In March 2007, Mike was in an accident that resulted in an above-the-knee amputation and degloving of his left leg. This blog was created to simplify keeping a large and distributed group of family and friends up to date, and while it still serves that purpose, it also now provides a record of all that has gone before.
- Please let us know you were here! Sign the guestbook, or leave a comment to an entry (look for the
). - Check out some pictures of Mike on his last blogged adventure: when he and Ruth hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2004 (as Oxymoron and Maine Dish, respectively).
29 March 2007: Long distance update
Ruth says she'll write her stuff down one of these days. So here is the email I'm sure most of you saw...
Well, I'm back in New York, so I can only tell you so much. He went through a very long stint in the OR yesterday so they could graft skin over his exposed left thigh. (Apparently, he had more left thigh than they expected). The procedure went well, Ruth has copious notes that I'm itching to read. She even snapped some pictures of the vacuum bandage he's currently wearing - I don't know that I'll get back to Cleveland before it comes off, and I want to see what something called a "vacuum bandage" looks like. I am sure my excitement about seeing this thing is due to an overactive imagination.More about the grafting here and here.
27 March 2007: We meet the Doctor
Marsha (me) and GiGi went for a visit around 12:00pm specifically to catch up with Ruthie and meet Dr. McDonald (Trauma Surgeon). After waiting a couple of hours, we decided the Dr. must have been called away. So--we left... only after leaving the parking garage, we recieved a "Ruthie" call to ask if we could come back as the Dr. arrived. We had an informative conversation as we learned the grafting (in it's entirety) would take place on Wednesday. This was good news in that this is happening a couple of days ahead of schedule. The down side was Mike's anticipation of pain that would follow retrieval of his skin from donor sites (his back for sure and maybe his side and right thigh). The Dr. was impressive and we all felt confident Mike is in good hands. After fielding questions from Mike related to "when will I be walking?", she assured us that in good time (after about 4 months of healing) everything will come together and she mentioned that after knowing Mike for one week, she is anticipating that Mike will be one of those patients that offer her "inspiration" as time goes on.
26 March 2007: I don't want to go home..
So, it's Monday, and I (Erin) have a plane ticket home this afternoon that I really don't want to take.
Anyway, Aunt Marsha and Ruthie and I descended on the Burn unit this morning to try to catch the surgeon. Aunt Ruth and Jenny were already there, sitting around with dad listening to Harry Potter. The nurses were picky again about how many were in the room, so Aunt Ruth and Jenny left, and Aunt Marsha came back in, and sat down behind the curtain thing so it wasn't so obvious that there were three people in the room.
And LOOK GUYS.. NO OXYGEN/BREATHING TUBE! GO DAD!
Anyway, Aunt Marsha and Ruthie and I descended on the Burn unit this morning to try to catch the surgeon. Aunt Ruth and Jenny were already there, sitting around with dad listening to Harry Potter. The nurses were picky again about how many were in the room, so Aunt Ruth and Jenny left, and Aunt Marsha came back in, and sat down behind the curtain thing so it wasn't so obvious that there were three people in the room.
And LOOK GUYS.. NO OXYGEN/BREATHING TUBE! GO DAD!
25 March 2007: Looking good..
Dad was starting to look a little pale towards the end of last night. He got another unit of blood (I think we're up to 11 now..), and now looks much better.
By noon he was bathed, and the A-line, catheter, and other IVs had all been removed. Only the blood pressure monitor and breathing tube were tethering him.
The surgeon was there for his morning bandage change on the spray table, and after checking things over said that they might skip the vacuum bandage and go right to grafting this week!
By noon he was bathed, and the A-line, catheter, and other IVs had all been removed. Only the blood pressure monitor and breathing tube were tethering him.
The surgeon was there for his morning bandage change on the spray table, and after checking things over said that they might skip the vacuum bandage and go right to grafting this week!
24 March 2007: The weekend off!
No physical therapy today or tomorrow for Dad, though they will continue to change his bandages twice a day to make sure there is no sign of infection.
He is getting back some energy, though he still seems to want to nod off in the middle of conversations...
He is getting back some energy, though he still seems to want to nod off in the middle of conversations...
23 March 2007: Bone shortening
Dad was back under the knife today. The plan: shorten and finish off the femur (some was still exposed), and tuck the tissue around the end to make a healthy finished stump.
Dad looked as good as could be expected after emerging from the recovery room - he was very tired.
Dad looked as good as could be expected after emerging from the recovery room - he was very tired.
22 March 2007: Hop!
Dad actually fell asleep on the spray table this morning. Even with most patients on pain meds, that apparently never happens.
When he was in Memphis, I whispered in his ear, "there is a phrase from Tai Chi: Breathe, Relax, Feel the Earth, Do nothing extra." I always find it helps to calm me down when I get a little out of control - for him, I was hoping it would help him relax when he was in pain. He, of course, took the concept and made it his own - changing the words to fit whatever situation he was in. "Breathe, relax, don't fight them, ... ," for example, when the nurses were helping him roll over in the early days. He said today that he used a picture instead - one from when Ruth and I were little: we were in the woods, and had found what looked to be the remains of a chicken coop or something. The picture is all woodsy greens and yellows, with two little kids in red peeking out through the chicken wire wall of a little fort with a sloped roof. He said he spent the whole time on the table picturing it. Yes. I cried.
On the way back from the table, he apparently hopped! twice! It scared the crap out of him, though. He had a real moment of panic, and the nurses helped him find the edge of the cardiac chair he was to sit in. "Does this thing have a back?" Apparently they said yes, so he threw himself into it, and said, "If I pass out, don't let my a** fall off the chair!" He spent two hours on that chair, and was pretty pooped out for the rest of the day after that.
When he was in Memphis, I whispered in his ear, "there is a phrase from Tai Chi: Breathe, Relax, Feel the Earth, Do nothing extra." I always find it helps to calm me down when I get a little out of control - for him, I was hoping it would help him relax when he was in pain. He, of course, took the concept and made it his own - changing the words to fit whatever situation he was in. "Breathe, relax, don't fight them, ... ," for example, when the nurses were helping him roll over in the early days. He said today that he used a picture instead - one from when Ruth and I were little: we were in the woods, and had found what looked to be the remains of a chicken coop or something. The picture is all woodsy greens and yellows, with two little kids in red peeking out through the chicken wire wall of a little fort with a sloped roof. He said he spent the whole time on the table picturing it. Yes. I cried.
On the way back from the table, he apparently hopped! twice! It scared the crap out of him, though. He had a real moment of panic, and the nurses helped him find the edge of the cardiac chair he was to sit in. "Does this thing have a back?" Apparently they said yes, so he threw himself into it, and said, "If I pass out, don't let my a** fall off the chair!" He spent two hours on that chair, and was pretty pooped out for the rest of the day after that.
21 March 2007: Milestones
For his first day in a new hospital, Dad had a bunch of firsts!
First visit to the spray table. They hadn't given him quite enough pain medication first, so he said the pain was off the scale of anything he had ever experienced, ever. But, he was CLEAN afterwards, even his hair was washed.
First time standing up. Yes, he stood up. On one foot. I guess the Nurse asked him to stand up while she was changing the bedding, and he didn't think he was ready to stand up, and she looked at him and said something like "your foot is this close to the floor, and you're telling me you aren't going to stand up?" while holding her fingers about an inch apart. So he did. But not for very long. He was still pleased as punch about it.
First visit to the spray table. They hadn't given him quite enough pain medication first, so he said the pain was off the scale of anything he had ever experienced, ever. But, he was CLEAN afterwards, even his hair was washed.
First time standing up. Yes, he stood up. On one foot. I guess the Nurse asked him to stand up while she was changing the bedding, and he didn't think he was ready to stand up, and she looked at him and said something like "your foot is this close to the floor, and you're telling me you aren't going to stand up?" while holding her fingers about an inch apart. So he did. But not for very long. He was still pleased as punch about it.
20 March 2007: In the air!
Finally, we managed to finalize the arrangements for moving to Cleveland. Dad and I were both ancy all morning, until I told him to cut it out. I was the one that was allowed to be ancy, not him. (I don't delude myself that he actually stopped, of course, but he was amused).
I managed to get all my stuff packed and get out of the hotel and over to the TICU with my (actually Ruth's) suitcase around lunchtime (thanks to Melissa). Let me tell you, you get weird looks walking into the TICU with a suitcase. I must have asked a billion times to make sure the envelope with all of Dad's charts was ready, and that it had everything, etc. Kim and Lisa were very tolerant, as I was clearly jumping-out-of-my-skin-ready-to-go.
It was hard when all that was left to do was wait. I couldn't really sit still-- so I went wandering all around saying goodbye to all of the fabulous people at the Med (and there were quite a few). Some of Dad's nurses from the past week, notably both Vangie and Steph, came to say goodbye and wish Dad well. When the transport crew arrived with the gurney for the ambulance, we had quite a few people around to wish us well. Both Dad and I will remember that moment for a long time-- it was completely unexpected, and incredibly moving.
I managed to get all my stuff packed and get out of the hotel and over to the TICU with my (actually Ruth's) suitcase around lunchtime (thanks to Melissa). Let me tell you, you get weird looks walking into the TICU with a suitcase. I must have asked a billion times to make sure the envelope with all of Dad's charts was ready, and that it had everything, etc. Kim and Lisa were very tolerant, as I was clearly jumping-out-of-my-skin-ready-to-go.
It was hard when all that was left to do was wait. I couldn't really sit still-- so I went wandering all around saying goodbye to all of the fabulous people at the Med (and there were quite a few). Some of Dad's nurses from the past week, notably both Vangie and Steph, came to say goodbye and wish Dad well. When the transport crew arrived with the gurney for the ambulance, we had quite a few people around to wish us well. Both Dad and I will remember that moment for a long time-- it was completely unexpected, and incredibly moving.
19 March 2007: Let's try this transfer thing again..
After the weekend, we (I, Aunt Marsha, Aunt Phyl, and Dad) thought it would be better if Dad headed to Metro instead of to the clinic. One good reason: Metro has an excellent burn unit, and Dad has an awful lot of missing skin.
After the course change, the transfer ducks started to line up in a neat little row. By 5pm, we were very confident that the transfer would happen on Tuesday. YES! Kim and Lisa were Dad's nurses - they were fun, and did a good job putting up with all of my pestering as I tried to figure out the logistics of this transfer business. Kim had never transferred anyone before, so she was learning right along with me.
Dad felt great all day. He was very energetic and upbeat, and (I think) a little ancy to get the show on the road. He was ready to be with his sisters and his mom.
After the course change, the transfer ducks started to line up in a neat little row. By 5pm, we were very confident that the transfer would happen on Tuesday. YES! Kim and Lisa were Dad's nurses - they were fun, and did a good job putting up with all of my pestering as I tried to figure out the logistics of this transfer business. Kim had never transferred anyone before, so she was learning right along with me.
Dad felt great all day. He was very energetic and upbeat, and (I think) a little ancy to get the show on the road. He was ready to be with his sisters and his mom.
