One Year

Hello Everyone, 

It's been a while since my last post, it seems I am always busy now that my leg is practically back to normal. As you have probably guessed from the post title its a whole year to this day since I had my accident, fractured my tibia and fibula and ended up with an Ilzarov external-fixator frame. Its not been an easy past year for myself, my family and friends but it has definitely been an experience I wont ever forget. Although it was a very upsetting, painful and difficult time in my life there were some positives that come out of it. 

I have now graduated from university with a 2:1 degree in nursing which I am very proud of. Looks like those grueling hours of dissertation work whilst being laid up with my ex-fix paid off! It was a difficult challenge to complete university work while enduring the joys of an ex-fix and I'm sure anyone going through the same thing would agree. The simplest daily tasks become the biggest challenges, that's something I will never forget and now that I have my independence back will never take for granted again! 

Social life most certainly went on hold in the past year. I remember going to the supermarket for the first time with my ex-fix, that was a HUGE accomplishment. So to be able to go out with my friends to the shops, bars and restaurants is like winning the lottery! My social life has improved by far however I am much more conscious about the risks of having another accident which does make going out to places a bit nerve racking at times. Not to mention I always wear flat 'sensible' shoes these days, NO high heels for Rachel! Never again may I add! 

Thinking back to my time spent in hospital and when I first returned home with the ex-fix to how I am now really makes me realise just how dependent I was on my family. I mean right now I am able to sit here and type this post while enjoying a cuppa without feeling nauseous, severe pain in my leg and being completely out of it because of strong pain killers. Just that in itself is a massive difference!  

Looking to the future I am very hopeful my leg will pretty much return to its normal self, bar the scars. Which in actual fact I don't mind to much, they tell the story of my 'sexy leg' & as you can see from the picture below they have healed quite well. 

At my last appointment in December 2013 I was told my fractures had healed at the top of my leg however some of the fractures around the ankle area were still visible on x-ray. 
The professor informed me that I would need to take extra care as my bones are at risk of re-fracturing in the next 18 to 24 months. So although I am getting my life back on track and enjoying myself as my leg returns to normal I am still unable to do certain things. I was told not to do any running or gym exercise within this time period as this may cause re-fracturing of the bones. I am therefore taking it easy with exercise and focusing on walking correctly at present. This has improved since the ex-fix was removed however the muscles, especially around the ankle and foot areas need re-strengthening, I was told at my appointment the best way to improve this is by walking.    

The last year has been full of challenges I never imagined I would be facing. Just goes to show you never do know what life is going to throw at you! 

Ricky

Hello Everyone!

Just a quick update really. I am now currently back at placement at university on a phased return basis and start back properly next week. Everything seems to be coming together again however thats not to say there hasnt been any challenges. 

I am now only useing one crutch instead of two, and I do not need to use any crutches around the house or at work. My friend has named my crutch 'Ricky' so we now reffer to him as 'Ricky the Sticky'. Clearly I am back at university! 

You can see Ricky in the picture below. He has been on many outings recently! 

All in all everything is going great & what a difference it makes being busy everyday! 

I hope you are all well! I will post again soon!

A mountain climbed

So today I conquered another challenge...The stairs. I have finally walked to the top of the stairs, without falling down, without bashing into the banister rail and without hitting myself off the wall. It wasn't the most normal stair climb but I did do it and I did make it to the top in one piece! 

Okay so I haven't fully mastered the stairs as I still have to sit on my bum like a child to come down them, but I'm sure I will be walking up and down the stairs normally again soon. 

So being able to walk upstairs whenever I want, opens so many doors that were closed! 

One of the most simple and basic human rights, using the toilet in the bathroom! Well I can tell you all now that from now on this is what will be happening! No more commode thank you very much! I have never enjoyed sitting on the toilet in my bathroom ever so much in my life. A simple luxury. 

Another luxury is being able to have a proper bath with both legs in the water, as you will know from my previous posts. With the ability to walk upstairs I can have a bath whenever I want and with the strengthening of my leg getting in and out of the bath is near to normal now. 

Simply having the choice weather or not to go upstairs when I want is such a lovely feeling. 

What do you think?

Can I have my well deserved bath?

The time has come to remove my dressings from Wednesday when they dressed my leg following the removal of my ex-fix. 

As long as all the wounds have scabbed over, I can have a proper bath! :')

So fingers crossed!

If the wounds haven't all healed over then I will have to have my usually awkward bath with my leg hanging over the side & will need to re-dress these wounds. 

So the moment of truth...

The top three wounds haven't healed over so these will have to be covered again but all the bottom wounds have :')

My ankle & foot are still swollen but this should go down as I am able to mobilise better.

19 week long hairs!

:o

The top three pin site wounds have been covered with sterile gauze & micropore tape. The bottom wounds have healed over so it is safe for these not to be re-dressed. 

Looks like I will have to wait a little longer for that well deserved soak! 

What do you think?

Interviews

As you may know I am a nursing student in my third year & I was due to graduate in September, however the accident has delayed my graduation. Luckily it's looking like I will only need to move back a module meaning I can graduate in January 2014. 

I have attended three job interviews since having my ex-fix & they have all gone well:') I attended one in Stoke-on-Trent while I had my ex-fix in place & was using my wheelchair & crutches at the time. My second interview was closer to home in Durham & I attended this interview when I was much more mobile & only using one crutch. I had my third interview on Monday after my ex-fix had been removed but still using both crutches as I can only partial weight bare. 

I thought it maybe useful to include this post as it is important to carry on with your normal life as much as possible while having an ex-fix. 

Interview tips 

I always think it is important to look clean, smart & professional. 

I always tie my hair back. For these interviews I used a hair doughnut, £1 from Primark to easily tie my hair up into a professional looking bun. I oped to use this as I am not brilliant at styling my hair but found this really easy & quick to use. 

Here's a link for how to apply a hair doughnut;

http://www.makeartnotwar.me/2012/03/every-girl-should-own-hair-doughnut.html#.UfzLp42koQk

I always wear a little amount of make-up, after all its not a night out. I like to apply a lot of moisturiser & primer before applying a small amount of 'natural' looking foundation. For these interviews I used Revlon's 'Nearly Naked' foundation as I find it very light to wear & it gives a natural appearance. 

For a bit of blush I used Revlon's blush 'baby stick' in light pink, again going for the most natural look.

I usually pencil in my eyebrows but only did them very lightly for the interviews as I didn't want them to appear over powering. For this I used Rimmel London's professional eyebrow pencil in light brown. 

I applied a small amount of mascara using Boots No7 'lash adapt' mascara.

& finally for my lips I simply applied tinted lip moisturiser by Nivea. 

For interviews I usually wear a suit or formal dress, as my ex-fix kind of gets in the way with everyday clothes I went out & especially purchased a new suit dress that didn't break the bank! I luckily found my dress quickly by searching a few internet sites & found the perfect one in Tesco's F&F clothing range at £16. 

Now shoes that maybe the most awkward one depending on what type of ex-fix you have. For me shoes were very awkward as my foot was swollen a lot of the time from the ex-fix & with having the lower wires in place just above my foot & ankle it made it very difficult to get shoes to fit. This is why most of the time you see me wearing crocs! (Not the real croc's I may add). 

For two of the interviews I managed to wear some black dolly shoes from Primark that were only £4. I did have to buy two sizes though to get them to fit! 

I always take a formal looking bag along to the interview to carry my portfolios, proof of ID & qualifications.  Again this bag is from Primark & was about £10's. 

 I couldn't always manage to carry this myself when using crutches, so my dad who took me to the interviews had to carry it for me! Bless him! 

Finally I always try to read up a bit about the job I am being interviewed for, take note of what is current in the news in relation to your area of work, have some questions you can ask at the end of the interview, be confident & go in with a smile! 

I hope this post helps & was an interesting read! 

Let me know what you think?

Have you got some interview tips?

Have you been to an interview while having an ex-fix in place?

The next step

So now I have my ex-fix removed its time for the next stage of rehabilitation. I currently have my leg dressed but hopefully this can all be removed tomorrow evening as long as the wounds have healed over. :')

My rehabilitation from now consists of partial weight baring which is up to half my body weight but nothing more for now. I must always walk with both crutches for the next 4 weeks. After 2 weeks of partial weight baring on my leg I am allowed to gradually build up to full weight baring again. 

It is a weird challenge to only partial weight bare as for the last 19 weeks I have been told to fully weight bare as much as possible! 

What else would you like to see on this blog?

What do you think? 

Surprise!

As some of you may know I went for my hospital appointment yesterday. I did the usual arrived for my appointment, had the x-ray and waited to see the professor. When I went into the room for my consultation the professor had my x-rays up on the computer screens. I was so nervous about what he was going to tell me. Has it healed since the last time? Is there any improvements? How much longer does he expect it will be on? 

At my surprise he said ''Its healed! Lets get that thing off.'' 

The professor then went and got his 'tool box' and began to loosen my frame. Once the frame had been loosened the professor applied pressure to my bone.

He explained that if the bone was to move less than 2 millimeters it was ready to come off, if the bone moved more than 2 millimeters the frame would need to stay on for a bit longer. 

My bone moved less than 2 millimeters so he asked the specialist nurse to remove my wires and pins. 

At this point I was overwhelmed with happiness and shock! It was finally coming off! Today! OMG! 

Not only was I happy I was extremely nervous as I felt so unprepared for the removal.  As the professor had already loosened the frame, the nurse began to disconnect the wires from the frame. Once all the wires were free she removed them from my leg using pliers. Pulling the wire through from one side to out the other. It sounds worse than it actually is! 

The first wire to be removed  felt like a sharp dragging pain but only lasted for a second. The second wire to be removed I didn't even feel it coming out! The ones after that were not to bad but felt quite a bit of pulling and tugging. 

Once the wires had been removed there was only the 3 top pins left to remove. I was most anxious about these pins but during the removal it just felt like bone ache and slight pain / discomfort. This is nothing after what other pain is felt during the whole process of having an ex-fix.  So do not be overly concerned about the removal! :) 

The top pins were larger than the bottom wires so these were removed differently. The nurse removed these by applying an instrument around the pin allowing her to screw the pin out of the bone and tissue. 

I was very nervous & worried about the removal when I was told I would have it taken off without any anesthetic or pain relief, however after having it removed I would say to anybody else in the same situation not to worry as it is not as bad as you imagine. I think it is more the thought than anything!    

Once removed there were small wounds as you can see from the above picture. These were simply covered with sterile gauze and secured with a bandage and micropore tape. 

On a funny note can you see the white looking squares around my pin sites? This is where the dressings where in place to protect my pin sites & as we have had some lovely sunny weather you can see where I have tanned but left un-tanned skin around my pin sites! Looking like white squares!  

Its quite funny isn't it? 

There are also 19 week long hairs on that leg in between pin sites where I was unable to shave. That just made the leg look even funnier! But I'm not sure if you can see that on the pictures. 

Finally Free! 

My leg is back! It feels amazing just not to have the weight of the frame surrounding my leg! When I returned home I was able to rest my leg on a cushion & it was the best feeling! I could feel the soft cushion on the back of my leg! Such a strange feeling after 19 weeks of it being held in a cage. 

I was informed that now the frame has been removed I must always walk with two crutches & not to fully weight bare. I need to build my leg back to weight baring gradually over the next 4 weeks. 

It is of extreme importance to take extra care at this stage as once the frame is removed the bone is very weak & is still recovering from the injuries.  

My next appointment is on the 31st of August were I will have another x-ray to ensure the bone has completely healed. 

After being on my leg for 19 weeks looking at it from across the room was so surreal! 

All the hard work & effort has all paid off in the end! 

Yesterday was like winning the lottery when he said it was healed & could be removed!

19 weeks today!

Its 19 weeks today since I have had my external-fixation! 

Even though some of the days have dragged  I still cant believe how quick the time has gone since the accident in March.  Looking back I can really see a difference in my self & the achievements I have made even if they are only small. 

This morning as I was making my self a brew, I thought back to when I first came home from hospital & how little independence I had. It made me think of all the achievements I have made since the surgery, how far I have come  & what I have left to achieve. 

The smallest things matter & it sometimes takes a situation like this for you to realise that. I have always tried not to take things for granted but you really do have a wake up call when something like this happens to you as every day tasks become out of reach.  I'm sure those of you who have experienced a similar situation can relate to this. 

As I had my accident in Stoke-on-Trent in the West Midlands I received my treatment & care at the local hospital there. Once I had arrived to A&E I was expecting they would put my leg in plaster & tell me everything was going to be just fine & I would contact my parents to let them know what had happened but not to worry as I was okay.  HOWEVER that did not happen & I was informed I needed emergency surgery at which point I knew I needed to contact my parents. My parents live in County Durham in the North East so it wasn't just a simple run down to your nearest A&E, plus it was at the time we had that terrible snow!  As I was in so much pain I asked my good friend Nick to contact my mam & let her know what had happened & that I was fine, not telling them I needed surgery as I knew how much they would worry! 

My parents stayed with me while I was in hospital & spent the nights in my student house! I bet that was an experience for them! When I was discharged after a week in hospital I was so happy to be going home at last but very nervous & anxious about the drive home. As we had a long drive ahead of us & I needed to keep my leg elevated my parents bought lots  of pillows, a duvet & new sheets to pad out the back of the car so I would be able to keep my leg elevated for the journey & have some comfort.  Luckily I managed to sleep most of the way home & had dosed up on analgesics before hand. 

Once we had arrived back home I needed to get from the car to the couch, which again doesn't sound much at all but was a huge challenge for me. Getting out of the car was so painful & then I walked with my zimmer frame to the front door. Once I had reached the front door I next had to concur the step that lay in front of me. This again was a difficult, painful & exhausting challenge but with the help of my family I was able to get inside the house. Once I had made it to the couch I was feeling exhausted, nauseous, dizzy & was very tearful with the pain. Not long after I was vomiting & crying in pain.   

At first the most basic daily tasks were so difficult. I remember the first week back at home I couldn't move from the downstairs living room couch. Needing to use the toilet must have been the worst for me & my family, as we had not yet had a commode delivered to our home & with the only other toilet in the house being upstairs it was simply impossible for me to use. My mam had the idea of buying a toddlers potty to use like a bed pan as they were in hospital.  Just maneuvering to use the potty / bed pan was so painful & had me in tears. Its not the most dignified or nice experience on both sides but it did the job.  Looking back at this to where I am now really does show how much I have improved & got back to a normal standard of daily life.  I now have a commode downstairs but I am now using the toilet upstairs! Great achievement there!!!  :)

My newest goal is to get moving on my leg! So I have joined the local gym & I am going there everyday even if it is just for 30 minutes. Mostly I walk on the treadmill to put as much weight through my leg as I can & to walk with normal posture as best I can, I usually use this for 30 - 45 minutes. I also use the cross trainer as this is a different movement for my foot, ankle & leg but I find this very painful so I usually only spend 5 - 10 minutes on this one. I sometimes use the machine weights for my arms but obviously I cannot use any for my legs at the moment & use the 'wobble boards' for core balance and again foot, ankle & leg movements. 

Above is a picture I took before the gym. I can now manage to get my gym trainers on as they are lace up & are not to tight around my foot :') I still cant get my new vans on at the moment which is disappointing but that will be another achievement for another time. 

As well as these achievements another one I think worth mentioning is that now my pain has eased & I am much more mobile I can enjoy relaxing in the garden when its sunny! :')

I think its important to have goals & also things to look forward to. I plan on getting a new tattoo when my ex-fix comes off so this is something I am very much looking forward to! 

Its a long journey but its an adventure on the way & its something that will make you a better person in the end  ♡