And then this happened
Posted 04-21-2009 at 12:26 AM by TLD
Over the years I have raced motorcycles, climbed mountains, and was rock climbing at UK grade E1 only six years ago. I have a few scrapes and falls, but mostly got away with it – then just after Christmas 2008 I fell four metres from a ladder while trimming the big hedge at the back of our property. It took three visits, over a period of two weeks, to the hospital ED before they diagnosed a broken back and a few cracked ribs. All I knew was it hurt like heck.
During the interim I’d photographed a weeding under the cover of dangerous amounts of morphine, because they’d assured me I was more or less OK. It makes your blood run cold.
They could not brace me because of an existing spinal problem, so I got on with my life and tried to take things steady. You’ll see from my flickr stream that I have put a few shots up since then, but it was way too boring sitting at home. Unfortunately none of this has aided the healing process, and after three months and a second CT scan, they told me the break was not healing and was actually getting wider. Oh bugger!
They referred me to New Zealand’s main spinal unit in Christchurch, and I have an appointment for this coming Friday 24th April. Unfortunately (my most used word lately) the situation has deteriorated in the last week, and I can feel horrendous grunching pains in my back when I move. It’s like the broken bones are trying to move against each other.
The hospital have given me a letter which I have to carry (not that I am going anywhere) and says that I have a ‘T6 Column Three Column Fracture’ and that it is a ‘non union pseudo arthrosis’. It also says that if I present myself to ED they have to airlift me directly to the spinal unit. Oh shit!
Like I said above… all I know is that it hurts.
So I strongly suspect that when I get to Burwood (the spinal hospital) they will be keeping me there. I am non too happy at the prospect, but will put up with almost anything to get my life back.
I shall be taking a laptop with me, and might treat myself to a little Canon G10 on the way down there, so watch this space.
During the interim I’d photographed a weeding under the cover of dangerous amounts of morphine, because they’d assured me I was more or less OK. It makes your blood run cold.
They could not brace me because of an existing spinal problem, so I got on with my life and tried to take things steady. You’ll see from my flickr stream that I have put a few shots up since then, but it was way too boring sitting at home. Unfortunately none of this has aided the healing process, and after three months and a second CT scan, they told me the break was not healing and was actually getting wider. Oh bugger!
They referred me to New Zealand’s main spinal unit in Christchurch, and I have an appointment for this coming Friday 24th April. Unfortunately (my most used word lately) the situation has deteriorated in the last week, and I can feel horrendous grunching pains in my back when I move. It’s like the broken bones are trying to move against each other.
The hospital have given me a letter which I have to carry (not that I am going anywhere) and says that I have a ‘T6 Column Three Column Fracture’ and that it is a ‘non union pseudo arthrosis’. It also says that if I present myself to ED they have to airlift me directly to the spinal unit. Oh shit!
Like I said above… all I know is that it hurts.
So I strongly suspect that when I get to Burwood (the spinal hospital) they will be keeping me there. I am non too happy at the prospect, but will put up with almost anything to get my life back.
I shall be taking a laptop with me, and might treat myself to a little Canon G10 on the way down there, so watch this space.
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Comments
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Wow, very sorry to hear about this. Hope you can post back again about your progress.Posted 04-21-2009 at 06:31 AM by JDArt
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