-Rusty's
Log, Star Date: 07*07*2005-
Well, yesterday I had another Orthopedics
appointment. Not sure why. As usual, the doctors can't do anything for me. They
tell me not to expect the nerve damage to ever fully heal, and that I may need
to wear the Ankle
Foot Orthotics(AFO) for the rest of my life. Fine, I can deal with that.
Maybe
the new brace will work out better.
Anyway's, most of my pain is in my ankle. It never
leaves. The pain in my knee is tolerable, but the pain in my ankle drives me
crazy.
Right now, I am able to get around pretty good,
even without the brace. But I must wear the AFO to support my ankle from dragging
down on the ground. The nerves are damaged. I don't know if it is for good or
not. I have learned a lot about nerves. For example: I learned that nerves are
made of one continuous cell. If it was severed, it won't grow back. But if it
only died from the knee down, then it will grow back. Very slowly. Nerves grow
at a rate of an inch per month. Or a foot per year. The name of the nerve that
I damaged is called the Peroneal
Nerve. And the Sural
Nerve. All four ligaments have been torn. the ACL,
the PCL and
both Collateral ligaments.
Chances are that the Collateral ligaments can one day heal. But not the ACL,
or PCL, not without surgery. And I am only able to move my knee back to about
100 degrees.
When I first came home from the hospital, four
months ago, and was in a wheelchair, I had a list of things that I absolutely
could not do by myself, and needed help with.
-Laundry. √
-Water run. √
-Take out trash. √
-Check mail. √
-Gas car. √
-Vacuum.√
-Store runs. √
-Pay bills. √
One by one, I slowly checked off the ones that
I learned to do by myself. Before I got out of the wheelchair.
I went to PT, and worked out for 2 - 3 hours a
day, 3 times a week. I busted my butt working out as hard as I could. The hardest
I've worked out since I was in the US Army, Back when I was about 18 - 21 years
old.
I changed my diet. All I eat now is vegetables,
fruit,
buckwheat, and fish. Maybe, once a week, I cheat. But over all, my life is completely
changed. And, I have come a long way.
What's to come next? I'm not sure, but I promise
to keep you all up to date.
-Rusty's
Log, Star Date: 06*29*2005-
Today, I was discharged
from physical therapy. They didn't give me any warning.
The physical therapist said that they couldn't justify
to the insurance companies why I was still going there.
They said that I had gone as far as I could with them,
and that they could no longer help me to go any further. They
didn't expect me to get so far so fast.
It's true. I worked my butt
off in there. I worked out harder than any other person
I saw going there. All I was working on, before my discharge,
was stamina, endurance, and balance. I was also working
on the electrical stimulation to my ankle, which seemed
to
be
doing nothing.
They said that I could get the insurance to pay for my
own E-stim machine for my home.
I guess I will continue
to work out on my own. I'm not quitting my work out routine.
Maybe I can get insurance to pay for a membership to a
local gym. I am going to look into that.
As far as the new brace
goes, I went back in to Scope and told them how I wanted
to change the design. I told the that I was ready to cut
them all apart, and create my own. I told them how I wanted
to design it, and they told me, not to start cutting yet,
that they would try to help me modify the new brace based
on my design. I had to go back in several times, to modify
what they had created. I had to have them come into my
PT workouts to watch how I moved in it. And to show them
why I needed to design it the way I did.
Now, they have almost finished
it to my design. They told me that based on my design,
they were going to change all of their braces for future
people. My design, for the new brace, is now their new
model for all others after me. I thought that was pretty
cool. If only I was smart enough to have patented it. I'm
going to ask them if I can name it. Maybe I'll call it
"The Kilgore Rising".
-Rusty's
Log, Star Date: 06*11*2005-
My
soldier was released this
weekend. Went to pick him up. Everyone was glad to see
him. We celebrated with Ichor, (the blood of the gods).
Well things
just ain't going too well
with the new brace. First,
it
was bulky,
and very
uncomfortable.
Looked like a Storm Trooper leg. Then they replaced some of the bulk with
velcro
straps. I like the fact that it allows my ankle to flex. But it just doesn't
work. Even my therapist's don't like it. Looks like I'll wear the old one
'till
it breaks.
I'm ready
to tear
them both
apart,
and make
my own.
I managed to complete another
goal this weekend, and last. I walked down to the beach, got drunk and
staggered home. Both Fridays. I've been increasing my tread mill work out by
2 - 5 minutes
each time. I'm up to 35 minutes. And I have been able to stand for over
1/2 hour
at
a
time.
Who
says I need ligaments?
Many of my friends are very impressed
with my progression. Makes me feel good. They can't believe how fast I
am "healing".
I have to tell them, that I am not healing. The ligaments can't get better
without surgery. What is happening, is that I am just learning, more and
more how to "compensate"!
New Pictures
-Rusty's
Log, Star Date: 05*26*2005-
It
appears that my body guard soldier has been taken into
custody, and is being held in the brig, as a political
prisoner. His
Trial is set for June 10th. Until then, he is being interrogated,
in
a
dungeon called George
Bailey.
Today, I went to assess the situation
and see that he was being treated under the accord with Geneva Convention.
I brought his favorite concubine to accompany me. She was
wearing a very revealing outfit, to boost his moral, among
other things.
Other than
his bouts in "Thunder Dome" matches, he seems fine. He has
less than three weeks to endure in the slave labor camps,
and then they will bargain for some sort of compensation.
I guess,
until his release, Thursdays will be my new schedules to
visit the brig. Along with his
concubine. It is quite a journey, and quite a workout on
my knee.
As far as
my knee is progressing, I have started using the stairs
to get to PT, and come home. I have walked to the store, and
to get water, a couple of times on my own, and am wearing
jeans again. Maybe next, I'll work on going for a jog :)
-Rusty's
Log, Star Date: 05*10*2005-
Well,
last Wednesday was my appointment with the orthopedics
to find out when I would have knee surgery. The doctors
are
reluctant to perform the surgery because there can be a
lot of complications, added with the fact that I am diabetic,
and over weight, and have all the nerve damage. Instead,
they want me to get a new brace for my leg, that would
stiffen
up
the
knee
ligaments.
They
think that I could "get by" without
surgery. I'm considering a second opinion. I'm
only 36 years old. I probably have another 40 years to
go. The
ligaments will not heal. They have to be replaced.
That
night I came home and killed my wheelchair, and the old lady
walker. I have a cane, if I need it. But from now on, I'm
walking, no matter what challenges, or consequences I face.
My
therapists were surprised to see me walk into there office,
Monday morning. But they support my decision. My next goal
is to start working
on stamina.
In the mean
time, FUCK the doctors! I don't need them.
-Rusty's
Log, Star Date: 05*01*2005-
No
new significant changes in my life. My leg is getting much
stronger, and I have been getting my knee to full rotation
on the stationary bike, at PT. The therapists say that
I am the hardest worker that they have ever seen. By the
time I leave, there is a lake of sweat for them to mop
up.
This weekend
was pretty cool. Moondogie & Kay stayed over Friday night
and partied. Along with Hank, Dequincy, and Cory.
Dequincy
pushed me, in the wheelchair, up and down Newport to meet
all of the night people.
Saturday
night, Hank and I took a cab to Newport, and hung out in
front of the bars, panhandling. While Hank was asking
for a quarter for a rare disorder, I was asking if
people
wanted to have my change. He was asking people
for change, and I was giving people change. Then, we took
a
cab home,
from panhandling. Made for an interesting psychology experiment. Then,
today we made a gigantic pot of chillie.
Anyway's,
the whole weekend was paid for by my friends. About time,
they paid for me.
-Rusty's
Log, Star Date: 04*14*2005-
On
Dec 29th 2004, Julie and I were coming home,
late, from the beach. We had an altercation with someone,
and
I stepped off the curb wrong, and dislocated
my
knee. I had
to be rushed to the hospital by ambulance. My leg was bent in a very
unnatural position, and I had to be sedated while
they put it back in the correct
position. After that, they discovered that I had no
sensation in part of my foot, and
leg.
An angiogram soon reveled that I had a crushed
artery. Between the time that I fell, and the artery was repaired, my leg
went without blood for 4 to 5 hours.
This is where the bad part of the story begins.
I remember them coming in to try to wake me up,
and tell me that they would probably have to amputate my leg. The first time
in my life that I have to rely on modern medicine, and suddenly I feel like I'm
in the Civil War. I
don't
remember
anything else for the next three days.
I'm not even sure if it was three days, or more, or less. I just remember periodically
waking up with teams of doctors visiting me. Tubes were coming out of me, everywhere.
I couldn't even piss, but I was pissing all the while. There were IV’s
everywhere. I felt like a Borg. Luckily they were able to repair the
artery, and I still have my leg.
Several days later they took me to get an MRI.
The result was that all four ligaments in my knee were ripped out, and
could never heal, or be repaired without replacing
them with the ligaments of a cadaver. They told me that this knee
surgery, would be very severe, and that it would take me about a year
to recover, and learn to walk again. So they decided to let the scar tissue in
my knee
form over and be used as the ligaments. When my muscles are strong enough
to compensate,
and my muscles have all regained their strength back, and I am fully
recovered
from the vascular surgery, I will need to have knee surgery. Until then,
I cannot walk.
Now, the problem began when I lost blood in my leg for several hours. This has
caused severe nerve damage that will probably be permanent. I cannot feel part
of my foot and leg. I am not able to pull my ankle forward, or backward. And
they say I have something called "foot drop", which is usually
permanent. This means that once I do learn how to walk again, I will
need to wear a plastic
brace on my foot for the rest of my life.
On top of this, they have told me that I have diabetes
type 2. Which I had suspected for some time. It is not that bad, and can
be controlled with exercise, and diet.
In the mean time, they moved me to a nursing care
center, for rehabilitation. Most of the people in there were 70-90 years
old, and waiting to die. I could
not begin my aggressive therapy until the vascular surgery in my leg
healed, and I was strong enough. That took about a month. In the meantime, I
had
to work out on my arms, upper body, and cardial vascular. After that, for
the next
month
I had to start learning how to put weight on my leg, and developing range
of motion.
The pain medication that they gave me had caused
me severe constipation. I think that was the worst pain that I had ever
felt in my life. So I refused any more
pain medication. Pain became my friend.
They told me that this accident was extremely severe, and that they had only
seen this level of injury from people who had survived car crashes. They told
me that I would be in the nursing care center for 6 to 8 months. I was determined
to prove them wrong, and I did. I went to PT(Physical Therapy) every day, for
5-6 hours a day. They couldn’t believe that anyone could recover
so fast from anything so severe. I had more determination than they had
ever
seen.
They told me that they wanted to make a case study out of me.
While I was in the rehab hospital, I had my laptop,
and an internet
satellite connection. I had my cell phone which is a Treo 650. Which means it
has a built in PDA, and internet connection, too.
After two months, I went home in a wheelchair,
and walker. I have outpatient therapy Mon, Wed, and Fri for about 2 hours
a day. I have to have
electric stimulation on my muscles, and work out really hard. They want
to prepare me for surgery in July, or Aug. Recovery will take about 6-12 months,
depending
on how strong my leg is, when I go in.
I have a mobil physician, who comes to my home.
Because it was my left leg that was injured, I am still able to drive
my car. Even if it had been my right leg,
I still would have found a way to make it. I can get my wheelchair in
and out of my car by myself.
I’m not able to teach at the college right
now, but they said that I could come and teach any time. They really want me
to come and teach. Instead, I am
doing online programming from my home. It doesn’t pay
much, but it pays the bills.
The best way to get a hold of me is usually by
email.
Well, wish me luck, and pray to the pain and agony
gods to leave me be.
|
