Oh my gosh!!! I am so, so very sorry. It sounds like you have great medical folks looking out for you. I asked as I was reading an article about Kim Prince and her fall. They way her daughter described the fall (the horse) and injury made me think of you.
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I had very close to the same pelvic fracture- displaced and self-reduced overnight thus no surgery 25 years ago. In my case I insisted on going back to riding as soon as I could maneuver myself to a mounting block. That was a mistake as the bones did not have enough time to fuse and I have a fibrous union. That weight bearing movement has caused stabbing pain for the past quarter-century, but I’m coping, still riding, and have avoided taking opiods. So my advice is to do what I did not and take things very slowly and cautiously to allow adequate osseous healing time.
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Lucky you!
My 17 year old mare ( whom I raised) took one look at me on crutches and got the heck out of there and I never could get near her when I had them!
I second the raised toilet seat with handles. If I didn’t have one I would never have gotten off it with my ankle…
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Yes, the occupational therapist did a great job getting me set up in the house (6" raised seat + handles), but still need something in the barn if I am going to spend time out there. That worry is on hold though as I am pretty sure I have Covid. Super sore throat, headache, sniffles…trying very hard not to cough.
Possible the crutches and/or walker will be more scary as I will become a lurchy monster…but my horses are all spoiled, food motivated pets who occasionally work for a living…really hoping winter holds off until I can walk!
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Yay for OT! I’m very glad you had access to this service. I wish it were more widely available, as it can make such a difference for people’s recovery.
Boo for being sick, that doesn’t help anything.
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It was nuts - as soon as it was determined I might not need surgery, I was set upon by physio therapy and occupational therapy who worked with me in between further x-rays. It was overwhelming after 4 days of just waiting in bed for surgery doing pretty much nothing, so I was glad the OT gave me clear information on what I needed, and who to call! (she faxed my equipment list to Red Cross, but I needed to arrange pick up, and to get items they didn’t have, which was just the grabber and wheelchair).
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That’s fantastic! Where are you (like area of the world… )
I’m an OT and I work at a University in Canada. We are working hard to try to get people set up with Rehab in the ER even, and especially so if you have any inpatient stay.
I’m always excited to hear of people that have things set up well.
When I broke my ankle and had major surgery, the hospital I was in was less than stellar in the discharge planning. I was let loose in a cast and a hospital gown, it was -40c outside, and there were no wheelchairs to be found on the floor. My husband and I were just looking at each other like… how do we even leave??? As an OT, I then started directing my husband around and getting myself organized, but it really brought to light how lost people could be.
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I was at the University of Alberta hospital. My discharge felt super rushed…but I honestly think my Surgeon purposely messed up my discharge to buy me some time as I told him I felt rushed…going from thinking I was getting surgery to going home in a very quick time.
On another note - I now have a blood clot in my leg. Spent much of yesterday and today in the hospital getting it assessed. 3-6 MONTHS recovery?!? It is apparently quite large, but my lungs are clear. Still somewhat terrifying. On blood thinners now. DH and I are tired.
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Oh nice, Alberta and UofA have good rehab integration. I remember compiling some stats for a faculty member years ago. I’m at McGill and work part time at the P&OT school. Right now two of our faculty are piloting a program to have PT in every ER to help triage and discharge.
Your surgeon was nice giving you time. Your injury is no joke and there would be no point sending you home unprepared only to hurt yourself.
As for the blood clot, that’s a s’!!& deal. I’m really sorry to hear that. Do they just wait for the thinners to break it up and hope you don’t get a smaller one somewhere bad? Do they break it up with something? It doesn’t sound fun regardless. I’m glad you have someone with you, even if it’s a situation nobody is happy about. It will be a story to look back on many years from now.
Good luck, and keep us posted on recovery.
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If you are near a university, you may be able to find capable/experienced extra hands in off-to-school former barn rats who would trade chores for saddle time/lessons.
Re: blood clots, if no one has recommended compression socks or sleeves yet, i am doing so.
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Oh crap, not the best news, hope it all resolves quickly.
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There is no way I could put a compression sock on this leg. It is extremely painful! The rest should be ok as I can use them/move.
My area is really strange riding wise. I have had a few decent horses for lease (not fancy, but safe/fun) that would have been snatched up even a year ago, but now…just a lot of tire kickers/no shows. people seem to have oodles of time/money for their kids, but not for themselves? I don’t think I could handle dealing with meet and greats right now, but maybe if I post to facebook a friend can recommend someone.
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This is just a minor point in all that you’re going through, but I have a tub seat that has legs both inside and outside the tub so that it “straddles” the tub wall. You just sit on it outside the tub and then swivel your legs into the tub. (It was for my late father and has sat unused for the last 10 years.)
I am located north of Toronto, Ontario but if you know of anyone taking a road trip from near hear to near you in Alberta, you’re welcome to have the seat!
ETA: Re the blood clot - I would say that you’re definitely looking at 6 months anticoagulant therapy if it is a large one. That’s the period I was on Warfarin for my original clot back in 1981. It runs from my groin to mid-calf in the main femoral vein. I had a second, very small and minor re-occurrence in 1999 and it was the same length of treatment. Third time in 2000, I was not so lucky as one of the chemotherapy drugs I was on for breast cancer is also “extremely irritating” to the walls of blood vessels. Large clot in femoral vein again and I’m permanently anti-coagulated. (And I’m also Factor V Leyden positive, so there’s that too!) So consider yourself lucky if you’re only on anti-coagulants for six months! And yes, I did ride for around 14 years while on Warfarin (3 minor falls) but only on the flat - no jumping.
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Hi, sorry for the brevity of my message! And very sorry for what you are going through. Compression can surely wait until it is not painful. Maybe your PT can make recommendations on how to elevate the leg safely to help with circulation. I wrapped my leg in a nold non-stretchy polo for a while until i figured out what to order.
Absolutely leverage your network to find reliable extra hands through word of mouth. Emphasis on reliable and experienced. You have enough to worry about with healing. Delegate finding extra hands to the network of professionals you trust. Still on phone, so apologies again if that reads as too terse and cold!
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How about 4H Clubs for help? I’m sorry all this is happening to you.
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Just a minor vent: had a client leave detailed instructions on blankets for her two outside boarded horses for while she is away for two weeks. I went out to explain to her that DH will blanket horses if urgent, but that clients need to look after their own horses blankets as much as possible and that we all need to simplify. I explained that my own horses will just be naked (keep in mind it is very warm here for Oct 1, but horses are getting hairy) and that her fat horses would also be fine without blankets, particularly the one that isn’t going to be ridden all winter. She almost cried. She couldn’t handle the idea of her horse being out in +15C weather without a blanket. THEY HAVE SHELTER. She tried to tell me her other horse has to have a blanket because he colicked once… (minor - I don’t see the correlation). She is our only client that is this blanket persnickety, and it is my fault for humouring her for this long I guess. She feels not blanketing is cruel (so basically she thinks I am cruel to my horses I said I won’t be blanketing…), but won’t buy blankets suited to a wide temperature range…I told her she may need to look at a barn that will offer the level of service she requires.
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Ugh I’m sorry that you’re going through all this. That boarder needs a serious reality check.
I too got a blood clot in my leg (tibial vein IIRC) after a horse tripped and fell on me last year, pinning my lower leg and breaking my ankle. It was incredibly painful when it first formed a week after the initial injury but within a few days of being on blood thinners (Eliquis) it felt normal and the pain never returned. I was transitioned to baby aspirin after 7 months even though the clot wasn’t completely gone and may never be.
Other than bruising easily my only real side effect was getting suuuuper body sore after workouts. At first I thought I was still just out of shape after being laid up for a couple months but when I switched to aspirin it immediately went away.
I did event on the blood thinners because I had missed the entire previous show season due to a freak horse injury. Not entirely rational and made my doctor unhappy, but I got away with it unscathed. I only rode my own horse, who is super reliable and surefooted. I would not have felt comfortable riding any babies or problem horses.
I hope your recovery from the clot is as smooth as mine!
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Thank you for the hope that the pain won’t be so bad soon!
I may have over did it today: DH has been very good about encouraging me to go outside today, but going outside means stairs, and I still struggle with stairs.
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What a crazy demand. Are they shaved right down to the skin? I think that’s close to 60f? Not really that cold for an animal to be out in.
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Oh wow, sorry you have to deal with that from your boarder on top of your health issues.
Just concentrate on feeling better. She can grow a pair and realize that hers are fine naked or find another barn.
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