Accidentally Broken

On January 27th, my life changed forever.  I was coming home from work and was in a head-on car accident.  There was nothing left of my car.  All three air bags deployed, which not only saved my life but also saved my legs.

I was luckier than my car, and did not sustain any critical injuries.  Besides a lot of deep tissue bruising and swelling from the seat belt, I only broke one bone.  The talus bone in my right ankle. Apparently this is a very hard bone to break, as it is 'protected' by two much larger bones.  Since it is so hard to break, it is equally hard to heal properly.  I think it got broken from my foot getting stuck between the gas and brake pedals.  From the accident site, I was transported via ambulance to the local hospital.  However, because this bone is so rare to be broken and so hard to fix, the local hospital did not have the doctors or equipment to treat this injury.  So that evening I was transported via ambulance to the University of Maryland Medical Center Shock Trauma in Baltimore.  There I spent the next three days and two nights, learning about all of my options.  The surgeons said the bone didn't move apart so there was no need for surgery.  After a physical therapist helped me learn how to use a walker, and was assured I would not be tackling any stairs, I was allowed to go home.

The surgeon at the hospital told me to keep ALL weight off of my leg for at least three months.  This meant that I could no longer go upstairs, so I have been living on the reclining part of my father's sofa.  I had to get a portable commode to use the bathroom in the living room since I cannot go upstairs.  It's pretty embarrassing to have your toilet in the living room, and this is one of the major things that has bothered me about this whole experience.  In February I went to see a local orthopedic surgeon, who basically told me I should be healed and not in any more pain.  Since I totally didn't agree with this, I went to a foot and ankle specialist for a second opinion. I am so very, very glad that I did!  The specialist told me that everything the previous surgeon told me was completely wrong, and that I may have done more harm than good from following his advice.  Awesome.  Anyway, the specialist made sure to get me on the right track for healing.  Still not allowed to put weight on my foot, I was given the okay to spend 15 minutes of every hour getting around using my walker, but no more than that.  Around the beginning of April, I have been able to crawl upstairs to take a shower using a shower seat.  Before that, I was relying on the kindness of my father and sister to wash my hair in the kitchen sink.

My foot and ankle specialist has scheduled me to begin laser surgery treatments starting in May and lasting the entire month.  These weekly treatments should allow to bone to FINALLY heal, and he thinks I should be able to walk again come June.  So far, I have been unable to walk since January 27th.  I have not been at work since the day of the accident, since I cannot walk.  Luckily there is no longer much pain, just the occasional twinges from over-doing it with the walker or crawling upstairs to get a shower.

I have spent the past 3 months with my feet up in the recliner of my dad's couch, completely relying on him to take care of my every need.  From eating to turning the lights on and off, he has had to do everything for me.  I can sit up for longer periods of time, but then my ankle starts to get all tingly and I have to put it up again.  I have spent A LOT of time sleeping, since what else is there to do when one cannot leave the couch for months at a time?  I have also been reading, and recently have felt up to working with the computer again to start updating the blog and working on new activities.  I am so very, very, very ready to be healed from this injury. I am so excited to be able to walk again.  It is amazing that I took so much for granted before the accident, namely being able to walk around on my own two feet and take care of myself.  This car accident has completely changed my life, and I know how incredibly lucky I was.  I made it through that awful wreck with only one broken bone, when I could have lost my life.  I was found to be not at fault for the accident, and the other driver only sustained some bumps and bruises.  While I am grateful every day to have survived the accident, I am becoming increasingly bitter about being stuck on the couch for weeks and weeks and weeks, with no end in sight.  I am truly hoping these laser surgery treatments are able to help me heal enough to walk again, though the specialist said I will most likely always have problems with this ankle.  At this point, I don't mind living the rest of my life with a limp as long as I can walk and take care of myself again.

I would like to thank everyone of my followers who have stuck with me through this process, even though I have not blogged in so very, very long.  I want to thank everyone for their kind words, thoughts, and prayers while I heal.  The outpouring of kindness has been incredible, and definitely makes me feel loved!  I am planning on getting back in the swing of blogging and posting and creating, even if it may still be weeks yet for me to return to work.  Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me through this ordeal, and I look forward to our continued friendships!