Janice's right foot

A recent injury to Janice Johnson's right foot brought back some fun but rather painful memories. One night in September while feeding her horse, her dog spooked the horse and, before you knew it, he stepped on her foot, breaking off most of the nail on the big toe, and she was on the ground. Janice said he did a tap dance on her foot but she was thankful he didn't kick her in the head or worse.

As she hobbled around, she remembered the cane her husband Doug bought her in Cozumel, Mexico, a few years ago when she also was recovering from an injury to her right foot.

"I had never really looked at the intricate carvings on it until I was using it this time," she said. "There is an eagle with a snake on the upper portion and toward the bottom you see a house."

The detail and colors are really impressive, especially when you realize that this is a round piece of wood only about an inch or so in diameter.

It was Easter Sunday, April 11, 2004, (Doug's birthday, too) and the family was in Cozumel for relaxation and fun.

"We (son Cooper, daughter K. C. and Doug) were making our way out through the rough surf when I stepped on something hard. It felt like a rock. I knew I cut my foot but the more I swam the more it hurt and I finally just headed back to shore to rest. It was the type of pain that came in waves and increased every time I moved. I hobbled back to our stuff on the shore just in front of one of those shacks that sell beer and snacks. Doug and K.C. stayed out swimming in the ocean but Cooper came back in after a while to keep me company. I thought a few beers might help but they didn't. The swelling was going up my leg and the pain was getting worse so we decided to go into town to see a doctor."

Doug had to apply a tourniquet using one of their beach towels due to the rapid swelling.

Since it was Easter, everything was closed - including the hospital.

"We were about 12 miles outside of town and after finding out that the hospital, really everything, was closed, I just headed into town until I found a group of people in the middle of the street," said Janice. "I pulled up to them and yelled, 'hospital,' and a young guy jumped onto the spare tire rack on the back of the jeep and held on as we sped off.

"He took us to the local Red Cross office, where they were actually less trained than I was - at that time Doug was a member of our Ruhenstroth Volunteer Fire Department and he had received training through East Fork Fire District."

"But they had drugs and were able to start her on morphine and anti-venom therapy for a possible sting ray injury," said Doug. "The young man found a local doctor and brought him back to the Red Cross office from his home. We never did figure out what she stepped on but figure it may have been a rock fish or scorpion fish since she had three large puncture wounds and a smaller fourth entry site.

"She is never going in the water again," Doug joked but you could hear the concern in his voice. "I have never seen her like that before."

Janice was stung by a jellyfish in Puerto Vallarta years before and her entire left side was swollen.

The next day her leg and foot were still swollen and she wasn't able to put any weight on her foot so Doug and Cooper went into town and found a cane in one of the shops. After they returned home, Doug carved the date, April 11, 2004, into one of the bands on the staff. There are several more bands on the cane that more dates could be added too, we joked. Let's all hope not. Glad to hear you have made a full recovery, Janice.

-- To reach Gail Davis, e-mail RuhenstrothRamblings@yahoo.com or call 265-1947.