an eventful last few days....

[gcode]

Just goes to show that our routine activities can turn into anything but routine in a second.

I'm constantly reminded of this climbing around on these big machines covered in chips and oil.
One bad step could be life changing, or life ending.
Last year I badly bruised my left heel jumping off a machine.
It hurt like an MF'r and was I hobbling around like Peg Leg Pete for about three months.
I was concerned I'd broken a bone in my foot and got it X_Rayed.
It was just a bruise, but the clowns at the doc in a box thought I was angling for a disability slip.
They signed me up for 3 months of useless therapy. I went once then called them and told then I couldn't make it cause I had covid.

[Here's Johnny!]

Sorry to read this JP! Wishing you a full recovery!!!!

Next time use lead in/out instead of plunging into these snow banks!!! (Attempt at some CAM humor!!!)

[Surface]

I'm sorry to hear, John. After everything you've been through the past couple years, you were due for a stretch of better luck.

I hope the surgury goes well.

[Flycut]

That really sucks.
Take it easy and let it heal.

[Rstewart]

Hate to hear this.  Hope you have a great recovery sitting on your ass 
Seriously, get well soon!

[Incogneeto]

Hopefully a good Doc to get it reconnected.

My biggest thing after 6 months of Laying on My Ass.

My ankles had Not been supporting my weight.

This became a side issue with the Pain.

I'm gettin Old and still 2 years + and they are screaming at The end of the day.

Orthotics Help. Keep that in Mind.

Hoping for a fast return for you.

[TheeCutterman]

Sorry to hear that John.

The only advice i can give you is  "UBER". 

Hoping you heal quickly.

[pmartin]

Sorry about your injury and best wishes on a speedy recovery.

Consider this a cautionary tale to all you guys who don't make it work up here in the Northeast. Best stay where you are, it's scary dangerous up here.

[ghuns]

Look on the bright side.

With the cost of medical procedures these days, you are about to become the Six Million Dollar Man.

[gcode]

One of our maintenance guys ripped his bicep muscle loose from his shoulder moving a sofa last year.
He's in his mid 50's and was off work for several months.
He was having a hard time finding a surgeon that would take our shit insurance.
He was reaching the point where too much time had passed to make surgery viable
when he finally found one.

In the end, he decided not to get the surgery to reattach the muscle.
It does not make sense to me but as he explained it, the best case for surgery
was an 80% restoration of function and the same 80% could be achieved with therapy.

He's been back to work for a couple of months now, doing all his regular work and you'd never guess
he's suffered an injury like that.
 

[JParis]

One of our maintenance guys ripped his bicep muscle loose from his shoulder moving a sofa last year.
He's in his mid 50's and was off work for several months.
He was having a hard time finding a surgeon that would take our shit insurance.
He was reaching the point where too much time had passed to make surgery viable
when he finally found one.

In the end, he decided not to get the surgery to reattach the muscle.
It does not make sense to me but as he explained it, the best case for surgery
was an 80% restoration of function and the same 80% could be achieved with therapy.

He's been back to work for a couple of months now, doing all his regular work and you'd never guess
he's suffered an injury like that.
 

I've torn a biceps, though not completely...hurt like hell for a week, healed itself...

This one, same rules apply, too long and they get get the muscle and tendon to stretch back to position...
With the quad being one of the largest muscles and the surrounding muscles providing so much support, a leg is simply not stable....with the immobilizing brace, I can at least move a bit with the assistance of crutches...when I take the brace off...with no support on it, my kneecap feels like it is being pulled down by everything below it being intact....it is an odd feeling to say the least.

I cannot imagine what like would be like without having this repaired....you would be hobbled pretty badly the rest of your life....

My wife tore her achilles, wasn't diagnosed until about 18 months later....far too late to repair...she gets around but has limits because of it.

[JParis]

Well, surgery done...now the healing...

Always a fun read these are...

Procedure/Description
The patient was identified in the pre-operative holding area and the correct operative site was initialed by myself after verification by the patient. The patient was then brought back to the operating room and anesthesia was induced. The patient received pre-operative intravenous antibiotics. Examination of the right knee demonstrated a range of 0 to 130 degrees of motion, and there was no laxity with varus and valgus stress of the knee at 0 or 30 degrees of flexion. A tourniquet was then placed onto the right thigh, and the right lower extremity was then prepped and draped in a sterile fashion. An esmark bandage was used to ex-sanguinate the right leg, and the tourniquet was inflated to 275 mm Hg pressure. An approximately 7 cm incision longitudinal incision was made along the superior pole of the patella and the quadriceps tendon. Soft tissues were dissected down to the quadriceps tendon. Inspection of this region revealed a complete rupture of the quadriceps tendon. There was a complete avulsion of the tendon from the patella with minimal displacement of the tendon. The retinacular tissues were transversely torn about 3 cm on both sides of the knee. The quadriceps tendon tear site was debrided to expose healthy tendon, and the exposed superior pole of the patella was abraded with a rasp and a rongeur. Next, a total of two Arthrex FiberTak Devices were placed along the medial and lateral one-third of the superior pole of the patella. SutureTapes from each anchor were passed along the medial and lateral borders of the quadriceps tendon. The SutureTapes were then tied, resulting in reapproximation of the quadriceps tendon to the superior pole of the patella. The tendon repair site was then reinforced with a combination of #2 Fiberwire suture and #1 Vicryl suture, and tear in the retinaculum was repaired using #1 Vicryl suture. The wound was then copiously irrigated. Subcutaneous tissue was reapproximated with 2-0 Vicryl, and skin was closed with Monocryl suture. The wound was covered with steri-strips, Telfa, gauze sponges, ABD pads, Webril and an ACE bandage. A rehabilitation brace was then placed onto the knee. The patient was then extubated and brought to the recovery room in stable condition. Post-operatively, the patient will be non-weight bearing on the right leg. He will return to the office in 10 to 14 days for re-evaluation.

[beej]

The quadriceps tendon tear site was debrided to expose healthy tendon, and the exposed superior pole of the patella was abraded with a rasp and a rongeur.

Hemmingway couldn't have written that better.

The wound was then copiously irrigated.

washed well copiously irrigated! LOL

[JParis]

Hemmingway couldn't have written that better.

washed well copiously irrigated! LOL

A Surgeons' notes lol

[gcode]

The closest I've come to surgery.
16 years old in an English boarding school in Switzerland
Goofing around with friends.
A guy threw a roundhouse at my arm and like a dumbass, I ducked right into it.
He caught me on the left side of my face and my sun glasses split my eyebrow open.
They took me to this old Swiss doctor.
He looked at me and asked if I was an American.
I said yes
He said, I've been told Americans are braver than Englishmen. Is that true?
Of course, like a 16 year old dumbass, I said yes.
He said Wonderful, we won't need any anesthesia then, will we?
6 stiches, no anesthesia. That was my second dumbass move of the day.