Friday (9/30/2016)

Update:

Last Wednesday (9/21), my daughter, Ruth, and I were supposed to fly out of our local airport to go to Indianapolis for my leg surgery.  A few hours before the flight, we were notified that it was cancelled.  Yikes!!  We found that there was a flight available out of Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) but we had to leave almost immediately.  Fortunately both us were almost completely packed, so we jumped into the car and got going.  During the two hour drive to MSP, we received three additional alerts that our flight was delayed.  Just as we were parking, we were told that our new flight was cancelled too.

My airline had one window open for over 200 people upset and looking for alternate transportation.  We were told that my airline didn’t have any other flights out today; but they could book us on one tomorrow.  That wasn’t going to work!  I had to be in Indy on Wednesday for some pre-op appointment on Thursday or they would cancel my Friday surgery.  We found another airline that had a direct flight so my daughter went to buy us tickets while I waited to get a refund on my cancelled flights.  We had to buy first class seats but that made my leg VERY happy!  We then waited for almost two hours to get our refund.  Only one agent was helping the cancelled flight, although there were at least 8 other agents to help people on other flights.  What really aggravated me was that often times, those agents had nothing to do and just chatted with each other.  The only reason our line moved forward at all was because people got upset and just walked off.  With just a few minutes before my new flight was to begin boarding, we got our refund from United.  Oophs!  I said their name didn’t I?  Their customer service really stunk on this one.  I wasn’t upset because of the cancellations, just how poorly they handled helping those who were stranded.  I don’t plan on flying with them again anytime soon.

So I rode first class for the first time in my life!  Very nice!  My leg and sciatica appreciated the extra room to move around and wiggle.  However, the plane got caught in the backlog of aircraft trying to wait out the storm that was hitting the central mid-west.  We eventually arrived at our destination about 4 hours late; but we made it!!  They got 8-10 inches of rain overnight back home.  I’m glad we didn’t try to leave on Thursday morning.

 










I had three appointments on Thursday to be ready for my Friday (9/23) surgery.  We got those knocked out and felt good about our 7:45 a.m. check-in for surgery on Friday.  I was told to take a couple of my tramadol pain meds prior to coming in so my back and sciatica wouldn’t be as painful while waiting for surgery.  That was the best advice that I’ve ever received!!!

The surgery lasted over four hours.  Dr. Ertl found five nerves that were pinched or pressured at the end of my stump.  Taking care of those should remove most of my pain trouble when I heal.  He got those moved up and away, built the bone bridge, etc.  I had two leg catheters in my left leg suppling anesthesia to the surgery site for the first three days.  That meant they didn’t have to dope me up so much in the head like they did at my first amputation.

 My nurses told me that the Ertl revision surgery was the most painful surgery to undergo.  My thought was, “Nobody told me that before I was cut!!”  I wanted to ask, “Even more painful than childbirth?” but all of my nurses were female and I wanted to live, so I kept that question to myself.

The day after surgery PT came by and helped me get out a bit.  On the seventh floor of the hospital you can access the outdoor terrace and garden.  The garden provides a lot of fresh vegetables, herbs, etc. to food service.  It is a wonderful place to spend some time after being cooped up inside for a couple of days.  I asked to be rolled over to the wall so I could stand up and look at the city below while I’m hanging onto the wall.  Nobody thought of the fact that I only had a hospital gown on when they agreed to it.   I stood up and people were instantly grabbing at the ends of my gown.  Ha! Ha!  Fortunately nobody else was out on the terrace at that time.  Before I went out the next time, I asked for a second gown to wear backward!

Ruth, my daughter, brought me down and stayed with me until Monday morning.  My brother, Kevin, arrived on Sunday night and was staying until noon on Wednesday.

Originally, it was planned that I would stay in the hospital for 3-5 days and then move to a local Indy rehab for two more weeks.  At my second dressing change, Dr. Ertl said my surgical site looked so good that there wasn’t any need to stay for another two weeks or to come back in 10 days.  The first time that I needed to come back was at 6 weeks.  So we cancelled flights, hotels, car rentals, rehab, etc. and booked a new flight home.  I was discharged on Wednesday (9/28) morning.  After being discharged I had to go downstairs to the pharmacy to pick up my medications.  I had to wait in line for over 90 minutes.  So close to being on our way and yet getting absolutely no where!

My brother got me to the airport and up to security.  I made it through that fine and got to my gate.  I requested the front row seat because I knew there was lots of leg room and I have my leg in a protective brace (my knee cannot bend).  First class again!!  Yesss!!!!  With my Percocet and morphine I was flying fine all the way home even without the aircraft. 

My son, Jon, and friend, Art, were working in Minneapolis, so they volunteered to get me at baggage claim and get me home.  That was a nice ride home.  Ruth and Cody were at the house when I arrive.  They helped make certain that I got into bed safely.

I was warned several times by my surgeon and my prosthetist, “Be careful.  Don’t fall.”  It is too easy to have a momentary slip in judgement and slam the stump into the ground.  That’s painful and can easily mess up some of the work done in my leg.  So far, so good!  On my first amputation, I went six weeks before I slipped and fell.  My goal is a 100% Safety Score.  For a guy to accomplish that it requires something phenomenal—It means that I have to stop and think before I do ANYTHING!

About the only thing that I did on Thursday (9/29) was sleep.  It took a while but I was able to get breakfast and lunch fixed and eaten.  I feel like the hospital has turned me into a CAT!!!

Thanks for all your prayers and well wishes.  I’m certain that those have helped me thus far and will help me continue to heal ahead of schedule and keep me safe.  I was also very thankful that two of my FaceBook amputee friends had a chance to visit me in the hospital.  It was great to meet Daniel Waters, and Alicia Carver, and to spend time with them.