I'm doing very well despite leaving both my legs at the hospital last week

Dear Friends

I left the hospital this morning, finally.   I am going to have to go to a rest home for two or three weeks well I finish recuperating, and for some physical therapy.  I am feeling pretty good  . The worst of the pain from the surgery has past. Thank God for those pain killers.  Things are going pretty well for me considering they wound up amputating most of both of my legs.  There were some complications involved being I had steel rods in both of my femurs from when my legs were broken ten years ago. The doctors weren't able to save a whole lot of my legs because of this and the gangrene in my legs.  I haven't had a good look at my stumps yet as they are still heavily bandaged. The doctor said my stumps are about six inches long.  He also said it was much to early to know if I'll ever be able to use prosthethic legs.  He wants to wait about two or three months until they heal to make that decision.  That time could vary depending on how fast they heal he said. He said in the mean time I should try to get used to the wheelchair as well as I can and make sure I see the eye specialist in a couple of weeks.  My family has given me a lot of support through all of this.  My son and husband have contacted a contractor to build a ramp to my back door before I get home so I can get in and out of the house in my wheelchair. That will be a big help. Need to go for now, I will keep in touch.

Wheelchair Bound

Dearest WB,

Just wanted to let you know that I greatly admire you for your courage and your attitude and how you've gone through such a traumatic event with such grace. I hope the recouperation goes as smooth as possible and wish you all the best possible success with adapting to a new way of life. Bravo to you for being such an inspiration!

Sincerely,
Kris

All our prayers are with you. Like the others I admired your courage. I'm betting you have a very supportive family. We here would also like to be a supportive family so please stay in touch and let us know how you are progressing.

May God bless you and speed your recovery! sandy

Greetings All,

I have been here at "The Home" as my son calls it since they moved me here from the hospital Friday.  My son stopped by to visit me today and had his laptop in his car so I made use of it to keep in touch.  My doctor told me it is quite common these days to have a person like me leave the hospital after just a week if they are doing well.  He sent me to this care facility that has a department to care for post operative patients like myself.  He told me it is some how connected to the hospital so I need not worry about my care.  He says he or his associate will stop in every day to make sure I'm doing OK.  He said he just walks over to the home.  His office is only two blocks away he said and it's easier for him to walk over than to find a place to park his car. I'm doing quite well since my surgery.  Most of the serious pain connected with the amputations has passed or subsided to a leval where it's not to bad and is being controlled with smaller doses of pain medications. My blood sugar has been very good since my surgery running between the low 80's up to about 105.  The doctor changed my dosage about two weeks before my surgery and that along with wacthing what I eat has helped alot.  I need to go for now, not sure how often I can give an update as I haven't found a computer here at the home that I can use.  I've had to depend on using my sons when he comes to visit, which isn't all that often.

Wheelchair Bound

 

Greetings from the Home,

I am doing pretty good so far.  My legs are healing nicely the doctor told me yesterday.  I got my first really good look at just what was left of my legs when they were changing the bandages a couple of days ago and I have to say there isn't much there. The doctor says the stumps are about six inches long.  I don't know how he measures because they sure don't look that long to me.  Maybe he measures them when I'm lying down, I'm not sure because when they have had me sitting in a wheelchair I can barely see the bandages.  Now I am still a bit overweight and have a bit of a gut, but it is not all that large as it used to be. With my dieting I had gotten down to 175#.  That was a week before my surgery when I still had my legs.  I don't know what I weigh since they were amputated. I and the doctor thought I had been doing pretty well losing weight.  I used to weigh around 250# last winter.  Finding out I had diabetes and changing my diet helped alot but not enough to save my legs.  I start physical therapy next week if things keep going well as they have been.  They have had me up getting used to my wheelchair since the second day I was at the home. It is hard getting used to transfering from the wheelchair to a chair or to use the bathroom, especially since my stumps are still sore and if I bump them very hard it hurts like hell. They are encouraging me to spend as much time as I feel I can sitting in my wheelchair or some other chair as they don't just want me to lie around. I think that's good and I can see their reasons for this, but the first couple of days were kind of hard until I got used to the sitting in the wheelchair.  I kept sliding down until they fixed me up with a seat belt for my chair.  They said once my legs heal compleately and I become used to not having my legs it will be easier to sit in the wheelchair and I won't need it anymore.  Need to go for now.  I will keep in touch when I can.  It is hard to find a computer to use here.  They don't have any for the patients to use.  My son was here again today so I made use of his laptop while he was here visiting. My family continues to be very supportive and my son told me today the contractor had already started to build my wheelchair ramp at my house  and it should be done in a few days if the weather isn't too cold.

Wheelchair Bound

Just Checking in Again,

I had a little set back earlier this week.  I slipped getting out of my wheelchair when I was using the restroom and hit one of my stumps pretty hard and spiltting out a few stiches at the same time.  The staff doctor at the home looked it over and put in about ten new stiches and said it would be fine except I'd probably have some bruising from falling.  That was Monday.  Today I'm doing fine.  My leg I bumped seems to be none the worse for the smack it took other than a small bruise according to the nurse when she changed my bandages this morning. The doctor told me I should have waited for some help from the staff but they are always busy and I needed to use the restroom very badly.  Some days it's like a zoo around here.  I'll be glad when they let me go home.  They pushed the date back a little to sometime in mid February  which I am not to happy about.  Things aren't so bad here at the home.  There are lots of people to talk to.  Mostly older folks, so we don't have a lot in common.  My family and friends come and visit very often which I enjoy very much.  My husband told me last night that the contractor finished the ramp and a few other minor modifications in the house to make it easier for me when I come home.  I can't wait.  Talk to you later.

Wheelchair Bound

Greetings,

I had another inccident this week that really made me think about my eyes.  I won't be able to see my eye doctor until I get out of the home in another couple of weeks.  I am doing well except for the fact that I spent part of two days this past week almost totally blind not for real in that sense).  I was getting into my wheelchair from my bed and my glasses fell off my face onto the floor.  In my attempt to retrieve them I ran over them with my wheelchair.  So much for the glasses.  about that time a nurses aide came in and picked up all the pieces for me.  Now I am legally blind, even with my glasses on.  I manage OK with my glasses, but without them I couldn't see much of anything very well.  Everything was very fuzzy. I couldn't make out things much more than ten or fifteen feet away. If this is anything like what being blind is like I hope the doctors can do something for my eyes when I see him in February.  This happened Tuesday morning and my husband needed to go and get me some new glasses.  He ordered them Tuesday night after work, but they weren't ready until mid day on Thursday.  I was so happy when he showed up at supper time on Thursday with my new glasses.  I could see again.  Now I can at least see as well as before.  I know when I see the eye doctor I will probably need new lenses again as these glasses were made off my old prescription from six or seven months ago and my eyes have changes a little since that.

I look forward to going home about February 10th., although it scares me some to know I'll need  to manage at home by myself while my husband is at work. I will have some help for a couple of hours during the day for at least the first couple of weeks, it can be extended if needed. The home arranged for some help from the county for an aide to stop and help me with whatever I need help with that day.  This will be a big help in getting back into things at home again.

Wheelchair Bound

WB,
Honest, I had to chuckle at what happened to your glasses. I know it's not really funny but it seems that if it weren't for bad luck you'd have no luck at all!!! It's so invigorating to see your upbeat attitude and the way you are handling each bump in the road as it comes along. We are all still thinking of you and will be counting the days until you can be home again.

It will be nice when you have access to your own computer and we can dialog on a more regular basis. By the way... we need to find a great nickname for you that describes your new life... How about "Wheels"? Sending prayers and good thoughts your way.

Hi Linda!  I'm so glad you're doing well with the therapy and getting stronger.  I know you're eager to get home and I hope it comes sooner than you think.  Just a few more days.

So happy for you Linda! KOKO! (Keep on keepin' on!)

Jeannie