Magneto & Titanium Man or Not for the Squeamish or Son of Frankenstein

Doctor Update: Kirt is scarred. Yes, those are metal staples. And now they are gone (a slightly scary and "bee sting feeling" event), but I came through it. I'm sure there will be a scar. If you look closely at the X-rays, you can see the staples. Good news is I can put some "walking weight" (about 10-15 lbs) on the leg and can walk with along with the crutch. I have this brace that will allow me to bend 90 degrees for now, and may expand that in a couple of weeks. So, I can bend it enough to get into the front seat of the car and that means driving is next. Good things are coming. I may be limited in what I can do, but I'm still going to go to San Diego with the kids in May. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers.

It's not because I'm old . . . I'm not arrogant!

When we told our neighbor we were only now going to put hand rails in our shower we just remodeled last Fall, but didn't put hand rails in, she accused us of being so arrogant. Did we really think an accident wouldn't happen and one of us might not ever slip in the shower? Just as a safety precaution, we should have put them in. We had the reinforcements built in, but now with my limitations, we figured it was time to install. Nick, our contractor who did our remodel had tried to convince me back then to also install a "tall throne" toilet, but I hesitated. He said the high level makes it an easy sit, and the super flush eliminates all sized small animals with one "swoosh." Nick has these in his house, and his toddlers just have to climb higher, he says. With an immobile left leg, he had my attention now. And, let me tell you, I know why they call it a throne. I feel like royalty. Luckily, Lorrie has long enough legs to reach the floor or she might be relegated to the guest bath. We can now sell the house to an old couple . . . oops, that is us . . . (an older couple)!

The coolest thing about the toilet lid is it is safety hinged. So, when you start it closing, it slowly closes like the auto-door closers in buildings. No slamming the lid, nor getting your fingers caught. Some thought photos were too much. So, we pulled them to spare your tender concerns.

Thanks!

I just want to thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers and expressions of concern. This has truly been quite an ordeal but I think everyone has weathered this well, and we shall see how it has grounded our faith, and given us new understanding about those things that are most meaningful in life. It has taught us patience, perserverence, and perspective.

I am sure you all are aware that the event that has changed our marriage forever is the ride down from Bogus Basin, with Lorrie at the wheel, while Kirt (suffering excruciating physical pain) managed to allow her to drive in peace. (Well, almost.) But it truly was revelatory.

But seriously folks, thanks for all your thoughtfulness. Dad built me a ramp to make getting in and out of the house much easier. Others have brought me delicious eats or equally important thoughtful expressions of interest. To all, I say, Thank You.

The Surgery was a Success!

My ACL was not blown, and so that is good news. My surgeon was really good and he seems positive on my recovery. I'll need to be on crutches for 8 weeks. After the first 10 days, I"ll get a soft cast that will allow me to bend my knee. But these first 10 days, not only will I have a straight immobilizer, but I have to give myself shots in the stomach as a blood thinner to prevent blood clots. I'm also supposed to do ankle twists as often as I can to keep the blood flowing. Malorie is concerned about blood clots, so she'll be glad I'm working on that.

Here are some pictures of the xrays during the surgery. I ended up with one plate and all those screws. I don't know if I'll set off metal detectors, but I'll have to check this out.

Right now, I'm pretty loopy from drugs, so good luck trying to make sense of anything I'm doing. Needless to say, I'm not driving (because of the narcotics) and because my leg won't fit in the front seat. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers.

Here's my Tag Team

O.K. I'm into the simple things of life lately: Don't Sweat the Small Stuff . . . and it's all small stuff: page 123: "If you attend a gathering and listen to all the criticism that is typically levied against others, and then go home and consider how much good all that criticism actually does to make our world a better place, you'll probably come up with the same answer that I do: Zero!"

I'll tag:

Mackenzie
Leslie
Erin
Meredith
Janalee

Does anyone else read my blog?

Tag? I'm it?

Well, now, I only heard about this game after reading Lesley's blog today (and Les, I would have figured out what you were talking about, given your hints. We saw the Unity Church!) Dad read aloud to me that I'd been tagged, so here's my closest book--"Whole Wheat Baking"! ( I was in the kitchen at the time--too bad I wasn't near my nightstand!)

Here's the 5th line from Page 123--TO MAKE THE TOPPING: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Stir in the brown sugar and cook... (Yummy!) The recipe is for Cherry-Almond Bread Pudding (Yucky!) if, perchance you LIKE bread pudding, and want the recipe, let me know--I'll send it to you.

I tag: ( I used your middle names in case you think I'm talking to another Jonathan, etc.)
Jonathan Micheal
Tyler Roland
Kristie June
Mark Curtis
Steven James


Here are the rules:
1. Grab the book closest to you (has to be at least 123 pages)
2. Turn to page 123
3. Find the 5th sentence
4. Post the 5th sentence on your blog
5. Tag 5 people

Fun! I'll be watching your blogs!

Surgery Blues

Kirt saw the surgeon yesteday, and is scheduled for surgery tomorrow afternoon. Yikes! This is a little more complicated than we first thought. It involves scopes, extenders, bone graft and staples. Double yikes!

The tibial plateau is flat, and the femor about it is like an arched bridge. When Kirt hit, the left side of the femoral bridge hit the flat plateau, cracking one side of the "t" off, and making a divot in the top of the flat plateau. It could heal on it's own, but Kirt would have major trouble in 5 years. We were hoping this would be an outpatient thing, but our surgeon will go in, open the leg, and do all the repairs, including filling in all the cracks and holes. It will take about 2 1/2 hours, so as you can see, it won't be an outpatient thing.

What is good news is this--the ER doc had told Kirt that he would probably be in a hard fiberglass cast for 8 weeks, but he won't! He'll be in a stiff brace for 12 days, then a brace that will allow the knee to move. He'll start physical therapy at that point, riding a stationary bike with no tension every day. He'll also be able to ride in the front seat of the car again. In our last few car rides, he has truly been a "backseat driver." I appreciate his tips, hints, and directions.
Of course, that's as soon as he's no longer taking pain medication!

He will ski again, although tennis for the summer is more than likely out!

Kirt's Toboggan Ride!

Skiing isn't enough winter sports for me. I wanted to do some sledding. So, on the last run before we stopped for lunch, I was in some light powder next to the groomed run and I turned to the left. Unfortunately, I caught my left ski edge, which spun me around 360 degrees, slamming me into the snow on my left side. I'm sure it was a spectacular wipe out to witness. I only remember spinning around and I heard something "pop" on my left leg, and then my body located the hard ground. . . with emphasis on the word "HARD." The impact knocked the air out and I couldn't breathe for quite a time. A couple skied up to see if I was o.k. and I couldn't even talk, because I couldn't breathe. The guy seemed anxious to get going, and announced, "Good to see you'll be fine," and they skied off. My skis were still on, but I couldn't stand up. My left leg just wouldn't work. As I sat there, another skier, named Jon came up to see if he could help. I was only about 50 feet from the bottom of the hill, and Lorrie had skied down to take off her skis for lunch. I asked him to tell her where I was. He did, and when Lorrie looked up the hill, she asked if the "clump" was me, and he said yes. She then knew I had not been playing with her.

Ski Patrol arrived, and strapped me in the toboggan and off we went to the medical shed. I had slammed down on my left side so hard my ribs on that sid were hurting. Other than my knee, which was swelling by the minute, and my ribs, I was fine. Ski Patrolman Keith recommended that I see a doctor, since it seemed like it was serious. They helped me get into the car, and Lorrie drove down the mountain. For those of you who have driven the road to Bogus Basin or driven with Kirt in the passenger seat, you know how nerve racking both experiences are. Now, add to that an injured and delirous-with-pain Kirt, and I'm sure you all are now more sympathetic to the plight of Lorrie than the injuries of Kirt. After a few minutes, Lorrie ignored me, and I realized she was ignoring me. So, we made it down fine.

Lorrie's most inspired moment came when she suggested that I call my GP Doctor, who got us in. I'll now hit the high lights only: Doctor says looks like a tendon strain, but to be safe, need x-rays. Likely nothing serious, but if it is, the radiologist will call doctor. Radiology tech says the radiologist won't get reading to doctor until Monday, unless it is serious. After images developed, tech announces I have a "significant” injury, so I’ll have to go upstairs to ER. My doctor is talking with the ER doctor. ER doctor shows me on x-ray that I have a Tibial Plateau Fracture. If you look closely at my x-rays, on the right side of the Tibia, you can see a piece that is cracked. He orders a CT scan to see if it is displaced, and it is by about 1/4 inch. Which means I need to meet the surgeon Monday to figure out what kinds of screws, plates, bolts, nuts or other hardware may need to be inserted to fix it. It seemed that every step of this process just brought more bad news. The only good news was the doc sent me home with Vicodin.

So, I'm now at home, immobilized with this splint do-hickey that keep my leg straight. Oh, did I tell you my left ribs still feel like a Sumo Wrestler sat on me? I don't know what I will do, since with the immobilzer, I can't sit in the front seat of the car, let alone drive. LORRIE IS SO NICE TO ME. She takes care of me, and is so willing to help me. I would be lost without her.

Hope the surgeon has better news next week.