Skip to main content

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 20 days. Since I will have been here 45 days, I’ll owe $5,000.

And now it’s Friday morning. Eric will be coming for me and taking me home.

Mix of emotions and thoughts. Saying goodbye to this little room and I’ve come to feel comfortable in and like. The black-eyed susan vine just outside my window, a friend and guardian spirit. The view of the trees and sky. Having an especially good dinner last night, my last dinner here. Looking forward to meals at home, especially breakfasts, which Xan and I make together in a nice dance — she as veggie-sausage woman and me as cereal man. Adding fruits and nuts - yum. How it will be to be in each others’ arms, to live our daily lives together again … Ahhh …



























Comments

Arpita said…
SOOOOOOO HAPPY that you are now home!! May your healing continue and your leg get stronger every day. Much Love ❤️
Lara said…
Dear Brajesh
Reading your blog from start to finish (is it finished now that the journey is very nearly over?!), has made tears well in my eyes and filled my heart with love and gratitude for the strong and bright spirit that you are! You demonstrated such perseverance and practicality, with always a positive outlook. I am guessing that it was a pleasure and deeply meaningful for your children and friends to support you because of your aim and positivity. That is a gift you’ve given not only yourself but also your family and others around you.

I am headed to HI now to transition my dad out of a care facility where he’s been for many weeks, and I hope hope that he has done the physical and mental work that you’ve obviously engaged in. I am SO glad to know that you’re reunited with your love and in the comfort and routine of home and community. Sending love and well wishes. πŸŒžπŸ’›

Popular posts from this blog

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...
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...