Knee Accident Report

THE HALLELUJAH DIET/LIFESTYLE

AND DEALING WITH

AN ACCIDENT/BROKEN BONES/SURGERY

 

PART 1 (Dec 2009)

 

This is a subject that I have read little about and have not done a great deal of investigation into in the past.  I have not read any testimonies about any other incidents so found no protocol in my memory to draw upon.  I am now checking this out to see if there is some information I can make available to those interested “just in case”.

 

On November 4, I was talking to a client (Sue) on mobile and moving very fast out of the display area.  My shoe came off my foot and I fell into the step going into the office.  I hit my knee on the step and could feel the step going into the knee. My face also hit either the wall or the floor – I do not remember.  I started screaming and screaming hoping that Sue would hear me.  When I realized that this was getting me nowhere and no one could hear me I stopped.  My phone had flown across the floor so I just sat there for a few minutes gaining my breath.  I realized I could move my foot and also my hip so I knew my leg was not broken. 

 

I thought then that I was just stunned and if I sat a moment I would be fine.  The office phone started to ring and I thought I would just slowly get up.  As soon as I put my heal to the floor the pain again was excruciating.  I now know pain worse than childbirth!! J

 

I then checked out my knee (oddly enough when I was completely still I was relatively pain free) and found I could put my fingers in between bone.  I knew then this was not just a simple knock on the leg.

 

I scooted myself over to the phone and called Sue back asking her to come.  She is a nurse, praise the Lord!!  She arrived in about 15 minutes and decided I needed to call an ambulance.  I felt quite ok at this point and did so until they had to lift me onto the bed – again I almost passed out in pain.  They gave me something to breathe to help with the pain.  I was determined NOT to have heavy drugs and to get through this with as little as possible.  I also realized I was at their mercy and became aware of this more as the day progressed.

 

When at the hospital, I started to shake and lose control as my body went into shock.  They offered me morphine and I declined.  The body just would not stop.  Sue (also on the H/Diet) gently told me I was not going to get through this whole ordeal without any drugs.  I reluctantly saw she was right and agreed to the shot.  Within minutes my body relaxed and I was able to rest. 

 

I had lunch on the 4th but not my evening meal.  I of course, was not hungry but did ask for a cup of herbal tea.  They sent in the doctor and he told me my knee cap was broken in at least three pieces and that they would do surgery tomorrow morning (Nov. 5th) 

 

I had a very fitful night – I am use to living alone now, very quiet and found myself in some pain and in a place with buzzers, lights and people coming and going all night long.  They offered me a sleeping pill and I declined.  The next day I did not feel all that bad as long as I did not move the leg. It was at this time I started to think about my situation and how I would handle it.  As I said, I had read nothing about it before and had no previous thoughts on what I could or would do. They gave me some pain relief in the vein as I was not allowed to eat or drink because of the surgery.  I finally made it into the theatre at 8PM – very hungry and thirsty!! (28 hours after my last meal and water)

 

I got back to my room and settled at 1:30 AM and again finished out the night not sleeping well.  A kind (ha ha) nurse woke me at 5:45 to check all my BP etc, and then they asked what I wanted to eat.  I had asked Glenda and Cathy to bring down my veggie juice and put it in the hospital fridge.  I asked for one of those.  It was at that time I made the decision to go ALL RAW to give my body the best nutrition possible to heal my leg and help me get better as quickly as possible.

 

The dietician from the kitchen came to see me, as they were not sure what they could do for me.  I ask them if I could have a plate of fresh raw veggies for tea each night and they were ok with that.  When I told her what I was planning to eat she said, “boy you eat healthy.” I thought that was  interesting!  So I stuck to my plan of just all raw and when they offered me fruit from a can I again declined.  Glenda, Cathy and friends were lovely to make sure I had my Udo’s oil and sea salt to put on my veggies each night and fresh fruit for other meals.  I also loaded myself with BarleyMax every couple of hours.

 

I was in a great deal of pain the first few days out of surgery.  They had me on pain relief but it was not working.  The only time I felt real relief was with the morphine shots.  Before they would release me to the Rehab Hospital, I had to be off the shots.  So they put me on Oxy-Contin and that leveled me out very well the first day.  The second day on it I was transferred to the Rehab and I felt awful – light headed and nausea all the time.  They gave me a tablet to ease that and it did for about 2 hours and then it came back.  The next day I called a friend of mine that is a nurse and ask her to come and chat with me.  I knew I was not thinking all that clear and as we talked we both knew this “ill feeling” started after I was given the Oxy-Contin.  So I called the nurse and told her I felt I was over medicated (they do not like that) but she called the doctor and they cut the dose in half and I ask to drop the other pain pill unless I asked for it.  They reluctantly agreed. I felt much better the next day and got into my physio with gusto.

 

Then about 4 days later I told the nurse I wanted off the Oxy-Contin altogether.  She thought it was a bit early but I told her I was in very little pain and I felt the pain did not warrant a drug like that.  So we agreed on just panadol as needed.   They were also giving me an anti-inflammatory and I stopped that after a week.  When they checked my knee incision after 6 days, they were surprised I had not bruised, and there was no redness at the incision and no swelling.  There were quite amazed about that.  I told them (again) it was all the juices and barleymax that I had by the truck load.  They just smiled!! JJ

 

10 days after the surgery I started to have a bit of cooked food.  Either a salad sandwich at lunch or a baked potato at night.  I felt the need for a bit more bulk at this time as I was in physio twice a day.

 

The only other drug I was and am taking at this writing is the one for the blood – a thinner.  I was NOT happy about that at all but was told that if I refused to take it I would have to sign a waver releasing the doctor, hospital and rehab of any problems such as blood clotting.  They said my insurance would not pay if I developed a blood clot.  It was explained that I needed to have this because I have a limb that is completely immobile and need it until I can put pressure on the leg and remove the brace.  I understood and even though I do not like it, I agreed.  I know that I can deal with this in my life when I am off it.

 

When I started rehab I was given a test – one of them was to walk a distance from one line to another.  I took me 1 min. and 22 seconds.  The day before I left, I did the walk in 12 seconds.  I worked hard each day and made sure that I was out of the bed and walking every hour or two all day long. I think it really made a difference. I am so very grateful that I was walking and doing stretching the weeks before the accident.

 

OTHER INSIGHTS:

 

·        After three days in the hospital they told me that I would have to have a suppository if I did not move my bowels.  I told them I had not eaten in 48 hours before the surgery and that I was consuming ONLY things my body could use in its healing.  There was not anything else to pass.  They were not convinced and said the next day I would get one if nothing happened.  The next day – nothing – and they gave me, with pleading, another day.  Then I had one and no problems.

 

·        Every day they asked me the same question and every day I told them my bowels were working very well.

 

·        Before I left rehab I was told by the nurse in charge that I was the ONLY patient in the rehab was not talking suppositories.

 

·        Before I left rehab I was told I was the only patient not taking sleeping tablets. 

 

·        I told her I thought all of this was due to my diet of fresh veggie juices, fresh veggies and fruit.  She smiled and said, “you are right.”  Hmmmmm

 

 

OTHER SUPPLEMENTS:

 

As soon as I realized I was going to have surgery I asked Glenda to bring me:

 

1.     Serrapeptase – very helpful to avoid inflammation

2.     Glutamine with Taurine – extremely helpful before and after surgery

3.     Bromelain – excellent help to avoid swelling

4.     Coenzyme Q10 – great for heart health

5.     Curcumin – anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory

6.     Calcium and Vitamin D (5,000) during this time

7.     Vitamin E – helps to neutralize free radicals and help get rid of the toxic effect of chemicals from anesthesia

 

As of this writing, I see the doctor December 7th and he will give me the decision if I can travel to the US for Christmas.  I will also be told about the physio now needed in order to start bending the knee.

 

I will write Part 2 of this “episode” over the holiday season, whether here in Oz or in the states and tell you how I go with physio, etc. 

 

I do not know when I will be able to drive again, have been told 3 months, but that will depend on how I do as the weeks pass.  That will all be included in the second part.

 

I have no doubt that the Hallelujah Diet and Lifestyle has made a bit difference in my healing.  I also realize determination and attitude play a great part.  For me, there has been NO TIME for regret, anger or “why now” or even “why me?”  ONLY time to count my blessings, adapt to this immobile life and move ahead.

 

Catch you in the New Year and God bless!!

 

If you do have any questions, or helpful suggestions I can use for a file on this subject, please let me know!!

 

Love, Maz