Randy went for another follow up with the orthopedic surgeon on Tuesday. Since Randy's crash, not quite 4 months ago, he has been doing a lot better than we have expected, but I think we have high expectations that are sometimes impossible to live up to. The last time Randy saw the ortho , he was still on crutches, working part time and sleeping on the couch. Since then, he's ditched all walkers and crutches, works full time and can sleep up to 5 hours on our bed. We are so happy with his progress, but there is a lot that he can't do anymore that was making us nervous that he might NEVER be able to do again. Some of our concerns that we wanted to talk to the doctor were:
*he can't lay on his side AT ALL
*he can't run
*he can't lift anything heavy without pain
*constant aching and discomfort in the front and back of his pelvis
*if he sleeps more than 5 hours in our bed, he can't walk
*he can't wrestle with the kids like usual
*he can't haul wood like he used to (AT ALL)
*he limps after just 2 hours of work
*he can't sit for very long
When we told the doctor that we had a list of things that he is still struggling with, he told US what was on our list without looking at it. He said pelvis fractures take a REALLY long time to recover from. He said not to expect a full recover for 18 months from his crash. That would be not THIS Christmas, but NEXT Christmas!!! He said SOME of the symptoms COULD bepermanent. We're hoping they wont. He will almost definitely have arthritis in his pelvis the rest of his life. Once he gave us some light at the end of the tunnel, he reminded us that we need to keep the list of stuff he CAN do and reminded us of how severe his break was:
*he is working
*he is not dead
*he is not paralyzed
*he didn't need surgery
*he is walking good
*he has strength back in his left leg
*the break is probably as good as it's going to get, which is great
When people see Randy, they think that everything is all better, because he looks like it is, but at the end of the day, we are reminded that he has suffered an extreme break and we need to be patient and let him heal. I'm not the most patient person I know, but it's nice to know that things WILL get better. So, looks like we're in for the long haul, but we can do it!!! Let's get Pelvis Elvis better!!!
Sunday Edit
16 hours ago
4 comments:
Hang in there! He has come SO far.
What Erin said...It's an incredible blessing that he's alive, not paralyzed, etc. You know all of this anyway, I'm preaching to the choir. I didn't realize that some of those injuries might be permanent or that they would take so long to heal. Your family has incredible strength. Tyler prepared you for ANYTHING.
It is a miracle. But Randy is no shrinking violet either. The man is tenacious. But I understand how end of the day pain is, and it is not fun...so keep on keeepin on. You are so strong, and I so admire you for that. Thanks for the update.
Keep it up Pelvis Elvis. Sounds like you are doing great still. It will all come in time, continue being patient.
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