my right femur after repair
my right foot in external fixator
my right femur after repair
my right foot in external fixator
I'll always be grateful for the care I received at University of Louisville Hospital. The competent and caring staff saved my life and did a great repair job on my many broken bones. My worst injury was blunt trauma injury to a major artery in my chest. I had emergency thoracic surgery to repair the damaged vessel. The competence and quick attention of the trauma doctors and nurses saved my life. I had been critically injured, had many fractures as well as the internal injuries.
I ended up spending something over three weeks on a ventilator. I had many broken ribs and what they called a "flailed chest." After the thoracic surgery it was some time before I was strong enough for the additional surgeries to repair my crushed feet and my fractured femurs. I ended up with rods in both femurs and an external fixator on my right foot.
I'd always thought that if I had to be on a ventilator I might as well be dead. Although I was too weak and too much in pain to breathe by myself I had no wish to die. Much of the time I was conscious I paid attention, as in a form of meditation, to my breath going in and out. It was the machine doing it for me, but, I was able to focus on breathing just as if it was me breathing and not the machine. I was still in incredible pain and my doctors were concerned about giving me any more pain meds because of respiratory suppression. They needed for me to do some of the work of breathing and wanted to get me off the respirator. It was a very hard time, made better by visits of my family and a few friends.
It was a very difficult time for family. Both Donna and I were in critical condition. I was in University of Louisville Hospital and Donna was in University of Kentucky Hospital in Lexington. Both of my daughters came and my brother, Bob, came up from Texas. Donna's brother Roger and his wife, Julie, came down from Ohio. Donna's mother came in from Colorado, where she was sightseeing with her sister and brother in law. The family went back and forth between Louisville and Lexington. I was not able to talk since I had an endotracheal tube and was on the ventilator. Writing was very difficult because I was so weak. It was very frustrating not being able to communicate. I very much appreciated the presence of my family.
I had wonderful doctors and nurses and received great care. I especially remember a respiratory therapist, maybe on night shift. He was incredibly patient and gentle. Said very little to me. Sometimes he sat in my room for awhile after he had finished a breathing treatment or suctioning of my airway. He was very quiet but incredibly "present." I'm not sure that medical personnel always realize the effect they have on patients just by "being there." Throughout the coming months I was to have many encounters with wonderful people who were "there" for me.
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me.