, but it is a little hazy now.  When the wave passed, I stuck my head out of the water again and watched the board bounced twice.  I grabbed the leash and started towing the board in towards me and just when I thought I had caught the nose, another one of these fabulous (sarcasm here) waves came crashing in.  I obviously didn’t have a good grip, so Mother Nature took control of the board, tossing it in the air and bouncing it off the water, until it took its final bounce.  The bounce that has caused me so much pain and agony.  The one that I will never forget for as long as I live.  The one that will remain embedded in my memories as a reminder that Mother Nature will always, always be in control.

I saw the board coming straight towards me.  It was the weirdest thing.  I could see it coming, I knew it was going to hit me, but I couldn’t do anything to stop it and I couldn’t get out of the way.  It was as if I was frozen in time.  I cannot even explain the vision I had at the time or what the board looked like when it came ready to crush me in my tracks.  This should lead you to believe that, yup, it hit me square on the nose and front teeth.  Instant blood everywhere, gushing down my face.  I couldn’t figure out where it was coming from…I thought it was my teeth since I was tasting blood.  I finally got control of the board, jumped back on, and was trying to wipe the blood off, when I noticed this guy staring at me.  Something made me look down…my bathing suit top was no longer on, so I guess he got a free show!  I rinsed my bloody hands off, put my top back on, then paddled back to shore.  At this point I didn’t think it was really that bad.  A matter of fact, I was seriously thinking of going back out.  I would never want to let Mother Nature win, well at least completely and utterly win.  But… the blood kept coming and coming and coming.  It was so gross. 

Nancy (Dax’s wife; Dax is Skeeter’s son) and Ariel kept asking if they should take me to the hospital.  Like I said, I didn’t think it was that big of a deal, even though I was going through all the napkins we have in reserve in the truck.  After a while, I guess their continual questions about going to the doctor finally convinced me that maybe I better go after all.
We went over to the urgent care clinic on the Lahaina side…can’t believe they made me wait for so long.  Here I am, blood dripping down my face, ice pack on my nose and mouth (from the 1st aid kit that Skeeter though was unnecessary to purchase), looking all raggedy…hair, I don’t even know how to describe how jacked-up it looked; wet tank-top, which I later found out had blood all down the front of it too!  (Can’t believe they let me walk around all day with blood all over my shirt!-but that’s a whole ‘nother story); beach towel wrapped around my waist and legs.  I’m telling you, if I saw me coming, I think I might have been a little scared.  They checked me in, told me to take a seat and wait.  When they finally called me 30 or so minutes later, they did the standard tests and sat me in a room for another eternity. 

The doctor finally came in and saw me, said he didn’t think my nose was broken, although it sure does feel like it.  Said I have a huge cut on the inside of my right nostril and I should not irritate it…like, no duh!  My lip was swollen, several cuts inside the upper lip, scrapes on the skin between the nose and the upper lip; teeth very sensitive.  Doctor checked the gums, no discoloration, no bleeding, no swelling-thinks they will be fine.  Told me to ice-like no kidding!  I have had a headache for two days, kind of feels like a mild concussion to me.  The nurse gave me three painkillers, which I promptly took all of them, and sent me off with three more ice bags.  For the rest of the day Ariel or Nancy would let me know if I had blood dripping down my face…I couldn’t feel it.  I was shaky, tired, swollen, and irritable, to say the least.

Today I woke up with two fat lips, swollen nose, and black dried blood blocking my nostril, which gave me a sore throat from breathing through my mouth all night.  Plus, a blasting headache that will not quit!  Oh yeah, my lips are numb, so they are doing that whole tingling, needle thing.  Everyone is trying to say it doesn’t look that bad, yeah right, I can see in the mirror myself!

I was worried about my teeth, so Ariel called the dentist for me while I was at the doctor’s.  The receptionists are not very nice!  We couldn’t get in to see the dentist yesterday, but since my teeth are not loose, just tender, I figure it will be OK to wait another day to see what happens.  I did chip the front left one though.  The doctor said he didn’t think there would be anything wrong, no damage to the roots, and so forth.  I hope he is right on that account!
I did forget to mention Ariel’s reaction when she witnessed the “accident.”  Nancy’s rendition is that Ariel was sitting in the front seat of the car, watching me through the review mirror.  All of a sudden Ariel made some un-understandable screech, jumped out of the truck and ran to the shoreline. 

Nancy said she couldn’t figure out what was going on so she jumped out of the truck too.  When she approached Ariel she asked what was wrong.  Ariel told her that I wiped out, but Nancy wasn’t worried since that is all part of the whole surfing thing, and was turning to go back to the truck when Ariel stopped her.  She was a little panicky and was trying to say that no, this was not a standard wipe out, that she just knew it was way more serious.  She was dancing up and down the shoreline, trying to figure things out, trying to see what had happened.  Of course, once I was to the shore, Ariel acted as if she could care less.  Typical teenager!
At any rate, Mother Nature won this round but it is not over yet.  As soon as my head stops pounding; I can feel my lips; the swelling decreases enough to breathe; and my teeth stop feeling like they were rocked out of my head, I’ll be back.  SHE has not seen the end of me yet.  I know, in the back of my mind, that SHE will always be the winner in the long run, but I still have this burning desire to at least win a few battles; carve a few more notches on my belt; gain a little respect from HER.  This Surfer Girl is not throwing in the board just yet.  Be watching, you never know when there’ll be another saga in the midst.

Forever,

< Surfer Girl