hardware

Originally the doctor told me that he would be inserting a metal plate and approximately 12 screws in to the broken bone in my leg. Now I didn't ask but for some reason I assumed that the plate would be about the size of a business card and that the screws would be like a 1/2 inch long at the most. Obviously I was way off on this one!



During my visit today the doctor told me that the bone appears to be healing very well. He checked my range of motion and said that he was surprised at how much movement I had recovered in just five weeks. I will be starting physical therapy next week for ROM and strength but will not be putting any weight on the leg for another three weeks.

My knee is still quite swollen. When I asked him about that he said that there was still a lot of water on my knee and that with this type of injury meniscus damage is a possibility. Once I am putting weight on the leg and I have been walking for a few weeks he will send me for an MRI to determine if there is any damage to the knee cartilage. We will discuss options for a second surgery once we know for sure.

thanks

So it’s been a little over a month since I arrived back on Long Island from the Music City National. Not much going on in the way of news with my leg so I figure this would be a good time to say thanks.

In order of appearance:

Thanks to all of the guys in the masters class who came out on the track to see if I was ok. I was pretty fuzzy after the fall so I don’t remember who was all standing there but I do remember that Domingos Lammoglia was one of the guys that helped me off the track. Thanks! I also seem to remember Tommy Opincar saying that he was sorry? I wonder what that was all about…

Thanks to my boy Chris Giacomazzo. Chris really made sure I was taken care of. He got me out of the hospital, got my pain meds, boxed up my bike, got me to the airport, cut the security line with me, and made sure I got on the plane. Can’t thank you enough!

Thanks to Southwest flight attendant Valerie Boy. She was the best “stew” ever. She hooked up a bunch of pillows and blankets to create a make shift ottoman for my bad leg. She also made sure I had ice for my leg and she went through the trouble of writing me a note that said I was her cousin and that the crew on the next plane should take care of me. How cool is that!

Thanks to my brother in law Kenny. Besides getting all my crap from the airport and driving my car home (it’s a standard shift) he has been hanging out and getting me out of the house which was what I really needed. I know it’s not easy to hang out with someone when they are all messed up such as I was. Thanks bro!

Thanks to my lovely wife Lynnsey. In all reality I should probably insert a thank you to her between each of these. Lynns has been so good at helping me deal with this whole broken leg thing. When she picked me up at the airport I could tell by the look on her face that it was bad. That was the last time I saw that look. From the usual “everything will be alright” stuff to really helping me deal with what actually happened, she has been there for me. She was there for me when I was in so much pain that I just wanted to give up (yes, it really did hurt that much). She made sure that I got a second opinion when the first doctor I saw wanted to see how it would heal without surgery. Lynns, you mean the world to me. Thank you for everything.

Thanks to my mother in law Celeste (who I affectionately call Mama C). She made sure that I was at every doctor’s appointment and every test on time. She also made sure that I had lunch, coffee, or any other little thing that would make my day better after being poked, prodded, scanned, or x-rayed. Thanks Mama C.

Thanks to my next door neighbor Joe. Joe has been nice enough to mow my lawn whenever he mows his own. I’m sure my dogs would thank you also if they weren’t busy trying to run out the front door when you stop by. He also has a pretty big selection of new movies that he let me borrow to help pass the time. Thanks Joe.

Thanks to Mike, Robert, and Marty at my job for understanding why a 33 year old man that you work with broke his leg riding little kids bikes. Thanks to Crystal and Rick for picking me up and driving me home from work. The first few days back were tough and you guys made it as easy as you could for me. Thanks!

Lastly, thanks to everyone out there who has held a door for me, paused to let me walk by, let me cut in line, or did anything that made my day a little bit easier. I would do the same for you!

staples

After being bumped from my usual Friday appointment I finally got to see the orthopedic yesterday. The staples are now out and I am psyched. The doctor took another set of x-rays and informed me that the bone is healing perfectly. I asked the doctor for a copy of the x-rays. Apparently he was too busy to get me a copy but promised me that he would make it happen on my next visit. I will be returning two weeks from this coming Friday for my third post-operative visit. I'll post the x-rays featuring the metal plate and screws as soon as I get them. Should be cool.

scar

Went to see the orthopedic today for my first post-operative visit. I was excited for a few reasons. Reason one, the last time I talked to the Dr. I was in a hospital bed and heavily medicated so I had a lot of questions for him. Second reason, this would be my first chance to see the new scar. The PA came in and started unwrapping the ace bandage that had been on my leg since the surgery. She then cut through the bloody gauze and got my leg fully exposed. I took out my phone to take a quick pic. The PA said, "I can probably get you a better shot from this angle".



She was right. The scar looks pretty sick, bigger than I thought it would be. They took a few x-rays of my leg to make sure that the bones are still sitting the way the Dr. left them when he closed up my leg. I was told that everything looked perfect. I have to remember to ask for a printout of the x-ray.

The biggest question that I had for the Dr. was, "When will I know what is wrong with my shoulder"? He basically told me that since I can't walk right now, fixing the broken bone in my leg was the most important thing. He said that there is no way he would even consider sending me for surgery (assuming I needed surgery) on my shoulder while my leg is in this condition. An MRI would be a waste since it would have to be repeated anyway and who knows, maybe it will heal by the time my leg is better.

Point taken.