13 replies to this topic

[monogodo]

So Cynthia & I took up rollerskating as an activity we could do together that would help us get in shape. We went to our first skating lesson (because I'd never been skating before), and it went well. Our second lesson was scheduled for yesterday (Saturday, March 5). In anticipation of it, we decided to go skating Friday night.

Everything was going well for the first hour or so. I decided I needed to rest for a bit, so I headed off the rink floor onto the carpeted area to sit down on one of the benches. I was going a bit faster than my skill level could handle, and didn't slow down as much as I'd hoped on the carpet. I started to lose my balance, windmilled my arms to try to keep my balance, and fell down. As I fell, I put my arms out to break my fall. I was wearing wrist guards, so I didn't break a wrist. However, as I hit the ground, I rolled my right ankle and heard two distinct cracks/pops, and felt immediate pain. Cynthia rolled up as I lay writhing on the floor, and asked if I was OK. I told her that, no, I wasn't OK, and could she go get an adult staff member to come help.

The two staff members that arrived thought I just needed help getting up. I told them what happened and what I'd heard and felt. They asked if I wanted a medic to check it out, that one happened to be there. I of course said yes. Turns out there were actually two EMTs there having some skating practice with their roller derby team. I told them what happened, and they started examining my ankle. From the symptoms I had, they said I probably had a broken ankle. They carefully removed my skate and rigged up a make-shift splint with a towel and some athletic tape and told me to go to the ER.

We were less than 2 miles from a hospital, but were more than 30 miles from home. I told Cynthia to drive me to Baylor Medical Center, because it was only a mile from home, and would make follow-up care easier. Since it was Friday night, and my injury wasn't life-threatening, I figured we'd sit in the ER for a couple of hours before being seen. I was wrong.

They checked me in within 5 minutes, and sent me upstairs to the Minor Ememrgency Room, where I was immediately taken to an exam room. Within a minute or two a tech took me back for x-rays. We never went more than 10-15 minutes without someone popping their head in to check on me. At one point they gave me to vicodin tablets. Then the doctor came in and said that I'd broken my leg. I have a nondisplaced fracture of the fibula, just above the ankle. They applied a splint, gave me two prescriptions (vicodin & ibuprofen) and a pair of crutches, and told me to call an orthopedist Monday morning and try to get an appointment as soon as possible.

So I've been spending the weekend alternately sleeping, sitting on the couch watching TV, and checking the internet. We've both contacted our bosses and informed them of the situation. I've also spoken with our parents so that they don't see my Facebook stream and freak out. My Twitter stream from that evening is rather funny, in retrospect.

So how has your weekend been?

Edited by monogodo, 06 March 2011 - 04:49 PM.

[Dave]

Crap. "I'm pretty sure the hydrocodone has kicked in." Indeed. Feel better, man.

I guess I can't complain about my weekend now. Okay then.

[monogodo]

Nah, go ahead and complain, I don't mind at all.

Everyone has problems and shitty things that happen in their lives. So I broke my leg roller skating. At least I didn't die in a mobile home fire like 6 local people did. Other people didn't have it as bad as I did, but still think their life sucks. That's the way it is.

Also, I'd really like to hear about how your weekend was.

Because I care.

[Dave]

I had a miserable weekend. Monday and Tuesday have generously taken their cue from that and are turning this into a George Bailey kinda week. If I get into specifics, I'm just going to get angrier.

[Dave]

And to be at least a little non-gloomy: A few cheapish out of print miniatures from ebay arrived on Monday. So there's that.

[monogodo]

My weekend got worse, too.

Went to the Orthopedic surgeon on Tuesday. He had good news & bad news (of course).

Good News:
The break wasn't that bad. It should heal in a couple of weeks with simple immobilization of the ankle.

Bad News:
Remember when I said I heard two snaps/pops as I fell? Well one was the bone breaking, the other was the ligament on the inside of the ankle snapping/tearing/popping out of place. If he does nothing for the ligament, the fibula will heal just fine, but my ankle will be unstable and I'll have problems with it. So I go in for surgery Thursday morning. He'll drill a hole through the ankle bones and thread a kevlar strip through it that will act like a toggle bolt (his descrition) to hold the ankle together so the ligament can heal. He could use a screw, but it may loosen up over time, and would have to eventually come out. The kevlar strip won't loosen up, and doesn't have to be removed. I have to stay off the foot for 6-12 weeks. I also get to take this entire week off from work. Woohoo!

Congrats on the miniatures.

[Dave]

Yikes, that sucks. With the kevlar, does that mean the ligament will re-attach itself? I never really understood how torn ligaments healed.

Good luck on the surgery. Hope it goes well.

[monogodo]

As I understand it, the ligament is still attached, just stretched out of place.

They took x-rays before, during & after the surgery & printed them out. Cynthia did a great job of tagging them so we could share:



The surgery itself went fairly quickly, as I understand it. They hooked up an IV, then came in and gave me a dose of something before wheeling me into the OR. Cynthia said when they started wheeling me out of the preop room, I pointed at the TV and said something about how it was waivering or some shit, then fell asleep with my tongue hanging out of my mouth. I don't remember that at all. I remember arriving in the OR and commenting on the lights. I asked if they needed my help moving me to the operating table, and was told yes. I moved to the table & was out. The next thing I remember was waking up in the Wake Up room.

The surgery was scheduled for 11am, but they were running behind, so I didn't actually go in until almost 1pm.

The pain level is better than it was before the surgery. I think that's because everything is in the proper place now, instead of being stretched into odd places.

[Dave]

Wow, that x-ray's neat. Get well, man.

Do you have to do some light rehab or is it pretty much ready to go when it's healed? How long until you can put weight on it?

[monogodo]

Double update here:

So on Monday, 3/14, I spoke with the Dr's Assistant to request a release to return to work. She faxed the following to my boss:

Quote

Patient may return 3/15
No weight bearing, no walking or standing on surgical ankle (right).
Must use crutches at all times, no narcotics at work & needs to ice & elevate as needed for next 12 weeks.
3/15/11-6/6/11

I then got a call from my boss saying that, based on the wording of the release, I can't come back to work. It appears the HR department has a problem with the line "no narcotics at work" and with the fact that my job description calls for extended periods of standing and walking, even though in practice those periods are extremely short, or can be avoided entirely. So she said she'd be thinking of options to get me back to work, and that I should brainstorm some ideas, too.

My wife is the Google Search Queen, and she found this:

I spoke with the Doctor's assistant today, she spoke with the Doctor & said that yes, I could use that for extended periods of standing/walking, if I so desired.

I called my boss, talked to her about it, & sent her a link to it. She said to get an amended release from the Doctor, at which point she'll run it past a friend of hers who happens to be the VP of HR for a Major Luxury Retailer located in Dallas. She figures that if the amended release will pass her friend's HR sensibilities, it'll pass our HR department. The main things, as I understand it, are to remove the reference to no narcotics at work, and to add a line along the lines of "extended periods of standing/walking are approved with the use of a hands-free crutch or knee walker."

If I can't go back to work, I'll burn through my sick time & vacation time on Monday, 3/21. I'll then have 10 unpaid days off, at which point Short Term Disability will kick in. STD is 66% of my base pay for 60 days. I should be fully healed and approved for work at the end of that period, but I'd rather work it than lose the income.


Had my follow up visit Monday morning (3/21).

They removed the splint, cleaned the leg, ankle & foot, removed the 4 sutures from the incision & replaced them with steri-strips, and put me in a cast. I spoke with the assistant and doctor about the release verbiage, and the doctor pretty much said to tell his assistant what I wanted it to say, and she'd write it up that way. I had her fax it to my boss, and a couple hours later I got a call from my boss saying I got approved to come back.

The hands-free crutch arrives tomorrow morning, and I'll spend the day getting used to it. If I feel comfortable enough with it, I'll hobble in to work for a few hours in the afternoon (the wife will pick me up at the end of the day so I don't overdo it). If I don't think I'm quite ready, I'll spend the afternoon practicing with it, and go in Wednesday morning. I'd rather go in tomorrow afternoon, because I used the last 2 hours of vacation time this morning.

I've got to be in the cast for 4 more weeks, then the doctor said he'd remove it, and put me in an AirCast walking cast, and I could then begin putting weight on it.

And in the FML category, I got an email from my supervisor last week about Open Enrollment meetings for supplemental insurance coverage. You know, the kind that pays you a cash sum when you have an accident, like breaking your leg while roller skating.

As for rehab, I imagine there will be plenty to do. When the cast comes off in mid-April, I'll have gone 1.5 months w/o putting any weight on that ankle, or using the muscles in the lower leg. I'll probably switch to a single crutch or a cane for a while, depending on what the doctor/physical therapist says.

[Dave]

Have you considered cutting off the leg and becoming a pirate?

[monogodo]

Umm, no. I have thought about getting an eye patch & toy parrot for my shoulder, though.

I was at a meetup this afternoon & had it on, and a guy saw me from the front and thought I'd had the leg amputated. The look of shock followed by relief when he saw my foot was hilarious.

[Dave]

monogodo, on 27 March 2011 - 03:20 AM, said:

I have thought about getting an eye patch & toy parrot for my shoulder, though.

Yes, but will you steal a ship, terrorize the high seas and plunder Spanish galleons?

[monogodo]

Dave, on 27 March 2011 - 03:55 PM, said:

Yes, but will you steal a ship, terrorize the high seas and plunder Spanish galleons?

Nah, I'll just illegally download music & movies.