NOT FOR THE SQUEEMISH! For those of you who do not know what Cindy is going through, I had a double break of the femur in 1987 and was given a choice of a nail (rod) or a cast. With the rod they can make your leg the exact correct length. With a cast, probably not which means a limp for life. They drilled a hole through the bone in the lower leg to install a 1/4" by 5" metal shaft to hook up the traction ropes to stretch out the leg to the proper length as the tendons and ligaments pulled tight after the break. After a week, surgery. They dislocated my hip to insert the rod or nail into the center of the femur where the bone marrow is. The nail is 18" long and 5/8" diameter, hollow with a slit down the entire length,( mine is stainless steel) and has to be preshaped to the curve of the leg. It's called a nail because they pound it in. Mine didn't fit and they had to make another one so the surgery lasted 12 hours. With my leg broken in 3 pieces, they put 6 --2 1/2" screws to hold the pieces in place. Over a few months the screws are removed. After a year or so they want to remove the nail. I decided to keep mine in rather than go through the trauma of the removal.
It was over a year after surgery before I was able to walk without crutches and it was a year later when I got my first infection. Apparently the Nail can move once the screws are out and after a hiking trip the rubbing caused an infection. It was very painful but after two weeks of anti-biotics I got over it. I had two more infections after that but none for about 6 years. I am happy that I went with the nail rather than a cast as I could walk and run just fine until the TM onset. Cindy, I hope they keep you stoned as much as you want because I know the pain you have been through and understand what is in front of you yet. I just want our people to understand that it is easy to say "they put in a rod and they took it out" but it is so much more than that. I feel your pain. God Bless You Jim On Sun, Jan 2, 2011 at 7:59 PM, JOAN FINK <[email protected]> wrote: > THINGS ARE LOOKING PRETTY GOOD SO FAR. THE ROD IN HER FEMUR HAD TO BE > REMOVED AND THE DR. FELT THEY WERE AHEAD OF THE INFECTION. SHE HAS BEEN > TRANSFERRED TO A REHAB FACILITY NEAR ST. JUDE. IT'S GOING TO TAKE > TIME....... WILL LET THE LIST KNOW MORE AS IT HAPPENS. > > SHE DOES NOT HAVE ACCESS TO HER COMPUTER/E-MAIL. I HAVE READ HER ALL > MESSAGES SENT TO ME FULL OF YOUR WELL-WISHES AND PRAYERS. FEEL FREE TO > CONTACT ME AT ANY TIME. > > A FELLOW TM'ER SINCE 2000 > JOAN FINK > >
