Well its hard to believe, but it has been 3 weeks since the accident and surgery on my hip. and although it feels like it just happend yesterday on one hand - on the flip side it feels like i have been on these crutches and unable to walk (OR DRIVE!!) for months. to say i am sick of using crutches is a mild understatement. i have 38 steps into and out of my appartment, so getting around has proven to be more work than i ever imagined.
i am happy to let everyone know that things are slowly starting to improve. I am still off work but hope to be able to return to work with modified duties in about a week. i have been riding the stationary bike everyday for an hour, as well as stretching, doing pool exercises and water running, and some light upper body weights. I have also done a TON of crutching all over tucson and SW arizona. As fate would have it, my parents had planned a trip to visit me right after returning from Hawaii. The initial plan was to go up to Utah to see Bryce Canyon and Zion national park. Unfortunately that has been put on hold as a result of my injuries. we have however managed to see just about everything in the Tucson area. We have been up Mt Lemon, and Medera Canyon, and through Gates Pass. We have been to the desert museum, the botanical gardens, and to the Biosphere (and just a tip - i don't recommend doing any on crutches). I have also watched more movies and TV in the last 2 weeks than I probably did all last year.
I also managed to finally get in to see an orthopeadic surgeon here in tucson for a follow up appointment this week. It was a tough day to say the least. He is a really great guy, I really like him. But he pulls no punches and gives it to you straight. He took xrays and reviewed them with me. He pointed out the fracture which was much worse than Dr Chang had made it out to be when I was in Hawaii. It was a spiral fracture that radiated into the head of the femur, which is why she had to use 2 IM nails and not a simple plate and screws. He was really pleased with how nice the surgery went - felt the nails were placed very well. But because of the severity of the fracture he is VERY concerned with the possibility of me developing osteonecrosis of my hip (same thing Flyoid Landis had). Unfortunately because of the nails, he can't order a contract MRI to measure blood flow to the hip, and will just have to monitor things via xray every 3 months for the next 2-3 years. He also said that the surgeon had to detach my piriformis and glut med to insert the screws, so he really isn't sure if I will ever be able to run again like I did before. To make matters worse, he wants to be very conservative with my rehab to make sure everything heals before putting too much weight on it. so I allowed no more than 20lbs until he does more xrays in 2 weeks - at which time I hope to be at least up to 50% weight bearing.
On the bright side, the giant fluid filled mass on the side of my leg where the surgeon put in the locking screws has stopped getting bigger, and he feels it isn't an infection like I thought, but just a cyst like pocket of intersitial fluid that he PROMISES to drain next visit. I wanted him to do it right then, but he wants everything to heal before risking possible infection by lancing it and draining it. Unfortunately it is the most painful part right now when I try and put my foot down with even 20lbs. At least I hope thats all thats causing the pain.
As for my shoulder, xrays showed a grade III separation - which he points out will hurt like a bitch in the short run, but which he feels shouldn't impact me too much in the long run. He has ordered an MRI of my shoulder to rule out any possible rotator cuff tears, or what he thinks is more likely, a complete tear in my trapezius muscle along the spine of the scapula. Not really sure what he would do for that - i forgot to ask. but I'm hoping it will just need some really deep massage after is scars down, and some really specific strengthening. I'll let you know after I get my MRI results.
I will update things after my next visit when i hope to have some more good news to share about how well things are going. In the mean time, I want everyone to send positive thoughts and prayers to a fellow Canandian Tara Norton that was also injured in a crash in Hawaii, but who is still struggling with pain in her back, arms, and ribs. God speed in your recovery. All of us are pulling for you.
