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Friday, June 14

 The wound nurse tells me my leg is looking good, and the catheter/foley is working well. The next BIG step is this Monday and Tuesday, the 17th and 18th, when I have appointments with the two doctors — Abidi, The surgeon who operated on my right knee, and Smith, the urologist who installed the catheter/foley.  If — BIG IF —Abidi says the right leg steel fixator can be removed, and Smith says the catheter/foley can be removed and I can pee on my own, then I could be going home after those two appointments — say on or about June 20th. No telling about that big if, but I’m excited that there’s the possibility that I could be going home soon.

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Monday, June 17

  Today was an important day — I had my appointment with Dr. Abidi, the surgeon who did the   repair of my fractured right knee. Xan, Eric, Gail, and I went to the appointment. The leg was unwrapped and inspected, x-rays were taken, and the judgment was clear: healing had gone well and it was time for the fixator, the steel brace keeping my left from bending (and thereby damaging the surgical repair to the knee), to come off. Taking the x-rays involved some pain, moving the leg this way and that so x-rays from different angles could be taken. Removing the brace was yet more painfuful. The brace was secured to my leg by screws embedded in the leg bones. Taking the steel rod off and removing the screws from the leg was painful — and great, because the hardware, the brace, is off and history!  A big step forward on the road to being able to go home. The next big step may happen tomorrow. I have an appointment with Dr. Smith, the urologist who installed the catheter-a...
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I was transferred to Santa Cruz Post Urgent Care. I’ve been here ever since. Follow up visits to both Smith and Abidi showed positive results. Smith installed a catheter and foley, and Abidi’s asst Ray said the knee looked fine and just needed time for healing. The staff here is great. They take me to their gym, where they work me hard, as I want to be worked. The more I work the closer I get to being able to go home.    Progress is slow and sometimes exhausting, but I do make progress every day, so I’m confident that I’ll be going home in the not too distant future.    The knee will take some time to heal. And by and by the catheter and foley will be able to be removed and I’ll be able to pee on my own. Meanwhile, there’s no pain, just some discomfort when I move in certain ways.    And there are lots of sleepless nights, or nights with only very partial sleep. Ambien and other meds give me about five hours of good sleep before they wear off. Then I toss a...
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Friday, June 21

- When I leave here later today it will be exactly 7 weeks since I fell off the ladder. It’s been a long pull, helped by lots of support from friends and family and lots of good care from the health professionals  - Excitement and activity increased yesterday as we prepared for my going home.  - Eric, Gail, Xan, and I, joined by one of the physical therapy staff, ran through a session on transferring from a wheelchair to a car and visa versa. I was able to do those transfers  — safely and without pain —without help from others, and without using additional equipment. - Sabita, the wound nurse, gave Eric, Xan, and me a demonstration and lesson in unwrapping, caring for, and wrapping the injured right leg. Eric took notes and videos we can rely on as we do these things for ourselves in the future. - The head of social services went over with me and completed my discharge papers. - We learned that there’s a $200/day co-pay here at Santa Cruz Post Urgent Care after the first ...
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