Kathy just said, "It could have been far worse." A great realization for her to have. Hard to believe after everything she has been through. Ted gave us the photo tour last night starting with the scene of the accident...amazing, and YES, it could have been far worse. She is lucky to be alive! We are lucky she is alive. I cannot stop seeing her strength in every move she makes and every conversation she has with the nurses, OT's, Dr.'s and so on.
Her pain level is still getting up there. They tried to give her a block to make her comfortable for 24 hours but it really didn't work completely.
She just got back from x-rays and is feeling tired. I tried to put her down for a nap but she needs to update Jessica first. So sweet. Then hopefully she will sleep for awhile. Deep down I know she won't because she has been acting like a child that fights sleep in fear of missing something. Her thirst for life? Maybe it's the hostess in her wanting to entertain her "out-of-town" friends.
This is my last blog as it has been a quick weekend and time to go back to Colorado early in the morning. I don't feel comfotable leaving her right now. I wish I had the flexibility and means to stay for 6 months to get her on her feet again. I know she is in great hands with Ted and all of her girlfriends but still so sad to leave her.
I have never had so much fun in a hospital before. I feel so much better knowing we helped her in some small way or anyway at all. The shower was most gratifying. I have never seen anyone enjoy running water in their hair so much.
I hope she has an easy transition at home. First obsticle will be the toilets. A wheelchair won't fit as they are enclosed. They need to find a wheelchair, shower chair, toilet chair, etc. Oh the things we take for granted. There will be more obsticles, however, nothing Ted and Kathy can't face together. Their love is beautiful, undying and productive. It is truely inspiring.
Jeanelle found the perfect plaque for Kathy "Life is all about how you handle Plan B." I know she will make the best of Plan B.
We love you Kathy, more today than ever before. You are an inspiration to all of us. Your Colorado girls "Team Pain Relief" is always here for you so call on us anytime!
Till we dance again,
Danielle, Jeanelle and Suzanne
Monday, November 7, 2011
We have alot of preparation to do
Danielle, Suzanne & Jeanelle are doing their best to keep Kathy laughing.
That's not easy to do when that old familiar foe "PAIN" won't get the hint and give us all a break! Sheesh! Enough with the bully boy tactics already!
The nerve block in her right leg is supposed to be keeping her ankle pain tolerable until tomorrow, but doesn't meet expectations.
Right ankle update; grafted tendons on the inside of the ankle. Slight infection prevented the outside tendon work at this time. This means a follow up surgery will be necessary down the road.
The surgeon explained that it means Kathy will have a weakness to rolling her ankle to the inside.
Then he added something none of us knew - Her left ankle also has damage to the outside ligaments!?!
Now she can't roll either ankle without serious damage potential!! How hard will it be to learn how to walk again, with unstable tendons in both feet, a bum left knee and a left foot you can barely move or feel except for the tingling burning acid sensation?!?
It's a bigger chore to maneuver Kathy into position for stuff (wheelchair, potty...), now that she can't put weight/stress on her right ankle or left knee to help shift her body around.
We looked through the pictures taken step by step through this ordeal. It felt wrong to take the first few at the scene after the EMT's arrived, but I'm glad we did. Kathy didn't remember all of it, so it is interesting to see her reaction at some of the pics. I hope to download a chronology of "accident to recovery" so all her friends can see how far she has come!
Well, it's been fun. I would rather be here on Kathy's worst day than anywhere else without her. It's getting late though. I'm heading back. Falling behind too much on work. I can't wait to bring her home. Hopefully this week! Better get the house ready. Brought new shirts and shorts. Kathy says, "At least we don't have to worry about shoes!"
It would be alot harder to leave tonight if Kathy didn't have such a great bunch of friends here with her.
That's not easy to do when that old familiar foe "PAIN" won't get the hint and give us all a break! Sheesh! Enough with the bully boy tactics already!
The nerve block in her right leg is supposed to be keeping her ankle pain tolerable until tomorrow, but doesn't meet expectations.
Right ankle update; grafted tendons on the inside of the ankle. Slight infection prevented the outside tendon work at this time. This means a follow up surgery will be necessary down the road.
The surgeon explained that it means Kathy will have a weakness to rolling her ankle to the inside.
Then he added something none of us knew - Her left ankle also has damage to the outside ligaments!?!
Now she can't roll either ankle without serious damage potential!! How hard will it be to learn how to walk again, with unstable tendons in both feet, a bum left knee and a left foot you can barely move or feel except for the tingling burning acid sensation?!?
It's a bigger chore to maneuver Kathy into position for stuff (wheelchair, potty...), now that she can't put weight/stress on her right ankle or left knee to help shift her body around.
We looked through the pictures taken step by step through this ordeal. It felt wrong to take the first few at the scene after the EMT's arrived, but I'm glad we did. Kathy didn't remember all of it, so it is interesting to see her reaction at some of the pics. I hope to download a chronology of "accident to recovery" so all her friends can see how far she has come!
Well, it's been fun. I would rather be here on Kathy's worst day than anywhere else without her. It's getting late though. I'm heading back. Falling behind too much on work. I can't wait to bring her home. Hopefully this week! Better get the house ready. Brought new shirts and shorts. Kathy says, "At least we don't have to worry about shoes!"
It would be alot harder to leave tonight if Kathy didn't have such a great bunch of friends here with her.
optimistic pessimism
Still in surgery.
Kathy is most afraid of CRPS (I think it means Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome).
It's where your body has inappropriate response to stimuli
(Like the burning acid feeling Kathy gets when someone lightly touches her foot).
Her surgeon said it's too soon to make that diagnosis.
She had a traumatic injury to her leg that included her nerves and he has seen in other patients the same pain reaction she is getting.
We are also concerned with the ligaments in Kathy's left knee.
Same surgeon said her knee will be very stiff for a long time as the cartilage was damaged, the knee repair and muscle injury will require extensive therapy to regain enough mobility to walk, but her knee should be stable and he is not overly concerned about her ligaments.
I'm still a bit worried though.
It seems like he's saying, "Since we've stopped the headwound from bleeding, I'm not concerned about whether she can hear on that side.".
Boy I probably really confused people with that one! Kathy does NOT have a head injury.
I was just making an example.
The surgeon probably isn't overly concerned about her smile either, but I'm concerned about it ALL!
Cadaver ligaments. That's so cool! Proud to say I'm an organ doner. It will be great to let someone else use my parts when I'm done with them!
Kathy is most afraid of CRPS (I think it means Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome).
It's where your body has inappropriate response to stimuli
(Like the burning acid feeling Kathy gets when someone lightly touches her foot).
Her surgeon said it's too soon to make that diagnosis.
She had a traumatic injury to her leg that included her nerves and he has seen in other patients the same pain reaction she is getting.
We are also concerned with the ligaments in Kathy's left knee.
Same surgeon said her knee will be very stiff for a long time as the cartilage was damaged, the knee repair and muscle injury will require extensive therapy to regain enough mobility to walk, but her knee should be stable and he is not overly concerned about her ligaments.
I'm still a bit worried though.
It seems like he's saying, "Since we've stopped the headwound from bleeding, I'm not concerned about whether she can hear on that side.".
Boy I probably really confused people with that one! Kathy does NOT have a head injury.
I was just making an example.
The surgeon probably isn't overly concerned about her smile either, but I'm concerned about it ALL!
Cadaver ligaments. That's so cool! Proud to say I'm an organ doner. It will be great to let someone else use my parts when I'm done with them!
Do you have time for another one? Surgery that is.
The return. No, Kathy's not returning home yet - Ted's back.
Today is a super exciting day because Kathy's left leg will be closed up completely!
Almost time for her surgery at 10:45.
The same surgery is also going to finally address her right ankle! The plan is to graft cadaver tendons/ligaments (what's the difference between a tendon & a ligament?) to help support the ankle bones.
Right now Kathy has a machine on her left leg that flex's the knee about 20 degrees (think raising your knee enough to place a softball under it).
Every surgery she wears a "bear paw", which is a gown that circulates hot air through it to regulate her body temperature.
Kathy is getting some feeling in her left foot, which would be brilliant except, she says it feels like burning acid!! All the time tingling pain like when your foot falls asleep unless you touch it and WOW THAT HURTS!! Still it's a good thing. Better than no feeling at all. It's just hard to convince Kathy that it's a good thing.
Gotta go! It's time for surgery again!
Today is a super exciting day because Kathy's left leg will be closed up completely!
Almost time for her surgery at 10:45.
The same surgery is also going to finally address her right ankle! The plan is to graft cadaver tendons/ligaments (what's the difference between a tendon & a ligament?) to help support the ankle bones.
Right now Kathy has a machine on her left leg that flex's the knee about 20 degrees (think raising your knee enough to place a softball under it).
Every surgery she wears a "bear paw", which is a gown that circulates hot air through it to regulate her body temperature.
Kathy is getting some feeling in her left foot, which would be brilliant except, she says it feels like burning acid!! All the time tingling pain like when your foot falls asleep unless you touch it and WOW THAT HURTS!! Still it's a good thing. Better than no feeling at all. It's just hard to convince Kathy that it's a good thing.
Gotta go! It's time for surgery again!
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