Everything here has been turned upside down. The boss came home early, limping badly and soaked to the skin. He sustained a knee injury during the rain-shortened Eagleson XXXII on August 27. Here’s his report to The League:
Injury Report (Wednesday, August 28, 2013): The League News Office received this report from Russell Hann: "Thank you to everyone who helped me up the hill to my car on August 27. I was particularly touched by Paul’s offer to carry me up the hill. Fortunately, despite considerable potential for high comedy, this was not necessary. I was able to make it up the hill mostly on my own. I visited our family practice unit this morning. Two staff physicians looked at my knee and said they were pretty sure it was a ruptured quadriceps tendon (where it is attached to the patella). I got a streamlined referral to the East General Fracture Clinic and was seen by Dr.William Kraemer, who made a similar diagnosis. He got an intern-student to come in to do a blind test. She’d never seen one before and took about 15 seconds to make the same diagnosis. The only solution is surgical reattachment. After surgery, it takes 8 weeks of joint immobility in a rigid splint to allow the reattached tendon and patella to become strong enough for exercise. After that there is about another four months or so of gradual exercise and physiotherapy. Dr. Kraemer turns out to be a faculty member and the Program Director of the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery at UofT. He said that he did not expect any difficulties from the fact that my left patella was orthopedically spliced back together in 1964. I asked the medical student, who took my history, about the general prospects for success with tendon reattachment and she said it was highly successful under much worse conditions than mine (catastrophic fractures). This was a relatively simple matter. It was also good that it was being treated so soon after the injury. The fracture clinic nurse said the same thing. He also said that in 180 days, I'd be back to where I was before Eagleson XXXII. I’m scheduled for day surgery tomorrow afternoon."
Some people have asked about the pain and discomfort. For a short period of time after the rupture on the field it was extremely painful. Someone asked me as I struggled to my feet if I heard a pop. I mumbled, “Yes.” I thought that there was an explosion and a flash of light. I also said that I thought I had been hit by a line drive. People told me that Paul’s line drive was a soft grounder that harmlessly bounced past me. The initial pain had subsided by the time I got off the field to the bench, where I rolled up my pant leg. Milinda looked at the knee and said that I should go to the hospital. By the time I made it up the hill to the car, the pain had become simple discomfort. I drove myself to our family practice unit the next day and walked in under my own steam.
Update (Friday. August 30, 2013): Surgery on Thursday was cancelled. The surgery was done on Friday. Dr. Kraemer told me shortly before surgery that the procedure has a 95% success rate.
Update (Tuesday, September 10, 2013): I hired one of my associates from last summer’s renovations, to do some rototilling work in our neighbour’s backyard. It all worked out extremely well. Trevor will help out with other jobs in the weeks ahead.
Update (Wednesday, September 11, 2013): The staples on the five-inch incision were removed. Dr. Kraemer said everything went well. I also learned that the rigid splint will be on my left leg until I start rehab. There are some YouTube videos that show an articulating splint being used at about 6 weeks. Dr. Kraemer said this was unnecessary. The rigid splint comes off on October 23rd. Fellow Leaguer Hugh reported that Dr. Kraemer had repaired a recent compound fracture for him: “I just want to tell you that when I broke my elbow it was Dr. Kraemer who did the operation. When in rehab the interns looking at the x-rays were in awe of what a great job he did. Today my elbow is as good as new.”
No comments:
Post a Comment