Time – The walk

My fall was 7 weeks ago today. My last update was more than 3 weeks ago. Healing takes time.

Summary of events

Wound 3 days after my fall.

On June 10, I fell 15-20 feet for a embankment in a box cannon, right north of the Ghost Rancho. I used the SOS function in my zoleo to get help. After several hours, the search and rescue arrived. I was carried out on a stretcher and Medevac’d to the Unm trauma center in albuquerque. The next day, my husband arrived and underwent surgery for a broken and dislocated hip. I spent a total of 7 days in the hospital before being discharged. A few days later, we fly home.

Since we have been at home, I have seen a local ortho, I have eliminated the basic products and I have had numerous PT sessions. I have also consulted with a cosmetic surgeon for my front scars that persist. And I have a ramp to get out of the front porch!

Progress update

I’m healing. I have seen Ortho twice since I have been at home. On both occasions, they have taken radiographs to verify the healing of the bones. He is progressing and the doctor is «quite satisfied» with him. Yesterday, I talked to him about some pains that I still have with certain movements or positions, and he explained why, as well as the physiology of the hip.

1 week after the elimination of basic elements

Surgical incision 3 days after surgery.

Basco de Clpas (19 days after the operation)

In PT, I have been doing new exercises every week or two. The sets also increased per week after adding each exercise. I also do the exercises at home every night. Today, I talked to the therapist about the pain in my hip flexor when I was flat, whether or not my PT is doing. She gave me some more stretching to do throughout the day, in addition to the exercises I am doing.

I still do not allow weight on my left leg. It will be more than one month before you can start adding weight gradually and start walking. I put myself in a wheelchair or jump with a walker. I’m getting stronger! When I came home for the first time, I could barely go to 10 feet with the walker. Now, 20 -yard jump. Normally I use the wheelchair at home so that dogs do not tear me down. If we are not at home, we bring both the walker and the wheelchair. Sometimes, I will use the walker for all the time I can, and then make my partner of the day (husband, mother or adolescent) take my wheelchair when I get too tired.

Dejection

When we arrived home for the first time, my husband and my son were worried about leaving me alone at home. They worried that I would fall or need some kind of assistance. A week later, they started leaving me. We have had some mishaps for which I have managed to fight. For example, one of our dogs has to be in a bond when it comes out. One day, she was trapped in a strand of grass and could not return. This was before we got the ramp, so I used my walker to go on the back porch and then sat on the rear steps. I worn one step at the same time until I could reach his link and gave him a good shooting. I climbed the steps again, through the porch and in the kitchen, all without getting tangled in their draw. Then I was stuck. Being sitting on the floor, it is not easy as a woman in about 50 years. Doing it with just one leg was impossible. So, I got into my room to load my phone (it was less than 5%), I returned to the kitchen to get my wheelchair. He pushed him in front of me as he returned to the living room. And I got up on the couch. From there I could return to my wheelchair. Not including the steps, I cut at least 75 feet in my butt. Imagine the crab walking with the butt on the floor, but without the scooter with wheels that we use in the gymnastics class when they were children. Boy, I was tired!

A few weeks later, I let the dogs out and the big ones ran directly to the back door, opening it. That was a problem because we have 3 pets for pets in the patio. The dogs returned when I called, and the sheep discovered the open door. Two of them wandered to explore the greenest with the other side. This patio section is open to the entrance and the road. I called my son who was in football practice and then my husband who was at work. Of the quick conversations, it sounded as if none of them could leave. So, I called my mother. She said she was putting her shoes and would be there as soon as she could. I called my son and my husband to say that the help was on his way, but both had already left. He was the furthest and trapped behind a large truck. I was really worried about the sheep that were heading towards the busy rural road where we lived. While I waited, I grabbed fresh corn ears and my walker, I went on the front porch, I lowered my new ramp and around the backyard. Jumping barefoot on the small rocks on the entrance road, I approached the door enough to throw the corn into the patio. Both sheep ran back to the patio! I climbed the last 15 feet and closed the door behind them. Phew! That was a training too! I was too tired to return to the front porch, so I went up to the rear steps and sat down to wait for everyone to arrive. The cars spinned, my husband brought my wheelchair, my son helped me get into her and they pushed me back to the house. We all relax a little before my mother returned home.

Other milestones

However, I have had some big milestones! When I first left the hospital, I needed my husband to help me shower. Due to my sore forearms, I could not reach far or twist my arms to wash my hair or most other parts of the body. I also had difficulty entering and getting out of the shower and drying. I have been bathed 100% on my own for more than a week! It takes me longer than it used to, but I gather my bedding, I transfer to the shower chair, take the shower head, wash the hair and the body, dry and transfer back to my wheelchair. All on my own! That is a great victory!

My scars on the forehead from last week.

I am cooking on my own. Only simple things like sauteed, eggs and toast, and grilled cheese. I prepare anything at the table while I feel in my wheelchair. Then, I pushed those ingredients through the table to be able to reach them from the stove. I take any other ingredient to the counter next to the stove. Then I stop on my walker and cook. Standing more than 5-10 minutes at the same time is difficult, but I can make simple meals on my own.

I can do some tasks around the house such as sweeping, dusting and loading the dishwasher. Download would take more than an hour with the constant opening and closure of the machine to reach the cabinets with a short pile of dishes, balance a leg and reach the cabinets. And then repeat that another dozen times. I also do the clothes in the laundry. Our machines are in the basement, so they are currently inaccessible to me. We had the plan to move them to the closed rear and winter porch of the room one day. Someday has arrived. We have aligned workers to complete the task in the coming weeks.

For several days, I have been putting my socks and hiking shoes without help. (Yes, you still use trails of trails because they are very comfortable). That is a challenging task for some reasons. First, leaning far enough to make my hip hurts. In addition, the twist and strength necessary to put on shoes is painful for my forearms. At the beginning of last week, my mother and I got a long shoe to help with that.

Current state

I have 5 or 6 weeks until I start working to walk. My forehead scars are being treated with a silicone scar patch. My sore forearms are still in limbo but improve. Insurance will not cover PT for them while I still receive treatment for my hip. But I need my arms to move now. Meanwhile, they are starting to feel a little better. They still catch me without realizing when I move them automatically in a common way and pain grabs me. But now I can open most of the bottles and bottles, while before I could not make any exciting or twisted movement. I only take ibuprofen once or twice a week, but there is no other pain medication. I still get tired. One morning of mandados and an afternoon of simple tasks exhausts me. I feel that I have done nothing, but I have to remind myself that healing also takes energy.

July 27

July 12

July 18

For me, it seems that healing is taking eternity. I think my family is tired of my constant needs. I know I am. I try to be as independent as possible to reduce its load. They still frustrate me when I can’t move the direction in which I want to go, or as fast as I want. My right foot has begun to hurt all the jump.

But I’m healing. I am in the middle of the process before I can start walking. Every day I do PT is a day that makes me stronger and closer to walking. And when I walk my first mile after the fall, you know I will celebrate it!