Can’t Catch a Break

except for the one in my femur.

After I fell a couple weeks ago I got in touch with my primary care physician's office and went in for x-rays. Nothing terrible showed up so we prepared to go to Tbilisi with my wheelchair, figuring after a couple of days I wouldn't need it.

Fortunately our Tbilisi apartment had a lift and doorways wide enough for my wheelchair, so I knew I would be okay until I could use my prosthesis again.

But as each day went by my leg got no better, so we made the tough decision to go home early, leaving the same day as our traveling companions.

Traveling on a commercial flight using a wheelchair was a nightmare, but that's a story for another time.

The day after we got back I saw my rehab doctor, Dr. Gonzalez, and she ordered another set of x-rays, and this time the news was not so good. The images showed a non-displaced hairline fracture at the top of my femur.

When I spoke to Dr. Gonzalez, she told me she had spoken to one of the orthopedic surgeons and he thought because of my age and bone density, I should have surgery to put in a plate to stabilize the fracture.

I did not take that news well, and I contacted my surgeon in New York, who thought if I stay off of it, the fracture would heal in another month.

Dr. Gonzalez tried to reach my surgeon in New York, but he was not in the office. I forwarded his email to her, and I will speak to her again on Monday.

I did not get out of bed today. I am depressed and worried. There is no upside, no making lemonade out of lemons to this news.

My primary care physician is sending my x-rays to another orthopedist at Hopkins to see what he thinks.

There will be no good answers. There will be no upside.

But whatever route is taken-- surgery or not-- I am back in the chair for at least another month. I am angry. I am worried.

My life sucks.

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