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| Help! I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up... And I'm in Mexico |
There I was, alone, writhing in pain in the darkness of a poorly lit
city street. In Caborca.
I’d lost my footing and fallen forward on a sidewalk that had
suddenly dropped off with one slab, and risen just enough at the
following cement block to catch the full force of my tibia hurtling
down upon it.
I replayed the scene in my mind. It was dark, I’d been walking
too fast and as I fell, felt impact and rolled forward with
momentum I’d heard the distinct snap of a bone breaking. Still
incredulous that the accident had happened, and clearly after
having spent too much time recently on the computer, the initial
thought that came to my mind was to move a mouse cursor to
click on the “Undo” option. “Undo!, Undo!, Undo!”
Then, as I collected my thoughts, I reached for my cell phone. A
regular visitor to and sometime resident of Caborca, I’d purchased
the phone at the local Telefonica MoviStar store and one of the
first things I’d done after getting it was to program into it the
number of the local police station and the local “delegacion” of the
Cruz Roja (Red Cross).
In that situation my cell phone proved to be invaluable. I called
the Cruz Roja and they answered the phone immediately. I
explained my situation and gave the general direction where I
was, and within minutes I saw their ambulance passing by a
nearby street in search of me.
One thing about contacting local emergency service agencies in
Mexico though, if you don’t speak Spanish you may have some
difficulty. Having visited and lived in Mexico for several years, I’d
attained a level of fluency to where I could communicate the
necessary information (mainly, my problem and location) to the
Cruz Roja.
If you’re not at that level of fluency though, another option is to
call the state of Sonora’s emergency “066” number. Similar to the
“911” system in the US, dialing 066 will connect you to a statewide
emergency service network with English-speaking operators that
will relay your emergency information to the appropriate local
authorities.
Soon the ambulance had spotted me waving to them and parked
in the street near where I was sitting.
The Red Cross’s Caborca delegation, like those in many towns in
Sonora, is staffed by dedicated and well-trained volunteers. A
significant part of their budget comes from public donations, and
they provide much-needed services for little or no charge. I’d
always stopped to contribute money to Red Cross volunteers that
sometimes stand alongside the road soliciting donations, and
would highly recommend that you do the same.
The ambulance crew of two (a man and a woman) splinted my leg,
and loaded me into the back of the ambulance. They asked me
which hospital I’d prefer to go to – the social security hospital
IMSS (Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social) or the state hospital. I
chose the state hospital, for the sole reason that it is closer to
where I was living.
On the way to the hospital, one of the Red Cross volunteers took
my blood pressure and pulse readings, and asked questions to
verify that I was in stable condition.
Part II: The Hospital
Part III: The Surgery
city street. In Caborca.
I’d lost my footing and fallen forward on a sidewalk that had
suddenly dropped off with one slab, and risen just enough at the
following cement block to catch the full force of my tibia hurtling
down upon it.
I replayed the scene in my mind. It was dark, I’d been walking
too fast and as I fell, felt impact and rolled forward with
momentum I’d heard the distinct snap of a bone breaking. Still
incredulous that the accident had happened, and clearly after
having spent too much time recently on the computer, the initial
thought that came to my mind was to move a mouse cursor to
click on the “Undo” option. “Undo!, Undo!, Undo!”
Then, as I collected my thoughts, I reached for my cell phone. A
regular visitor to and sometime resident of Caborca, I’d purchased
the phone at the local Telefonica MoviStar store and one of the
first things I’d done after getting it was to program into it the
number of the local police station and the local “delegacion” of the
Cruz Roja (Red Cross).
In that situation my cell phone proved to be invaluable. I called
the Cruz Roja and they answered the phone immediately. I
explained my situation and gave the general direction where I
was, and within minutes I saw their ambulance passing by a
nearby street in search of me.
One thing about contacting local emergency service agencies in
Mexico though, if you don’t speak Spanish you may have some
difficulty. Having visited and lived in Mexico for several years, I’d
attained a level of fluency to where I could communicate the
necessary information (mainly, my problem and location) to the
Cruz Roja.
If you’re not at that level of fluency though, another option is to
call the state of Sonora’s emergency “066” number. Similar to the
“911” system in the US, dialing 066 will connect you to a statewide
emergency service network with English-speaking operators that
will relay your emergency information to the appropriate local
authorities.
Soon the ambulance had spotted me waving to them and parked
in the street near where I was sitting.
The Red Cross’s Caborca delegation, like those in many towns in
Sonora, is staffed by dedicated and well-trained volunteers. A
significant part of their budget comes from public donations, and
they provide much-needed services for little or no charge. I’d
always stopped to contribute money to Red Cross volunteers that
sometimes stand alongside the road soliciting donations, and
would highly recommend that you do the same.
The ambulance crew of two (a man and a woman) splinted my leg,
and loaded me into the back of the ambulance. They asked me
which hospital I’d prefer to go to – the social security hospital
IMSS (Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social) or the state hospital. I
chose the state hospital, for the sole reason that it is closer to
where I was living.
On the way to the hospital, one of the Red Cross volunteers took
my blood pressure and pulse readings, and asked questions to
verify that I was in stable condition.
Part II: The Hospital
Part III: The Surgery
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