Joan of Arc monument in Philadelphia
X-ray 2

A New Gettysburg Casualty

While giving a tour of Gettysburg on January 5, we encountered loads of snow and ice. I was continually warning folks with me to be careful and not slip. In a twist of irony, I slipped down the last four or five steps of the 44th and 12th New York monument on top of Little Round Top. You may recognize it as the big castle. I fell straight on my tailbone, and then slid down, hitting every remaining step on the way.

Here I am enjoying a cigar with Sam right before it happened.

Little Round Top

I was flat on my back and messed up my cigar. I jumped up and said I was fine, finished the last remaining two hours of the tour, and then drove home for two and half hours. The pain was something I had never experienced before, as I would feel unbearable pain followed by euphoria for a second followed by pain again with each move and shift.

I spent Sunday watching football, taking as much Advil as the bottled allowed.

On Monday, I went to work, still in extreme pain. Finally, as I started driving home, I thought, “This can’t be normal. I should see a doctor.” At the ER, the doctor confirmed that I broke my coccyx bone. The x-rays are horrifying.

X-ray 1

 

X-ray 2

I spent much of last week healing. All things point to a full recovery.

After several dozen trips with dozens of different folks, no one has come away with an injury. This was the first on one of my tours. If anyone was to get hurt, I am glad it was me.

Be careful at Gettysburg in the winter, folks. That ice is dangerous.


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