My Story

Hello all -- This is my story  - On June 24th my family and I started to head up the coast of Connecticut on Just Chillin - our Meridian 368 MY to watch fireworks for the weekend in Branford CT.  Our homeport is Stratford. CT.  We were followed up with approx 7 - 8 other friend's boats for a weekend of BBQ, Wine, beer and fun.  After the fireworks Sat night I was closing up the back of the boat for the nigh around 10:30pm when I stepped off my swim platform onto the dock and tripped. (I now know I tripped on the dock cleat).  At first I felt some terrible pain, then none.  My wife asks me if I am OK and I said - don't think so.  Some friends ran over and told me not to get up - bone was poking thru my foot.  From there on, it was like a horrible nightmare.  I heard another friend calling for an ambulance, and the next thing I know I am being wheeled down the dock towards the ambulance.  I am asking who will get my boat back to Stratford?  Who will watch my kids? (My 10 year old son, 16 year old daughter, her boyfriend and our Shit Sizu  were still on-board).  I get to Yale New Haven Hospital and had immediate x-rays (nothing broken) but my entire lower foot bones all shifted to the right and broke the skin.  After wound clean - a fun exercise in extreme pain, I was prepped for surgery.  Has surgery around 6am Sunday.  Left with 2 pins and 3 wires.   Spent two days in the hospital. They actually wanted me to discharge Monday and I told them that I did not have the pain management down so they let me stay another day.  First week was a lot of sleeping, keeping my leg elevated, dealing with the pain, dealing with crutches, dealing with all the WTF? moments - why me? When can I get out of the cast?  when can I walk? When can I drive? when can I shower? etc. etc. etc.   Lucky for me - I had planned vacation the following week - had to cancel my boat trip to The North Fork of Long Island (Greenport).  Instead, I spent the weekend on the couch.  

Week 2 - I came off the narcotic pain meds Sunday and have been on Advils twice a day now.  Throbbing has stopped, and last night - 12 days in I did not get the stabbing pains in the middle of the night.  Went to the outpatient part of the hospital Tue for wound check.  Stitches look good - no infection and my swelling was down enough for them to put me in a hard-cast instead of the soft cast.  This will have to be removed the week after next so that they can take the stitches out though.  They would have come out next week but my surgeon was taking holiday to the Outer Banks - lucky stiff!

Oh well - so here I am - trying to telecommute as much as possible.  I am a partner in a large international consulting firm - so I can do a lot by phone and email.  Going to try to get to my office next week.  Yesterday, after reading some very dreary web postings I became pretty down.  I found a couple of blogs that inspired me to chronicle  my journey in hopes of helping me and others stay sane!

Today trying to track down something called a roll-about.  You rest your bad leg on this thing and propel yourself around like a scooter.  Seems like it will be better than crutches.    Coming to grips with the following this week:

1. How do I get myself out and about more?
2. When can I start to drive?
3. How long before I don't have to keep my leg elevated constantly?
4. Doing some weight training (I was in the gym previous to this 4 times a week for weights and cardio)
5. My diet - for healing, and keeping weight off
6. Becoming more independent - I am not one that likes my kids and wife always having to do everything for me
7 No more boat trips - BUT - At least using her as a floating condo for the rest of the summer
8. When can I go to a restaurant and sit at the bar again?
9. When can I shower?  I HATE SPONGE BATHS!!
10 6 more self inflicted needles with the blood clot medicine - Can't wait for THAT to be over

All for now!