On Saturday, March 13, Sam and I were going to take our very excited dogs for a walk. We usually put the harnesses and leashes on them in the mudroom or out on the back deck. Sam had Lucy. I had Sadie. I walked outside holding Sadie's leash. It's common for them to run down the deck stairs and back up in excitement. When Sadie ran down, I didn't think anything about it. She did not run back up this time! She took off in the yard - with me still holding the leash!
I flew off the back deck - several steps up - and was airborne for a second and remember thinking that this was not going to end well. I bounced down the stairs hitting both ankles. I landed in a heap on the asphalt driveway after hitting my arm and ribs and head and face. I could not even make a sound at first. I knew I was hurt! Then I started crying - loudly!
After about 30 minutes in the driveway, I was able to sit up but could not get up! Pete finally told me I would have to go to the ER - that I had probably at least twisted my knee. Then we decided to call Watauga Medics because I had started shaking badly and could not move that leg.
The man and woman who came to get me could not have been nicer. I apologized for bothering them. They took me on my first ambulance ride to the hospital just about three miles away.
They didn't seem that busy, so I did not think much of it when I got instant attention. It went by so fast until the doctor said I had broken my leg! I could not believe it. I had a plateau tibial fracture - right below my knee. And he said he would send me upstairs where the surgeon would call me. I was ready to go on home with a leg brace!
It was a very very long night. The pain was so terrible. They finally gave me morphine to knock me out! I had talked to the doctor, who reminded me of one of our pediatricians at work that I really like, so I figured that was God telling me he was okay. He was going to put on an external fixator on Sunday and send me home. A what? Whatever. Just let me go home! So the next day I went to have surgery and got to see Dr. Nguyen and wished I'd just seen him at the store or somewhere!
The surgery went well, and I woke up to a huge Star Wars looking contraption on my leg. And I stayed another night. I could just feel those dollar signs, but I was in a lot of pain. I went home on Monday, my birthday! When we got out to the parking lot to get me in the van (thank goodness I have a Honda van!!), we didn't know how to get me in the car! I finally pulled myself up into the back seat and was stretched out across the whole back with that thing on my leg. Pete hurried home, because I was already exhausted!
When we got home, it took forever to get me in the house. I sat on the stairs after getting to them hopping with a walker. No weight at all could go on the broken leg. We eased me up one step at a time. When we got to the top, we looked around and found a sturdy chair and got me into that. Then we stood me up and moved the chair into the house, so I could sit on it and swivel around and use the walker to stand. It was crazy. Don't let anyone tell you that you won't use things you learn in school. We have to use ratios and fractions and percentages and all kinds of math with diabetes. With getting into the house, we used all kinds of physics and probably geometry and who knows what else to figure out how to maneuver and where I could pull up and where I could not.
I was home until I went back on Thursday for my repair surgery. William (bless his sweet little heart) came and backed me down the stairs in the wheelchair like the physical therapist had shown Pete. We heaved me and my monstrosity of a leg back into the car, and I was already about to cry from all of the effort.
We got to the hospital and asked for a blue wheelchair like they'd wheeled me out in. It had a place to hold up my heavy broken leg. They couldn't find one, so we had to make a regular one work - until we got into the doors and I was almost in tears. The kind lady at the front table put a trash can under my leg to give me some relief. And finally, someone brought a blue wheelchair.
We went to outpatient surgery and checked me in. I gave them my information and insurance - just like I did in the ER. In fact, I told Pete not to forget my pocketbook; because I knew they'd want all of my information when they took me in the ambulance. Then we went to a room to wait. And I was pretty calm for someone having another surgery in such a short span of time. But I was ready to move on and get it done!
Surgery went well. Pain was pretty managed with pain medication. I got to go home on Friday. We got me into the car a lot faster, when we left. Getting back into the house was a challenge, but we did that faster too. I was relieved. PT came and helped again. My leg was still very heavy with all of the bandages and the leg brace. But it was better than the external fixator.
One of my dear nurse friends came to change my bandages. I could not look. She told me things looked good and came back every couple of days to change it. I still could not look.
I went back to the Ortho after four weeks. We decided to try leaving the house through the front door. That was not the best choice, but we did it. I sat in the waiting room and watched people come in and be called back. We waited a long time. I was a little nervous about getting my 36 staples out, and I was getting really tired sitting in a chair with my leg straight out. Finally, we got called back. We went to the other end of the building, so I was thankful they got me a wheelchair. My x-rays looked fine - nothing had moved. And getting the staples out was not fun, but it was not as bad as I thought it might be. They told me to come back in four more weeks. We left in the rain, but I had mastered getting into the car quickly with a little help. We got home and got into the house
So in the meantime, I have been doing PT a lot. I have to get my extension back - straightening my leg and my knee bent to 90 degrees. I have worked hard to meet those goals - almost - before this Friday. I am hoping that they will let me "walk" with the walker instead of hopping on one foot. After I master that and can bear weight more, I can graduate to a cane. I also do a lot of arm exercises that have helped build up my stamina for dragging myself pretty much everywhere I go!
I've only been out of the house for one other appointment! Since I cannot stand well or balance well, I cannot take a chance on putting weight on my leg. So I hope this Friday will give me a bit more freedom! I have things to do!
Our family has been majorly blessed by so many people in so many ways these last several weeks. We appreciate everything - but mostly the prayers. This healing and stretching and strengthening is going well, but it's so hard to sleep at night with so much aching in my legs. But I sleep so much better than I did at first. I would only make it until 11:30 to 2:30 and then be up in the recliner watching Alfred Hitchcock, so my brain was not just zeroing in on the pain. We asked for more pain meds to get me through the night, but then we decided I would just use Tylenol. So I feel better knowing all of that is gone, even if it does mess with my sleep!
I had bad scare in the middle of the night when Pete went to do one of his cleaning jobs - because he woke up and couldn't go back to sleep. Sam's CGM was showing he was rapidly dropping. He wouldn't answer his phone, and I was about to panic. By the time I called Pete or anyone else, he would be too low. So I was able to get out of bed myself and get to the front hall to yell for him. Once we got his blood sugar up above the 40's, he helped get me back in bed! God provides! Because I would not have thought I could do that - and I did not do it alone!
I've also had Sarah to deal with this whole time. This has put a huge strain on everyone around me, and I am very thankful for everyone's help. I can watch Sarah for a little while, but I cannot fix her food or anything; because I cannot get around without the walker yet. And I cannot balance long enough to do it. My days to watch her were Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I hope I can start doing that again soon to free Pete up for his part-time job!
Peter asked if I'd gone outside and gotten some Vitamin D. No. We have to keep the doors locked or Sarah is gone. So I have felt a little bit cooped up but not as bad as you would think. And that is all God.
I've watched movies with my two movie buddies. I've read. I've prayed. A lot. In the middle of the night is a great time to pray extra.
I am still learning. I will never take walking for granted again. I am in the waiting room that I've talked about a lot - again. I am trying to be patient and be a good patient.
God never leaves us. A broken leg is not the worst thing. But it is hard and makes you dependent on others. And that's where I am able to see God's provision during this time. And I know there is more that I cannot see. At the very least, I have gained a new perspective in a lot of things and in a lot of ways. I just want this to bring glory and honor to God. Someone told me weeks ago that I handled this well, and I told her that I was stuck with myself all day and didn't want to be stuck with my "mean" self. And I've tried to watch my attitude and have even called people to pray for me and my attitude on tough days. And I am thankful they stop and pray for me right then!
Thanks for reading this! It is long, but I wanted to write it so I can read it again later and remember how thankful I am to walk!!!
