Russ falls in Old San Juan

On Martin Luther King Day Russ fell in the old city.

We wanted to move to the old city therefore, whenever we learned of a realtor who serviced the area I called them to ask if they had anything in our price range.

Buying property in Puerto Rico is very different from the states. There are no multiple listings. Each realtor has clients and they hoard their inventory. Therefore, it is not unusual to know and work with numerous realtors. At this point in our one year search I believe I knew at least five.

On this day we were meeting. Mr. Cancel. He was a well established broker and we had seen a few properties with him. When he would open the door of the home he was showing us, he would say, “Welcome, to your new home.” and give a little bow, or prayer, however you would like to interpret it.

The day was warm and sunny full of promise. That morning I had made plans with our friend, Millie, we were going to the movies with her that evening. I was happy. Russ looked really cute this morning too. He was wearing his favorite jeans, which, gave him a cute shape, a power blue polo shirt and a straw hat.

We drove to Old San Juan that day, which was strange. Normally, we took the bus. We meet Mr. Cancel at his home/office on Calle Luna and followed him to our first stop on Calle Sol. He showed us a enormous house on the corner of Sol and Cruz.

“No, we told him, way too big.”

“Ok, I have one other apartment to show you, also on Calle Sol.”

We followed him, as we were walking Russ felt I was walking too close to the street. He was going to push me closer to the sidewalk when he tripped and fell on the blue aloquines or (bricks). These blue pavers were uneven and his knee hit one. He fell and could not walk. Mr. Cancel called for an ambulance. The hotel on Sol saw Russ fall and the receptionist came out with water and a pillow for his head. Two young men were walking by. They told me they were sports trainers for the Puerto. Rican Olympic Team. They stood by us until the ambulance arrived. I recall it took only ten minutes.

The paramedics took scissors and cut Russ’s jeans to his right thigh. Oh my. His knee cap had fallen in. But he said he was not in any pain. Then the paramedics placed a neck brace on Russ put him on a stretcher. Then they placed him in the ambulance and let me get in the front seat.

“What hospital are you taking us too?” I asked the driver

The driver mumbled something in Spanish.

“I want to go to Presby Hospital, I told him.”

“No,” he responded, “It is a holiday and hand kept on driving.

Finally, we arrived at a hospital. I never caught the name.

I called Millie from the amulence front seat.”Millie, we are not going to the movies tonight. Russ, fell in Old San Juan and now we are in a hospital.”

“What hospital are you in?” Millie asked.

I was so confused, I gave her the name of one I thought they said. Yet, Millie figured it out and like an angel arrived at Centro Medico.

Russ, who forgot to carry his medical insurance card, was still in the neck brace on a stretcher in the hall of the emergency room, surrounded by other stretcher head to foot. So many people!!

Millie, took me home to get Russ’s information, pillows and blankets because the hospital’s do not provide them, and a charger for my phone.

Back at the hospital I presented Russ’s information and he soon was taken in for x-rays. He was then wheeled into an area where other people had broken bones. We shared a space with a young man that broke his neck. He had no insurance and had been laying in this area for two days.

There was only one orthopedic doctor on staff that night. Remember, it was a holiday. So we waited about eight hours. Finally, the doctor came in and wrapped Russ’s leg, gave me a name of a doctor who could do the surgery and released us.

Russ, was not placed in a wheelchair, nor given crutches, he was wheeled out into the parking lot where a cab was waiting for us and told to get off the stretcher.

As he hopped into the cab, I could see he was in pain. I kept wondering how I was going to get him into our building because there were no ramps, and he could never hop up the stairs. We were blessed, the cab driver was a big man and he almost carried Russ into the apartment.

The next day I was supposed to make the appointment with orthopedic surgeon. But I was so tired all I wanted to do was sleep next to Russ. Yet, I realized I couldn’t indulge.

Millie, called and gave me a phone number of a surgeon that she knew. But the surgeon was located in another community, and we lived right next to a hospital. As, I was making Russ lunch, I looked out the window and saw a doctor I knew who lived in the building across the street. I ran down six flights of stairs onto the street to stop to ask him if he could recommend a surgeon at Presby.

“Of course,” he told me with a reassuring smile, “Use Dr. Ingrid Negron .” She is located on the third floor of the Medical Building.”

I ran to the building up three flights of stairs and found the Dr.’s Office. When I entered I notice her waiting room was full, and people were waiting out in the hall as well.

I went up to the receptionist. “Do you speak English”

They didn’t but one of the women waiting to see the Doctor did and she helped me.

I was able to get an appointment for Russ the next day, plus they loaned me a wheelchair to bring him in.

We waited in her office over three hours. There is a sign on the door, “If you don’t want to wait, don’t come in.”

The doctor was concerned about his break and scheduled his surgery for the next day. We were told to be at the hospital at seven in the morning. We left the hospital at eleven at night. The man who wheeled Russ out of the hospital was a blessing too.

“Señor, we live right next to the hospital, could I wheel Russ home and bring back the wheelchair?”

So lucky, the man wheeled us back to the apartment and actually picked Russ up and placed him in bed.

Russ, was not in a cast he was given an immobilizer. He had trouble walking at first, and always had to have his leg elevated. Therefore, he could not cook, and I only know how to prepare baked potatoes and salads.

I started asking my friends to please come over and cook. We had made friends with a couple in the building. He enjoyed cooking as much as Russ. They came over many times and prepared food for us all. It was also nice to have company.

Russ, needed to have physical therapy. The office was right next door, but the problem was getting him there. The building did not have a handicap assessable ramp. Just a steep ramp going up and down to park. Going down was difficult but bringing him home for me was impossible. I would wait at the base of the ramp for a strong samaritan to walk by to help me.

Russ, soon graduated to a cane. Yet, ten years later, he is still asked how he is doing.