SHOW US YER SCAR
I was a legal secretary for some of my working life and at one time post-retirement did a fair amount of digital audio typing from home, including some (but not exclusively) legal work. One phrase I came across periodically was “internal fixation and external reduction”.* If I didn’t know what it meant before I do now.
This method was used to fix the femur I broke approximately five and a half weeks ago. I was put under anesthetic, my thigh opened up, and a piece of metal was screwed to the broken bone to shore it up. Then the opening was sealed.
I thought I would write a series about my recovery process. It’s a slow but — I hope — ultimately successful process. From my reading online a broken femur can take between three to six months to heal. I hope in my case it will be nearer to three, but I can’t take that for granted.
When I was first in the hospital and to a lesser extent when I first came to the home where I am currently for respite care, I needed help with many things including those euphemistically called “personal”. I still need a walker to weight bear, but I can now wash most of my body myself, though I still have a carer supervising. I still need assistance washing my right leg (the one with the breakage) from the knee down. The floor is still a long way away on that side. I’ve been instructed not to use the walker unaccompanied for long distances. That makes sense because it would be unfortunate if I fell and put myself back a stage or two.
My photograph of the site of the scar isn’t my best smartphone snap ever. It’s difficult for me to get something on the (upper outside) of my thigh while I still have some discomfort there. Hopefully it’s clear enough to show that the site is healing cleanly.
Did any of my readers compare scars with their pals when they were children? I remember I did sometimes — at primary school age anyway. **
So, my present report, on my healing journey is that (fingers crossed) I’m on the right path. I probably won’t write another piece in this connection for about a week to give things time to progress. I’m cautiously optimistic but at present (alluding to one of Aesop’s fables) any advancement is more akin to that of the tortoise than the hare.
*Sometimes I did legal typing in cases where people were unhappy about hospital treatment they had received.
**In the UK primary school is usually between ages 5 and 11 though nowadays many schools take “rising fives” and have nursery/kindergarten classes.
