[VAXman(Admin)]

Originally posted by Yesspaz
Well, I'll one-up ya again! My break HAD to be worse, because though it took 3+ years to heal you in '78, they were able to do it. In 2003, they thought they might lose my leg, and I was in fact told that if it had happened even ten years before, in 1993, I'd have lost the leg at the knee. The technology just wasn't there in '93. And if it wasn't there in 1993, it wasn't there in 1978. Oh, and my dad can beat up your dad.

I was told that it might be amputated. The vascular and nerve damage was really bad and the major portions of my tibia and fibula were outside of my leg. Two of the best neuro and vascular surgeons were called in from Philadelphia and worked on the leg. The orthopaedic surgeon was top notch and in the Lehigh Valley. I never cared for his so called "bed-side manners" but he was determined to try to save the leg. There was little bone growth after the first 6 months. So the cast was opened and one of the pieces of bone extracted and pulverized. This was then injected into the voids about other bits in the leg to help aid in bone formation/growth. In addition -- remember those "spikes in the bones"-- an electrical stimulator was attached to the surgical steel rods in hopes that this too would stimulate growth. At about 1 year into all of this there was still only marginal bone healing and the "amputate" word was again uttered. I asked the Doc to give it a couple of more months... It wasn't hurting to try.

I went on a super high calcium diet... milk (bleachk!), salmon (with bones) and other cold water fish high in calcium. Extra vitamin D too. I worked on getting "circulation" increased in the leg by lifting weights with my toes (still protruding from the cast) and lifting the leg as much as I could whenever I could. After about 3 months there was sign of bone mending and 6 months a real significant improvement. It even surprised the Dr. After 26 months in the cast, the leg was free. I had a specially moulded removable brace ( a hard plastic shell with a pivoting foot piece) made then that allowed me to have the leg supported and protected which I wore for another 9 or 10 months. As the leg muscle began to increase, I had to get a new brace
made. I had 4 made over the years. I still had one of them in my garage. I just tossed it the weekend I was hit in the head with the brick. I should have taken a picture first...

The real *fun* part was trying to walk when you can't sense where the leg is spacially. I no longer drive a standard transmission because it's near impossible to feel the clutch. I have some pain sensation in the leg. If you hit me in the leg or step in the foot but no real "feedback" as to where the leg is. Thanks to the perseverance of myself and my friends, that brace and a cane, I can walk again. ...and I was hell bent on walking as normal as possible too...

Anyway, just because a Dr. says amputate doesn't make it better or worse.

FWIW, I didn't wear shorts for a LONG time being self-conscious of how the leg looked. But that vanity wore off and the scare has faded some. It's no longer blood red, faded to a brownish more skin-tone.