I have been in a rehab facility for 8 days and a hospital for 3 days before. I was released from rehab today and just got home. Cndy and I attended the Wacky Racers (name of our car group on Facebook) Christmas party in Lago Vista on Saturday, 9-Dec with absolutely zero alcohol onboard. We were leaving their three story home on Lake Travis around 11:30pm. The 3rd floor is their living area. The 2nd floor is a Media room with theater like seating as well as a game room. The 1st floor is a 6 car garage. There is an outside staircase from the second floor to the 3rd floor. I made it down that staircase without issue. The indoor staircase from 2nd floor to the 1st floor has about 7 steps down to a landing and then turns 90 degrees clockwise to 10 steps to the 1st floor. I missed the top step of 10 and fell tumbling to ground level. I knew that my right femur was broken before coming to an abrupt stop on the concrete floor. Cindy was a trooper, as always, controlling the scene. She yelled for people to come help and immediately called 911. I wound up with a fractured femur, and a broken rib. Please make sure that you never have this happen to you. The responding Paramedics could not move the leg without the muscles going into spasms. They decided to use Ketamine to be able to splint my leg. Google Ketamine and you will be shocked. Ketamine is a powerful, short acting drug. Within a minute the sounds in the room were reverbarating. I could hear voices but could not tell what was being said. I remember saying to Cindy: "I am no longer on this planet and I don't like it". I remember nothing about the leg being set and splinted. For that, I am grateful for the Ketamine. However, I had an out of body experience where I was thinking: "Is this what death is like?" I vaguely remember being loaded into the ambulance. The Ketamine was beginning to wear off. I remember acknowledging the existance of my left hand resting on my chest. I had no idea how it got there and had no ability to move it. Cindy asked me how the leg was feeling. I told her that it was not there and asked if anyone was bringing it to the hospital. I was in left field playing a completely different game from everyone else. That drug is something else. I do not want to ever need it again. It was needed in this situation to allow the paramedics to set the leg. Kids use this drug by the street name "Special K". Stay in your kids lives and make sure they never experiment with Special K. I now have a rod through the middle of the right femur holding the two bone pieces together so that it will heal properly. The rib has given me zero issues.
Wow, glad to hear you're OK Tom. Missing a step even if it's off a curb can have disastrous consequences. Also a good thing Cindy was there, no telling what might have happened if some partiers decided to step in and help. You might have ended up getting CPR instead of your leg splinted!
Tom, glad to hear you're on the mend. The leg will heal. "Only" 8 days in inpatient rehab tells me you're a tough dude. But we knew that already. :wink:
Thanks Terry and Sid. Had either one of you heard of Ketamine or its street name Special K? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketamine
Yes Ketamine has been around a long time, and it one of the drugs used in sedation of dental patients at times. Heck Choral Hydrate is still used in sedation. I have no personal experience with it though as I refer out any patients that need sedation beyond Nitrous Oxide. Never knew it was a street drug named Special K, though nothing surprises me anymore that druggies use...I mean smokin' bath salts is a thing.
Glad you're home for Christmas Tom. Here in the Villages we do not have basements or attics. Stairs for the most part have been outlawed and my knees are so happy.
Have done it twice... once on the right leg seriously tearing my quad muscle and once on the left leg severing the quad muscle that required reattachment surgery. Don't miss those steps!!! Glad you are doing better Tom and BOL to a quick recovery.
Mike, we built a 2 story house in 1992 and wound up selling it in 1994 when I left Texas Instruments for a better opportunity at Intel in New Mexico. I then informed Cindy that we will never buy or build anything other than a one story house. :wink: 24 years later and we have bought 5 houses.... all of them single story. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PJ0IgeXft7I" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe>
MCG, Missed your reply. Thanks for the best wishes. I do have a slave driver wife that will push me to recover quickly if I start to slow down. I have no doubts that I will fully recover ahead of schedule.
Thanks Corey. First day of outpatient therapy will be Wednesday next week. Hope to be back to work before the 22 January estimate given by the doctor.
Thanks for the update Tom. Glad you are home for Christmas and I have no doubt you will have a speedy recovery. Especially with an expert nurse with you pretty much full time. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Bill, Cindy will be off with me until 2-Jan. I have another week to gain independence. I worked extra hard to get home early. The original date I was given for completion of inpatient rehab was 28-Dec. I kept one thing in mind while working harder to complete all objectives: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dL71eMc1blw" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe>
Bill also tore his quad muscle a few years back up in N.C. so he and I both understand the difficulties you face. Stay tough.... protect that leg.... be careful... do the rehab and it will come around and better mobility will return. Quite a huge pain in the ass right now though.