Story about Blake's accident

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10/5: From BQ

Hi everybody it's Dr. Nick!

Ok, it's actually just Blake, couldn't resist the Simpson's reference though. Well it's been a week now since my surgery. I'm at home and doing quite a bit better. I'm sleeping better every night, and the pain gets just a little bit better every day. I have realized a couple really cool and exciting things since I've been home also. One is that fall is definitely upon us! Dang it's getting chilly huh?

But since they cut each of my bones flat to put against one another my left leg is about an inch and a half shorter than the right. The good thing about this is that once I am able to start walking again I won’t have to throw my body and swing my leg like I had been. I'll be able to just bring it straight forward and will barely have any limp to my gait at all. You might also be aware that I had lost almost all control of my left foot; I could press down with it, but just slightly. I also had lots of spots on it where I had no feeling at all, but used to get a lot of sudden stabbing nerve pains throughout my foot.

Well just a couple days after my surgery, while still in the hospital even, I noticed that all the weird nerve pains that I'd had for over a year now had stopped. Days later, once I had returned home, I was wiggling my toes when I witnessed my foot make an upward movement. I looked at it more closely and repeated it. It only actually moved about a quarter of an inch, but it did indeed make an upward movement, something that I also haven't been able to do for over a year now! So I called my dad in to watch and then asked him to help me check around my foot. It was then that I suddenly realized that some of the feeling had started coming back also. Now I haven't been able to tell or show my doctor this so we can only speculate as to why and how this could be happening. None the less this is exciting news. It's hard to say what this may mean, or how far it may allow me to recover but I of course will keep everyone posted on this new development.

I go to see my surgeon, Dr. French, on the 19th. At that time he will remove all my staples, and stitches, take new x-rays, and decide what else I am to do from there. He had originally said that then he will advise whether or not to start physical therapy again, which for many reasons I will certainly and firmly request. I'm also supposed to keep all my weight off of my leg for eight weeks, so I'd really like therapy’s help learning how to put weight on it and walk again.

I think that's pretty much all the news I have for now. I would like to thank Lori once again for stepping up and helping keep everybody stay in the know. And as always thanks to all of you for all your prayers and thoughts.

Until next time, catch ya on the flip.
BadBlake

9/30: 5:55pm

Blake did not have any blood clots, so he came home this afternoon as planned. He's still dealing with alot of pain & needs to rest for the next several weeks.

9/30: 7:34am

Blake didn't sleep much. His hip is swollen and pain is increased. He vomited this morning when bandages were changed. Doctor is checking for blood clots.

9/29: 9:56am

Blake has successfully made bed to wheelchair transfers on his own & walked a lap down the hallway using crutches. He said its incredibly painful & slow.

9/29: 9:18am

Blake's temperature has finally returned to normal and he slept 6 straight hours last night. Physical therapist is going to have him try crutches this morning.

9/28: 2:41pm

Blake is feeling much better compared to yesterday; good enough to order Salisbury steak for lunch! Physical Therapy came in this morning and had him sitting at the edge of the bed with his left leg lowered toward the floor. The therapist remembered working with him last summer (it was actually his name that she remembered!). He is getting a couple of units of blood today to replace that lost during yesterday's surgery. And he's still running a temperature of 101.1, but his vital signs are all good.