Your kid clearly will have a good, tough dad. Congrats and good luck.

 

this is a good life lesson for your kids. . .when your down and handed a bad hand, get back on your feet, dust yourself off, hold your chin high and get on with your life.

get well man!!!

 

So sorry to hear about your accident, and I am so glad to hear things are going well for you and that you on your road to recovery. I lost my brother to a bike accident a few years ago, so I know how your family feels. Me and my family will be pulling for you. Get well soon. And congrat's on the new baby!

 

Well, today marks one month since my accident. I don't think reality has entirely set in. Every so often I'll see what's left of my leg and wonder if it's really me lying in this bed. Is it a dream? No, it's not. It's reality, and I've got to deal with it.

I try not to ask "why me", or "what did I do to deserve this" questions. There's really no room or need for "what if". Nothing I do or say is going to change what happened, but at the same time, it's hard to comprehend why it DID happen to me and not the guy streaking down the highway in shorts and a wife beater doing a 100 mph stand up wheelie... But, it did happen, and I've got to move on from it.

Physically the doctors say I'm healing amazingly quick for my injuries. I've still got to have the external fixator on for another two months or so, but that's just to make sure that the artery is completely healed before I start moving the leg all around. That's understandable. I had all my stitches and staples removed from my left leg. I'm going to have a lot of cool scars, hehe. My foot still hurts like a muthertrukker. Doctors are working on how to combat that pain and relieve it for when I go back to the VA for rehab/therapy. I hope the figure something out, because after the relief of the epidural, I don't know if I can live with that pain again.

Other than that, there's not much to report. I'm currently still in the hospital as they try to figure out what medication with take care of the pain. I should be returning to the VA hospital any day now. I can't wait to restart physical therapy, even though I know it is going to hurt at times. However, it is one step closer to going home, and I know that the better I do there, the better off I will be taking care of myself and the better off I will be when it comes to learning to walk again on both my leg and eventually my prosthetic.

I'm doing my best to keep my spirits up. I've got a few things on my mind. For instance: am I still going to have a job once I get better? The Air Force is really cutting back right now, and I'm sure this is just what they would be looking for to axe another number. That's definitely weighing pretty heavily right now. Also, I dont' get to see my wife nearly as much as I need to see her. She's really busy with our daughter, the house, and school, and now she's back at work, so that doesn't leave much time to get up here. I fully understand, but it just sucks. They've got me on an anti-depressant, which is supposed to raise my mood eventually, and help out with the pain. They say in cases like mine, it's pretty normal to have anti-depressants prescribed, as it's pretty normal to have some sort of depression. I'd agree. I'm so tired of laying in this bed. When I get in the wheelchair, where is there to go? I'm bored with wheeling to the same three places. I know I need to keep my spirits up, but it's hard sometimes. I'm trying, though. I'm trying.

I don't know what else there is to say. I still don't remember anything about the accident itself. I don't remember anything more today than I did a month ago. I'm open for questions. Can't say I know enough to answer all of them, but I'll do my best. Can't wait to see what kind of progress the next month brings!

 

first of all like everyone else on this forum im really sorry for your accident and your limb. I know it must be terrifying for you but you must keep your faith and dont ask why me but better off you than anyone else in your family. when i was 3 yrs old i was shot by .357 magnum in my left leg right below the knee and if it wasnt for a speaclist that happened to be in the hospital there picking up some paperwork i would have for sure lost my leg, and to this day(now 21) there is not a day that goes by that i dont think about what happend to me or why me i mean i was only 3 yrs old i didnt deserve that. But what keeps me together in peace is that im happy it happened to me and not any of my brothers or family and i thank god for that. Just keep your faith because god does work in mysterious ways and he will help you. and if you need financial help dont be affraid to ask any of your brothers here in the forum i myself will be honored to gather what i can and help you and your family. keep you head up and god bless.

 

Very..............VERY .............well said.
God bless you Chet.
He will help you in your tough trial ahead.
You have so many people thinking and wishing the best for you and your family.
Take care and keep posting on the board.
Post anything you like at anytime or PM people.
We will reply & help & listen to you bud.
Take care mate.
Al and family.

 

Yup---what they said.

Work hard in the therapy. Get aggressive and turn pain and depression into progress.

Hope all goes well with the airforce too, that's a worry you don't need right now.
Concentrate on getting better.

 

Howdy Chet,
Glad to get an update on your progress. Sounds like you are fast on the mend. Don't know if you are a spiritual person, but time will help solve those current and immediate issues you mentioned. Stick in there and keep that chin up. Like was said before we are all here for you and your family so don't hesitate to let someone know if there is anything we can do.
Cheers,
Happy

 

For my $.02, get out as much as you can, I know it won't be much and I know it won't be easy. See people, read, hit the 'puter, beg for more therapy, anything but downtime alone. I've had 2 small experiences nowhere near as serious and I suffered from depression both times. Marine Corp boot camp went from 11 weeks to 9 1/2 months, with little family contact, little to do, lots of quite. I took up painting the cover blocks the DI's had to keep the brims of the Smokey Bears flat. I made bootleg dice and playing cards out of old folders. I escorted as many guys as I could to Balboa Naval Hospital just so I had a change of scenery. I kept me as busy as I could but it was a lot of long times with nothing. The other incident was 3 fingertips each hand in a dado blade on a table saw which was much harder as I've always worked with my hands. I ended up alone in the house by myself for long periods, took me 3 days to figure out how to light my own smokes. I read a lot that time. If you can wheel around anywhere, do it. Find some ppl to talk to. Pick up a deck of cards. Not trying to sound harsh, it wasn't easy for me and my stuff isn't anything in comparison. I truly believe I would have had a faster recovery with more things to occupy my mind. Congrats, get well, good luck.

 

Chet, I too have had a serious leg injury, fortunately it was just one leg, so it wasn't as bad as yours, but it was very serious. I broke both bones off of my knee and tore every ligament in the leg to pieces, nothing holding but my skin, some flesh and blood vessels.

It took two doctors 12 hours along with a bone graft to put it back together again. I had to wear the external fixator for 8 weeks and this was only the first time. That was in July of 2001, since then I have had 9 more operations on it, 3 majors and 6 minors, had to wear the external fixator 2 more times for 8 weeks each time. The last one was in January of this year and I am still in thearpy.

I tell you this so you will know that I understand your depression and I know about your pain. Eventually, it will get better, you just have to tough it out. I took myself off of the oxycodin and other pain killers even before the doctor recommended, as I didn't want to become any more dependent on them than I already was. It was definitely very hard, especially after being on the morphine pump for an extended time. I don't have to tell you what pain is, I thought I knew before I had this accident, but I found that I didn't really know.

I have also been where you are, wondering why me, mostly I blamed myself and often found that I would be feeling sorry for myself, almost mad at myself for what happened. Truth is, things happen, it really has nothing to do with who you are, its happened to many others and will continue to happen. Since I already was a Christian, I found refuge in God and prayer, it really works and I commend it to you wholeheartly.

Like you, I almost had to learn to walk again, it is hard to re-hab a leg that you cannot use for a long time, but with a good therapist, and much determination, it will recover. My doctor says that my will to get better has been the greatest asset that he has had in this 5 year ordeal. You can have this determination too, don't let it get you down, if it does it will slow your recovery and inhibit your ability to adjust to your new circumstances. As I have said, the partial loss of your other leg makes your situation worse than mine, so you will have to have a double dose of determination and I believe you sound like the kind of person that can produce it.

Let us know how you do along the way, and if you need anything perhaps many on here would help, I know I would do what I can. Put your trust in God, He can do a lot more with your life than you could ever do, He certainly has done more with mine. You will need that extra determination for your family, and now the new one that is on the way. You can do it, I know you can. Godspeed.