Okay, I’m gonna chime in here…I’m going to try to make a long convoluted story shortish…
In the Fall of 2009, I slipped and fell in my kitchen. I landed on my right hip, hit my forehead on the wall, and my right palm. The bruise on my hip was the size of a soup plate, but I really had no pain. Soon after, I noticed that my legs were numb down the insides, but I could function quite well in general and everyone said, oh you must have injured a nerve. I had no health insurance and did not see a doctor. I began to notice over some weeks that I was becoming weaker and weaker in my legs…if I squatted, I had no strength to get up. A couple of weeks later, I was walking through my bedroom and stepped over my sleeping dog, who stood up suddenly…I could not control myself due to the numbness, and fell straight down with my toes facing backwards, and my butt on my heels. I broke one toe and severely jammed and sprained all of the other toes and the balls of my feet. At that point, I could not walk other than hobbling on my heels. I was bedridden, and my husband had to deal with all the barn chores. One night, I hobbled to the bathroom, caught my left foot on a towel on the floor, and lost my balance. I fell over backward and landed on my lower back in the worst fall of my life…I knew I did something really bad when I landed, because I felt my inner organs go up and crash down. My husband picked me up and I was completely unable to move. I refused to go the ER.
Fast forward one week later…my eyes turned yellow and I was taken by ambulance to the ER…my liver failed, my kidneys failed…I had to go on dialysis…
I was in the hospital for 3 months. I could not walk…After 6 weeks, I could sit in a wheelchair for 15 minutes at a time. ALL my muscles atrophied. I was told I was going to die and to go home and call hospice.
After 2 months…my kidneys kicked back on miraculously. The jaundice and inflammation went away. I began to believe I would live…but I couldn’t walk at all. Slowly, I was able to get up out of the wheelchair and gradually onto a walker. (I was wheelchair bound 6 months and 2 months on the walker)…I literally forgot how to walk, how to get up out of a chair, etc. I had to relearn all of it.
Fast forward. I am back riding dressage, I have a couple of new horses…
I had a LOT of pain as you describe while recovering. I took no medications after I left the hospital, because I don’t like to take pills (although they really helped with the back pain); however, I found that my body healed better without the medication…anyway…
There is hope, it does hurt like a %&&&%…the pain I had was excruciating at times…terrible burning, numbness, prickly, aching neuropathy…in my legs and feet…for months, and months. I built myself back up with yoga, squats, leg lunges, rubber stretchy things attached to my bed posts, and on and on. A lot of intention meditation, positive thinking…faith. I also discovered the miracle spice turmeric and its analgesic/anti-inflammatory properties…google it. I still wake up with achy joints…oh well…it goes away as the day goes on.
Anyway, I frequently run into people who say, “I thought you were dead”…LOL
NOT
I really hope everything works out. Just know that your horse will be there when you’re healthy, try to stay in high spirits and look at the goal - when you’ll be better. There’s a lot to be thankful even when things seem bleak. Perhaps talk with close friends and family with how you feel and possibly your doctor.