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! 

Out & About

Hello everyone!

Sorry it's been a little while since my last post, I have been really busy! But busy in a good way. :') Which got me thinking back to how restricted to the house I was not too long ago. For those of you with experience of an ex-fix I am sure this will all be familiar to you too.

The first time leaving the house with an ex-fix on is one of the most scary but exciting things I have experienced. To be able to get out of that one room you have been stuck in for so long and to feel the fresh air on your face is one of the best feelings ever. My dad organised a wheelchair with a panel to elevate my leg from the Red Cross, who were extremely helpful & kind. Without this I wouldn't have been able to get out & about as much as I did! That wheelchair has been everywhere!

My favourite place to go while I had to use a wheelchair was the Metro Centre in Gateshead. Probably because I love the place anyway as it is full of shops & nice places to eat out! But it is a really good place for wheelchairs & access is really easy.

Another favourite place of mine is Northumberland's coastal villages & beaches, which isn't ideal when you have an ex-fix! Imagine the sand & those pin sites! Not ideal. However I did still manage to visit these beautiful places while I had my ex-fix, we just had to do things slightly differently.

Here I am at Beadnell Bay harbor, Northumberland. I love the beach here! I would usually be walking my doggy Reggie along the beach but I made the best of the day by enjoying the view from the harbor instead where I wouldn't usually spend as much time.

After a little while we traveled up to the next harbor, Sea Houses. We managed to get a good spot to sit & eat our fish & chips! This was the view in the picture below. 

After a while of having my ex-fix I was able to sit in the front of the car without my foot swelling like it would have done in the beginning when I needed to lie across the back seats so that my leg could be elevated. I started with short journeys then this increased with the progress of my leg.

It's great to get out of the house when you have an ex-fix but things are never as easy as you think. The simple things become the hardest, like needing to use a public toilet. That's sometimes more of a challenge than you may think!

Just over a week ago I had to get a train from Durham to Manchester with changes. I was using a wheelchair for this as I had just had my ex-fix removed and I am currently not allowed to put more than half my body weights worth of weight through my leg. I am therefore using two crutches at all times but I would have been unable to get on and off the trains! 

Here I am in Manchester waiting for the train back home. I found this very amusing! The disabled access service provided by the train companies was exceptional though. 

I traveled to Manchester with my dad as we were attending the Manchester International Tattoo Show, which was brilliant! 

Below is a picture of me in my fancy wheelchair :') with Sallie Axl at the tattoo show, who some of you may know from this years big brother. 

Although days out are great you cant always manage to get out and about so as I become more able whenever the sunshine was out I made sure I enjoyed it by sitting in my back garden. 

Hope this was an interesting read! 

Let me know what you think?

Have you got a favourite place to go to?

Another hurdle

Hello everyone! 

It's been over a week now since I had my ex-fix removed! Another hurdle taken care of. 
I am now able to put that little bit more weight through my leg & each day gets better. My wounds have also healed really well & are looking good, well as good as they can be! I thought I'd include a before & after pic for the fun of it :')

Here I am with my ex-fix at roughly 18 weeks

Here I am now with no ex-fix! Roughly one week after removal.

My sister says my leg reminds her of 'spotted dick' (raisin cake for those of you who wont know what spotted dick is & thinking it maybe something rude ah). I think the tan is probably my favourite look of my leg, 'white squares' I need to even this out! 


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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! 

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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!

Support

Support is one of those things we all need from time to time & sometimes we find it hard to find or accept support from others. 

Support groups are a good way to communicate with others in similar situations as yourself & are a place to receive friendly support & advice.  You can help support others, receive support & make new friends. Its a win win really :') 

Speaking to somebody who has experienced or is going through a similar situation is good as you can compare & gain useful knowledge, which may help you. 

I have personally found comfort in reading other peoples blogs about external-fixation &  in particular a Facebook support page.

There is a Facebook support group page for External-Fixation  &  Ilizarov frames which I have found very useful & informative. I have been able to use this page to view other peoples achievements, concerns & advice. There are some really good pictures & a few videos which are useful to watch. 

The link for the support page is: https://www.facebook.com/Ilizarov.ExternalFixator.Support?hc_location=stream 

Or search in the Facebook search bar for: external-fixation support group

The support page states;

''Our aim is to bring together people with Ilizarov / External Fixators; to provide support, information and share experiences.''

I would highly recommend having a look & trying it out!

You can find other useful blogs about external-fixation which I have read on my reading list and I have listed some useful websites at the bottom of the page. :')


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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  ♡

Pain

Pain was the first thing I experienced when I broke my leg and since I have experienced a lot of different types of pain. Some days you experience pain so bad you cannot describe and others your bored out of your mind, thinking what is worse the pain or boredom? 

I have now had my ex-fix for over 18 weeks and as the weeks have gone by I have felt physically and emotionally tested. 

You go from experiencing one thing to the next or some days all at once. The pain, stress, anxiety, lack of independence, boredom & generally feeling not myself at all, all were challenges I needed to deal with and still do, however I do believe it will be all worth it in the end. 

Pain is different for everyone but I think we can all agree on some level that bone pain is one of the worst types of pain. 

Once the ambulance arrived at the students union I was given 'gas & air' which took the edge off but the pain was still physically draining.  When I was admitted in A&E I was given IV Morphine and Propofol so the plaster cast could be applied. During this time two of my friends were present and from what they have told me after I had been administrated my medication I was making some funny remarks which had the A&E staff in stitches. 

During my time in hospital I was prescribed good old paracetamol which worked a treat along side the codeine and morphine. I'm not sure I would have been able to do anything without the pain relief  I was receiving at the time. I remember the morning after my surgery I could hardly move in the hospital bed, I remember really needing to use the toilet but didn't as I was too scared to move for the pain I would feel and then out of no where came the physiotherapists who seemed to have no empathy at all. They got me sitting on the edge of my bed which doesn't sound much but the pain and heaviness I felt in my leg and foot was unbelievable, I then tried to stand. It was the most difficult task I had ever done, the most painful & the most upsetting. Once I had managed to stand up they tried to get me to walk and weight bare on my leg as much as possible at which point I was screaming in tremendous amounts of pain. The ANP (advanced nurse practitioner) came running into my room and told the physio's to stop and to get me back on the bed with my leg elevated. She then re-prescribed my medication at doubled the strength. 

Once I returned home I continued taking regular analgesia and have now since reduced this as the pain has eased significantly.  

But with the progress of bone healing comes new experiences and challenges. 

Sutures Removed

Sutures & sponges removed 3 weeks after surgery

(My friend thought the dressings looked like little bits of ham!:)