Re: *** birthday


"Champ" <neal@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:uoqcc41t6399a33d0apmmc7ti88khklglc@xxxxxxxxxx
Today is my 46th birthday.

It's also the day I went for a new x-ray on my femur, followed by a
chat with the consultant. The x-ray looks exactly the same as 6 weeks
ago i.e. there's still a 20~30mm gap between the bits of bone. So, I'm
going to be having another operation, involving removing the nail,
putting a reamer down the middle of the femur, taking a bone graft
from my hip, cutting my thing open and applying the graft, and
re-fitting a new nail. This should be some time in the next three
weeks.

I've just read this to the wife Champ and she's gutted. She knows EXACTLY
what you're going through having gone (and i still going) through exactly
the same thing. She's in plaster until Monday next week and we had our off
on2 June 2007. First three months showed zero sign of improvement to her
humerus (long bone in th' arm) and eventually they re-operated and within a
matter of a few weeks THAT part of her was well on the mend.

I suspect these 20-30mm gaps the surgeons leave to "promote bone growth" are
a crock of *** as she ONLY showed any bone growth after the insertion of a
bone graft (donated from her hip like yours).

After that, things moved on apace and she's had no problems ewith her upper
arm since. Not so the lower end of the same arm.

3 operations later (these on her wrist alone) and we're hoping like ***
that she's got SOME rotational ("supination" it's called apparenly) movement
and something that resembles a straight arm. It's looking good though. She's
told me to send a GWS again to you.



As you can imagine, this isn't the best news I've ever had. Apparently
the operation has around an 80% success rate, which is not as high as
I'd like; if it doesn't work, we're onto external fixators, so let's
hope I get lucky this time.

You rarely hear of success rates higher than that coz it puts the docs in a
poor light if it fails and they've told you there's a 95% success rate. I'd
say your chances are VERY high that it'll work. This "cover your arse"
society has led to all sorts of "low estimates" being handed out these days.
Take it with a huge pinch of salt and gofor the big one. 100%.

Having been almost continually postive about this whole process, I'm
going to allow myself a day of sulking. It's my birthday, and I'll
sulk if I want to.

My wife and I concurr. Enjoy the sulk while it lasts, coz it won't last long
unless it suddenly stops raining and bcomes perfect biking weather.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19


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