So I had my doctors appointment today. We went expecting to just have xrays done and to check to make sure it is still in correct alignment. I was in for a big surprise for sure.
Once I was in the room to take x-rays the tech informed me that the orders were incorrect. She had said they wanted to forward and rear flexing films. Well you cant do that with the halo on. So she checked with the doctor and YES in fact I was getting the Halo off today. Wow, is all I could think.
After the films were taken I returned to the room to inform Mindy about what I was just told. You should have seen the look in her eyes. It was priceless. We were not ready for this today for sure.
We had been expecting my next appointment to be the one when I had the Halo removed. We were getting ourselves ready for that day.
I was shocked for sure to get it off today. All things going through my head.....I get to shower, I get to hug my wife and daughter without having to worry about hitting them in the face with my brace. I have to say though getting to have a shower for the first time since june 22 will be really awesome.
It is pretty funny story how the doctor said he would be taking the halo off. He said I will be right back I need to get my tool box. So he literally left the room and came back with a Craftsman tool box full of tools he needed to remove the halo. I thought he was joking. Nope he wasn't the tool box literally said Craftsman right on the top.
Once they started to remove the halo I felt my head wander a little bit. It started to feel really lite. They did it in stages. First they took off the vest portion. It was very dirty, it is amazing how much crap accumulates underneath it. They had to undo the screws that hold the upright braces in place. Next they removed the uprights from the halo piece around my head. As they do this I am starting to feel my head move more and more. It is beginning to be such a relief to have it off. The final piece to be removed is the ring around my head that the pins are attached to. As the pins are being removed it feels like they are being turned the wrong way. They start to hurt as they are being undone. Then as quickly as the pain from them came away it went. It was such a relief to have them out. No pain at all.
It was really funny as they were doing this Alex was not happy with them at all. She did not like them messing with her dad at all.
So now I am in a hard collar brace for the time being.
The craziest part of all of this is that the doctor said I can resume normal activities as soon as I want to. I can not believe that at all.
My next appointment is the 20th of September. By the time I go to this appointment my doctor wants to have me not wearing the brace at all during the day. CRAZY!!!!!
Now I have to work on stretching my muscles in my neck to gain back mobility.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Slowly progressing
Another week has come and gone. The mornings are still tough for me. I still have the pain in my lower back. Now I also get stiff pains in my legs and the rest of my body as well. A hot rice bag in the morning usually will help get rid of it. All I really want to do is have a great big stretch when I wake up. I miss those.
The biggest struggle now is that I keep having pain at night while I sleep that wake me up. They feel like twitching in my body, so extreme that it makes pain flow through my body and wakes me out of a deep sleep. It has made me scream out in pain. The hardest part is knowing when I go back to sleep and wake in the morning I will be in pain. It only lasts for a little while in the morning but it is never fun to wake up feeling horrible.
For me it is about getting going in the morning. I have started to try and work more and more a little bit everyday. Which has really helped a lot to get back into a routine of sorts. It has really helped to get out of my hole I fell into for awhile. Being depressed was something that i have struggled with since this happened. It can be tough to try and do the simple things I did before and struggle to do them. Just try and put your socks and shoes on but you can't bend very well. Its really tough.
My next appt is on Monday. I don't anticipate anything to come out of that one. Just checking x-rays to make sure everything is still stable and in place.
Until next week, have a great week. Thanks for reading.
The biggest struggle now is that I keep having pain at night while I sleep that wake me up. They feel like twitching in my body, so extreme that it makes pain flow through my body and wakes me out of a deep sleep. It has made me scream out in pain. The hardest part is knowing when I go back to sleep and wake in the morning I will be in pain. It only lasts for a little while in the morning but it is never fun to wake up feeling horrible.
For me it is about getting going in the morning. I have started to try and work more and more a little bit everyday. Which has really helped a lot to get back into a routine of sorts. It has really helped to get out of my hole I fell into for awhile. Being depressed was something that i have struggled with since this happened. It can be tough to try and do the simple things I did before and struggle to do them. Just try and put your socks and shoes on but you can't bend very well. Its really tough.
My next appt is on Monday. I don't anticipate anything to come out of that one. Just checking x-rays to make sure everything is still stable and in place.
Until next week, have a great week. Thanks for reading.
Monday, August 16, 2010
After the weekend update. August 16th
So the past week has come and gone. The temperature rose to crazy levels and is slowly going back down. I am glad it is falling again. Not really fun wearing a lambswool sweater when its 90+. Had a pretty full week and weekend. SO lets get to it.
So the week went pretty well. I had some pain this week in the mornings and very little as the day progressed. I have come to the realization that I may just need to deal with the morning pain for now cause it usually goes away eventually throughout the morning to afternoon. The one thing that is most annoying is the left side of neck just below my head has an area about 2 inches long that seems to always hurt. If I move wrong that is wear I feel it. If that is the only thing I have as a result of this, I think I can deal with that for the most part.
No appointments this week at all. Still waiting for another 2 weeks to pass. Still praying for healing.
This past Friday was my birthday and we went to the Redhook Brewery for dinner and drinks. Thanks to you all who made it out and to those who didn't that's alright I am sure I will be back there again soon and will let you know so you can join me then.
Saturday I went with my cousin to the Seahawks pre season opener. Had a great time. Not to much afterwards. I thought I would be really sore cause we sit int he Hawks nest where there is no backs to the seats but it worked out alright.
Sunday morning was the first day I woke up in a long time feeling really good. No back pain at all. I was so grateful for that. Mindy, Alex and I went to church in the morning and then to the beach for a little sand and sun. Over all a great day.
The tread kept going this morning. Although little sore still way more tolerable than before.
Have a great week all!!!!
So the week went pretty well. I had some pain this week in the mornings and very little as the day progressed. I have come to the realization that I may just need to deal with the morning pain for now cause it usually goes away eventually throughout the morning to afternoon. The one thing that is most annoying is the left side of neck just below my head has an area about 2 inches long that seems to always hurt. If I move wrong that is wear I feel it. If that is the only thing I have as a result of this, I think I can deal with that for the most part.
No appointments this week at all. Still waiting for another 2 weeks to pass. Still praying for healing.
This past Friday was my birthday and we went to the Redhook Brewery for dinner and drinks. Thanks to you all who made it out and to those who didn't that's alright I am sure I will be back there again soon and will let you know so you can join me then.
Saturday I went with my cousin to the Seahawks pre season opener. Had a great time. Not to much afterwards. I thought I would be really sore cause we sit int he Hawks nest where there is no backs to the seats but it worked out alright.
Sunday morning was the first day I woke up in a long time feeling really good. No back pain at all. I was so grateful for that. Mindy, Alex and I went to church in the morning and then to the beach for a little sand and sun. Over all a great day.
The tread kept going this morning. Although little sore still way more tolerable than before.
Have a great week all!!!!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Monday doctors appointment update.
SO for the last few weeks I have been waiting for this appointment to come. It has been stressful waiting to see what will be the outcome. On my last appointment the doctor had said we would know at my next one if the neck had stabilized and if there was going to be a need to have surgery. So we waited and worried and thought about all of the options we would have. We contemplated the worst case scenario and the best. As we got closer the more worry came to be. I was ready to find out what my outcome would be.
After waiting this is what we heard "We will not know if the neck will stay in place until you remove the halo." REALLY I waited for that. Now guess what, I get to wait AGAIN. We took X-rays and they could not tell from them if the neck had started to heal or not. I asked if there was fibrous tissue that had started to develop. They said they couldn't tell. Really all this technology and you can't read the xray.
So after all this time we get to wait again. The next one is in three weeks. SO we just wait and see. The next one will just be to look at the alignment. We just need to make sure it has not moved.
Finally we have a date though as to when i get to have the Halo removed. YEAH. My count down is on till I get to have a SHOWER. The first thing I am going to do is hug my wife and little girl. I miss those. Until then.....talk to you soon.
After waiting this is what we heard "We will not know if the neck will stay in place until you remove the halo." REALLY I waited for that. Now guess what, I get to wait AGAIN. We took X-rays and they could not tell from them if the neck had started to heal or not. I asked if there was fibrous tissue that had started to develop. They said they couldn't tell. Really all this technology and you can't read the xray.
So after all this time we get to wait again. The next one is in three weeks. SO we just wait and see. The next one will just be to look at the alignment. We just need to make sure it has not moved.
Finally we have a date though as to when i get to have the Halo removed. YEAH. My count down is on till I get to have a SHOWER. The first thing I am going to do is hug my wife and little girl. I miss those. Until then.....talk to you soon.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
August 7th 2010
So its been awhile since the last update. A lot of different things to try and cover in this post. It will be quite long so hang in there. I will try to get updates more often so they don't pile up to long.
Lately I have been feeling better as far as my pain goes. My biggest struggle lately is muscle pain in the morning when I wake up. It gets so bad that I can barely move. It is mainly in my lower back area. I am not sure how I can get this to dissipate or at least get to a more tolerable level. I have tried elevating my legs with pillows. I have tried stretching, which is a completely different struggle I am having as well. More on that later. The only thing that seems to help so far is just getting up with the pain and using a rice bag warmed in the micro. It still doesn't stop the pain in the morning but helps make it go away after I get up.
My pain like I said is getting better. I have mostly good days lately. I still have the occasional pain occurrence when I move the wrong way during the day. It still is difficult to find a comfortable place to lay in bed. It takes several minutes to find it. Laying flat on your back when your used to being able to move around in your sleep is very uncomfortable. This is also when my muscles want to be stretched to most as well. it is very hard to be able to try and stretch my arms and not cause pain in my neck. It is a very fine line between relief in my muscles and pain in my neck.
I had my first real breakdown the other day. I just cried for about an hour. I didn't really know why or what i was upset about. Other than just what was going on. There wasn't anything one thing that set it off. I think it was the first time since my accident that I really let my self grieve for me. It sounds weird to say that but I feel it really helped. My wife says I don't cry in my sleep anymore since then. I sleep through the night a lot better now. I know this may sound weird to many of you but truly believe this was all part of Gods plan. As I thought back to my accident and when I broke down just for fun I counted the days. I don't what significance it has but it was 40 days. 40days I suffered with not sleeping well, crying in my sleep, pain in my neck and then I finally grieved. Only then did most of this stop and I am able to feel a little better. Take out of this what you want but I really believe it is all in His plan.
My other big struggle I have is just coming to the realization that there are just some selfish people in this world. It has become very disappointing. Not only do I have to deal with the feelings of being injured and the pain as a result of it. I also have to deal with the pain of disappointment. It is really sad that I even am writing about this but it is a reality and it is part of life. The people you expect to be here for you and help you through the most difficult times in your life are just not the same people you expected them to be. You find out who really cares about you and for you. You also find out that there are those who care about you a lot that you never really expected them to be one of the few that do. I have some amazing people in my life and I am grateful for that. Thank you
During the past few weeks I am also becoming more nervous as we get closer to my appointment Monday the 9th. I do not know what to expect. I am praying that it is healing properly and no surgery will be needed. I also have to also prepare myself that it may not be healing as well. Mentally I am exhausted at having to do this. I know I am supposed to hope that it will be healing and pray that I Will heal but I also have come to the realization that it may not be the case. I am not saying I wont be better but I am just not sure in what capacity it will be in. This is a question I do not have an answer for as of yet. My life will continue to go on and I will get past this day. I have also decided that I will not be held back from this. I am going to continue living my life the same as I did before. I will be a husband to my wife and father to my wonderful daughter. As for how I do the things in my life that require activity it still remains up in the air just how I will do them. But do them I will. Until Monday, keep praying it is healing.
Lately I have been feeling better as far as my pain goes. My biggest struggle lately is muscle pain in the morning when I wake up. It gets so bad that I can barely move. It is mainly in my lower back area. I am not sure how I can get this to dissipate or at least get to a more tolerable level. I have tried elevating my legs with pillows. I have tried stretching, which is a completely different struggle I am having as well. More on that later. The only thing that seems to help so far is just getting up with the pain and using a rice bag warmed in the micro. It still doesn't stop the pain in the morning but helps make it go away after I get up.
My pain like I said is getting better. I have mostly good days lately. I still have the occasional pain occurrence when I move the wrong way during the day. It still is difficult to find a comfortable place to lay in bed. It takes several minutes to find it. Laying flat on your back when your used to being able to move around in your sleep is very uncomfortable. This is also when my muscles want to be stretched to most as well. it is very hard to be able to try and stretch my arms and not cause pain in my neck. It is a very fine line between relief in my muscles and pain in my neck.
I had my first real breakdown the other day. I just cried for about an hour. I didn't really know why or what i was upset about. Other than just what was going on. There wasn't anything one thing that set it off. I think it was the first time since my accident that I really let my self grieve for me. It sounds weird to say that but I feel it really helped. My wife says I don't cry in my sleep anymore since then. I sleep through the night a lot better now. I know this may sound weird to many of you but truly believe this was all part of Gods plan. As I thought back to my accident and when I broke down just for fun I counted the days. I don't what significance it has but it was 40 days. 40days I suffered with not sleeping well, crying in my sleep, pain in my neck and then I finally grieved. Only then did most of this stop and I am able to feel a little better. Take out of this what you want but I really believe it is all in His plan.
My other big struggle I have is just coming to the realization that there are just some selfish people in this world. It has become very disappointing. Not only do I have to deal with the feelings of being injured and the pain as a result of it. I also have to deal with the pain of disappointment. It is really sad that I even am writing about this but it is a reality and it is part of life. The people you expect to be here for you and help you through the most difficult times in your life are just not the same people you expected them to be. You find out who really cares about you and for you. You also find out that there are those who care about you a lot that you never really expected them to be one of the few that do. I have some amazing people in my life and I am grateful for that. Thank you
During the past few weeks I am also becoming more nervous as we get closer to my appointment Monday the 9th. I do not know what to expect. I am praying that it is healing properly and no surgery will be needed. I also have to also prepare myself that it may not be healing as well. Mentally I am exhausted at having to do this. I know I am supposed to hope that it will be healing and pray that I Will heal but I also have come to the realization that it may not be the case. I am not saying I wont be better but I am just not sure in what capacity it will be in. This is a question I do not have an answer for as of yet. My life will continue to go on and I will get past this day. I have also decided that I will not be held back from this. I am going to continue living my life the same as I did before. I will be a husband to my wife and father to my wonderful daughter. As for how I do the things in my life that require activity it still remains up in the air just how I will do them. But do them I will. Until Monday, keep praying it is healing.
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