Farmington, NM - yep again

After getting up when we were done sleeping - we took a cruise over to 4 Corners, USA.
Too cool - we got Utah as another state on our trip! First one up to get their picture taken was me. Next was Kaye. After getting my pic shot - I ran back to the end of the line to hold the place for Carol while she snapped Kaye's pic. This is when we started our trip back to Farmington, except we didn't know we were coming back here till it happened.

As Kaye exited the platform her right foot slipped on some water in the State of Arizona - in fact on the letter A. It wouldn't have been so bad if her left foot wasn't already stepping down. That's when I heard her yelp. I watched her go down in slo mo and then ran to her side. She didn't want to get up and told me right away - it's broken. Her ankle lay a little askew and a huge bulge was sticking out (a bone I later found out). She said she heard two cracks on each side. Well, most would say, "ah, come on - it's not broken, maybe just a sprain" - only I know Kaye has twice broken this same ankle before - I believed her.

No cell phone coverage, nothing out there except the corners and some gift booths. As she is laying there, Kaye tells us, "I want three pins!". We couldn't find a wheelchair and so we got one of the ladies who works there and she made a call from the trailer office to call an ambulance. About an hour later - it arrives - remember - we are in no where land about 40 minutes from Shiprock, NM.

They come, brace her up, load her into the a-bus and away they go. Carol and I leave the car where the woman can watch it and we take the bikes to the hospital. Northern Navajo Nation Medical Center. This is important to know, as you'll see.

We get to the hospital about an hour later and find that she is about to go to x-ray - so Carol jumps on the back of my bike and to go retrieve the car. Another couple of hours. It's a good ride and each time I made it - the shorter it seemed. Kinda like going to Julian the first time seems forever and now we just trek up there for an afternoon lunch no worries.

Upon returning - Kaye informs me they found three breaks (including the one to her leg bone) and a dislocation. Well, they located it and put on a temp cast. She needs surgery within a couple of days to repair the breaks (they are really bad, I saw the bone when she was on the ground, and I saw the x-ray). Oh, but the trouble is, this is a Navajo hospital and they cannot admit Kaye to the hospital or do the surgery because she is not a native american. Really? So we then begin a flurry of phone calls and sorting out logistical issues before they kick her out. They were talking about taking her down to Alberquerque(?) - but since she has to wait for the swelling to go down - she opted to go home. Again a flurry of phone calls to figure that out. All we knew was she had to leave the hospital, she was discharged. The docs and nurses were super - it's just the way it was on the reservation.

We end up coming back to Farmington to put Kaye up in a hotel to await her husband's arrival. Carol drove and I rode my bike. By the time we made the 30 mile trek here - I was exhausted - too much heat, running around and no water. Carol got out of the car at the hotel and looked at me and said, "two rooms?" and I quickly agreed! We still had to do the 60 mile round trip to get Carol's bike back from the hospital and by then we would really be tired.

So here we are back in Farmington, NM, 189 miles later. Kaye's husband should be in Farmington in the wee hours of the morning - he better not wake me up! No really. Carol and I will be heading out early in the AM. All in all, the most important thing is that Kaye is okay (for the most part), and that she will be okay. Carol and I made sure of that!