Leg Continues to Heal.

9-25-23 SHORT HILLS: Convalescence continues with one glitch—a wound infection. It seem to be superficial, and we clean it twice a day and take an antibiotic, and it’s slowly closing. We see Dr. Schob tomorrow. We both had flu shots and Covid boosters, which had us both mostly in bed for the weekend.

Judy has been doing everything around the house as well as my care, dog care and her dog visits. She’s a Wonder Woman.

Ophelia was a nothing burger here, three days of light rain and light wind. That’s how I like my hurricanes. It’s definitely cooler with overnight temps in the 50’s. The Autumnal Equinox has come and gone, and our days are already shorter.

This is the youngest of our three Southern Magnolias, and the one with the most flowers. When the flowers finish, cones form.

Here's a closer look at the cones.

As the cones ripen, they open and show these red seeds to attract the birds.

Proceeding with Healing

9-14-23 SHORT HILLS: We’re into a routine here, which looks like it will go on for another 4-5-6 weeks depending on what Dr. Schob allows me to do. It’s three weeks since the surgery, the incisions are healed, a lot of the swelling has gone down, the knee is beginning to look like a knee again. But, I’m not allowed to put weight on the leg so I’m using the walker or the wheelchair. Standing or walking on the leg could distort the reconstruction so no weight bearing allowed until the bones are healed and knit together again.

I’m taking vitamin D and calcium supplements to aid the healing. Perhaps they do help. I’m on Eliquis  to prevent blood clots in the legs. I do a ton of leg lifts every day, both legs, to maintain and build muscle for that day when I can resume walking. My best guess as to earliest possible date—Oct. 16.  

Blanca under the apple tree with ripening fruit. Another one of Judy's pictures.

Here's a sunset from my window at APD.

NJ Update.

9-7-23 SHORT HILLS: We’re back in NJ. The trip down was thankfully uneventful. Dan and Alison arrived shortly after we did with rations from the Millburn Deli, and then Anna and Gardner appeared. Anna looks quite preggers. The two of them are so into it all. They spent an hour setting up a baby seat in their car in our driveway. After part of a ‘Sloppy Joe’, speciality of the Millburn Deli with lots of coleslaw, I was ready for a nap. 

We saw our local orthopedist yesterday, Dr. Cliff Schob, who reviewed all the work done at Dartmouth-Hitchcock from the initial x-rays through the final films after the definitive repair. He thought the repair was ‘outstanding’ and the best possible reconstruction. That was welcome news.

Judy sent out emails to many of those who have been following the saga—     

      “I would like to thank everyone for their concern and well wishes for Howie’s recovery.

Today he saw our neighbor and orthopedic surgeon, here in New Jersey,  for whom we have great affection and respect.

Howie sustained a double fracture of his tibia, which was splintered into innumerable jigsaw pieces and also dislocated his fibula and his patella which was pushed up over his femur.

Cliff said it was  one of the worst injuries of this sort that he had ever seen; that neither he nor anyone local here could have performed the reconstructive surgery and that the orthopedic team at Dartmouth was fantastic and brilliant.

He repeated this, with a lot of “wows” thrown in several times.

Howie will be sending a note of appreciation to the Dartmouth team in short order.

Cliff was impressed with Howie’s range of mobility and motion in his knee and ankle: right now physical therapy is baby steps for old bones: leg lifts, knee bends and walker exercises.

This will be a long, tough slog for Howie, but he will walk, which was a question somewhere in the back of my mind.

Jews say “next year in Jerusalem.”

This somewhat lapsed Jew says,” this Christmas in Thetford.”

Thanks again.

Judy”

For X-ray fans, the post-repair picture. The white things are screws and plates. Everything is in exactly the right place.

One of Judy's last pix before we left.