Rapid Assessment Bullseye

As most who visit this blog regularly know, I had some serious injuries to both legs on 13 January 2013. I am at home rehabbing/recuperating, and barring any significant setbacks, I will be back in a few months; hopefully good as new.

Anyway, for a variety of reasons, I want to share two glimpses of what happened within the first ~25 minutes of my fall on January 13th. Just as an FYI, outside of taking several CPR courses over the years, I have no special medical training or expertise. However, after years of competitive sports ( track & football ) and strength training, I sure as heck know how my legs should look and function.

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Screenshot #1 below contains text messages between my wife and I beginning a few minutes after I fell.

 

 

With only two minor redactions, here is the verbatim email I sent to my supervisor ~15 minutes after I first "911" texted my wife. As I guessed I would be heavily medicated and/or otherwise out of it within 24 hours, I decided to notify him that I would probably be out of work on Monday.

 

 

 

 

As you contemplate the above, please consider the following:

• I had jeans on, yet based upon what my legs were doing, and not doing, I assessed my injuries fairly accurately without being able to visually inspect my legs and with no trauma/medical expertise whatsoever. 
• As it took ~25 minutes or so between when I hit the pavement and when I wrote the email above, suffice it to say that by that time I was in excruciating pain and probably well on my way to going into some phase of shock. My wife's first comment when she arrived, or at least the one I remember, was "You don't look so good."  A blanket was produced as we waited for the ambulance to arrive.

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With the exception of during my surgery and a few other brief periods of time, I had my iPhone with me during my entire hospital stay.

 

 

 

Moving on; with my leg braces now open to 40 degrees flexion and using forearm crutches, I am now - weather permitting - walking a minimum of 1/2 mile per day, and I am beating the Hades out of my upper body using TRX straps ( excellent product/purchase ), GoFit resistance bands, and various other portable equipment. 

I am also exploring some healing techniques that are taking me places I've been before...and well beyond. Thank you, JH(F).

In other words...so far, so good.