Hi, Folks!

[Quixotic1]

Yes, I am still alive and kicking (sometimes on purpose, but, more often, involuntarily).  I am so ready to get back onto the forum, but feel like I have lost my MS mojo - like perhaps everything has changed in the last year.  I took a sabbatical from here from sheer burnout.  I was tired of considering MS every minute of every day.

The last year has been uneventful.  Really quite nice.  I have played around making fiber jewelry, knitting and goofing off.  I still have the nasty fatigue, weak right side, incontinence (I'll be commenting on Laura's Botox soon), trigeminal neuralgia, and spasticity, but the Tysabri seems to be keeping it all in check.  I asked for some physical therapy last spring to help my increasing weakness.  That, apparently was my mistake.

On May 30 while getting into my car to go to PT I tripped - I wasn't paying attention.  I crumpled onto my left leg and went down.  For those of you (most I assume) who don't know me, I have managed to keep all problems neatly in my right leg, thus having a stronger left leg to depend on.  I heard pop pop pop pop and then a snap.  Didn't really feeI anything except a sinking feeling in my stomach as I sank.   I  lay there in the garage, on my back, cursing the gods and counting the spider webs in the rafters.  Our garage in down a deep slope, and I was near the side the car.  Not a soul around.  I could inch toward the door doing a little caterpillar walk between my shoulders and bum, but it was slow and I was in a little shock.  My mom was home, but is deaf as a post and my sister (as usual during emergencies was on vacation).  So, despite my cursing at them, the gods had deemed this to be recycling day.  I heard a truck lumber up my hill so I waved my arms as high and erratically as I could hoping to catch the driver's eye.

Bingo!  Terry, the Trash Guy, was wonderful.  He called 911, got my mom, found my phone and purse, told me some jokes and we had a little party waiting for EMS to arrive.  Extricating me from the wedge between the car and the side of the garage was tricky, but we managed with me executing some positions that can't be shown in polite society.  The ER confirmed that I had indeed fractured the left ankle just above the malleolus (ankle bone)  They tried to put me on crutches to send me home.  Yeah, right!  The pain in my ankle invoked the spasticity in my right leg into high performance.  I stood there, crutches in front with my right leg married to the spot it was on.  Swing it forward?  Not a chance in h*ll.  A statue could not have been more immobile.  I had a dozen people in the ER urging me on as I propelled myself not at all.  "Try!", they cheered.  My right leg just laughed and dug in deeper.

Alas, they would have to admit me, as I was now as mobile as a beached jellyfish.  I had it surgically plated the next morning.  Then we all discovered that my right leg would not allow me to stand and transfer.  So, they told me I was off to a skilled nursing facility.  My self-esteem was nowhere to be found.  In the end, they found a spot in the hospital's highly regarded inpatient rehab facility.  I was trundled off there, and spent three weeks in boot camp.  Three hours of high intensity PT and OT daily.

This was a blessing in disguise.  I had let myself become horribly deconditioned and the workouts were great.  What wasn't great, however was the skin eruption I had to the antiseptic they had painted my left lower leg with during surgery (chlorhexidine, Hibiclens).  Over the first week my skin bumped up, blistered, thickened and blackened under the spint and ACE wraps.  When the itching was unbearable I made them remove the splint and we all gazed in horror on the sight of a leg that looked like it had gangrene (NOT an exaggeration).  Doctors would come in to see it and involuntarily step backwards.  The rash was so deep that I now have cutaneous nerve damage and scarring.  I am still peeling from it.  Maybe I'll load some pictures of it for those of you who like looking at gruesome things.

So, after three weeks, I was released from the hospital a much stronger person.  My legs are coming along nicely, though I still have a Frankensteinian quality to my walk, I am upright and without need of assistance. The fractured ankle is still extremely painful and we are working to prevent a chronic pain complex from developing.  I am lifting free weights and now that I am bicep curling 3 pounds I feel ready for Venice Beach.  That's a whole different story.

So, even though I don't feel I remember much about the science of MS, I am back.  I'll be catching up on the last year's info, but I wanted to step in and say "hi".  I have missed you all and look forward to meeting those of you who have joined more recently.  Maybe, eventually, I will be able to remark sagely and let pearls of wisdom drop from my lips, but for now - it's just plain old Quix.

Still President and Founder of the Support Society for those who talk too much ON-AND-ON ANON.
Quix

[sllowe]

Mama Q!!!!
WELCOME BACK!!!

He ll we been tapping your old MoJo for years now! And, it was so strong and solid it's still giving!!!!

Will you be staying along with PT for strength?

We'll take you at any rate you can give Quizzlestix, Doc Q, Mama Q Quixaterrifica! haha (ok, that's a new one).

oxoxoxoxoxo MISSED you much.
-Shell

[Cann1980]

Quix... I am a newbie here.
I am happy I have a chance to say "thank you" for all your previous posts in these boards! I have always been in awe of such a wonderful person taking the time to write all those wonderful articles and replys to so many. You will be timeless on these boards. A legacy! :)
Thank you for all your knowledge!!

I am glad u are back ... Nice to meet you!
Cann

[HVAC]

You were sorely missed. Welcome back. Your story makes me glad I only have MS and Cancer.

Alex

[LisaJF]

Although you felt that lost your MS mojo (who wouldn't blame you?), I have to state that your MS mojo is historical.  That mojo  just so happens to be the best informative thoughts, easy to read dissertations and educational health tools EVERYONE has either read 10 times over, referred others to understand what may be going on with their own body.  I can't thank you enough for the time, effort and careful deliberations that it has taken you to put it all together.

I may not know you well (although it feels as though I do), but YOU are certainly are admired for your wit, intelligence, expertise and most of all, compassion.  I can't thank you enough for all you have done for everyone.

I'm so happy you have returned as so many here feel the same way.

I can't believe your event and how fortunate "Terry" the Trash Guy was around at the right time.

I'm happy to hear that after rehabilitation, you are stronger and that Quix will definitely help your self esteem!

You will notice I'm quite verbose myself. LOL.

Welcome back and glad you're here!

Lisa

[PastorDan]

Oh, I am still a card-carrying member of O&O-A.  Just pressed for time ...  way too much to be healthy ...  as of late.

God bless!

[mikeysmom1995]

So sorry to hear about your accident, but I m glad you are on the mend. I too am a newbie in your absence, and have never had the pleasure of interacting with you, but I am glad you are back and look forward to reading your new posts.
With warm regards,
Barb