Brent's Travels: Plans To Enjoy Lunch With Friends Tirns Into Medical Emergency

I had gone to the Desert Bar last year and written about it. My friend Roxy was in camp and I asked her to join Susan and I there as she has never been. Open only on weekends this time of year on a dirt road out into the hills east of Parker, AZ it is a nice family venue with simple burger menus and beers.

Last year I arrived at 12:30 when the Desert Bar opens at 12:00 and the parking and lines were long. We decided to go early to avoid the rush.

Arriving before it opened we had had good choice of seats. I picked seats with a view and some sun as the air temperature was still cool.

After claiming a table We set out to look around. I headed to check the bar for drink and food line.

I was looking away at a distance and failed to both remember and see the step up necessary to gain the higher level, and immediately fell. With arms out to block my fall I felt pain in my right arm. Quickly I noticed I could not bend my arm and noticed it was dislocated.

I suffered immediate pain and advised my friends we needed to leave and I needed to go to the hospital.

We were in my truck/camper and I was in no condition to drive because of the pain. The road to the bar is a rough dirt road that bounced me and my arm around the 40 or so minutes to the paved highway. It was torturous. Once on the highway we drove to the hospital in Lake Havasu City about another 40 minutes.

I was taken relatively quickly and once in the ER room I had x-rays and got an IV and some pain medication. The doctor was great and said he would need to put me out for a few minutes as it would be very painful setting my arm back into my shoulder.

This is what my arm looked like with it being dislocated.

It only took a few minutes and I had no idea it was done with I woke in 10 minutes. It felt immediately better.

None of us had eaten all day and on the way back we stopped at the Casino in Parker, AZ for their Prime Rib Buffet where I treated my friends.

A few things I note from this experience.

- I could have been injured much worse.

- I could have been alone and no friends with me and I would have needed an ambulance, increasing my agony as the ambulance would have taken about 50 minutes to get there.

- I’m happy for the quick ER visit and competency of the staff.

- I’m glad to have had some quality time at dinner with my friends after such a strange day

I’m mad at myself for the fall. I became too focused and didn’t stay aware of my surroundings.

Roxy was going to chronicle her visit to the Desert Bar on her YouTube channel and that will have to wait until another time. Some may remember me previously writing about Roxy and her blogs and YouTube videos. They have given me inspiration many times to check out hikes she has taken. She is listed as A Nomad For Nature