I took advantage of an unusually warm September day by doing physical therapy for a pinched nerve in our above-ground pool. When I finished with the therapy, I wanted to enjoy the pool for a bit so I put the inner tube that I was using behind the pool ladder so it wouldn't blow away because of the wind. When I was getting out of the pool and on top of the pool ladder, the inner tube caused the ladder to push off the pavement and the ladder started to fall. I decided to jump from the ladder instead of falling with it. I was 5 feet off the ground and knew when I jumped, it wasn't going to be pretty! When I hit the ground, the pain was awful in my hips, but I soon realized I dislocated my left knee. I was lying on the ground, calling for my husband (Thank God he was home!) My husband thought he heard some black birds singing when I was calling his name! He saw me outside on the grass and can you believe he thought I was sunning in the grass?!? He said Charlie, our dog, was going berserk running around the house. Charlie knew I was in distress! My husband looked out again and then realized I was calling him and needed help!
He called 911, they gave me some fentanyl for the pain, then splinted my leg before loading me into the ambulance. Fortunately when the splint aired up it popped my knee back into place on the way to the hospital. Since there wasn't a local orthopedic surgeon that did the type of surgery I needed, the next evening I was sent my ambulance to the Wichita hospital where they did surgery to install an external fixator. A week later, they did surgery to fix my leg by removing the fixator and putting in pins in my knee/leg. I was at St Francis Trauma Center for about two weeks, then transferred to Meadowlark in Manhattan, Kansas, for rehab. I stayed at Meadowlark Rehab about five short days then was able to go home once my hubby fixed a ramp so I could get into the house using a wheelchair since I couldn't use any stairs.
I have been non-weight bearing on my leg for almost three months as the doctor said the bone that they fixed was too soft and needed time to heal before putting any weight on my leg. Can you believe the hardest part of the recovery process has not been the injured leg, but the pain in my other body parts from sitting so much! I have been going to physical therapy twice a week getting myself ready to be able to walk again. Lord willing, at my doctor's appointment on December 17th, they will tell me I can start putting some weight on my leg. Not sure if I will transition to a walker or crutches. I so appreciate my husband for doing all of the cooking, laundry, "some" cleaning and for responding to my endless calls for do this/do that! I thank God for my beautiful church family for the meals, prayers, and words of kindness during this trying time! May God bless all of you and may you have a Felix Naughty Dogs and Happy New Year!
