Hello, hello.
Well, just mere hours after I sent our last family email on Sunday, August 18th, I went and broke my ankle. This is especially ironic, because in the email I wrote about the relief Richard, Rachel, and myself all felt after finally getting the all clear just six days before, that Rachel's fracture and growth plate were 100% healed and there was no longer cause for concern. Clearly, that relief was short-lived!
Right after I sent the email, we packed up and went to my parents' home. We had a lovely Sunday dinner with them. We all talked in the kitchen and the living room as my Mom and I worked on dinner. My Dad and Marshall played Skyjo. It was a great afternoon! We ate just before 5:00 pm because my parents had to leave about 5:30 for a fireside for Bountiful Temple ordinance workers. We said our good-byes to my parents and enjoyed a bit more time at their home. We cleaned up the kitchen together, the girls played, Marshall kept working on laundry, we cleaned up toys, and then we all gathered in their family room. We hopped on social media and read the kids Pres. Nelson's birthday wish, about reaching out to the one. We talked about ways each of us can do that and then we watched a 15 minute virtual tour of the John Johnson farm. This is the one place we didn't make it to when we were in Kirtland, but we were happy to see the church has a video online, so we finally watched it! The kids did great! Once all that was done, we did one last final pick-up and everyone scooped up things to take to the car with them. It had been raining earlier, but when we left, it was just a light drizzle. Because we knew we would leave after my parents, we parked on the street, which we have done countless times before! Their parking strip is small rocks with big pavers interspersed every few feet. These pavers are a tad slippery, not the same texture as cement, and I have slipped (never to the point of falling down) a couple of times here and there. I was the last person to head out. I had Ziggy in one arm and a bag of grapes and my phone in the other arm. The kids had just finished getting in the van, Richard was in the driver's seat and I went to hand Ziggy to Marshall. I was wearing dumb slides from Target, which have zero traction, but I have lived in them this summer. Just as I stepped on the pavers to hand Ziggy off, I slipped/fell and it was disastrous. One second I was facing the van, the next second I was falling over my right shoulder. I landed on my stomach, on the rocks, and as I was falling, I felt a shift in my left ankle/leg. I have rolled my ankles countless times and this felt so different. The second I hit the ground, I knew I had broken something. I screamed as I went down and Richard flew out of the car. I think Marshall got out too-poor boy was the only one to really see the whole thing. I was in SO much pain. I was immediately nauseous and dizzy and just felt so much pain and pressure in my left ankle and leg. Richard immediately started palpating it, but I was in no sort of state to respond to him if it hurt. Before I knew it, a woman I didn't know was on my other side. She said she hadn't seen my fall, but they turned the corner just in time to see a minivan with a woman lying on the ground! She was so sweet to stop, but I told her Richard was a doctor and would take great care of me! That right there was enough motivation for me to get off the ground and into the car. I think Richard and Marshall helped me a bit, but by pure adrenalin I got in the passenger seat without putting an ounce of weight on my left leg. I felt simply awful. I was dizzy and sweaty and so nauseated. I reclined my seat back as far as it could go and we just blasted the AC. Richard handed his phone to Marshall and asked him to look up hours of urgent cares close by. It was just a little before 7:00 pm. We drove home, the kids and dog scrambled out, and Richard and I left for Layton. With regard to the dog, I should say, no one knows if I actually passed Ziggy off to Marshall, or if he jumped out of my arms as I was falling...we have no idea. But, somehow, the dog was uninjured, and got himself in the car before we drove away!
Our sweet kids were so good. They do great in crisis mode. They are cheerful and kind and happy to chip in. Both Marshall and Bridget were texting while we were at urgent care. They all took care of each other great while we were gone and were very helpful when I eventually came home for a bit. I know they were worried, but they did great.
I felt awful on our drive to Layton. We debated back and forth about going to urgent care or the ER, I was not sure I could sit up in a wheelchair without passing out! When we got off the freeway, I did sit my seat up and felt okay. I had Richard pull up right by the doors. I said if they have a wheelchair and no wait, I could go in. When he ran in, the lobby was empty, so he grabbed me a wheelchair and took me in. While I was checking in and he was parking the car, a handful of people arrived, so I am very grateful we got there when we did! The lady checked me in and asked if I had hit my head when I fell, or if anything else hurt. For the first time I took inventory of the rest of me and realized that I was totally fine everywhere else! I was certain my head did not hit the ground and I was so relieved to not be dealing with a head injury as well!
In less than five minutes they had taken my vitals and I was in a room with ice on my leg, which did feel wonderful. The doctor came in and palpated all over, and it really only hurt in one spot. For a moment, I had a glimmer of hope! Before long, I was being wheeled away for an x-ray. Richard and the tech helped me hobble from the wheelchair to the table. Richard, of course, positioned himself back by the screens. After the first x-ray, I looked at him and he looked away from me. Ugh. I knew right then it was broken. After the second x-ray I looked at him again and he mouthed the word, "Broken". I was not at all surprised, but I was also crushed. The tech did one more x-ray and then took us back to our room. We had to wait for 30 minutes before the doctor came back in, but I am SO glad I am married to a radiologist! Richard told me it was for sure broken in two spots, but he didn't get a good enough look at the third image. He prepped me that 3 fractures definitely requires surgery and 2 fractures sometimes needs surgery. I had 30 minutes to sit and process what my immediate future was going to look like, and I am glad I did because when the doctor came in he did not have the best bedside manner! He came in 30 minutes later, said I had 3 fractures and that basically my soft and connective tissues were keeping my foot attached to my leg and that I had to call a surgeon stat in the morning and I could not put an ounce of weight on my foot. Before I knew it, I was in a blasted boot, they gave me crutches, and I was being wheeled to the car! It was a whirlwind!
We texted the kids at home to set up a camp chair and stool for me in the entryway...that is the only place we have light on the main floor! After that, we called my parents. I had not cried once during this whole ordeal, but my Mom got on the phone and within a few sentences, I was close to hysterical. My poor parents!
When we got home, I just sat in the camp chair for 30 minutes. I hugged the kids, I started to problem solve our life, and I started having the kids gather some things up for me. Richard had already talked to his parents and arranged for his wonderful mom to come and stay with our kids. She missed all of Education Week with friends at BYU to come and help us. Richard had also reached out to an acquaintance from MCW who is an orthopedic surgeon here in Davis County and they set me up with their ankle surgeon in their group for a visit the next day. It was honestly a huge whirlwind. I hugged each of the kids one more time and then Richard and Marshall took me to my parents' home. When I got there, my Dad had already cleared out all of his office stuff from the second bedroom upstairs. We talked for a short time, Richard helped me use the bathroom-that was borderline terrifying doing that for the first time on one leg! And then Richard and my Dad gave me a blessing before I gave Richard a tearful hug good-bye. By this time it was after 10:00 pm. My parents helped me get ready for bed and got me all situated. What an evening.
The next afternoon my Mom drove me back up to Layton to see the orthopedic surgeon. The radiologists in Richard's group were wonderful that week. They swapped locations with him so that he could work at Layton Hospital that day and be there for my appointment. I was very glad to have Richard and my Mom with me to ask all the questions I wasn't thinking to ask. We left that appointment with surgery scheduled for Thursday.
Richard was able to get Thursday off, which was so nice. It was a long day. Because I was an add-on surgery, I was scheduled for much later in the day. We left my parents' house at 1:30 pm and checked into the hospital at 2:00. Before long, I was in my paper gown, had an IV in and had answered a million questions that I felt like I had answered multiple times since Sunday! Ha! The nurse said the surgeon using my scheduled operating room was behind schedule, so they told me it would be a bit of a wait. This was around 3:00. Well, one delay after another between the previous surgeon and availability of an anesthesiologist. I occupied myself by sleeping off and on, fielding texts on my phone, playing games and talking to Richard. It was a long wait. I was very nervous. And I was starving! And so thirsty. Finally, at about 5:15, the anesthesiologist arrived, he put something in my IV to help me relax and then using ultrasound, he placed two nerve blocks in my leg. As soon as that was done, I said good-bye to Richard and the anesthesiologist wheeled me out of the room to the OR. I was silently crying. I haven't had surgery since 2004, but I did calm down when I got to the operating room. Some wonderful man, I don't even remember what he was, helped me move onto the operating table. I remember him putting a strap over my hips and then he covered me in warm blankets. He placed my arms where they were supposed to be and then I don't remember a thing after that. So bananas!
According to Richard, I was in surgery for one hour. The surgeon came and talked to him at 6:30 and said everything went well. He did find a 4th fracture while they were in there, but he said it is a common fracture with my type of break and hard to see on x-ray. Just as he expected, he only need to fix two of my fractures with hardware, the other two will now heal on their own as everything is now properly aligned. They didn't have to put two pins horizontally through my ankle (do not ask me the bone!) so that is good. The surgeon said that bone was rock solid and Richard was relieved with that because he said that is the most common place to have the hardware fail because of the type of motion the ankle does at that particular spot. Anyway, all in all, a great report!
I was slow to wake up from anesthesia, so I didn't start coming to until about 7:30. I started waking up with the nicest nurse right by me and the outside of my ankle was in intense pain. I told her it was an 8. She gave me some percocet in chocolate pudding, which tasted divine. :) And gave me some fentanyl through my IV. 15 minutes later I was still in quite a bit of pain so she gave me a second percocet. :) Yes please. :) After that, she wheeled me back to my room where Richard was. I was still pretty out of it. My eyes weren't open much. Richard tells me I didn't say anything crazy, but I did ask him the same questions multiple times. :) I stayed in that room for about another hour before I felt ready to get dressed and go home. The sweet nurse kept asking me if I was ready and I just kept telling her no! Haha! I felt so sleepy! Finally, I agreed to leave...though I probably would have been happy to sleep there all night! Richard helped me get dressed and the nurse and Richard helped me get into the wheelchair. Thankfully, by this time, my pain was down to just a 2 or a 3, so significantly better. I did well on the drive back to my parents' and we arrived sometime after 9:00. Richard and my parents all helped me get up the stairs and into the house. I felt so unsteady. Not dizzy, but just very unsteady. My parents had made me two soft boiled eggs and sourdough toast. Richard stayed with me while I ate and talked to my parents. When I was done eating, Richard left and my Mom went to bed for her early temple shift the next morning. My Dad was so sweet to stay up with me. I was supposed to take another percocet at 10:45, so he kept me awake until then. He also helped me use the bathroom-I was so out of it! He tucked me in and said goodnight and I was out. It was a bizarre sleep, in that I felt so heavy. I felt like I had totally sunk into the mattress and my whole body just felt so heavy. I know I was breathing, but it just felt like heavy breath, not labored. I don't know, it was bizarre. But I seriously don't think I moved all night. I just laid on my back with my leg elevated and slept and slept. My wonderful Dad woke me up at 4:45 for more pain medication and ice. He took such great care of me all morning while my Mom was gone. He rotated ice packs on and off my leg, helped me use the bathroom again, and fed me breakfast. It was a day!
Per the surgeon, he wanted my leg elevated above my heart for 5-7 days post-surgery. I was all-in for this, anything to aid this recovery along! On day five and six, I did come out and eat dinner at the table with my parents, but other than that I was in bed with my leg up! The Saturday after surgery I was in intense pain. My whole foot and lower leg just felt SO swollen and so there was so much pressure in my cast. It was honestly excruciating and the pain medication did little to help me. That was a rough day and the only night I have woken my parents up for help! Thankfully, by Sunday the swelling was subsiding and I was doing much better.
The rest of my recovery has been filled with good days and bad days. Some hours where it feels really good and sometimes where I can tell the swelling is localized and then it does feel irritated with my cast/splint. The first few nights after surgery I did sleep really, really well, but towards the end of last week I was hardly sleeping at night. I had three very, very sleepless nights and those were awful. Last Saturday I had a misstep, trying to get up one stair, and even though my Dad was right behind me, telling me what to do and holding onto me, I put weight on my left leg and wanted to die. Oh man. I made it to my bed and broke into tears. My cute Dad brought my Tylenol and ice and Richard just sat with me as I sobbed and sobbed. I wasn't crying because of pain (though I was hurting!) but because I was so mad at myself for doing that and also very worried that I had done something awful! This was also at the height of my sleep deprivation! Richard really did help to calm me down, but I basically cried off and on the rest of the weekend! This has been a rollercoaster!
This week has been better. Today is a milestone day for me. Two weeks post-surgery. Which means 1/6 of the way done with my recovery, 1/3 of the way done with no weight bearing, and first post-op check-up in just one week. One must celebrate all the things!
Through this whole ordeal, our family has received SO much help. Becky has now come out and stayed at our house for 3 weeks. She comes out on Monday, drives home Friday afternoon and then repeats and repeats. She has been a lifesaver with the kids. She helps Gretchen practice the piano, gets everyone off to school, takes care of Ziggy, has filled my spot in carpools, and is trying to help everyone survive in such chaos. We have had three weeks of people bringing in meals, and while I hear our house is quite overrun with food, I am grateful that most nights, Richard and Becky do not have to think about what to do for dinner. So many moms have helped shuttle my kids around, so as to lighten the load on Richard and his Mom.
My parents have taken exceptional care of me. The first seven days after surgery I was in a constant rotation of ice on for 30, and off for 30. They were exceptional at it. They tracked all my pain medication so I didn't even have to think about it. They have made all my meals for almost 3 weeks now. They tuck me in each night with a hug and a kiss and are there for me as soon as I wake up bringing in more ice and pain medication. I have cried on both of their shoulders. They have both helped me in the bathroom. My Mom has washed my hair in the sink and gets sponge baths ready for me. This last week I have started to go outside in the mornings. They set up a chair for me and hold onto me as I get up and down the stairs. They make sure to not leave me alone too long and I am just so, so grateful for them.
The last thing I will say about me is I am very, very thankful for every person who has reached out via text, phone call, Marco Polo, sweet packages in the mail, or stopped by for a visit. Each one has brightened my day and I feel very lucky to have such thoughtful people in my life. Just another reminder to me that even the smallest gesture of service and love can have a huge impact.
Okay! I am going to leave it there for now. There is too much to write! With any luck I will send another email on Sunday with updates on everyone else and the three birthdays we have celebrated this week!
Love each of you.
Richard, Jenny, Marshall Bridget, Rachel and Gretchen :)
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