73 days backwards ..warning gross pix of wound included

ok so the last post was ages and ages ago and if there's anyone left out there still reading this...you clearly have faith and perseverance!

Work
So where are we...well the project that I was doing is over.  A mix of great fun and teeth grinding awfulness - I seemed to have to deal with more irritating people than I really wanted to. Stirring the pot more than somewhat was a 2 week period of dramas at home that caused me to fumble and almost drop the ball somewhat.  So when I was not working retirement sucked, and when i was working...yes you guessed it...work sucked.

Family dramas
1.Ben's' fractured scapula prior to Xmas started the chain reaction.  I swear I've now had ENOUGH of injured family members.
2. Phil's fractured hip from August last year ended up with non-union and so he had to go back and have it re fixed with added bone grafting during early March.  The acute hospital was  difficult to get to and had appalling parking and so I was grateful when he moved to the rehab hospital which was much closer to home.  He'd only just settled in there when I got a phone call from someone telling me Alex had had an accident and needed to go to hospital.

Now let me think..when has that happened before!!!

3. So not to be left behind in the bragging stakes  it was Alex's turn .Alex had had a slow speed off from his MTB and managed to fall onto a long spike of wood which went into his knee.  He pulled it out with some difficulty and managed to find someone at a picnic ground who called the ambos. They did their bit and told him to take himself to hospital(!).

Long story but we got him to a private hospital since it was the March labour day  public holiday and I knew all the public ED's would be bursting at the seams.  A quick wash out,tetanus shot, standard grade ABS and 4-5 stitches later and we were on our way.

End of story???

NO..just the beginning!  5 days later it was clear there was something very wrong so back we went only to discover there was still a big bit of wood in his knee and he had a very bad infection.  One op later and instead of a 2 cm long wound it was right across the whole width of his knee and he was on IV nuclear strength ABS's.

He came home with an open (but natch well covered) wound which was stitched up about a week later and 31 days after his fall he was finally allowed to bend his knee.  Earlier today,  4 days later, he got on the bike for the first time...full range of motion albeit rather "rusty"  but lacking in strength and endurance.   His knee now looks much better...well it'd need to (!) and when it swells as it does when he does some exercises, the scar looks exactly like an old person with no teeth in...must try for a pix..its a classic.

Alex doesn't have private health insurance so what was initially going to be a quick trip to the private hospital for the wash out etc for $250 ended up costing us $7400.  He's going to do some paving at no cost for us by way of paying us back and also as a "work hardening" exercise.

So that's Alex and in fact me really since I've been nurse, mother, taxi driver, Physio, social secretary and cheer squad.  Not much fun with 2 people in different hospitals when your work is at a really critical phase, but I survived.