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I made it to Florida for the Feb 12 sailing of the Odyssey, but she sailed without me

emeraldcity
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emeraldcity

emeraldcity

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Three hours after checking into my pre-cruise hotel 2 days prior to the cruise, I was returning to the hotel after lunch. There was no crosswalk in view in either direction, so I crossed the highway and started to cross the dividing medium strip. What appeared to be a concrete sluiceway in the medium strip to handle excessive rain runoff ended in what looked like a scattering of leaves. It was actually a hole filled with leaves. (My cruise friend checked it out later and told me it was 7 inches deep,) I went down hard and broke both ankles.

 

It was to have been a girls cruise ... the three of us hadn't seen each other since a cruise group get-together in New York City two and a half years earlier. Once I got confirmation that the ankles were broken, I had to cancel my reservation. I'm still awaiting the FCC. I urged my friends to go on the cruise and have a wonderful time and send me lots of pictures.

 

I spent two days in a hospital in Florida before flying home after a great deal of work on the part of friends and family to get me back to Cleveland. As the plane took off from FLL, I kept saying to myself "Don't look. Don't look. Don't look." But of course, I looked. And there was the Odyssey with the unmistakable Northstar stretched across the top ... and I buried my face in my hands and sobbed for quite some time.

 

I finally got home yesterday to a house that has seen considerable modification by my mobilized family to accommodate a mom in a wheelchair.

 

I have subsequently cancelled my March cruise and am holding out hope I can go on the one in May.

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emeraldcity

emeraldcity

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Being non-weight-bearing on both legs is particularly challenging, but I've become pretty proficient with the use of the transfer board to move between the chair and the bed or the commode. But transfer to a car is weeks away. If I have a doctor appointment that becomes necessary before I can handle that, I have arrange another very expensive ride in a vehicle that can take a wheelchair bound passenger.

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emeraldcity

emeraldcity

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I did not have a very good experience with the Florida hospital, but my care here in Cleveland has been top notch. The plane was met by an ambulance waiting for me on the tarmac and I was taken directly to the Fairview satellite of the Cleveland Clinic. After several days in the hospital here, I went to a 5-star skilled nursing facility where my daughter-in-law works. It was a little taste to what life might be like down the road if I ever need long term care. They were very warm and welcoming, and I valued the caring staff and the stories they shared of their lives. My PT and OT sessions went well. I have transitioned to the Cleveland Clinic Home Health Care group and I anticipate they will be very effective. I am highly motivated to get my life back and intend to do everything they tell me to do.

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BND

BND

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I dislocated my kneecap and dislocated my ankle and fractured my fibula in Aug 2019.  I had surgery and a plate put on my ankle 10 days later.  My OS said, nope to our Nov 2019 HOTS b2b and WDW trip and he was right.  Ankle/fibula healed fast and really well but knee is still an issue although it is much better than it was.  It was two years after my accident before I could cruise.  Covid made it easier to deal with.  You really learn to appreciate so much when you can't do a lot.  There are things I will never do again because of my knee.   Did you have surgery?    Whether you did or not, you will more than likely get back to doing everything you want to. 

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barbeyg

barbeyg

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How awful that must have been, and how difficult it must be for you as you recover. I hope you heal quickly, with no serious long-term effects, and you are cruising again before you know it.

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brillohead "Live from...." Rare

brillohead

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Oh, I'm so very sorry you've had to go through this!  

If I'm not mistaken, public transit (bus) vehicles are all wheelchair accessible in the Cleveland area, so if that's an option where you're located, that would be cheaper than paying for an accessible taxi. 

 

Most areas, even smaller towns and rural areas, also have tax-subsidized accessible transit options for people who aren't on a bus route. I have worked with a lot of wheelchair-bound patients, and many of them without their own accessible vehicle utilize these paratransit services for medical and dental appointments. Your doctor's office should be able to refer you to a program in your area.  

Sending you healing thoughts!

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emeraldcity

emeraldcity

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1 hour ago, BND said:

I dislocated my kneecap and dislocated my ankle and fractured my fibula in Aug 2019.  I had surgery and a plate put on my ankle 10 days later.  My OS said, nope to our Nov 2019 HOTS b2b and WDW trip and he was right.  Ankle/fibula healed fast and really well but knee is still an issue although it is much better than it was.  It was two years after my accident before I could cruise.  Covid made it easier to deal with.  You really learn to appreciate so much when you can't do a lot.  There are things I will never do again because of my knee.   Did you have surgery?    Whether you did or not, you will more than likely get back to doing everything you want to. 

No. I didn't have surgery. The Florida hospital pressured me heavily to agree to surgery, but it pays to get a second opinion. Here in Cleveland they indicated that surgery was not immediately indicated and they would re-evaluate three weeks later. That eval took place two days ago and after more imaging, they delivered the welcome news that the area of concern was doing well and no surgical intervention was necessary. The key factor was whether or not the bones were out of alignment and apparently they are not. So I don't have to also recover from surgery, I just have to recover from the initial injury.

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smplybcause

smplybcause

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Yikes! I hope your recovery goes smoothly. If you're looking for a silver lining, in the process of me recovering from a badly sprained ankle twice I heard that while the recovery is longer (and rougher with the long no weight bearing part) that if it's just broken bones it heals much better than a sprain. So I'm hoping that for you, because I still curse my badly sprained twice ankle.

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Bailey & Sophie

Bailey & Sophie

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So sorry to hear about this.

As I have personally had a similar break, I know how you feel.

I had a shattered left ankle and left broken shoulder. After re-had I came home to a bed and bath on 2nd floor that I could not negotiate.

Borrowed a wheelchair and commode from friends. Slept on sofa for 6 weeks. I don't have complete range of motion but close. 

Keep up with therapy. I still do my exercises and it's been a few years.

Your ship is waiting!

 

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