Ingram Chronicle
Vol. 2 No. 10
Here we go again! The Chronicle of my afflictions shall continue. The arthroscopic surgery on the left knee went very well, so far. I have just had a bad accident on Monday 6 Dec. I was out doing my home teaching round, when, as I was proceeding to the home of the second sister, at about 6:30 PM, I went out Winsor Ave. to 32nd St. and ended up with the little Ford Ranger pickup being totaled in an encounter with a Dodge Ram pickup. All the things that went flying through the cab! It's a wonder that more things weren't damaged. One of the firefighters found my glasses on the ground outside the cab of the truck and gave them back to me. I had to reset one lens back into the frame, so that I could see. I was not seriously injured, although I do have many sore muscles and aching bones. "Dusty" Fields, whose grandfather had lived down the block from us, captained the YFD crew that responded to the scene. He had also been one of my Hazardous Materials students. The extrication from the truck was an interesting experience--with the restraint on the head and body to prevent further injury if anything was wrong with my neck. When they tried to slide the body board under my bottom, I tried to lift myself off of the seat of the truck, by pressing down with both arms. The right arm functioned very well, but the left let me know in no uncertain terms that I was not to exert any force with my left shoulder. It was as if someone had stabbed me under the clavicle! Wow! The pain clearly said, "No, you don't!" The firefighters carefully maneuvered me out from behind the steering wheel, rotated my body to the supine position on the body board and strapped me down. They cut through my garment top in order to obtain access to my bare chest for measuring my vital signs.
The Rural Metro Ambulance crew transported me to YRMC's ER, strapped to a body board. I was examined for all the vital signs and restrained from any cervical vertebral damage with a Cervical Collar.
At the ER, I was further examined, x-rayed for broken bones, and CAT-scanned for internal damage--nothing serious, just severe muscle strains and sprains. After about 12 hours at the ER I was released to go home--7: 30 PM to 7:30 AM!
I have difficulty using my left arm to exert any heavy strain--pushing up or off, but I am able to write and type with it now. It is some times difficult to find a comfortable arrangement of the body that doesn't produce a pain--sitting in the recliner in front of the television is about the most strenuous thing I do at the moment. I have been severely restricted in getting around--they've taken away my little skateboard! (The Ford Ranger!)--Your mother has had to ferry me from point to point along with her normal routine of attending to all her own doings with Betty Cornelius and Angela Snyder--she's still the "Good Samaritan" that she has always been.
I have yet to go see the orthopedic surgeon again--I will have to see that he sees the x-ray of my knee after the accident--my thigh was hit by the arm-rest on the door--and thrust against the upper calf of my right leg-left a large dark bruise! You find all sorts of places to ache and have pains! Rib cage, legs, all over, I have many hurts--but I will get better--the ER examinations found nothing seriously wrong with me--just got beat up in the altercation with the Dodge Ram!
I've seen both the knee-doctor and the lung-doctor for now. The knee is doing fine and should overcome the trauma from the collision with the door of the pick-up truck. I do have some kind of spot on the right lung--up high--and it will require me to have periodic check-ups over the next 2 years--cat scans--but the doctor doesn't think that it is likely to be cancerous--but we will keep looking to be sure and catch it if it starts to grow at all.
All our love to all, and may you have a very Merry Christmas! And a very Happy New Year!!
Dad, Granddad, Uncle Bob