Monday, June 10, 2019

Ski Accident Recovery: Out of the Torso and Neck Braces

Good news today. The neurosurgeon (who didn’t do surgery on me) told me today that the fractures in my spine are healed enough to not need the braces any more.

Halleluia!

I’ve been counting down the days for a couple weeks and counting down the hours for four days, waiting for the moment when I’d be free of those constraints. And I’ve been dreaming and worrying that I’d be sitting in the exam room and the doctor would tell me that I wasn’t healed enough to get rid of them.

Fortunately for me, we got good news today.

And then I experienced myself getting really slow and tentative, because this is all so new.

See, I’ve been in that turtle shell for so long that I’ve become somewhat dependent on it. All the muscles underneath the brace, which I haven't really used for months, have weakened to the point that I expect I’ll be exhausted by simply sitting up in a chair. And even though it was a pain to put on, take off, and exist in, I feel really vulnerable without the protection it provided, like I'm in danger of breaking.

But it’s time, and I’m thankful for being able to take the next step in this recovery that I’ve been working on for a few months. Right now, though, after being free of the braces for less than three hours, I think I’m gonna go take a nap.

3 comments:

  1. I met you at RTLC last summer and heard of your accident and your blog through a mutual friend. I am so thankful for this progress, although it comes with some fear and uncertainty. I loved your last post about your goal remaining the same, although looking a bit different now: getting off of the toilet when you're 90. I'd say getting these braces removed is definitely a step in the right direction in regards to that goal!

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  2. Just remember what you tell us -- your congregation. "Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end." John Lennon

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  3. Glad to hear of each step of progress. Know that many prayers are being sent your way. Sherry and Hal

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