After almost 2 weeks in the rehab hospital, I was released to go home! I needed to have a hospital bed as well as home health care and home physical therapy. The nurse was scheduled to visit at least twice a week for dressing changes on my legs and to check the healing of my wounds. The physical therapist was scheduled to come twice each week. The first couple of weeks I had a long list of exercises to start strengthening my legs while still in bed. It was hard to believe how all the muscles in my legs were gone so quickly!
Soon the therapist included some exercises while in the wheelchair. This was also about when the doctor said I could try bearing weight on my right leg. He said that even though it was still broken, the rods in it will bear the weight! My therapist had me try to stand on it at the kitchen sink with her holding me with a belt but I was too weak to stand. The next time I was able to stand on it for a few seconds and then more. Within a couple of weeks, I could stand on that leg for 2 minutes! My left leg still had about a month more to wait at that point, so we just kept exercising my right leg until it got stronger.
Eventually the doctor said I could start bearing 50% of my weight on my left leg. Did you ever try to put 50% of your weight on one leg? I thought what does that even mean? Well, my therapist had me go up to a weight scale with my walker and place my left foot on the scale until it went up to about 1/2 of my body weight. I did this several times until I could get “the feel” of it and remember it. What surprised me was, it wasn’t much more pressure than it would take to keep my balance, it wasn’t really stepping down much at all. So, I was now getting around at least by “touching” my left foot on the floor with each step, holding on tight to that walker for support. It was an exciting day when the doctor said I could start bearing weight on BOTH LEGS for the first time in over 2 months!
My therapist came to get me started on walking exercises. She had me stand up with the walker-no wheelchair and gradually take a step. Then another, and more, slowly more, eventually I had taken over 50 steps! It felt so good, even though I was holding myself up with a walker I was walking again! My heart was screaming; THANK YOU LORD! My therapist cautioned me to “take this slow because my legs are still weak.” After she left, I guess you could say I forgot all of her “caution”, because it was a beautiful day outside and I hadn’t been outside on my own since the day of my accident. I “walked” out on our big, long deck in the sunshine, it felt so good, I walked back and forth a few times then came back in.
That night I woke up and my legs were really hurting. When Ruth woke up I told her how much my legs hurt…THEY WERE HUGE! I should have listened to my therapist! We kept them elevated and iced and eventually got the swelling down some. But I couldn’t walk at all for about 3 days after that. I learned the hard way to pay attention and follow the rules!
“For in him we live and move and exist.” Acts 17:28 (NLT)
After several more weeks I was released from home therapy and started outpatient therapy. With all the equipment and room to do a variety of exercises. It wasn’t long until I was able to graduate from my walker to just a cane. My therapist constantly upgrades my program to meet my needs as they change, and I still go there 3 times each week as I continue to gain strength!
“In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered I little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.” 1 Peter 5:10 (NLT)
Something else that somewhat surprised me was…I have learned contentment even in this! I say surprised because Ruth and I always walked 3-5 miles a day together, plus I was always outside working on something with her. So how can I be content? GOD…There’s no other explanation. Do I miss being out in the woods? YES! What about the garden that I’ve missed out on for the first time in over 60 years? OF COURSE! But as I thought back on the “force” that the tree crushed my legs with, I’ve been very thankful that the damage wasn’t a lot worse. That’s when a calming peace and contentment would come over me and I would further count my blessings.
“Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:11-13 (NLT)
You know, we all have times of trials or testing, but I’m sure we’ve all had times of great blessing and fun as well. One thing I’ve said for years is “God does not waste pain.” Meaning that what we may see as bad or useless, God can somehow use for good! Sometimes, we may not even be aware how He uses what we go through, or how it can affect others, and we don’t even know it.
So as I continue in my outpatient physical therapy and also doing the exercises at home I’m continuing to gain strength. I am so glad to be home with my loving wife and most of all thankful to God for protecting me from what could have been a much worse accident.
This concludes my first ever multi-part blog I have ever written, I hope you have enjoyed reading them as much as I felt the need to write them. I’ll soon be returning to my former style of writing and talking about “whatever”!
Hope you’ll join be again here at the “Cozy Corner”!
Till Next Time…..
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