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Pugwash's peg-leg

I do hope others derive something useful from my ramblings.

A long overdue explanation:-

This forum was always a regular source of pleasure to me, a long time before my injury.
What a divine stroke of luck was it to find here a platform to share my story and a modest cadre of interested members.

Having somewhere like this, to express my feelings has been of inestimable value to me.
Thank you.
 
Christmas.

Finally my day is complete.

It all began as I rose at 6am, feeling exceptionally grumpy, due to forgetting to take my meds last night, consequently getting no sleep and rising in overwhelming pain in every joint.

So I was determined to have a miserable dreary time all on my tod.

This was rudely challenged by a pal from Bawtry arriving full of himself, not to be deterred by my glum features.

To cap it all, my young friend James Ramsden phoned me to shoot the breeze, a torrent of experience and memories of the day of my accident, when he saved my life with the prompt application of an extemporised tourniquet.

We shared our grim stories only to find the ordeal has become a shared event, which had a happy ending. Yet we found room for a laugh.

Then I found myself at tea-time starving, only to be surprised by Lynn 9my neighbour) arriving with a turkey roast!

So my bleak mid-winter day was rescued by the generosity of others!
A splendid Christmas day, unexpected and laced with joy.

I do hope your day had happy rewards and the coming New Year will provide inestimable pleasures.
 
Happy and Merry! All of it to you and more "Pug" Thanks for becoming an integral and treasured, uplifting part of my life as well!

Love, Pete Thumbsup Thumbsup :D
 
What comes after 'Pride'?

No I haven't literally fallen... but my journey has a new challenge.

At the beginning of the week I was attending another physio session; while waiting I visited the rest room and as I reached for a paper towel, my elbow popped out again!

After Mel and another physio discussed my problem, it was clear I can't continue my therapy like this and the only thing to do was wheel me to A&E (ER).

There I sat 3.5hrs waiting to be examined by a Dr.
Would you believe it, my elbow re-set itself during the wait, but is very sore!
I was referred to another physio and someone from OT.

That interview was brief, due to the fact I had a deadline for transport home.
I was able to assure them I was ok to return home.
I'm becoming aware the OT crowd are always keen to find reason to send you into a care home, at which point all you have becomes theirs.

To cap it all my prosthetic developed a fault with the trigger mech which unlocks the knee, allowing you to sit down.

So the quandary now is the painful elbow, which it seems has become unreliable.
All the wheeling about in a chair and crutch use has found the weakest link in the chain, leaving me very despondent, especially after all I've achieved so far.

I may not update until I have something positive to report.

Be assured, I'm not giving up; it's just the goalposts have radically moved.

My best wishes to you all.
 
pugwash said:
What comes after 'Pride'?

No I haven't literally fallen... but my journey has a new challenge.

At the beginning of the week I was attending another physio session; while waiting I visited the rest room and as I reached for a paper towel, my elbow popped out again!

After Mel and another physio discussed my problem, it was clear I can't continue my therapy like this and the only thing to do was wheel me to A&E (ER).

There I sat 3.5hrs waiting to be examined by a Dr.
Would you believe it, my elbow re-set itself during the wait, but is very sore!
I was referred to another physio and someone from OT.

That interview was brief, due to the fact I had a deadline for transport home.
I was able to assure them I was ok to return home.
I'm becoming aware the OT crowd are always keen to find reason to send you into a care home, at which point all you have becomes theirs.

To cap it all my prosthetic developed a fault with the trigger mech which unlocks the knee, allowing you to sit down.

So the quandary now is the painful elbow, which it seems has become unreliable.
All the wheeling about in a chair and crutch use has found the weakest link in the chain, leaving me very despondent, especially after all I've achieved so far.

I may not update until I have something positive to report.

Be assured, I'm not giving up; it's just the goalposts have radically moved.

My best wishes to you all.
Click to expand...
Hi Pugwash. I can’t give your post a ‘like’ or a ‘love’. What a continuing story …..
But I assure you that I live with you and hope to see a positive report soon. Than that means it goes a bit better than this point right now.
Regards, Peter
 
pugwash said:
What comes after 'Pride'?

No I haven't literally fallen... but my journey has a new challenge.

At the beginning of the week I was attending another physio session; while waiting I visited the rest room and as I reached for a paper towel, my elbow popped out again!

After Mel and another physio discussed my problem, it was clear I can't continue my therapy like this and the only thing to do was wheel me to A&E (ER).

There I sat 3.5hrs waiting to be examined by a Dr.
Would you believe it, my elbow re-set itself during the wait, but is very sore!
I was referred to another physio and someone from OT.

That interview was brief, due to the fact I had a deadline for transport home.
I was able to assure them I was ok to return home.
I'm becoming aware the OT crowd are always keen to find reason to send you into a care home, at which point all you have becomes theirs.

To cap it all my prosthetic developed a fault with the trigger mech which unlocks the knee, allowing you to sit down.

So the quandary now is the painful elbow, which it seems has become unreliable.
All the wheeling about in a chair and crutch use has found the weakest link in the chain, leaving me very despondent, especially after all I've achieved so far.

I may not update until I have something positive to report.

Be assured, I'm not giving up; it's just the goalposts have radically moved.

My best wishes to you all.
Click to expand...

Praying for you Pug!
 
Good morning. I know the frustration of PT and OT. It seems kike you're getting somewhere and suddenly back to zero. Im back in the hospital again because the nursing home I'm on took my medicine from my bedside (saying they were better able to manage my medication.) and lost them. After a week with no breathing treatments and being kept on a high dosage of steroids for too long I have a serious case of pneumonia. We get two choices, give up or keep the faith. I'm choosing the latter and hope you can too. Try to educate yourself on precisely the treatment you need and common timelines for reaching landmarks or goals. I believe these therapists aren't dedicated enough to losing is as clients
I'll keep you in my prayers. God bless.
Ted
 
Hello my friends.

I'm not sure I'm ready to share my feelings, but here goes...

The elbow issue brought proceedings to an abrupt end.
I was close to not being able to push myself around in the wheelchair and so not to manage at home; a scary, intolerable situation.
So I've avoided using the prosthetic/crutches, thus giving the elbow time to recover.
My physio has been withdrawn/discharged as the situation precluded any progress.

Initially I became extremely depressed, feeling to be a failure.

Now I've come to realise my body had been pushed that bit too far and it's time to re-assess what my options are.

My present priorities are keeping warm and fed.
Managing that is enough to stop worrying unduly.
When the weather improves and I can then attempt to explore my strengths within my environment.

Not too distant options...

-get an electric wheelchair.
-next week I have a follow up appointment with the prosthetics consultant; a frank discussion required.
- still waiting for first contact with whatever physio can do for my elbow.

A few weeks ago I finally got to see a Ophthalmology consultant re my glaucoma.
As I expected, the condition has deteriorated since I was last assessed 3 years ago, to the point where I was told driving is out of the question.
I'd already decided not to re-new my licence after becoming 70 last September, so no shock there.

So, my many months of rapid progress were very valuable and encouraging, even exciting at times.
If I were a younger man, perhaps I could have been in a different place.
Now I have to adopt a more informed 'mature' outlook.
The last thing on my mind is defeat or surrender; but I have to face truth and reality.

I trust this explanation is enough to justify hope.

Thanks again to all my friends here, your interest and support has always been powerful medicine... THANK YOU.
 
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