Sparky falls down, breaks his hip and finds love among the ruins.

Just about a week ago I was riding my trike in Rock Creek Park, enjoying the world around me when I came to a slight rise in the path. I stopped my trike to punch the controls to engage the lithium battery behind me. Because of my inattention, the trike rolled backwards off the path and I overcorrected by yanking the steering sharply left. I over controlled the maneuver and I fell from a considerable height onto the asphalt and struck my hip bone against the unforgiving surface. I was disoriented for a moment by the fall and a nice young man held me up and I was fully able to ride my trike back to my car, load the trike in the back and drive home. I diagnosed my injury as a hip pointer and felt that my recovery would be rather quick.

That has not proved to be the case, unfortunately. After keeping most of my responsibilities by hobbling around, my condition was getting worse and a large amount of edema turned up on the inside of my left thigh. My friends became very concerned and they got me to promise to turn myself in to the emergency room at the VA after our group meeting: I reluctantly kept my promise and ended up in the emergency room of the Veteran’s Hospital about 10 PM.

After a lengthy triage procedure I found myself, at 3 AM on a hospital ward. The next day I had a CAT scan and found, to my dismay, that I had suffered a broken hip a long time ago and the current injury had exacerbated the condition significantly. The next morning an arrogant son of a bitch chief of orthopedics with ducklings in tow talked to at me, but not with me, and told me that I would have hip replacement surgery in 2 1/2 weeks time. In my mind I rejected his suggestion out of hand. An adorable internist followed and she told me, bless her heart; I needed to think through my various options. After that I charmed my way to go home that day provided I passed various tests. I proceeded to do just this, showing the physical rehabilitation people my tricks and, via an ultrasound scan I found out that the edema was not a blood clot.

My son Davyd, who was a wondrous support, then drove me home together with a slick new wheelchair. I am now at home, gimping about with both a wheelchair and a walker to assist me. Last night, with the assistance of ice on my butt and very soporific pain medication, I slept for 14 hours. Now I find myself in front of my computer in only relative comfort.

The result of this information on my support system has brought me to tears many times. In the role of a healer I'm well accustomed to taking care of other people but the way people responded to me with genuine love and caring has been a revelation. The people around me are genuinely offering their support in keeping my freezer stocked with ice cream and running errands for sundry supplies. I have lost weight precipitously and now weigh less than I did as a high school freshman. I have dropped 12 pounds in a week and now weigh 205. I have absolutely zero appetite and eat only out of habit.

I am scheduled to see my primary care physician on Monday and my dear friend Rosemary will drive me. We are wonderful team and have learned to take support from one another. She is my mouthy Medical Advocate.

The only item on my schedule with which I will not compromise is our trip, via luxurious bus, to Falling Water together with about 30 of my dear friends. This will take place, Sunday June 26, all day.

It is no exaggeration that the lesson is I am learning from the current situation will have profound effects upon me for the rest of my life.

I'm now going straight to bed for a nap.

Hard Headed Sparky

PS

I have, unfortunately, been taken over by the course of events. I have canceled the trip to Falling Water and my summer teaching assignment. I will be going to the hospital for pre op on Monday June 27, and am scheduled for total hip replacement on July 5. The rehabilitation will take approximately one month, so I will be out of circulation during that time. A “Care Calendar” with updates and needs and is being organized, if you would like to be included, please leave a note here in the comments and Rachel will get in touch.