"Later that evening, while walking home, she noticed bilateral foot drop and foot numbness, which caused her to trip and fall. She spent several hours lying on

"Later that evening, while walking home, she noticed bilateral foot drop and foot numbness, which caused her to trip and fall. She spent several hours lying on the ground before she was found." This last sentence raises a lot of questions if you think about it. We're talking about a presumably healthy 35 year old woman here. (At least, if she had any prior medical problems, the article does not see fit to mention it.) This woman experiences numbness of both feet and and an inability to lift her feet ("foot drop"). She falls. It makes sense so far. But why does she lie on the ground for hours? She might not have been able to walk, but she should have been able to crawl - the article makes a point of mentioning that muscle power at knees and hips was normal. Was she unconscious, and if so, why? Was she in debilitating pain, and the article just doesn't mention it? Why didn't she take her jeans off once she noticed her legs swelling so much that her jeans were cutting off blood circulation to her leg muscles (which sounds pretty unpleasant!)? I know this is just supposed to be a short summary, but it rises more questions than it answers.