19 June 2007

Bone blues


We had an appointment at the orthopedic surgeon in Rockford today to discuss results of a nuclear medicine bone scan that I had last week. My ulnar bone is not healing and apparently shows signs of infection. SO... on Tuesday of next week, June 26, I will be going to Rockford Memorial for surgery. They will open up the wrist again and remove the $25,000 of hardware in there now and then put little antibiotic beads between the bone (oh -- and scrape out all the infection --ick). Then they'll sew me up, splint my wrist, and the plan is that I'll get to go home that evening. They are then going to give me two very strong oral antibiotics which will hopefully knock out any remaining infection. I'll have an appointment about 72 hours after the surgery and they will put on a cast, I think. Then 6-8 weeks from now, I'll have another surgery where they will do a bone graft and put in new $25,000 titanium plates. And another splint. Then another cast.

Fun times. The State Farm insurance used by the chica who hit us is SO going to pay for this.

Anyway, I am anxious to get this whole thing done with already. I am tired of my wrist hurting and tired of not being able to settle with the insurance company and tired of driving to Rockford to wait for hours to be able to talk to my very competent, though humorless doctor (when I jokingly inquired as to whether it was possible that I could get a hook out of this, he said, "No, no! You'll keep your hand!" Um, yeah, thanks. Hadn't figured that out, Dr. K.)

I'm not so much nervous about the surgery as the splint. It will go over my elbow and hold my wrist so that it cannot rotate. After surgery, it was impossible to pick up Annalivia and I don't know how in the world I'd be able to hold Daniel, but I'm sure I'll figure something out. And showering with a bag for the next 3 months doesn't sound fun, either. But I guess it has to be done.

So. There's the update. More later.

5 comments:

Kalin said...

haha I was totally going to suggest getting a hook, so I'm glad you brought the idea up already.

more cows than people said...

dang, april, this just sucks. you seem to be taking it in stride, with good perspective, and good humor. you continue to amaze me!

why don't you get a costume hook and wear it into surgery?

hope all goes smoothly and the healing begins!

A. Lin said...

Yikes! Painful surgery! I hope that your wrists heals this time. I know it must be frustrating to think of how difficult it will be to hold your children. But please, get well soon!!

Jim and Amy Rennie said...

I'm a little bummed that you won't be making "that same damn rabbit" with the hook hand anytime soon . . .but nonetheless, I hope it all goes well. :)

Anonymous said...

ouch.