Category Archives: Health Issues

Health Issues, Something About Us

Happy (belated) New Year!

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The final sunsetAfter a difficult three-stage series of flights home from Aruba, we arrived in Seattle to no snow! I think this is the first time in six trips that we’ve done that. Seems every year, we’d take a trip around Christmas, and come home to snow. Not so this year. We grabbed the car, crossed the border and picked up Max, the wonder dog. Usually he’s a bit annoyed with us, and gives a good barking to, to let us know. This year, he was pretty eager to see us, and gave us only a bark or two of greeting while the gate was closed, and then came running over. It was a nice reunion.

Christmas was quiet, as Pam worked the 24th, 25th, and 26th. While there, she picked up the new strain of flu going around, that the head of the BC Centre for Disease Control says makes “You feel like you’ve been hit by a truck.” And trust me, she is not kidding. A couple days after Pam picked it up, I got nailed, and we’ve been struggling to just sit up since!

For basically a week, we struggled to do anything other than lay down and sleep, getting up to be sick, or let Max out. Today is the first day I’ve been able to actually sit up for longer than twenty minutes without getting dizzy and nauseous. Another couple of days, and we should be back to normal, whatever that might be for us!

Hope you all are having a healthier start to the New Year! Best wishes to you all!

(I’ve got a couple other things to post about our trip to Aruba, so hopefully I’ll get to them sooner, rather than later.)

Commentary, Health Issues

Getting around in a wheelchair

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With Pam needing a wheelchair to get anywhere, it’s been interesting to see how people react, how easy it is to get places, and how people treat you in general.

For the most part, people have been pretty good with treating us as people. I hate to say it, but it’s been along racial lines that people ignore you. Here in Surrey there is a very large East Indian population, and they have been amazing. Opening doors, smiling, chatting – even more so than when we weren’t in the chair! I’ve really been pleased with the reception, it’s been wonderful and heartwarming. The Chinese, on the other hand, have been rude, abusive, and pushy. They’ve never once held a door open, they’ve virtually ignored us, and they’ve run to cut us off, failed to move even an inch so we could get by, and even pushed to get on a small elevator first. It’s a real tragedy over the way they’ve treated us. At the local T&T, a mostly Chinese store, the staff has been good, but the customers even pushed by us to get ahead in the checkout line!

On the other hand, every restaurant we’ve been to has been amazing. They’ve rushed to open the doors, helped us find a table, moved chairs, and basically done everything possible for us. Patrons in our local pub, Brewster’s, have been really terrific. They have literally RUN to hold open the door, cleared a path for us, and treated us with amazing respect.

Most stores have been quite accessible. Well signed elevators, wide aisles, and respectful staff. In no way could you say that we’ve been overlooked, or mistreated. Kudos to all of them. With ONE exception! The Bay in Guildford Mall was abysmal. The store itself is huge, with tons of open areas, but it was impossible to get around any of the aisles containing products! We wanted to look at shower curtains, but could not. The aisles were far too small for a wheelchair to get down.

As for parking, it’s been generally very good. However, there have been a number of times when we’ve seen people in the handicapped spots, who were clearly not impaired in anyway. One young girl cut us off to get into the spot, then got out and ran into the store, and I mean RAN. We found a spot farther away and struggled to get Pam into the chair in the narrow parking stalls. I used to be kind of ambivalent about the handicapped spots, but having to get around with the chair has really given me an appreciation for their effectiveness, and their real need. We have a handicapped parking pass but I’ve made sure I avoided the handicapped spots when Pam was not with me.

Overall, I’d have to say it’s been a pretty good experience most times we’ve been out.

Health Issues

Surgeon Appointment coming up on Friday..

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Hi Everyone,

I am up at the computer for a few minutes so thought I would take a sec and write a few words. Thanks for the cards and gifts 🙂 It really means a lot to me to have that support and contact with everyone. Of course, being laid up has given me an opportunity to write to everyone at work at both sites, as well as cards or letters to everyone in my address book, so that has helped me pass the time. I am about to call my surgeons office to let them know of my left incision (the one on the outer aspect of the leg that had the 40 staples in it, has opened in 2 spots and both holes have drainage. Seems to be old blood mostly but I worry about infection so want to know if I should be on some prophylactic antibiotics. I’m seeing the surgeon on Friday, so I’m not sure if they will let it continue to drain or stitch me up again. 🙁 the holes are about 1/2-3/4 of one cm each). They came open in the area where, when my family Dr took out the staples, one area just gushed out some blood down my leg, so I think there is a big hematoma in there that needs to evacuate. (just my guess). Both areas had a hard bit sticking out of the incision and I know from my breast cancer incision that it was a piece of suture that would dissolve. Anyways both area’s look look almost like a fistula hole (say it isn’t so) but I will call the surgeons office and let him know. I’ve been holding the wound together with a couple of bandaids, and changing them every couple of days.

 

The incision on the right side of the knee had split open after the last of the steri strips had come off, and it wasn’t deep or bleeding, so we pushed the incision together and it seems to have worked. I’ve had no bandaids on it for a few days now so fixed that side, but the left side continues to worsen so I think the surgeon is going to have to do something there…

 

I’ve been spending most of my days sitting up in my recliner. I make it to the bathroom or bed with an old lady walker 🙂 I don’t have a ton of stamina with it, but I’m doing alright. 🙂 I can do my hair standing at the laundry sink and there is a small bathroom down here so I can do a wash there. He has brought a bed down into the family room, as I am not able to do stairs right now but he’s thought of everything and is taking good care of me.

 

The pain in my leg now is mostly stiffness and when I do the exercises. It hurts behind the knee on outer left when I try to lift my leg behind me by bending my knee. I started at about 45 degrees flexion in the knee (not great) but with physio it has started improving each time. I have gone to 50 degrees, then 70, then 77 degrees and then 80 degree’s… not normal yet, but it’s a struggle to gain a degree with the swelling and stiffness I am having. I can’t wait to see the surgeon and see if this brace can at least come off at night so I’ll be able to sleep easier. I have a feeling it won’t, but I’m hoping anyways.

 

I am going to physio in a few minutes. Just heard back from surgeon’s office. Because I told them it looked more like old blood and not infected looking, I am OK to wait and see him on Friday, but if it looks infected at all, to call the office and he will see me sooner. So, for now, I’m going to wait. 🙂

 

I’m off to get ready for physio, better take a couple of pain pills…  and I will post again if any new developments… maybe after I see surgeon on friday.

Take care everyone and thanks all for your kind comments and support. Special thanks to Maurice, without whom I could absolutely not manage.

…Pam…

Health Issues

July 28th

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Both incisionsHi everyone. Sorry for taking so long to post again. Pam is doing ok. She is still a couple weeks from being able to try putting weight on her broken leg. She has been going to physio and they are pleased with her ability to bend the broken knee. She started with about 40% range of motion, but has that up to about 75% currently.

Inside incisionShe has had some problems with one of the incisions not healing quite properly. It has never quite knitted together, and it’s sprung a few drops of blood. We’re heading back to see her doctor today to see if she should get a stitch or three put in to help. The other side is doing ok, but has become irritated with the brace she has to wear 24/7. It has rubbed right near the knee cap, and it’s a bit sore. When she stands up for any length of time, the injured leg gets quite discolored, going a deep red, so I’m not sure what’s up with that.

Both these pictures were taken July 5th, over two weeks after the surgery. Her leg is still quite swollen in the pictures, although it has gone down quite a bit since then. It’s still quite swollen, but getting better anyway. She has a lot of sensitivity in the leg, and has a lot of trouble getting comfortable. Partly, I think, because of the inactivity she is forced to endure. Usually we’re out in a park everyday with Max, so it’s been hard on her to sit in her chair.

She was going stir crazy just staring at these walls so we piled in the car, along with Max and we drove to one of the local parks. I wheeled her around in her wheelchair so we could see the flowers and watch Max prance with the dogs, so that was nice. There have been precious few nice days this year. Unlike most of the world, we’re stuck in cool weather, rainy and very little sunshine.

Overall, I’m feeling positive with how she is recovering, physically. She is struggling with the mental side, though. It’s a been a long couple of years with all these surgeries and injuries, and she still has a long fight ahead of her to even get back to walking. I can’t blame her for feeling a little down.

She gets a visitor once in a while and they really have been a great tonic for her. Maggie came over and painted her toes a bright color and put some fancy tattoos on them, so she was pretty thrilled about that. She’s been a real boon to Pam’s spirits, a really great friend.

We’re hanging in there. Hope you’re all doing swell!

First snorkel as locals
Health Issues

Short update

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Pam had her first physio appointment yesterday. Her therapist basically used the day to get baseline measurements, how far she can bend her knee (not far!), range of motion in her ankles and feet – stuff like that. She still has considerable swelling near her knee, but it is better than it was last week.

She’s managing the pain a lot better I think. She’s taking the “long term” pain killer twice a day, and takes another booster as necessary, and she seems to be taking fewer of those. She is still three weeks or so away from putting any weight on her left leg. She has managed to actually turn on her side during the night, at long last, so she’s really happy about that.

We still have not heard from Home Depot. I went to Home Depot with the private investigator to get statements from employees, and a copy of the incident report. They were not willing to provide either. The manager did seem quite surprised to hear that we had not been contacted, but said it was out of his hands. We did manage to talk to the woman who tried to administer “first aid” to Pam, but she refused to elaborate, nor did she even ask how Pam was doing. It’s all rather remarkable to me. They can’t even ask how she is doing?? I realize for legal reasons they don’t want to say they’re sorry, but they could show SOME compassion!

Thanks again guys for all the kind words. I’m sorry I’m not providing better updates, but we’re hanging in there. Pam’s spirits waver, but your words do help her. It’s not easy to see her struggle, but I do see minor improvements from last week, and that’s all we can ask! Keep the faith, as they say.

 

 

First snorkel as locals
Health Issues

Sunday update

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We’ve been busy the last few days. Pam has been hopping about the lower level of the house, and seems to be doing very well. Can’t ask for more really. She’s managing the pain quite well I think. And Max is pretty happy to have her back!

We met with Pam’s family doctor on Thursday and she removed the staples from Pam’s two incisions –  71 staples in total – forty on one side, thirty-one on the other. She said that “In truth, you should still be in the hospital…” But the incisions looked very good, and are healing very nicely. There was no sign of infection or anything, so really good news there.

On Friday, we met with the surgeon who performed the surgery. They took some X-rays, and while there is a loose bone fragment near the kneecap, they thought things were healing nicely. We got to see the X-ray which showed the big metal plate in her leg, and four big screws attaching it to her bone. He was pleased with her recovery so far. He has ordered her into physiotherapy to get her bending the knee. He was quite pleased with the healing on the incisions too. So all in all, pretty good news.

She still has a lot of swelling and there is quite bad bruising, particularly on the back of the calf muscles, and around the knee. She still can’t walk on the leg – still another month before she is allowed to put any weight on it. We have a walker for her to hop around, but she’s not really comfortable doing that yet. The brace bangs her right leg, and she’s got some small bruising her good leg.

Her work buddies sent a couple of big boards with post-it notes full of encouraging words, and that has buoyed her spirits. It was fun to read the messages! They’re just in disbelief over her bad luck!

Anyway, things are going well so far. The tough part for Pam will be starting the rehab on Monday. She has been warned it will be painful and difficult to regain the movement she had previously. And although we’ve been told she will never be the same as before, we’re hopeful that she can buck the odds and come back strong. Doesn’t help to be negative, so we’re thinking as positively as we can.

 

First snorkel as locals
Health Issues

First day home

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I picked up Pam from the hospital this morning. We loaded her into the back seat of the car, and got her home. I was able to get a wheelchair and a walker from the Red Cross so I was able to wheel her into the house via the garage and got her settled in her big favorite La-Z-Boy recliner.

Max was pretty excited to see her, and kept licking her feet – now that’s one tough dog eh?!

It’s a nice day here, so we were able to have the patio doors open and she got to see the garden. She seems to be in much better spirits! We’re having a bit of trouble getting her completely comfortable, but it’s not like she was totally comfortable in the hospital either! But the recliner is much more comfortable than the wheelchair in the hospital.

We had a relaxing day. I think she really liked having Max around, and he was really glad to have her back. It’s good to see her back here. Mentally, this change will be really good for her. She’s pretty pumped about not having to lay in a bed for 80% of the day.

She read all the blog posts and comments and she wants to thank everyone for their kind words, and encouragement. THANKS EVERYONE!

First snorkel as locals