Up early today and drove through the sleet, to get to the Hospital for 08.00. When we got there, it seemed that the appointments had been made so quickly the nurses on the ward didn't even have records of who we were, but they soon sorted it out and we were allocated a bed.
A surgeon and an aneathetist soon turned up drew arrows on his leg and sorted out the skin ready for the canula to be put in. After some checks, around about 09.00 I went down to theatre with him, but, that was after we'd gone through the usual worse case scenario talk. In this case it was...
1. The bone could be fused to the metal and the removal might prove to be so intrusive so as to not warrant its removal and therefore it may stay in.
2. The metal might break and he may have to have bits of it left in there.
The canula went in fine and he was out for the count. Then it was a case of 1/2 hour plus recovery time if it goes well and no problems or up to 1.5 hours + recovery time if it doesn't go so well plus recovery time. Thankfully, on the hour we got the call to go down to the recovery room and everything had gone well, with the pins coming out easily. Once back to the ward Joe said that the only bit that was hurting was the entry/exit holes where the pins had been removed from. With one of these, they'd been able to re-open it exactly at the point where it had gone in, but the second one they'd had to create a new hole, so that'll be another small 10mm scar. But, that was it, the fact that two bits of metal had been pulled through his flesh either side of his tibia didn't seem to be an issue.
Within the next hour he was eating and drinking and then at lunch he had a full dinner. After lunch we had notifcation that there wouldn't be a physio coming round to see him, so we decided that after what happened last April, we'd get him started with getting out of bed and up on his feet as soon as possible so as not to lapsed into a state of self pity. We knew that once he sat on the edge of the bed after all the drugs and lying down for a few hours he'd feel sick and sure enough he did, but once he was over that, he soon decided that he needed to go to the toilet, so seizing the chance to set him off on the right route we made him walk to the toilet with virtually no assistance!
The nurse soon came across again and said... "As he's doing so well, I'll get the release forms and you can go". So we were out of there by 2.30pm. While I was getting the car the consultant saw Michelle and gave her a lists of do's and dont's.
No sport, contact games or running for the next six weeks.
Yes get the weight on the leg ASAP
The bandage can come off in two days time.
The protective film that's on the wounds stays on till the next appointment at the Fracture Clinic (Next Friday).
Keep the leg out of the shower/bath till the clinic appointment.
Physio is next Wednesday.
So it looks like we're into the next and hopefully final phase of Joe's recovery. Talking to him today he was saying that when he runs and is active he's been able to feel the pins below the skin. So fingers crossed the limp will over the summer and by the end of the summer he'll be playing cricket and surfing in Cornwall.
