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Last night I was severely mauled by a dog. I have deep and long puncture wounds, a crushing injury, muscle injury, and my arm has to be repaired by a hand specialist. I want to talk about what it’s like to sustain a major trauma injury in the midst of COVID.
Last night I walked out of my apartment into the hallway. Our hallways are closed in, so I wasn’t outside. On the opposite end of the hall a man stood there with his two big dogs (I won’t say breed) without a leash. I barely noticed.
As I walked I heard the dog barking and charging at me... I’m not afraid of big dogs (my family has two) so thinking nothing of it, I just backed into the wall thinking it was okay. The owner was running down to me with his other dog in tow.
The dog jumped up on me and scratched up my legs (I’m used to this bc of Whiskey my dad’s dog), so when the owner grabbed him I thought I was safe to leave. The dog bit down on my forearm and I started screaming. He started ringing me.
The owner couldn’t get him to stop biting me, so the owner began to punch the dog over and over. This made the dog bite down harder. I kept screaming and eventually I just pulled as hard as I could and ran into my apartment.
I dropped my phone in the altercation so the owner (while still struggling to handle two dogs) dropped my phone in front of my apartment door and yelled “call the police!”
I called 911... I tell them what happened and that blood is gushing everywhere. I tell them that I have sickle cell (which is another reason it was so hard to get the blood to stop. They tell me to wrap the arm in towels and put as much pressure as possible. I am screaming.
It took the police and paramedics less than 10 minutes to get to me, and that felt like a lifetime. I couldn’t look at the wounds. They tightly bandaged and applied pressure for me and said “we need to get you to a hospital” what is your preferred?
I told them George Washington Hospital, and they said “we can’t take you into that area of DC right now and you don’t want to go into DC right now” The police office, the paramedics, and I just looked at each other and said..... right. Absolutely not.
They started researching for nearby hospitals.... every single one of them on CODE RED. I’m bleeding profusely, and there isn’t a place for me to go yet because all ERs are filled due to COVID.
Finally they just decide to take me to Doctor’s Community Hospital (Huge shout out to them). I get there and though ambulances take you straight back... I sit... and I wait and wait and wait. I’m hysterical, I’m in excruciating pain, and all I can do is sit and wait.
Finally someone takes my vitals - blood pressure in stroke zone. They want to admit, but there are no beds. I sit and I wait. Everyone tries to laugh and crack jokes with me which helps ease things a bit, but still I’m scared out of my mind...
I was completely alone. They wouldn’t let @Yavniell_ come back because of COVID. Im on FaceTime with my mom and Dad all the way in South Carolina, and I start trying to text friends just so I wouldn’t feel so alone.
Finally, someone comes back and says we have a room they just gave to clean it for you. It’s almost 10 at this point. The altercation happened around 6. Almost four hours of trying to control my bleeding with no pain meds.
I get my room, the paramedics made a mistake and aid the bite was done size (I think he only saw one of the puncture wounds because of my towel.) Nurse says, “we are going to dress you up better and get you some ibuprofen and be on your way.”
Me knowing my body and knowing my pain tolerance, I advocated for myself. I said “Ma’am, I have sickle Cell disease. For that I take oxycodone. This pain is ten times worse.” She nods and exits.
She come back to open u0 my bandages and dress my wounds and was shocked when she saw how bad the damage was. “Change of plans. We are going to start you on perc, medicine to calm you, we gotta get X-rays, and you need vaccinations.”
So now I’m crying again... mom trying to talk me through. Asking if she needs to come up, I say no. It turns out my muscles are damage, I got a crushing injury, I had to get stitches, and I have to see a hand specialist for repairs.
I didn’t leave the hospital until almost 2AM. Everything happened so slowly because the hospitals are so overwhelmed. I was so so so blessed. But as you continue in your lives, think about emergency victims who aren’t suffering from Covid but can’t receive emergency care.
Please be empathetic. Please start thinking of others. Please take care of yourselves and wear a mask.
Thanks everyone who reached out. I was feeling so lonely last night and between friends and family? The outpouring of love kept me. Thanks to everyone who text and tweeted as well. I’m going to get more rest now, but I will get back to you as soon as possible. 
