Post by xr7conv on Apr 18, 2014 2:34:32 GMT -5
Well, I guess it is about time for an update. I have just been lurking for a while and was missing in action for a while.
I suppose it starts back in December of last year. I had a hernia repair and a tummy tuck at the same time. Hernia covered by insurance and tummy tuck not. It went well with no complications. This was on Dec 9. Took 2 weeks off work and then into Christmas so had a not stressful time working in the office. Was recovering nicely and then on Jan 11 at about 9am the family was in a car wreck.
We were in the country on that Sat morning headed to a friend’s house. Now this was north of Council Bluffs, Iowa in the winter. We had some weather but just a little. The sun was up it was in the mid-30’s and the road was dry. We were on a nice paved blacktop with a speed limit of 55 and I was going that. Came into a curve and hit Black Ice! Suffice it to say we left the road sideways traveling in the direction of the driver’s side. Rode through a guy’s driveway, across his front yard, through the side yard and came to a stop against a tree line about 250 or so from where we left the road. It was a bit downhill most of the way. The car (a 2002 Chevrolet Suburban) didn’t roll. We hit a big planter thing and spun the car 180 degrees and ripped the back wheel off (car was totaled). My wife and son, who were on the passenger side, had no injury. My daughter and I both had major pain in our backs. She was just 15 years old and panicked a bit but calmed down fast – Dad was proud of her! We didn’t either one try to get out. The car was still running. I cut it off to make sure there was no fuel leak, etc. We started it back up because she and I got cold. We waited on the ambulance and fire department and they got us out with neck braces and on back boards and carried us in the ambulance to the hospital.
Well long story a bit shortened. She had 3 vertebra with minor compression fractures and was released from the hospital same day. They were very minor and she had restricted activity for about 7 weeks and is about back to normal now. I had one major compression fracture in T-12. I was in a strap-on brace until about 2 weeks ago when I finally was able to spend some time out of it at home and gradually wean off of it. I started physical therapy about the same time. Back to work for the first full week this week. Man is everything sore! My abdomen which hadn’t completely recovered from the hernia and tummy tuck and my back atrophied from the brace and now it is just a matter of getting stronger and rebuilding the muscles.
It is amazing how fast your life can be turned around in another direction with no intent on our own part. We are thankful that the wreck was not worse. The paramedics and the doctors at the hospital agreed that if the car had rolled most likely someone would have died right there. We all had our seat belts on – as usual for us. That most definitely prevented more serious injury.
I had some good drugs for the pain during the first couple of weeks but worked of those quick. I have a fear of getting hooked on that crap, when hurting it is really easy to want to take something. Now, I am just using the occasional Tylenol.
Good news is that the DS is fine – no internal injuries or complications. I continued to lose even during the recovery – DS magic. I am down 168 pounds from pre-surgery weight. The hernia repair and tummy tuck are great. The healing of the incision was very slow. The brace I wore seemed to slow it down and the plastic surgeon said that the body was concentrating on the most serious injury that was the back. No complications just very slow.
I now need a size 42 waist jeans that I couldn’t find at Wally World today. I started in a 56-58 size! I pick up the pair of 44’s that I am wearing now and when I go to put them on I look at them and think “Those won’t fit!” My brain has not adjusted. My shoe size is down at least one size. I am wearing a military flight type jacket that I had in high school that I always wondered why I kept. Now I know why – it was going to fit again!
I missed my one year follow up with DS surgeon due to the accident. One year was Jan 16. I have to get on his schedule here in a few weeks. Get new labs (these were checked in the hospital where I lived for 4 days after the wreck and were fine).
Anyway – this has been a long post and anyone that has stuck with it I appreciate it! All is going well and it is nice to be back to work and some kind of activity.
Take care all!
-Dave
I suppose it starts back in December of last year. I had a hernia repair and a tummy tuck at the same time. Hernia covered by insurance and tummy tuck not. It went well with no complications. This was on Dec 9. Took 2 weeks off work and then into Christmas so had a not stressful time working in the office. Was recovering nicely and then on Jan 11 at about 9am the family was in a car wreck.
We were in the country on that Sat morning headed to a friend’s house. Now this was north of Council Bluffs, Iowa in the winter. We had some weather but just a little. The sun was up it was in the mid-30’s and the road was dry. We were on a nice paved blacktop with a speed limit of 55 and I was going that. Came into a curve and hit Black Ice! Suffice it to say we left the road sideways traveling in the direction of the driver’s side. Rode through a guy’s driveway, across his front yard, through the side yard and came to a stop against a tree line about 250 or so from where we left the road. It was a bit downhill most of the way. The car (a 2002 Chevrolet Suburban) didn’t roll. We hit a big planter thing and spun the car 180 degrees and ripped the back wheel off (car was totaled). My wife and son, who were on the passenger side, had no injury. My daughter and I both had major pain in our backs. She was just 15 years old and panicked a bit but calmed down fast – Dad was proud of her! We didn’t either one try to get out. The car was still running. I cut it off to make sure there was no fuel leak, etc. We started it back up because she and I got cold. We waited on the ambulance and fire department and they got us out with neck braces and on back boards and carried us in the ambulance to the hospital.
Well long story a bit shortened. She had 3 vertebra with minor compression fractures and was released from the hospital same day. They were very minor and she had restricted activity for about 7 weeks and is about back to normal now. I had one major compression fracture in T-12. I was in a strap-on brace until about 2 weeks ago when I finally was able to spend some time out of it at home and gradually wean off of it. I started physical therapy about the same time. Back to work for the first full week this week. Man is everything sore! My abdomen which hadn’t completely recovered from the hernia and tummy tuck and my back atrophied from the brace and now it is just a matter of getting stronger and rebuilding the muscles.
It is amazing how fast your life can be turned around in another direction with no intent on our own part. We are thankful that the wreck was not worse. The paramedics and the doctors at the hospital agreed that if the car had rolled most likely someone would have died right there. We all had our seat belts on – as usual for us. That most definitely prevented more serious injury.
I had some good drugs for the pain during the first couple of weeks but worked of those quick. I have a fear of getting hooked on that crap, when hurting it is really easy to want to take something. Now, I am just using the occasional Tylenol.
Good news is that the DS is fine – no internal injuries or complications. I continued to lose even during the recovery – DS magic. I am down 168 pounds from pre-surgery weight. The hernia repair and tummy tuck are great. The healing of the incision was very slow. The brace I wore seemed to slow it down and the plastic surgeon said that the body was concentrating on the most serious injury that was the back. No complications just very slow.
I now need a size 42 waist jeans that I couldn’t find at Wally World today. I started in a 56-58 size! I pick up the pair of 44’s that I am wearing now and when I go to put them on I look at them and think “Those won’t fit!” My brain has not adjusted. My shoe size is down at least one size. I am wearing a military flight type jacket that I had in high school that I always wondered why I kept. Now I know why – it was going to fit again!
I missed my one year follow up with DS surgeon due to the accident. One year was Jan 16. I have to get on his schedule here in a few weeks. Get new labs (these were checked in the hospital where I lived for 4 days after the wreck and were fine).
Anyway – this has been a long post and anyone that has stuck with it I appreciate it! All is going well and it is nice to be back to work and some kind of activity.
Take care all!
-Dave