This isn’t the official list topic, but it works for what I have to say with this update:

1. Recovery continues to go well, all things being equal.
2. I need to remain on an anticoagulant until at least mid-May mid-August.* Hopefully, that will be the end of it, as I can’t do any high-risk things (e.g. outdoor cycling) while on said medication.
3. I now have a hematologist who will give me a date certain for cessation of the anticoagulant.*
4. I saw my orthopedist yesterday. He’s impressed with the bone healing and the building muscle strength in my leg, and cleared me for full weight bearing – woo-hoo!
5. My outpatient physical therapy is quite challenging. Both of the therapists I’m seeing (my main PT and another PT who previously worked on my shoulder) have me on an aggressive strength and flexibility program. They do deep-tissue massage on my hip and knee to loosen the atrophied muscles.
6. After all of the workout and massage, these muscles are sore, especially my adductors and iliacus groups. The upside: I see tangible improvement from day to day and week to week.
7. I’m walking around a lot, and my walking gait is far better as my leg gets stronger and more flexible.
8. Last week at PT, I was introduced to a Pilates Reformer. It was a good challenge for my still-wobbly leg muscles.
9. Riding a stationary bike will likely start this coming week, though I’ll know more about this after tomorrow’s outpatient PT appointment.
10. I return to work on April 10.

I think that covers it, really. Despite today’s snow, DC’s spring seems to be rolling in.

Days since surgery: 72

ETA on 4/18/14: corrected end date for anticoagulant drugs to mid-August.

I returned home from GW Hospital on Saturday afternoon. It’s great to be home.

I’m a little weaker than I was going in, as my lungs took a beating from the embolisms. Yawns and sneezes are still works-in-progress: they are not as full-bodied as they should be. I’m on an anti-coagulant (Xarelto) and two powerful antibiotics (thankfully, not for too long, as they are beating up my GI tract, killing both the beneficial flora as well as the nasty stuff).

My PT is a little behind schedule now, which is to be expected – plenty of time to make up for the lost days. My right foot and ankle are still prone to swelling, though that’s improving little-by-little every day (I think some T.E.D. Hose are in order to try and keep the swelling at bay). The flexibility in my right leg is improving as the swelling subsides.

So all-in-all, I’m getting better.

I was released from National Rehabilitation Hospital on Tuesday, Feb 4. All good.

Then early Tuesday morning, I had a bilateral pulmonary embolism. What I initially thought was muscle cramping rapidly developed into crushing pain on my right side and the inability to take a deep breath. By 4:30am, I could barely breathe.

sprite rushed me to the GW Hospital ER, where my guess at diagnosis was confirmed, and I was admitted. I ended up being in the ER for 14.5 hours (no beds), had a litany of tests (CT scan, X-ray, ultrasounds of legs, lungs and heart), was put on big doses of Lovenox (a blood anti-coagulant), and tried to keep the pain in check (morphine was gooood). My pulmonologist told me I had PEs in both lungs, and that I was lucky I caught ‘em when I did.

I eventually got a room, and after eating my dinner (a sandwich provided by my friend, Greg), the pain presented with a bang on my left side. I couldn’t breathe, and I was in extreme pain, even with oxycodone in my system.

Overnight, I was put on Dilaudid (worked great) and later Tramadol (useless), and I got some sleep (sitting up – reclining hurts). Today, my pulmonologist has me on a PCA Dilaudid drip (i.e. the “happy button,” where I have some control over the dosing), as well as antibiotics as I seem to be battling pneumonia. It was a better day.

And today, I’ve made the transition from the IV Dilaudid to a Dilaudid pill – all good. I also got to take a sponge bath – ahhhh….

I’ll be here for a few more days. Once out, I’ll be on an oral anti-coagulant for a while.

Lessons learned:

1. My apartment is bad for ambulation, which likely caused the PE (not enough walking/standing activity). Once I get home, I’ll need to stand and boogie a lot, and get outside when I can. The recent snow in DC doesn’t help, but it’ll get warm soon enough..

2. My physical therapy has given me great strength in my legs, arms, and core (about 3 weeks ahead of an average person with the same injury, per my PT evaluation here at GW).

3. My endurance and overall conditioning likely saved my life. Even with the PE, I still had a pulse-ox of 96, normal blood pressure, and full heart function. Even when I had my issues late last night, I only dropped to 93 (still within the “normal” range).

So that’s where I am. NRH got me working on strength and crutching skills, and I did really well. My hemoglobin levels are good again. But the mistake was my not being active enough at home: the PT alone didn’t cut it.

So… there ‘ya go! Just a speed bump – albeit one that could’ve been lethal. I’m glad I knew of the risk and was familiar with the symptoms.

Many things have happened since my last update, so I’ll give a quick summary:

I can now walk (tripod-style) with both a walker and crutches. The latter will be my go-to for most things, but the walker will be more useful in the house and for some other endeavors.

My hemoglobin level is back to normal, which means I have a lot more energy when doing things, with more endurance. As a result, I’ve been doing really, really well in physical and occupational therapy, exceeding my therapists’ (and my own) expectations. I do well on stairs, can get into and out of a car without assistance, can navigate a kitchen, work my way around a bathroom, and make my way into and out of bed.

My upper body and core strength, in particular, has made great progress from all of the PT and OT. My left leg is also getting stronger, especially in terms of lateral stability. And my ability to balance on my left leg has improved a lot as my right leg improves.

My right leg is getting stronger and more flexible every day. It still isn’t lifting as a whole, but that’s coming along well, and should happen sometime fairly soon. As muscles re-awaken, the leg gets more stable and mobile – all good.

I still can’t bear weight on the repaired leg, which is typical for my kind of repair (a rod running the length of the femur, with screws and pins at both ends holding things together). The break is starting to calcify, which is a big plus. My orthopedist is happy with my progress, and he removed the staples from my incisions yesterday (lemme tell ‘ya – it felt great to have the staples out).

I’m being released from the rehab facility next Tuesday, heading home from there. I can’t wait to get home to my sprite, my cats, and my kitchen. Yes, The Burrow will be a new challenge, but I’m up to it. I ordered some equipment to help me function during my recovery, which is a tangible sign of going home – significant, for sure.

Thanks to everybody for the emails, tweets, cards, visits, and other messages of support. They make a real difference, and I’m grateful.

Days since surgery: 18