Wednesday 9/27 Report

Wednesday night I accompanied my wife on a re-supply mission to Wal-Mart. I intended to push the cart and use it for support while she loaded it. I tried that out in the parking lot but was only able to go about 20 steps before I acknowledged that wasn't going to work. It was too painful.

I switched to crutches while she pushed the cart. By the time I made it from the parking lot to inside the store I was in pain again. Most of the pain coming from the back side of my pelvis on the left.

Realizing that I was going to be more burden than help, I told her I would wait at the front of the store while she completed the mission.

I was in pretty bad pain the rest of the night, emanating from the back of my pelvis. That night I only got out of bed once to pee and went in the bottle once also.

Tuesday 9/25

Last night I went to sleep around 10:30 or so then woke up around 1 having to go to the bathroom. My lower back was so sore I couldn't get out of bed and had to use the urinal jug the hospital gave me.

That's been happening a lot lately. I'm having to go 3-4 times per night. Usually twice in the bottle and finally I get up around 5 and go, not returning to bed.

My back definitely feels more "delicate" today and yesterday. Not sure if something has broken loose. I'm being even more careful and slow than usual. Yesterday and today for the first time since the accident I can feel the bones shifting/popping inside my pelvis. It's a strange sensation, sort of like when you pop or crack your knuckles.

I also contemplated how much trouble this would be if I had a different job. I'm very fortunate to be able to work from home. In this condition, I doubt I could go to a conventional office job for various reasons:

• Can't drive a car while under the influence of the medication
• Can't really drive anyway...reaction times are off and it hurts to brace my left leg
• Can't carry anything since I need two crutches to walk.

Monday 9/24 Progress

Very difficult getting out of bed this morning. Pain flared up in my lower back and front overnight. It took several minutes to turn perpendicular and get my legs down. Getting in/out of the shower was also painful and so I went very slowly.

Took 2 LORTABS at around 6 am.

I'm trying to work in my office today and my left leg is very uncomfortable. It seems like numbness due to pressure. I got a soft bed pillow out of the house to sit on but it still feels sore inside. Other than that I feel pretty good.

Did not have a sinus headache this morning.

Progress Report

I've been walking with crutches for a few days now and am still getting the hang of them. They're more manuverable than the walker but I think more tiring.

Yesterday, Sunday, was a very active day, relatively speaking. I read the paper and sat on the couch until 11 am or so. Then we went to the new Chipotle right around the corner. A FEDEX Kinko's just opened up in that same development.

If I wasn't hurt, I would finish the small section of fence/gate that I started the week before last. I didn't get a chance to finish it due to some thunderstorms and the early onset of darkness. Instead, I, with Elizabeth's help, went through my closet culling out old or worn shirts for charity. We filled a donation bag with 2 sport coats, 1 pr of shoes, 2-3 slacks, and 4-5 shirts.

Although I can get out of bed by myself, I still need help dressing/undressing. Getting out of bed requires hooking my good leg under the bad, squirming around until I'm perpendicular to the edge of the mattress, then lowering my legs to the floor. A short stool by the bedside helps to shorten the distance. Then I can stand up on my own and use crutches or walker to get to the bathroom.

I'm able to drop my pants, etc. and get in the shower. Getting in the tub requires bracing myself on something stable (walker, wall, etc.) then lifting my bad leg behind me and stepping over the tubside backwards. Once in the tub I can pretty much stand in the same place, occassionally bracing against the enclosure walls.

Getting out of the tub is kind of the same. I go very slow and brace myself, then out with the good leg, then the bad. I cannot bring my bad leg forward yet. It is too painful in the front of my thigh and pelvis. Since I can't reach down that far, Elizabeth has to dry off my legs.

Getting dressed still requires a lot of assistance. I can't bend down far enough to reach the ground so Elizabeth has to help me put on underwear, pants, socks and shoes.

Thursday Progress 9/21

Last night I slept from about 9:30 until about 3. I laid flat on my back and could not turn onto either side. I got very uncomfortable being in that same position and so was awake from 3 am onward. Finally I got out of bed at 5 am and into the shower.

I was able to get out of bed on my own and made it to the shower with the walker. It took several minutes for the journey.

I also awoke with a sinus headache around my left eye orbit. With breakfast, which consisted of grape nuts trail mix and cheerios, I took a sudafed cold and sinus. All in all I felt achy and stuffy headed. I was also very fatigued. Around 8 am I decided to call in sick to work and notified them.

I laid on the couch and watched a DVD TV show and napped for a few minutes. Then we had lunch with Caroline.

At 12:45 pm I had an appointment with Dr Mahdav Karunakar, an orthopedist at CMC orthopedics. Due to an incompetent nurse, we sat in the lobby for 45 minutes while she searched for my chart. Once we informed her that I was a new patient, as I had already done on the phone, we got in shortly.

The main order of business was updating my xrays. They shot three angles from above, head on, and below. Each one showed the same things; three clear breaks of the pubis, ilia, and ischial bones. The doctor explained each xray and clarified the locations of each break. He indicated the breaks were complete lateral fractures and not merely longitudinal cracks or fissures.

The xray nurse told me they get about 3 of those types of fractures per month and that she can tell from the patient's faces that they are very painful.

Lastly, they set me up with a pair of crutches which I can use depending on how things feel. The crutches allow more manueverability around tight places in the house. They are more painful to use on long walks. I don't think I'm any faster on them compared to the walker.

All of the walking within CMC made my fatigued. As I get tired, the area under the pelvis gets very tight. I think it is due to the ligaments, etc. being stressed from doing the job normally done by the bones.

In summary, I did not aggravate the injuries the other day by walking. The doctor encouraged as much movement as possible. He did confirm the 3 breaks are still visible and that it would be several weeks before the healing is complete.

I got extremely tired from all of the activity and went to bed by around 10.

Wednesday 9/19, Morning report

Could not get out of bed this morning. It feels like something has changed in my back. Sort of near where the pelvis meets the sacrum. It also hurt on the outside of my left thigh. I was unable to hook my legs together, swing them off the bed and stand up. After taking 2 Lortabs, stretching and warming up for about an hour, I was finally able to get my legs off and stand up.

Walking with the walker was more painful than yesterday. Perhaps I walked too much yesterday.

The orthopedist at the hospital told me to make an appointment for a 1 week checkup. I will call them today to see if I can come in early.

The leg is still kind of numb/sore deep inside when sitting at my desk.

Tuesday 9/18

Today I think I took a step back. My lower back on the left side is starting to hurt. It feels as if something has shifted where my pelvis connects to my sacrum.

Walking seems a little more difficult today. I was having stomach problems which I suspect were caused by . Instead of taking 2 per dose I went down to one per dose. Consequently, I felt more pain. It was interesting to get a sense of how much pain there is in the absence of any painkillers. The answer is quite a bit.

I woke up around 3 am and could not get back to sleep. I ended up going to watch TV around 5 until 7 ish. Getting out of bed required laying back, supporting my bad leg with the good, and swinging both over the side of the bed simultaneously. Then I stand upright using the walker.

I took a shower today. The first one since Thursday. Elizabeth had to help me get over the tub side. I used the walker to get alongside the tub then braced myself against the walls for stability. Getting out of the tub was the same in reverse. I was only able to dry off my top half. Elizabeth had to dry my legs.

She also had to assist me with putting on my underwear, shorts, socks and shoes.