It`s been a long while since I have posted an update on my "story". A friend of ours asked how I was doing the other day and whether I had updated my blog recently. I told him I hadn`t because I didn`t feel like I had much more to say, but he made me realize that - maybe I do. And it`s all good.
I had planned to return to work full-time on April 20 but to my great surprise, I couldn`t do it. After half a day of work my energy was depleted and I had to go home. After a few days of this I returned to my doctor. She said it was unreasonable to expect to return to full-time work after months of immobilization. She put me on a progressive part-time schedule and that was much easier for me to deal with. I am now doing four days a week for a couple more weeks and then I will be good to start full-time. I realize in hindsight that it was not feasible to expect to return to normalcy that quickly.
I have since made up with my car. I had no choice as I am totally dependant on it to get to work. Our relationship is better, but we still have our issues, and I don`t trust it completely yet, but I`m getting there. I realize now that I must take some of the blame for what happened...
I`ve made some progress since I`ve started driving again. Now, instead of nervously checking both ways five times before I turn, I only check two (or maybe three) times.
Being immobilized in a halo vest for weeks on end is not good for the waistline. Even though you eat less, you also expend much less energy. It`s not complicated - you move less, you burn less, you get fat. Well, fatter anyway. So now I have a few extra pounds to get rid of. I have been walking on my treadmill for weeks now, but it`s just not enough. So, as of this week, I have slowly (and I mean slowly) started to run again. I am running in a way that allows my knees to absorb as much of the impact as possible in order to save my neck the trauma. My doctor is not too keen about this, but says my body will tell me if it doesn`t like it. So far it`s been ok. What I am really itching to do is get on my bike and ride outdoors, but I don`t have to be told that`s not a good idea. It`s not the riding I`m worried about - it`s the falling. You just never know... And once you`ve broken you`re neck, you remain forever protective of it. Which is probably a good thing.
There is still some neck pain on days when I read alot at work, or sit at the computer for long periods. I also get an achey neck when the weather is raining - just as my neurologist predicted. While my range has improved immensely, I have not recovered full motion yet. But I`m almost there. On rainy days like today however, it seems my neck is more stiff and I feel certain that I need physiotherapy. Yet on other days I feel like it`s fine. We`ll see.
I still often think about the accident and my time in the halo. It seems like a bad dream now, but I know it wasn`t a dream. It was real, and it was life-threatening and it was horrible. But it`s over now, and I`m happy to say - life is good, and as it should be. :)
Update
15 years ago
Jan still has balance issues related to her inner ear ever since the halo went on that have never completely went away.
ReplyDeleteAs for driving, remember that I had to drive an hour to the hospital less than 3 hours after the accident. It was not in the car that hurt Jan but I still had to do it. Then I had to drive her an hour to get home, just 15 hours later with the halo. I felt every little bump, every little crack in the road, knowing it was painful for her.
I still have nightmares and waking thoughts of the terror that we lived the past six months. People still say we were lucky and Jan was lucky to survive but I know she was lucky to heal as well as she did despite the butcher that operated on her.
It`s important to remember that those close to us suffered as much, if not more in a way, than us. It was obviously very hard for you to watch your wife go through this ordeal and with good reason. It was tough for my husband as well. There is nothing more difficult than having to watch someone you care for suffer. I hope your nightmares stop soon. Take care.
ReplyDeleteHow did things turn out for you? It has been almost a year for Jan since the wreck. She is still contemplating scar revision surgery.
ReplyDeleteI keep posting on my blog even though it is not visible to non-members (me and Jan) so that I can keep a record of things.
Hi Knuckle Busted! It`s so nice to hear from you. I hope you and your wife are doing well. I haven`t been able to view your site, but am very interested to know how you and your wife are doing. I am fine. Like your wife, I am also considering scar revision. Only on one side though, the other side seems fine. Most people say they don`t notice the scar but I do... In a way it is a reminder of what I went through and survived, but still, I think I will try to get it fixed. It is so comforting to talk to people who have gone through the same thing. No one else could possibly understand. Your posts helped me get through my ordeal and I have to thank you for that. It`s not something I will forget anytime soon. We had a bit of snow on the ground the other day, and just driving to work brought all of the memories back. December 16 will be exactly one year since my accident. I can`t believe it`s been a year already. I hope you read this and respond. I would love to hear how your wife and you are doing. Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteI finally checked back. Her's was Dec 14th. She never did the plastic surgery. She said she didn't want them to cut on her. I don't know how else they'd do it.
ReplyDeleteShe finally finish physical therapy in early September. She doesn't talk about it as much as I did and I try not to mention it any more.
Jan had another episode of PSVT (runaway heart beat) and spent a night in the hospital just before Christmas. It has been 4 months and not another incident. She is having a problem with hyperglycemia now but it is mostly under control.
Did you ever replace your car? Mine was totaled and I haven't decided on another one yet. It was a weekend car so it isn't like I'm walking or anything.
I don't know about you but I've seen halos in several different TV shows and movies now. Sensitized to them I suppose.
Hi there. I never did get a new car. I'm much more relaxed about driving now, so I don`t feel the need to change my car for the time being. I haven`t had the scar revision yet either, but may still decide to do it at some point. I`m not sure it`s worth the trouble. I never had to have physio and so far, everything seems to be back to normal. I do occasionally get achey on rainy days, but it`s really not that bad. I really feel lucky things didn`t turn out worse. I haven`t seen a single person in a halo since my accident - or even before for that matter. I guess it`s not that common. Glad to hear you and your wife are doing ok. I still look at pictures we took when I was in the halo and I can`t believe that was me. Weird how memories fade with time. I guess that`s a good thing :) Take care and give my regards to your wife.
ReplyDelete