I Broke My Leg!!

Yes, it's true.  I broke my leg.  Yes, even a paraplegic can break their leg.  It's a long story which I will shorten for you.

A couple of weeks ago  we were trying to do some stretches since I can't go to physio anymore. We were imitating the exercises my home physio had shown us.  I stretched a little too far and crashed into Mrs. F.G. who was sitting directly in front of me to protect me.  I crashed to the floor landing on my knees with my lower legs spread out awkwardly to the sides.

The story of getting me dragged back into the bedroom under the lift, lifted up into bed, and lifted back out into the wheelchair again is really not very exciting. But we did it.

In the days that followed my right knee swelled up.  Not too surprising.  And what could the doctors do about it anyway?  I'm paralyzed!

After ten days some redness developed on the lower shin.  This got the nurse in Mrs. F.G. worried.  In fact that turned out to just be an insect bite, after I'd been sitting outside one day.  Yes there are insects out and about already.  And we still weren't anxious to head for the hospital during this pandemic!

But after a couple of more days we called my GP, who actually made a house call.  He checked me over while I was sitting outside in the garage, and said we should order some tests to check it out and make sure nothing too serious like a blood clot was going on.

So yesterday we went over the 5 blocks to our small local hospital.  But of course they wouldn't allow
Mrs.F.G. in, the hospital being in lockdown mode.  At this point I feared she would begin to panic,
having always been there for me as my advocate.  I was left alone to have the tests.

I was with the ultra-sound nurse for an hour and a half, then went to the x-ray room for five x-rays.  At this point the technicians knew what was going on, but of course they couldn't tell me.  They sent the x-rays to the radiologist in Owen Sound, and then he said he wanted to call my GP.  I waited for the circle of consultations to go on, not knowing what was coming next, but beginning to wonder!

The report was that they wanted me to go across the hall to Emergency for the doctor there to see me in person.  I was moved about 75 feet and then saw a nice young nurse who did the usual things like B.P., temperature and such, and asked the usual questions like cough?, fever?, been travelling?  No, no, and no.

It was time to call Mrs. F.G. and let her know what was going on (after 2.5 hours), mostly telling her to stay calm.  It was the beginning of a series of phone calls until I went home.

Eventually the doc came in and reassured me there was no blood clot, but oh, by the way, did you know about the fracture?  !!!???

At this point I thought 'my life is one continuing comedy of medical adventures!'  Remember, there
was no pain with this, even though I apparently had a broken leg, so I could afford to chuckle at this news.

The next three hours was spent waiting, begging for something to eat, waiting, seeing the doctor for 1minute, waiting, calling Mrs. F.G., and seeing the doctor again.  He was now consulting with the
orthopaedic surgeon in Owen Sound and suggesting a screw to hold the broken piece of bone in place.  He showed me a photo of the x-ray so I could see the fracture.  It's the left front 'knuckle' at the bottom of my femur just above the knee.

They decided against surgery and ultimately I was sent home in a zimmer brace to try and keep my
leg a little imobilized.  We'll see the surgeon on Tuesday for more details.  It's making things a little awkward here at home.  I can get though most of the doors I need to, but I can't load or unload the dishwasher.  Yet more work for Mrs. F.G., while I get to sit in front of the window and read..