Hello everyone. I need to take a moment today to share a challenging experience I had recently. On Remembrance Day, I had an accident, and the immediate aftermath—and the recovery I’m going through now—has been tough. This story is ongoing, so if you could send some prayers or good thoughts my way, I would be incredibly grateful.
Just before noon that day, I decided to take a relaxing bath, as it was a holiday and I wasn’t rushing anywhere. I filled the tub with warm water, got in, and proceeded to bathe. When it was time to get out, I pulled the plug and stood up. Instantly, I felt light-headed, so I dropped down to my hands and knees to try and avoid fainting. I thought the feeling had passed and tried to stand up again, but that’s when I passed out and fell down hard.
A few seconds later, my eyes opened to a sickening sight: a large pool of blood on the floor. My head and neck were throbbing with pain. When I was finally able to get up and look into the mirror, I gasped. The left side of my face was coated in my own blood, and I had two visible gashes in my head—one right above my left eye, and another hidden higher up in my hair. Reaching up, I even pulled out a small clump of hair from the higher wound.
My next priority was cleanup. I turned on the water and used toilet paper to try and clean myself and the room as best as I could. I then got dressed, using a rag to stop some of the bleeding, and looked up transit directions to the nearest hospital: the Royal Alexandra on Kingway Avenue. With my keys, phone, and wallet, I began the painful walk to the bus stop. Along the way, strangers noticed my state and asked if I was alright, suggesting an ambulance after I told them what happened. I arrived at the Emergency room shortly before 1 PM.
It took about fifteen minutes for the triage nurse to see me. After asking me several questions and wrapping my head in gauze, I was directed to sit in the waiting area until a bed was ready. I was also informed that I’d be receiving a tetanus shot, since it had been over 20 years since my last one. I sat there, bored, for the next three hours. I passed the time occasionally reading on my phone and sending updates to my dad, supervisor, and boss. By 4 PM, my hunger became overwhelming—I hadn’t eaten since 5 AM—so I got directions to the Tim Hortons nearby. I bought myself a wrap and an orange juice and returned to the Emergency Room. I was lucky enough to finish eating just before a nurse came and finally escorted me out of the waiting area and to one of the beds inside the department.
Inside the department, the nurse asked me to change into a nightgown. I got onto the bed and was soon connected to the monitoring equipment and given a call bell. The waiting continued; about an hour later, I used the bell just to go to the washroom. Boredom was still a major factor, and I tried to conserve my phone’s battery since I’d forgotten my charger or power bank in the rush.
Soon after, a doctor-in-training assessed me. He asked for the gauze to be removed so that pictures could be taken of my two head gashes and then new gauze and wrappings (that were moistened in a saline solution) were applied. During the assessment, I was completely honest and did my best to follow his requests, supplying all the information I had—including what my smartwatch had recorded about my heart rate immediately after the fall.
Around 7:30 PM, the night nurse, who had replaced the daytime staff, brought me some applesauce with crushed Tylenol, which was a welcome relief. Shortly before that, I had finally received the tetanus shot. An hour and a half after eating, I was placed into a neck brace and then wheeled away to get a CT scan.
Around 11 PM, the doctor-in-training approached me and asked if I was ready for sutures, which I definitely was. He started with the gash above my left eye, which had narrowly missed my eyebrow. After applying freezing, he began closing the wound. He complimented me on taking it “like a trooper,” but being in the neck brace—and having a very stiff, sore neck—actually made it hard to move anyway! I barely felt most of the sutures, except for the ones closest to my nose, which he confirmed are typically not frozen due to potential complications.
Once his work on the first injury was approved by the attending ER doctor, he moved on to freeze and suture the upper wound. I was incredibly relieved when he mentioned that the membrane surrounding my skull had not been ruptured and wouldn’t require additional sutures!
Shortly after he finished, I got the best news of the night: my CT scans came back clean—no concussion from the accident! They immediately removed the neck brace. Shortly after midnight, I was discharged and sent home. I booked an Uber, got home, and finally went to bed.
Moving forward, I am scheduled to see my family doctor next Tuesday, the eighteenth, for a re-evaluation and possible suture removal. I also have to discuss the fainting episode with him, along with my other existing health issues. The most immediate challenge is the lingering physical aftermath: my neck is still stiff and sore, which is definitely affecting my quality of life. Simple tasks are suddenly harder—for example, I now have to kneel down just to access the freezer compartment in my fridge, and getting out of bed in the morning is much tougher. I’ve already taken Wednesday and Thursday off work, and may need today off as well, knowing that taking time away means I don’t earn money. If this accident leads to any long-term consequences, your support of me via my blog will become even more crucial going forward.
Finally, I am deeply grateful to the staff—the nurses and doctors—at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for their care and dedication during a long and stressful 13 hours in the ER. I would also like to thank all of my readers for their support going forwards.