(At Least) 4 More Weeks

I had my 2-week follow-up appointment this morning.  It started with x-rays, followed by removing the staples.  There may not have been 100 staples as I commented to my sister the other day, but there were at least 50.  And yes, they hurt like hell to be pulled, but I survived.   My leg is still swollen and puffy.  When I touch my knee I can't feel it yet, which is a very strange, disconcerting feeling.  So I decided I just won't touch it for a while.  On the bright side, at least I can shower now.

The most shocking thing was that when the PA came in he put up this morning's x-rays right away before I had a chance to brace myself.  Wow.  Of this type of break, I really went all out.  It was broken in two different directions.  I now have an 8 or 9 inch metal rod in my leg with four 4 inch screws in the bottom of my femur (in the top of my knee joint) and two 2 inch screws above at the other end of the metal rod.  Eventually I may try to get some images so I can show you here, but trust me when I say I really broke it terribly.  My next appointment is in 4 weeks.  Until then I still can't put any weight on that leg, and so I will be completely off work until I can be re-evaluated in a month.

At least 4 more weeks.  Sigh.  That's a long time with not much to do.  All I can hope for is that my leg continues to feel more and more comfortable and I can improve my mobility even just a little.   I have improved since the surgery 2 weeks ago, so I must remember that and just let myself take the time to heal.  Yeah, that's it.

I Bought A Poncho The Other Day

I had a computer and time on my hands.  It's one of those things that I have never had yet always wanted.   They just seem like they'd be comfortable and functional for some situations and/or weather.

About 20 years ago I saw a poncho in a store that I really liked but, for reasons I can't recall, I never bought it.  I have regretted that ever since and have always kind of kept my eye out for one but never see any for sale.  So with that thought, free time, and permission from my wife I went about searching for one.  It wasn't as easy I thought - which makes me think I don't have fashion to worry about.  Fashion only matters as much to me as any other typical 40 something male, anyway.

I wanted black, but in the interest of dirt and lint, I got a gradated gray.  It has a hood, is made of sheep and alpaca wool and comes from Bolivia.  I got it here, less than 50 bucks total, and it should arrive in 10 days or so.  I really hope I really like it, but it's probably not smart to wear it while I still have to use crutches or a walker...

The Hospital Stay, Briefly

Generally the hospital stay was the necessary experience that you would expect.  It started out fine, Friday night after the surgery, with competent, nice, nurses who took good care of me.  When I started to see the nurse's aides on the day shifts is when I got nervous and worried.  These were people who seemed underqualified to say "do you want fries with that?"  It culminated in the last nurse I had on Sunday being downright scary.  She didn't seem to have confidence in what she was doing, so how were we to be confident in her?  She didn't even know how to operate the bed I was in.  But mostly she pissed me off when she gave me the wrong meds on Sunday afternoon.  I hadn't noticed at the time, but it sure explains why I got so drowsy!  We wound up voicing our displeasure to anyone who would listen, and had a talk with the head nurse about her before I was discharged.  We couldn't get me out of there fast enough that day. 

I've had the misfortune to be hospitalized a couple times in my life, and the quality of care has gone down each time.  I guess this is just a reflection of the times we live in, unfortunately.

Broken Leg: Week Two

Hello people, family, friends, peers, lurkers and random visitors.  I hope all of you enjoyed your 3 day weekend, if you were so lucky.  We would have been but, of course, we were both off work already.

My wife returned to work this morning for a half day, getting me all set up in my chair with everything I might need before she left.  I have been encouraging her to go back, I need to be more self sufficient during the day hours.  I had been working on my mobility with a walker (broken thigh, remember?) this holiday weekend and can now get myself around the house and in and out of chairs the way I need to.  After this she will work full days tomorrow and Thursday, maybe with an extended lunch break that she will use to come home and check in on me.  Then only in the afternoon Friday so she can get me to my leg appointment in the morning.

I know she has been upset with me a few times since getting me home from the hospital.  Mostly because I had been a jackass, frustrated with my own limitations.  But she has been wonderful to me this whole time.  If I had any doubt that she loved me, well, she has seen me at my lowest and still has never turned away from anything.  For that and so much more,  I love her more than anything.  When things are more normal I want to do something very nice for her.

Friday morning is the first follow-up appointment, a full fortnight after the surgery.  I won't even be seeing the orthopaedist, I will be seeing his PA.  I have never had staples before, I don't know if they will be removed then, but I am a little worried they will hurt.  (They're metal friggin' staples in my leg!)  I should get a clearer idea of when I may get back to work though, among other things.  I still have not seen my original x-ray.  I don't think I want to see it yet, but I may request a printout of the before and the after x-rays, in a sealed envelope for 'someday'...

I know I haven't recounted the hospital stay yet, so I may just touch upon that next.  It was kind of an eye-opening visit for me, but I'll explain that later.   Good Day!

A Hunter Shoots A Bear

I found this fun to play with!  Do it!

Leg Meds!

Well, here is my surgically repaired right leg and meds I am taking.  I tried to make it look like an exclamation mark (!).  Eh, what can I say, I'm bored.  But the Badgers open their season tonight at UNLV!  I will be up for that despite the 10:00 pm start!

Recounting The ER

Well, I said I would recount my visit to the ER.  I was in exceptional pain at that time, so the following is the gist of what I can remember in that haze.  Facts may differ slightly, as may the timeline of some things.   This may be hard to read for those close to me.  It is upsetting for me to write.

The ambulance guys were nice, efficient and professional, and very understanding of the amount of pain I was in.  They gave me 100 mg of Fentanil, I think.  It seemed to me to be the most they could do.  When I got to the ER they told that to the nurse and also told them that it didn't even touch my pain.  The nurse shot me up with what she said was a double dose of Dilaudid, which did bring my screams down to a dull roar.  I do remember her saying, "Stop screaming!"  My breathing was still rapid and labored trying to deal with the pain.  This may have been the point that the young ER doctor, who still thought I had just twisted my knee, picked up my leg and straightened it out and back a couple times.  This made me scream bloody murder like I never thought I could.  It. Was. Brutal.  I yelled at him to stop, between my gutteral screams.  What followed was a shot of Morphine that did nothing for me.  I think around now they tried to get x-rays, but I could not be moved so the did their best and did manage to get their pics.  After that everyone was noticably nicer to me - the x-rays showed them how horrific my injury really was - and I got another shot of Dilaudid.  Finally the painkillers stopped my screaming, yet it was wearing off fast.  I begged them to knock me out over and over but I got nothing else until I was in the OR.  At one point I remember a rather large man talking forcefully to me about due to the violent nature of my injury if anyone did this to me or if anything else happened besides what I had told them.  I didn't see him again and, looking back, I believe it may have been some sort of cop.

That is mostly what I remember.  Definitely not everything that happened but in my state at the time I wish I could forget it all.

Edit: I should note that the accident happened at about 4:00 and I was wheeled into OR about 8:00, 4 hours later.  A long 4 hours in some ways.  As quick as they could, I am certain.

Stepping Out, So To Speak

I had a doctor appointment this morning for my upper back.  It just confirmed what I already know but there's not a whole lot to be done about it until this busted thigh bone thingy is more under control (meaning less pain and more mobility).  I don't want to have to go to PT like this and I can't have an MRI with the brace on my leg (not to mention the staples in my leg!).  So, I just have to deal with it until we are better able to treat it.  I did get another prescription that is supposed to help with the inflammation of my back and the nerve that is giving me pain in my arm and numbness in my hand, though.

So this morning was very busy (mostly for Kate, of course) getting me cleaned up, dressed, and transported across town.  Very tiring and trying for both of us.  Shortly after we got home I ended up dozing until just recently, it really wiped me out.  My next scheduled foray out into the world is next Friday, a follow-up appointment for my leg.

I know blogging has been different around here lately.  I am not able to spend much time on the computer so I am trying to let everyone know how we are doing here so they don't feel the need to call constantly.  I know it is all well intentioned, but truthfully I am sick of repeating myself, and that's just to the medical staff!  I told the nurse this morning that I had written out how it happened on my website and I should probably just print it out for the next dozen or so inquirers!

Anyway, this is what I am dealing with so this is what I am writing about.  I want to thank everyone for all their well-wishes and nice comments (even though they don't comment here).