Print

[irbyma7297]

okay, as some of you know, i had surgery several months ago. so, i wanted to tell you guys about it!

the surgery i had was on my legs, femurs to be exact. they cut them in half, turned them out, and screwed in a metal bar down the middle. why? those of you who are parents might have heard of pidgeon toes, which i had. but i didn't grow out of it. it affected my walking seriously. i tripped over my feet, had difficulty with balance (to the point that i couldn't ride a bike. i even developed a fear of falling, also scaring me out of swimming) and had the hardest time walking in a stragiht line. so, i had the surgery.
up till now, everything was going smooth. now, when i was building up my confidence to the point i didn't limp or waddle and even walked faster than my frieds, i found out my left leg wasn't healing as fast as the right. no problem, i would just have to wear a special machine to make it heal faster.
three days later, i found out i will have to have surgery again. my left leg was being supported by the bar, which can't bear my weight for much longer. in other words, my leg would snap in half. immediately, i took a turn for the worse. i became weaker every day.
then, it got even worse. last night, around four am here, my leg ached and it was incredibly painful. it took me a moment to realize: the bar had been SCREWED IN. the screw in my left hip had become loose. i was in my room, my parents in the next, them fast asleep, two doors between us, me unable to move my leg without screaming in pain. i spent half an hour screaming for my parents in our apartment,  feeling sure i was waking up my neighbors. after a while, the screw went back to it's usual position.
during the car ride back to colorado, it happened again. my surgery is in december 3rd.

[RedwoodsMama]

Hi Irby, I am so sorry  :(to hear about the troubles you are having, Having had back problems for over 12 years and many foot surgeries, I know all about pain, I am sorry you had to go through such a painful experience, I can only imagine how much pain your leg felt! How long did it take for your parents to hear you? You should have a monitor in your room after this next surgery or a bell to ring or something, don't take any chances with that kind of thing!

              How long did you have to stay in the hospital last time? I will be thinking of you when you have this next one, hopefully your last. Looks like you will be out of school for the holidays early,
Are you going to take your pleo with you to the hospital to keep you company now that she is out of  her coma? I think you will do great this time, Dr.s make mistakes like this more often then they would like us to know and it is only through the unfortunate errors like this that they get it "right", I had nightmares with my foot and it was not till after being broken and three surgeries that the problem of walking without constant pain is even possible for me. At least you have youth on your side and that is good for surgery as you will heal a lot quicker than someone my age, or even if you were in your twenties! Is it in Colorado that you have to go back to have the surgery again? Be sure to keep us posted, a diary like the one IMR is doing for her trip to see some friends here in the US is a great way to try and pass the time while in the hospital.

            Thank you for sharing your story with us, You did not have to, but when people do something personal like this, it brings us closer to the member in many ways,  I will be watching for yoru posts everyday to see what is going on with you till you leave and esp to hear about how your surgery went. Take care and know that there are 25 Pleos and nine cats here in the Redwoods watching to see and hear how you are doing. 

                      RWM  :cat:and the Kitten capers  and pleo township of the Redwoods

[irbyma7297]

it took a loong time. but that might be the pain talking. i yelled every few seconds for atleast ten minutes. the first time, the surgery took three hours, and i stayed for twoo nights. most of the time after the surgery i was on ALOT of morphine, which i had never used before, so i spent most of the time staring at my miraculously yellew feet from the wash o.0 i healed really fast, i was using a walker 24/7 one week and waddling around without it the next! when i first had my surgery, i would dream that i should use my wheelchair, and needed to, but i didn't use it. i will definetely take nyan with me, she kept me company in the car on the way to colorado today, we didn't have any room, so i just had her sleep. the soft 'breathing' and snoring helped me when my screw was loose in the car. i was thinking of making a youtube video of me before and after my surgery, everyone seems to think i am the nine year old in most of my gallery posts XD i'm sorry about the problems with your foot and walking, it reminds me of my mother, she has had cancer multiple times and has even lost an eye to it. she is in constant pain, and after eye surgery when she was two, she didn't go to the hospital until she was six. i can't imagine how much pain either of you have felt. every time i lay down, i fear that my screw will be loose. i guess i have a loose screw!! i have my xrays, it's kinda creepy! imagine being my age, having surgery for the first time ever, and i had been waiting since i was 8, to look at an xray, and see really long screws in your knee!!

[InmemoryofRomeo]

Just pretend you are part Pleo, they have screws in their knees too. *hugs* just hang in there, I know it doesn't seem like it now, but it'll all be worth it in the end. Do talk to your parents about getting a mobile phone or even a baby monitor so you can call for help though.

[irbyma7297]

yeah, that's what i was thinking! but i have had to deal with a loose screw 10 times the past 24 hours; i have figured out a way to 'push' she screw back in the hip, i was SO worried, ten minutes ago, my screw was loose, door locked, parents out, couldn't even reach for anything as i was on my hands and knees trying to get out of bed... my brothers were both outside also... o.0 i couldn't get on either of my sides... the most i could do was look around. i'm worried what will happen at school. with surgery in nine days, the way i see it, i will have to find a way to convince my mom to let me have it early. i can't imagine having to explain to my teacher that a screw in my hip is loose, so i couldn't get up o.0 i also have some classes where the teacher would be too busy to help me, like orchestra, she won't notice me for a while, ask me annoyedly what i wanted, i'd tell her, and we'd miss ten minutes of orchestra... but the creepiest feelings i've had was seeing over 100 staples in my leg and the feeling of pushing a foreign object into my bone... 

[InmemoryofRomeo]

I get twinges just thinking about it But if your schools are anything like ours here, just give each teacher a note of explanation and they'll do what they can for you

[irbyma7297]

so far, they have. one of my teachers cried when i first walked in on the walker 

[irbyma7297]

okay, i am feeling HORRIBLE. ever since the ER, i have been having very bad hunger  pains, but food constantly looks, smells, and tastes disgusting. the taste of pepto made me throw up immediately. all i consumed the past few days was a couple of crackers, a few frozen strawberries, one bite of macaroni and cheese, and one gulp of lemonaide. i ate some food on the day of the er, which i threw up. today was the last day my dad was in town, and i was too sick to do anything. i am constantly  crying. i feel as though this will only get worse, i have to force myself to eat, gagging the whole time. i haven't stopped crying. i haven't been on because i've felt so bad. my brothers couldn't care less, even shutting the door on my moaning. i haven't slept at a decent hour, sleeping from 7 am to 1 pm, not enough, i usually sleep from 9pm or so to 3pm the nex day, a long time, but my usual. i want to rip out my hair and stuff food down my throught, i just want this torture to end..... this id my first post without any kind of smilies or text talk, i've never felt this bad...

[RedwoodsMama]

Hi irbyma, sorry to hear you are feeling so crappy. I do understand how you are feeling, lets deal with one thing at a time, starting with the hunger, I did notice at one time you mentioned that you are on pain pills of some sort, since your visit to the emergency room. Pain medications can make you feel better, worse or strange and sometimes like a zombie. If you don't mind me asking, and you don't have to answer...What medication are you on? There are oral pills, the usual which can not only kill your appetite and if given too much, can also give you anorexia, or deaden your appetite and also make you nauseated, to where even though you are hungry, they make you sick to your stomach and no fun feeling like you are going to puke constantly. These are usually the opiates. ( I know because I have had them all and have been on opiates of one sort or another constantly, every single day since 1998 when I had my first foot operation, and then shortly after that, my second operation, and then in 1999 I hurt my back, and it has only gone downhill, painwise since then.

                 Opiates can be great at reducing pain, but they have a lot of side effects and for someone as young as yourself, it can have a lot of side effects that you just are not used to.You can ask your dr. for an appetite stimulant or better yet, some anti nausea pills that will make eating a lot more feasable and with out all the side effects. In the meantime, try dinking Gatorade, or other electorlyte drinks, glucose type drinks or just water with some honey or sugar added to it, a tablespoon should help, Crackers are allways a standby for nausea and will help keep your stomach from being so upset. Try to stay away from sour foods, overly salty foods and too much sugar though a little is not bad, Greasy foods, such as fries, burgers, etc, and esp stuff like pizza is more nauseating and hard to digest on an empty stomach that is already upset. You can also suck on some hard candy, It will help keep your mouth from drying out too much and sometimes helps with nausea.

                 If you are on over the counter pain meds, then I can't help you much with that, but I do not think they would suggest over the counter when you are in the kind of pain you are in currently. Have you tried a heating pad for the pain in your thiighs, legs?Some people swear by ice but heat and hot baths allways work better on my back pain. Have you tried talking to your parents, mom or dad, about what you are going through? They know you are discouraged, and depressed, who wouldn't be in your circumstance?! Be honest with them and tell them how bad you feel and that you just need some help, sometimes just talking to someone can make it easier to go to sleep, getting things off your chest so to speak and if you need to cry, then cry, God knows you have every reason to do so, and let it out, it will probably make you feel better and then you may be able to get some much needed sleep, a few extra hours an make you feel better. When we do not get enough sleep, and enough support, things have a way of building up like a pressure cooker and if you dont let your feelings and such out, you feel like you will explode. Hopefully some of the things I have talked about can make a small bit of helpfullness and I think more than anything you are just overly tired from the pain, and when we get like that, everything is worse. ONce you can get your pain under better control, the nausea and hunger situation will improve and then you can get a good nights sleep, Before you know it, it will be the day of your operation and this will all be in the past, In the meantime, talk if you want to here and at least I will be here in the daytime checking on you and in the afternoons and evenings, so know you can talk about how you feel and when I am not so tired myself, I will see what other ideas I can come up with. Try to get some rest tonight and talk to your mom or dad. They are your best bet right now and in your corner to support you.                RWM

[Denver2]

I'm sorry for that which is happening to you .... I agree with that which you told RWM, you'll see that these moments so sad soon become just a bad memory, I am sending you a big hug               

[irbyma7297]

i feel much better now, i hadn't started  taking the  meds yet, though. thanks for the hugs!

[Talon]

Wow, Irbyma. I had no idea things were so bad for you. I sincerely hope this surgery alleviates some of your pain. Feel free to yack and scream and yell at me any time I'm on. Right now though my eyes are watering from yawning and I'm off to bed.
Talon

[irbyma7297]

good night! ooh, i wish you could see smilies (laughing face here) or anything for that matter. i still feel tempted.... oh well, destroy all humans!!!!
(feeling much, much, much better. amazing what gatoraid, tomato soup, and jello will do for you!)

[kat]

Glad your feeling a bit better Irbyma   I'm sure the time between now and your surgery will just fly by and then you will be properly better again in no time

[Talon]

Hahahaha! Irbyma, you must've known I needed a good laugh this morning. Hey I've got another one. "All your base belong to us." It's a bad Japanese to English translation from a really old video game. Okay okay. As I hold the edge of the desk as I try to stop laughing. For everyone else, it's an inside joke. I directed Irbyma to a YouTube video about JAWS- my screenreader so she could hear what it sounded like and now she gets a great kick out of having my computer say wierd stuff. I wish she could hear it but for some reason my vids of it won't save to her computer. Okay okay let me get back on topic as I reach for the tissue box and wipe my streaming eyes. I'm glad you're feeling better, Irbyma! I love this forum!
Talon

[irbyma7297]

thank you!!! i feel like i have just as much fun typing it as you do hearing it (insert smiling face here) humans are inferior! bow down to your surpreme overlord, the all superior jaws screen reader!!! moo ah haha ha!!

p.s. talon, how does jaws read smilies? here type what it saws when it sees this:  

[irbyma7297]

OKAY!!!! i'm in serious pain... my screw is worse, i am going to the hospital, hopefully to stay until i have my surgery on monday so i know if it comes out all the way, i won't have to cause too much of a commotion. i will do my best to find a way to post here so you guys can know i'm okay XD if not, i will include my user and pass in my will along with a post saying i'm dead XP bad joke, i know! i will do my besst to make a vid before and after the surgery, so you guys know i'm 14, not 9! i'm very self concious about my appearance, so please don't poke fun!!!!

[RedwoodsMama]

So glad you are going to go to the hospital to deal with this loose screw and at least you will be well taken care of while in there, Pain wise you will be under control. hope you can handle hospital food. ( joke joke...) I hope you remember to take your Pleo to keep you company. I will be thinking of you daily and watching for your posts and any updates. Know I will be thinking of you and keeping my fingers crossed for a pain free stay and speedy recovery. Take care. Heading to bed myself, and trying to stay dry from the Pacific STorm that is bearing down on us now.

                                              RWM