Whew! What a morning. Busy. Busy. Busy. We had Ryan up and at ’em well before 6:00AM to get him ready for transport at 7:00AM. So much goes into just getting ready to take him out. Then, there’s the whole “going out” part. What a pain in the kester (I briefly consider inserting a picture of my butt here, but thought better of it).
Preparation is everything. Like always, the aim is to keep Ryan as comfortable and relaxed as possible. One tactic I always like to use is having the first appointment of the day (or immediately after lunch). Not only does this give us the best chance at not waiting around, it also is less stressful on me. Why me? Well, I just really have a hard time seeing people stare (I call them “gawkers”). Old people are the worse.
So anyhow, we loaded Ryan into the ambulance around 7:15 and we were off. The transport crew was exceptionally good and that helps. We had Ryan at the doctor’s office fifteen minutes early. I did all the paperwork (you know… answering the same questions on five different forms) and he was off to x-ray.
The primary purpose of the visit was to see what could be done about the left forearm (ulna and radius bones broke in January in therapy). Secondarily, I wanted them to get an image of his left ankle (I just kind of popped that on them, but they were happy to do it). My concern was the bones had fused in the ankle and his plantar-flexion foot drop would take some fairly intricate surgery to correct.
EMTs who transported Ryan today.
After imaging, the doctor came in to talk through strategy to heal the arm. The challenge, no matter Ryan’s mental condition, is this is hard to correct seven months after the fact. Here were my choices:
- Have a rod inserted internally. Recovery would take 6 – 8 weeks. Risk would both include infection and hardware failure internally. The advantage is the arm would be permanently straightened.
- Have a hard cast put on. Recovery would take 4 – 6 weeks. Risk is skin breakdown beneath the cast that we would know until it was removed (and thus give a portal for infection). The advantage is the arm would not risk re-injury. The disadvantage is the arm will not be straightened (but could be sometime down the road).
- Hard splint the arm. Recovery would take 4 – 6 weeks. The risk is Ryan might re-injure it when the splint is off. The advantage is we could keep the area clean and check for skin breakdown. The disadvantage is the arm will not be straightened (but could be sometime down the road).
Related articles
- Ryan to see Orthopedic Surgeon (ryansrally.org)
- Radiology Reports and Eyes (ryansrally.org)
I guess the splint is the better choice but I had a hard cast on forarm for 6 weeks and never had an infection. Do you use a boot on both of Ryan’s feet at night when he is sleeping. Might be best all day. It keeps the feet properly alined so foot drop is avoided.
Regarding Ryan’s arm, I think you made the right decision as always, Ken. I hope it heals correctly. I don’t know how you have resisted shaking the sh$$ out of the orthopedic “doctor” who set and cast his arm.
I must say, “Love those EMT’s, including our very own granddaughter!” They are such a blessing and totally committed to their work, much of it as volunteers. Please support your local rescue squads.
Love
Hello Ken, yeah, gawkers are obnoxious — so annoying!! Sorry you had to deal with that. I was relieved and thankful to hear about Ryan’s foot. I know you will get it into the position it needs to be in — you are so good with Ryan’s physical therapy!! Ryan is in such excellent physical shape due to your dedication to his health. I am so glad you met some great people to talk with on this visit. It makes a difficult situation a bit easier to handle. Thinking of you and your family, Ken, and praying you will be able to get some decent rest this weekend. Love & hugs, Paula
Glad you opted for the splint and believe it was absolutely the right decision for ALL the reasons you listed.
I totally understand the “gawker” thing. In the beginning, it totally hacked me off but I said nothing. Then I mentally made a rule of two double-takes before asking them if they needed a camera. Now, I just ignore it as in mentally putting blinders on. What is amazing to me is that people have time to “gawk” but don’t count on the opening a door, getting out of the way, or deferring for any reason, and Oh, yeah, babies in strollers are waaaay more important, especially to get on elevators, then the disabled. But I digress.
Glad your morning went as well as it could.
Glad to hear it was a good visit and you did meet some nice people not just those “gawkers”. Thankful that Ryan does not have to undergo surgery.
A productive morning is a good morning in my book. And I was very relieved to hear that the bones in Ryan’s ankle didn’t fuse. It would be great to see a before and after pic once you’ve reversed the foot drop back to neutral… because progress, in any form, is always great to see.
Ken, Glad to hear no surgery for now and I’m sure having nice people to deal with and who knew what they’re doing helped (Not like that day in Jan). Stay Strong and prayers for you all. Love Gail
Ken,
Good news on the foot forefront! Thinking about the arm upsets me too, given what you had to go through and how they mistreated you and Ryan that day…..
Glad the EMT’s / Transport crew made it an easier day for you. Always helps!! Know that we are here, NGA, for every step of your journey!
Sending love/hugs/prayers as always,
Carla