So … My 20-hour debacle starts at noon on a Friday. I had just baked some delicious chicken with vegetables for an early dinner. It looked lovely, and I thought about the Prosecco (an Italian wine) I had purchased. I thought I would go to my car and get some to enjoy a glass of wine with my dinner.

I proceeded to open the trunk of my car and grab 2 bottles. I don’t know what happened, but I fell down, hit my head, and hurt my right eye. I was stunned but could not get up. Even though I had actually taught a class for balance, I tried every trick I knew but found it difficult to rise up. There was nothing for me to grab onto for support. I was not near my cell phone, but I could hear people leaving me messages, and I could not respond.

I was wearing jogging slacks and a sweater. The temperature was 28 degrees, and I was in the garage all night. Thank God the light was on and I had shut the oven off. Oh, I forgot to let you know that I am over 75 years old and on oxygen 24 hours a day. Luckily, my oxygen was on and I had a 75-foot cord.

I also found a thermos of water that I slowly sipped so I would not get dehydrated. For hours, I attempted to rise on my feet to no avail. I grabbed the car door and would get up and the door would open. I kept beeping the horn but could not raise myself to occupy the car. I was sitting on a cold cement garage floor with 2 bionic knees. There were picnic chairs, but they were not stable enough to support me. I exercised my legs and arms to help me get strength and keep warm.

I started praying after 10 hours. I am Catholic and believe in prayer. I prayed to God, Jesus, the Holy Trinity, and the Blessed Mother. My head was throbbing and my eye was closing. I also prayed for my cousin, Marie, to call my kids to check on me. Finally, at 11:00 p.m., my garage door opened and my son saw me on the floor and said, “What are you doing here?” Ha Ha.

Thank God my son is a physical therapist, because he was able to lift his overweight Momma up and onto a chair. My other son and his wife arrived to help me get to the hospital. They took me to Lehigh Valley, Hecktown Oaks. I was admitted, tested, and treated. I had to stay 4 days because my CPK numbers were too high to send me home. That has to do with your muscles.

This to me was a miracle. Thank God that someone was concerned about me. Please remember to keep your cell phone on you and use a LifeAlert, which I now wear. I also want you to know that not a drop of the Prosecco was lost! The first thing I did when I came home from the hospital was to tell my son to give me my glass of Prosecco.

Salute, Good Health, and God bless everyone who read my article.