Injured Patient

Sniff, sniff . . .

As if a bum knee weren't enough for this guy to heal from, now he has additional injuries.

Yesterday, prior to going home, Suzi took Alan out for his last PT. She tried the elbow crutches on him this time instead of the walker. Maybe he wasn't ready or maybe it was just an accident.

Alan caught his toe on a crutch and down he went -- slammed into a chair sitting against the wall. He fell, NOT on his new knee, thank GOODNESS, but onto an already bad shoulder. He's been treated for a partial rotator cuff tear for the past couple of years as it is. He was given exercises to do (which are seldom done) and drugs for pain. Naturally it was the right shoulder he landed on. It wouldn't surprise me if he completed the tear because he sure is in a LOT of pain. Also, that middle toe he caught must be fractured. It's swollen and badly discolored and "hurts like heck" he says. All that can be done for a fractured toe is to tape it to the next one.

He has appts today with both our local doc (for an INR poke to check his blood viscosity -- he's on coumadin for awhile to discourage blood clots) and then on to the outpatient PT place. Between the two we should get an opinion or two, don'tcha think?

Just a little setback, I'm sure. We're grateful he didn't fall directly on the new knee. Then we'd be singing a different tune today.

Poor guy -- we'll just be working hard to get him all healed up and on his own in no time, right????