Where I've Been and Where I'll be (2020 Early Edition)

[TGO David]

Some of you have noticed I haven't been online much in January or February.  It's been busy around the HQ, for sure.

First and foremost, on January 31st my wife and I welcomed this little nugget into our lives...

 

Our third child, and second daughter, arrived on the scene on the 31st at 8lbs 8oz and 20-inches long.  She and mom have been doing well but the year ahead of us will be challenging.  Three days after she was born we discovered that our daughter has a cleft soft pallet which was making it impossible for her to nurse easily either naturally or by bottle.

We've been connected with some excellent doctors at VUMC Children's Hospital and they put us onto the trail of some bottles specifically designed for kids with this condition and they've made a tremendous difference.  Unfortunately our daughter will need surgery to repair the cleft, but they want her to be at least 10-12 months old before they do it.  Our objective in the meantime is to keep her on-target from nutrition and growth perspectives.

But we really can't complain about any of this.  All it takes is a quick walk through the Children's Hospital lobby to understand how fortunate we are in so many other ways.  God's been good to us.

 

As if that weren't enough excitement, last Saturday (08-FEB-2020) I injured myself coming down the stairs in the middle of the night.  My eyes an brain got into a disagreement about which step I was on and I over-stepped the last one at the bottom and made contact with the floor about 10-inches later than I anticipated that I would.  This was made more troubling by the fact that I was carrying our 2-year old.

He's fine and was fine.  I took the fall to both knees and plopped him safely onto the hardwood in front of me before I collapsed on my side in agony.

I've essentially been living and sleeping in a recliner with my feet up since Saturday,  I am able to walk on it just fine and have no pain from supporting or lifting my weight with that leg, but bending it hurts a bit and there's been an occasional mechanical popping sensation in it.

Chances are it's a torn meniscus.  I'm meeting an orthopedic surgeon tomorrow for an evaluation and consult.  I am half expecting arthroscopic surgery to be necessary to trim or stitch the meniscus, but I am praying that it's not that and is just a strain/sprain that needs more time to heal up.

 

Again, though... I'm blessed.  My son wasn't hurt at all in that fall and it could have been a LOT worse for the both of us.  And seriously, walk though VUMC sometime.  It's a perspective changer.

 

Anyway, the next bit will be busy for me and my family.  If I am slow to respond to things here, give me a little extra time? 

 

[TripleGGG]

Congrats on the little one.  Will keep her in our prayers for the upcoming surgery. 

I feel your pain David on the fall.  Hopefully it is minor.

[btq96r]

Happy for you and the family with the new arrival, David.  Just remember, the warranty on your body is expired at this point, so be careful!

[FUJIMO]

Congrats on your new arrival. If it holds true in your family as it does in so many I'm guessing it will be yet another "daddy's girl"

I feel for you on the knee injury. Doesn't take long on TGO to find someone who's dealt with it and I don't think any of them will tell you to avoid dealing with it straight on. At least that would be my advice with all the modern medicine we have. The tough guy approach leads to worse long term damage...ask me how I know lol.

[Grand Torino]

Congratulations on the little one and I hope you get that knee fixed soon.

[RED333]

As above, Congrats on the new daughter, knee fixing has come a long way in the past few years, you will be fine.

[KahrMan]

Congrats and get well soon. 

[jpx2rk]

Best wishes for you and your family.

[TomInMN]

Congratulations to you and your family. I'm glad you're able to take your struggles in stride.

[jhc77]

Firsthand experience at VUMC and everyone was fantastic.  My daughter that went through a major surgery at 15 months and continued care for a few months afterwards, Your in good hands there for sure.

I had the same mishap with my son vs the last step. Ended up hitting the floor on my hip with him still raised in the air after I managed to slide over to my back after all things settled and him over my chest.

Use the valet parking. It's free!

[Chucktshoes]

It’s good to hear that the news is mostly positive. Congrats on the new addition and prayers of fast healing for your knee. 

[gregintenn]

Congratulations on the beautiful new addition to your family.

You are so right about the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital changing one's perspective. They care for children who are truly suffering.

All the things you've described are just life. You and the wife will be dead tired for the next several years, but all too soon, you'll be looking back on this time as the best time of your lives.

[Danger Rane]

Congratulations to you and your wife on the new baby! Our thoughts and prayers are with you all for your speedy recovery and for the surgery in the little one’s future.

[MP5_Rizzo]

Congratulations on your new addition.  I hope and pray for a speedy recovery for all.

[MacGyver]

3 hours ago, jhc77 said:

Use the valet parking. It's free!

I'd love to see a study that looks at provided valet parking at hospitals mapped against positive patient outcomes.

Dollar for dollar, I bet it's some of the best money they spend.  If you think about it, if you've been sick enough to have just spent time in the hospital - the last thing they need is you wandering around outside in the cold for 30 minutes with the added stress of not being able to find your car.

David, give me a shout if y'all need anything.

[DWARREN123]

Congrats on the new member to your family!

I will keep all of you in my thoughts and prayers, hoping for the best.

[TGO David]

Thanks, everyone!  My visit to the orthopedist today was encouraging, or at least as can be expected.  X-Rays looked good, physical exam didn't find anything that seemed particularly alarming to the doctor.  MRI is unfortunately not possible because of some metal bullet shrapnel I still have behind my right eye.  As much as I'd like to have it removed... that isn't the way I want it to happen. 

For now the doc thinks I've at the very least strained my MCL and possibly partially torn it.  I've also seriously bruised my patellar tendon but he doesn't think it's detached since I sill have the ability to bend my knee.

They gave me a nice big shot in the knee with some cortisone, hooked me up with a stabilizing knee brace, and told me to keep it elevated, compressed, and iced for another week and see how it goes.

[AuEagle]

Congrats on the new daughter!!  Prayers for you & yours.

[Links2k]

Congratulations on your bundle of joy, and heal up soon. 

[Swang]

Congratulations !

[jeremiah]

David, Congratulations on your growing Family !

Get well with your injury.

[Garufa]

Congrats on the new one.

[Erich]

Welcome to your new family member. Best wishes for her in the next year with a great outcome.

Throwing yourself down a set of stairs for attention (or being sleep deprived) is extreme, but extra style points for the awareness to preserve the little one on the way down. That is a slow motion moment that you can be proud to replay in your head. May your recovery be speedy.

 

[hipower]

Let me add my congratulation on the increasing family, David.

Also commiserating with you on the knee pains. I've had both knees replaced in the last 16 months. both surgeries went well. Until...the day I finished PT on the second one, the right knee.

I came home and somehow managed to fall off the single step on my porch, corkscrewing to my right and bouncing my butt off a huge commercial ceramic flower pot before hitting the ground. 

You should have seen the monster bruises I got from it!

During this I managed to twist my new knee under my butt and fall on it.

Nothing hurt until I tried to get up. Then it did. Terribly and violently.

Orthopedist said no physical/organic damage that he could see, but I'd strained all the tendons and ligaments he'd just worked so hard to get back into place.

Essentially, I'd taken myself back to day one and I've started over.

So it's better. lol I'm slow and limping, but getting better.

My prayers for you and your family, and of course your recovery.

Rest well knowing your other little child, TGO, is in our fine hands and we won't intentionally "fubar" it too much. Maybe.

Edited February 13, 2020 by hipower

[xtriggerman]

Big congrats on the new Daughter!!! Off course the fall couldn't happen at some latter date when things are settled out some. Now for some possibly good news for you and hipower.  About 6 years ago I damaged my left knee working some big ass logs for firewood, Didn't think much about it and thought I would wait it out. A month latter it was getting worse so I figured its time to see what I screwed up. nothing showed up in the xray. The Dr. I had was dr Frank Lombardo. A young ( latest & greatest) surgeon that specializes in hip & knee replacements. Clearly one of the very best surgeons in NY. He gave me a script that had to be mixed by a compounding Pharmacy that happen to be Willow Pharmacy in Madisonville, LA. They shipped me this cream for my knee and the stuff is like gold in its healing effect. At first it wasn't working for me until I put plastic wrap over the creamed up knee then 30 minutes with a heating pad over the plastic.  Before this I did everything as well as what they told you to do just without the cortisone shot. Do your self a favor and copy this stuff and see if your Doc will paper you for it.  Trust me this is great for non surgery damage to the knee parts.

C1 KETOPROFEN/BACLOFEN/CYCLOBENZAPRINE/GABAPENTIN/LIDOCAINE  20/2/2/6/2 % CREAM

FROM THE SUDDEN PAIN THAT WOULD OUT OF NO WARE STOP ME IN MY TRACKS with just walking or turning, I was self convinced I was going to need surgery of some sort.  Thank God for these new guys that are on top of the best meds. It took about 2 -3 weeks to be completely pain free. To this day, that knee has been normal.

 So, get well soon! you know you got to be ready to run after that new gal of yours soon..... so get the cream!!!