I Had Surgery
I have had more surgery than I can remember.
The first was done in 1968 fifteen months after being discharged from Stoke Mandeville Spinal injuries centre.
I had pressure sores, caused from not taking proper care of my skin, for a couple of reasons.
When my discharge drew near, my Father and anyone who he may have consulted with seemed to believe that: one month at home was quite sufficient for me to adapt to my new life in a wheelchair, before packing me off to full time residential college. Where I had to learn quickly how to take care of myself and put in a full eight hour day that began at 8:45 and had only a 45 minute lunch break.
My room mate, a paraplegic of some two years experience before starting this college course left me struggling in his wake. I was under a lot of pressure.
No pun intended.
As a newly discharged paraplegic I did nor realise that a red mark on my skin that did not disappear within twenty minutes was a warning sign. For a young man who had been pretty tough before breaking my back, making a big fuss over a little red mark didn't make any sense, and when the red mark turned into a small bruise it was nothing to what I'd happily ignored as an able bodied person. The small bruise grew larger and darker, but still I ignored it, well actually it was them.
Then one day while practicing for the slalom (a wheelchair obstacle course) with Stoke paraplegic Athletic club, my chair tipped over sideways and I landed on the bruised hip. I won't describe exactly what happened (far too gory) suffice to say there was a lot of blood. I was rushed straight up to the hospital and was admitted straight away.
I had two operations (surgeries) one on my right buttock 'ischial tuberosity' and one on the top of my left thigh 'greater trochanter'. The one at the top of my thigh involved cutting right through the muscle, and then joining the muscle back together with stainless steel staples,
That all happened between summer 68 and late autumn. I was home for Christmas.
February 69 I was admitted as an emergency to Battle hospital Reading to have a large abscess caused by the stainless steel staples, cut out of my thigh.
That was surgery number 3, quickly followed by my kidneys shutting down from being infected by the poison in my bloodstream from the abscess.
Two and a quarter years and three surgical procedures with many many, more to follow.
I'VE HAD SURGERY.
The first was done in 1968 fifteen months after being discharged from Stoke Mandeville Spinal injuries centre.
I had pressure sores, caused from not taking proper care of my skin, for a couple of reasons.
When my discharge drew near, my Father and anyone who he may have consulted with seemed to believe that: one month at home was quite sufficient for me to adapt to my new life in a wheelchair, before packing me off to full time residential college. Where I had to learn quickly how to take care of myself and put in a full eight hour day that began at 8:45 and had only a 45 minute lunch break.
My room mate, a paraplegic of some two years experience before starting this college course left me struggling in his wake. I was under a lot of pressure.
No pun intended.
As a newly discharged paraplegic I did nor realise that a red mark on my skin that did not disappear within twenty minutes was a warning sign. For a young man who had been pretty tough before breaking my back, making a big fuss over a little red mark didn't make any sense, and when the red mark turned into a small bruise it was nothing to what I'd happily ignored as an able bodied person. The small bruise grew larger and darker, but still I ignored it, well actually it was them.
Then one day while practicing for the slalom (a wheelchair obstacle course) with Stoke paraplegic Athletic club, my chair tipped over sideways and I landed on the bruised hip. I won't describe exactly what happened (far too gory) suffice to say there was a lot of blood. I was rushed straight up to the hospital and was admitted straight away.
I had two operations (surgeries) one on my right buttock 'ischial tuberosity' and one on the top of my left thigh 'greater trochanter'. The one at the top of my thigh involved cutting right through the muscle, and then joining the muscle back together with stainless steel staples,
That all happened between summer 68 and late autumn. I was home for Christmas.
February 69 I was admitted as an emergency to Battle hospital Reading to have a large abscess caused by the stainless steel staples, cut out of my thigh.
That was surgery number 3, quickly followed by my kidneys shutting down from being infected by the poison in my bloodstream from the abscess.
Two and a quarter years and three surgical procedures with many many, more to follow.
I'VE HAD SURGERY.
By:
AlmostAristotle
Age:
61-65
,
Male
11
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