drainedWell, I was at Kayla's working. Normally, while I am capturing video, I skim around LJ or whatever. It takes 30 minutes to capture video, & I don't have anything else to do during that time. Yesterday, I could NOT keep internet connection. It kept booting me off. I'd get back on, only to quickly be booted off again.
It was the end of my "work day." Since I couldn't get back online, I decided to lay on the guest bed in my "office" & peruse a catalog Kayla had just gotten. Well....just as I plopped on the bed, Fahrenheit---Kayla's adorable Dalmation---jumped on the bed, too, & slammed right into my mouth. My top teeth are VERY sharp, & cut right through my lower lip, on the inside. All I knew was immediate, severe pain, & I ran to the bathroom with my hand under my mouth, cause I knew it was gonna bleed. I just reached the sink when my mouth starting GUSHING blood. The sink quickly filled up with bright red blood. I started FREAKING out, cause I am NOT a fan of blood (I don't see horror movies much, & if I do, I can't watch the gory scenes). I mean, I was FREAKING. There was a LOT of blood, & it hurt REALLY badly. My upper front teeth hurt badly, too, & the gums started to bleed. I turned on the water, & bawling, stuck my lip under the water, & the water was bright red. It would NOT stop gushing. I stood under the water, FREAKING, for 15 minutes. I cried so hard, that---like I said---all the capillaries around my eyes burst...imagine...a ton of tiny popped blood vessels around my eyes (this happens to me anytime there is a strain on my face....severe stress, vomiting, or a REALLY big orgasm!). NOT pretty.
Anyway...I tried calling Kayla's cellphone & got her voice mail. I tried calling Dan at work & couldn't get through. I tried my friend, Erin, who's a nurse, but her pager wasn't working, & she doesn't leave her cell on, & she wasn't home. I just needed to hear a HUMAN voice, cause I was seriously freaking. I do NOT take things like this well, AT ALL. I was shaking like a leaf. I couldn't stop crying, & worse, couldn't stop the bleeding. I got a wet paper towel & held it tightly between my lips, but every time I pulled it away, blood would still ooze out. I IMed Kayla, but she was away. Finally,
chappell IMed me, saying (ironically), "How's my favorite little sister?" I typed back, "Call me at Kayla's right now...here's the number...." He called right away, & I was sobbing to him. He tried to calm me down & told me to get some ice on it. I had to leave for rehearsal, so I told him I appreciated him calling, hearing a human voice---and one who cares about me---made me calm down & feel better. I finally stopped shaking but I felt really weak. I'm not that big...and I had just had a lot of blood taken out of me the day before! I left for rehearsal with a paper towel pursed between my lips. People kept looking at me like I was a freak, & I would yell at them, "STOP STARING AT ME! I HURT MY LIP! I'M BLEEDING TO DEATH, ASSHOLES!" (yeah, yeah...they don't call me "drama queen" for nothin'!) Erin finally called while I was driving to rehearsal, as did Dan & Kayla. Everyone was very sweet & concerned. Erin told me I needed to have it checked out by the ER or an Urgent Care. I don't have an Urgent Care, so I had to go to the ER.
But first I had to go to rehearsal. My stage manager & director were very concerned. I sat with ice on my lip, & they didn't make me sing my solo stuff & I told them I couldn't smile. People kept trying to make me laugh...but that hurt. I somehow made it through rehearsal, saying a million lines with a paper towel in my mouth...but the bleeding FINALLY stopped around 9PM. Gee, that was only 3 1/4 hours of bleeding! No biggie!
On the way to the hospital, I called to find out how stitches would cost me....I seriously have no money for such things. I am not sure I am even going to make my rent. But the girl at the ER said she couldn't tell me that...they don't even have the prices, only "billing" can tell you that, & they were closed. I started bawling again & said I would just have to take my chances, since I was broke. The girl was really nice & told me to come in anyway...she said their hospital was not a bunch a vultures...even if the procedure (stitches) cost $1,000, they would work out a very reasonable payment plan with me, & that I NEEDED to be seen. So I drove in.
The girl recognized my voice, & asked if that was me on the phone. I said, "The one in hysterics, yes, that was me. I just get really frustrated with medical situations." She was very understanding. She said it didn't look that bad (it doesn't from the outside), & then I showed her the inside & she cringed a little (hey, the kids at rehearsal thought it was really "gross"). The triage nurse thought it might need 2-3 stitches. But the doctor decided I didn't. He said they don't usually stitch up inside the mouth, cause it heals really easily. I said, "What should I eat?" And he said, "Food!" Smartass! ;-Þ
I was relieved to not need stitches, cause I don't think I could have handled more pain.
Today, my lips is a little numb & tingly, & VERY sore to the touch. I cannot touch ANYTHING to my lip. That means I have to drink everything from a straw, in the corner of my mouth. I couldn't pucker my lips to spit after brushing my teeth, & couldn't brush my lower teeth very well (ick). Smiling is painful, which sucks, cause I smile a LOT. It looks like it's closing up already, which is good. I hope it doesn't get infected. My show opens in a week.
That was my first thought...okay, second after the pain....oh great, my show opens in a week & I have a fat ugly lip! Great! Talking is interesting...any of the words/sounds that make me use my lip. I ate a piece of pizza protein by tearing it into little pieces & sticking them in my mouth, & had a Jamba Juice smoothie & drank it painstakingly out of the corner of my mouth. No fun...and what an inconvenience. And I'm just really drained.
But shit happens...and it was a total accident. Fahrenheit is a sweetie, & obviously, didn't mean to hurt me. She's a lover, not a fighter. I think I freaked her out, though, with my freaking out!
I think I'll live.
But why does all the freaky shit happen to me??? *pondering*
