Three years, two months, two-plus weeks

It’s been something.

Last Friday afternoon I had gone to the families-of-Transplants house for a break and to get tea for Hubby and on my way out one second I was walking down the driveway and the next I was flying through the air. Landed on my right arm outstretched over my head and it hurt sufficiently that I thought “oh hell I’ve broken something again” but my first emotion was annoyance more than  anything else. But then when I tried to stand I literally -could-not- get up due to terrible dizziness. Couldn’t get past a sitting position without the world closing in....was terrified that “oh no, this injury on top of the stress of his illness has given me a heart attack.”  Called 911 from my cell phone. Fortunately I was not having a heart attack — it was just shock causing low blood pressure 82/47. Responded to fluids.

The pain started out at maybe 6-7 but then became extreme — while I was in the ER waiting for meds I used every breathing technique I learned for labor plus chanting prayer. Had not had agony like that since labor with my firstborn 25 years ago. Really awful. Dislocation with small associated fracture. But once I got medicated they managed to pop it back smoothly...and by “medicated” I mean more drugs than I’d ever had before in my life: 1 milligram of Dilaudid, 5mg Valium and then Novocain in the joint itself plus 50 micrograms of Fentanyl for the actual relocation.

Praise be it wasn’t worse. Of all the fractures I’ve had, this one is the most painful but the least incapacitating. It wasn’t a leg so I can still walk and as long as my arm is in the sling I can use the hand, wrist and elbow. Can’t lift the arm at all and taking a shower is still pretty humbling but overall it could have been so -very- much worse. Praise be.

Praise be for cellphones too as that’s how Hubby found out what happened and that’s how he called our son to come out and stay with us.  Son went home yesterday morning but Eldest is bringing him back this afternoon, visiting briefly then going back home herself tomorrow morning(thus leaving only one vehicle here in Rochester.) This is good because the team is talking discharge Monday. Bilirubin is 4-5 and trending down, liver enzymes are great and although creatinine is still 3.6 it is trending down and he’s making good urine. Blake drain got removed during yesterday’s wound-vac change and the wound being vacced is overall smaller.

They -were- talking about discharge to the fifth-floor short-term rehab unit but he is flat-out not willing to do that because he is completely unable to eat the food here. The issue is the stairs in/out of our house but Hubby’s  Aunt has offered use of her first-floor retirement complex apartment as long as needed so going -home- home is now the plan. 

We just got a stair lift installed today and plan to get a ramp for the front and bannisters for the back ASAP so we are all hoping the time at Aunties will be quite brief...but we are very grateful to have that option as there would have been an ugly confrontation otherwise. It was almost confrontational anyway — Physical Med doc who runs the rehab unit came down and said he was okay with Hubby going home if PT cleared it and PT knew about our plans...but then the surgical team breezed in and the first words out of the attending’s mouth were “so you will be going to the rehab floor...” which didn’t go very well. Got it resolved but it wasn’t a terribly pleasant morning. I was really dreading having to have the “no, it will be either discharge to home or discharge AMA as he simply is not going to GO to the rehab unit.” Fortunately we didn’t have to go there at all. 

Meanwhile my arm steadily improves. I figure it can’t be that bad if ortho didn’t want to see me till 12 days after the original injury...which is what they said when I called on Monday. The PT people who see Hubby said using the fingers, wrist and elbow while close to the body was fine so I have just kept it in the sling as instructed and let pain be my guide. I am deliberately staying on q6 Tylenol - regular not extra strength - but only took my first Oxy 5 of the day at 1pm. I found out the hard way that I tend to ignore pain till I get mean and/or weepy which are neither one at all useful so I’m staying on top of it. Sleeping in the recliner chair bedside is actually as easy in the sling as the bed in the little house so no issues there.

We are managing. Despite everything I am still hugely grateful not just for my husband’s new life but also for the incredible personal growth this experience has brought. My ER experience, though not pleasant, was very memorable. I’m also grateful for the family, for my considerate employer, for the entire healthcare team..for so many things.