Here is our current upgrade (we didn't trade her in for a new model) on our daughter and her medical status.
Jerah came home from the hospital yesterday. She has no cast since the surgeon put a rod in her femur, so that makes a lot of things easier for her during recovery.
Since bathing in the hospital is a little tricky, especially when you can't move your leg much, we're taking Jerah to our local salon this Saturday to have her hair washed and hair cut. She's really looking forward to that, especially since she'll be able to recline comfortably for the shampoo!
We're (obviously) still in the process of creating new routines. Here are some of the changes we've made so far. There will be more changes to come as her leg swelling goes down and she's able to increase her independent mobility :
1. Put a baby monitor in her room so she can call to us easily if she needs to get out of bed. (Walkie talkies are in the plans too, but we haven't gotten those yet.)
2. Put spongy drawer liner under her laptop to keep it from slipping off of her lap desk.
3. Set up a corner of the living room for her wheelchair to park, including a sidetable for water bottle, hand sanitizer, and pencils, and a basket on the other side for her books, kindle, etc.
4. Bought a second walker without wheels so that it can fit through the bathroom door. Also rearranged the bathroom so that she can maneuver better.
5. Moved the kitchen table and trash can so she can wheel around the kitchen and dining room more easily.
6. Put her tooth brushing supplies in the kitchen so she can brush in the living room while she's in her wheelchair.
I appreciate tremendously all your prayers, encouraging words, and advice about how to help her through her recovery. She's an amazing girl and I'm looking forward to seeing how this experience matures her even more.
POOR THING!! =(
How long is an average recovery from that kind of break? My mommy-heart cringes when I think about her going through that (and YOU going through it with her!) Best wishes for as speedy a recovery as possible!
(And it looks like you've got plenty of help loving on her.) ;0)
@Amber @ Classic Housewife, Unbelievably the surgeon said that sometimes after femur breaks, he lets the patient put full weight on the leg immediately. But Jerah's break was a lot worse than normal (he used the word "exploded" to describe it). Consequently, she'll be in a wheelchair or walker with no weight bearing on that leg for at least 6 weeks, then she'll have limited activity for another 6 weeks or so.
The good news is, as bad as her injury was, it could have been a TON worse. Since her growth plates weren't injured, she should have no long lasting effects…other than having the titanium rod in her leg for the rest of her life.
@Joy, OH MY GOSH I just about hyperventilated reading that!! I'm SOOO glad she didn't injure the growth plates but GOOD GRIEF, I can't imagine being a kid her age and being down for the count that long. Hugs to you all!!
@Amber @ Classic Housewife, Well, her favorite thing to do is sit on the couch with her computer and write, so being 'down' won't be too bad really. 🙂
Glad to see she's smiling through this ordeal. It must've been scary for all involved!
Praying for Jerah's recovery!
My children are currently blue belts in a different form of martial arts (tae kwon do). I often cringe as I watch their classes and tests. Sparring makes me nervous. They've experienced no injuries (other than bruises and sore muscles) to date. They're so much more active than I was as a child. Sometimes I wonder if I should restrict them from certain portions of the training.
I know you're busy caring for Jerah, and this is a private family matter as well, so I don't expect a response; but I'm curious if her injury will prompt you to restrict martial arts activities for your children.
@heather in michigan, Good question. 🙂
No, Jerah's injury doesn't prompt me to restrict them from participating in judo. I'm a naturally over-protective parent, but I also balance that with allowing God to have control (which he does already). I don't let them participate in sports that have a high risk for injury (like motorcross, football, etc. — they're not interested in them anyway), but martial arts, especially judo, aren't overly dangerous in my opinion. I'm comfortable with allowing them to participate, and if accidents happen, they happen. Restricting their participation doesn't necessarily make them safer and less likely to be injured. Accidents can happen in so many places.
Jerah's decided she doesn't want to do judo tournaments any more, and I don't blame her. However, she's still going to do judo, but she'll be focusing more on form and sparring with the players in our own dojo. My other two, however, still want to do tournaments and that's fine with me. It's in the Lord's hands.
@Joy, Joy, I appreciate your response! Still praying for Jerah's healing.
I'm sorry to hear about your daughter. I hope & pray her recovery is quick. I think another idea would be for all of you to sit & watch a funny movies together.