Good News from mom's 4-hour visit with Dr. Coufal! Her left femur will NOT require a bone graft, as the bone is healing well on its own. It's pretty amazing, really. Perhaps it's because mom loves spinach so much. Whatever it is, it is great that she won't have to have another surgery and that she'll be able to move forward on mobility and use of her legs simultaneously... no waiting for the left leg to heal from an additional surgery.
LEGS: Mom's casts were removed and she is now wearing walking casts ("moon boots" as she calls them), which keep her feet at a proper angle with her ankles. For the next two weeks, she will work on mobility in her feet and ankles, and, after that, she can begin to bear weight - just enough to "push off" and assist with transfers to/from the wheelchair, bed, etc.
LEFT ARM: Dr. Coufal confirmed that mom's left arm was fractured at the head of the humerus, which hadn't shown up in her original exams after the accident. This explains the pain she's been experiencing. Apparently, the arm is healing well on its own and will not require additional surgery.
RIGHT ARM: The fractured humerus has healed well and mom is able to bear weight with this arm. However, she does still need to do very thorough PT in order to correct the nerve damage she sustained (which has caused her wrist to "drop"). Coufal feels that she will have full use of her arm with plenty of PT to stretch the nerve out and get the hand working again.
Mom will go for a follow-up exam in one month. Dr. Coufal said, at that point, she should be able to travel in a wheelchair and regular car. This is good news on many fronts, since insurance isn't willing to cover mom's 3-hour round-trip ambulance ride to Brentwood today. Gotta love our healthcare system.
Mom is exhausted after such an eventful day. We're all happy that things continue to move forward in her recovery. No setbacks!
love,
jennifer
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Hi Ladies!
Not to be butting in BUT, I'm assuming that you have already secured an Attorney's services. If not, I'd recomend that you do so for issues like the insurance company (and many other "downstream") matters. Nothing like the threat of lawsuit to motivate insurance carriers! It is important that you recognize that insurance companies are not benefactors. Like casinos, they are in business to take your money and pay out as little as they can get away with!...Just a thought.
Glad things are beginning to look up!
Love,
Mississippi Joe
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