dlq04

Keep up the good work John

valentine

SS, I am thrilled for you! This is really good news!

silvershadow

An update:

physically, I continue to improve. I work with a personal traner twice a week. My stamina has improved as well as my strength. The totally unexpected result of my incident is that I am deep in the throes of post traumatic stress disorder. I am taking a months medical leave from work to try and sort through all this. I am seeing a therapist to help me cope with the PTSD. I have been told to expect this and that it will last until a year or two after the surgery. I figure sometime around the end of the year, I'll be somewhat normal again.

One other thing - I had to sell the S. I can get in it, but can't get out. The car has sat since last September and I don't know how much longer it will be before I can drive it. I just couldn't see letting the car sit for a year or more.

Kyras

John, that sucks about the PTSD. If you don't mind, I'd like to hear more about it.

Too bad you felt you had to sell the S2000. That in itself would bum me out. Is it gone? Why couldn't you get out of it? Are you not strong enough, yet?

S1997

John, i can sympathize with you about getting in and up out of the S cockpit. I do it with a great deal of pain, but I haven't been able to contemplate getting rid of the car. I enjoy it too much to part with it. I have to use my arms to lift my weight up and out; it's a slow go.

And about the post traumatic stress syndrome; it is real and it is devastating. But it will pass. Mine lasted over two years after a near fatal incident. At first I just cried, and shook , and cowered; and couldn't stand to be alone. I had months and months of PT, but physically I never recovered from the damage any more after about a year. But mentally -- we humans are ultimately flexible and can repair fully with time.

I'm sorry for your suffering, and I wish you the best during the extended time of recovery and rehabilitation. It is good that you are working regularly with a personal trainer. That will help you measure your progress and will be a positive support for you.

Please keep us informed about how you are doing.
All the best!

valentine

I'm so sorry, John. I still have anxiety and fears after my back ordeal and am afraid at times of becoming helpless. I went through night terrors and flashbacks after my car accident in Nov, 2011 and re-live that accident every time I drive by the intersection where it occurred. I did see a counselor for months and no longer have the crippling anxiety I experienced for a while. We are resilient and can overcome things given time. My heart aches for you and I hope you completely recover. My S is gone too but my friends here are still with me! The group here has been supportive and of great comfort to me. Please keep us updated.

boltonblue

Hang in there John.
I've been wrestling with diverticulitis for the last 6 weeks.
So I've gotten only the briefest glimmer of what you've been dealing with and I didn't like it at all.
it's afforded me a much higher respect for what you've gone through.
Stick with the counseling. We'll ALL get through this together. Everyone is here to support you if you need a friend.

MsPerky

It's tough, I know. Maybe with the support of your friends here who can relate, time will help. It must be difficult to accept that you can no longer do certain things, but try to focus on what you *can* do. I wish you the best and keep us posted.

Lainey

John,so sorry your recovery has taken so long and been delayed a bit by the PTSD. I'm glad to hear you have a trainer and a therapist to help you through this.

We are all pulling for you.

Sorry to hear you sold the S. Maybe there will be another one in your future.

silvershadow

I lost 70 pounds in 6 weeks when I was in ICU - a lot of that was muscle. My legs are just not strong enough to get out of a car that low yet. I'm working on it but it will probably be at least 6 more months before I can. The car has not moved since August of last year, and it would be another 6 months before I can drive it. I just couldn't see letting the car sit for that long.

Thanks for all the good words from everbody. Dealing with the PTSD is very difficult for me. I get really depressed, have flashbacks, feel like I am on the verge of tears most of the time. I feel profoundly sad most of the time. Sometimes, I have to grit my teeth to make it through the day, and when I go home, I go to bed, pull the sheet up over my head and cry for several hours. Sometimes I can talk about what happened to me and I'm OK with talking about it. Sometimes, all it takes is someone asking me how I am doing and I fall apart.

In addition, I was on some pretty heavy drugs - induced coma, Had two surgeries with general anasthetics. I've been told it takes a year or more for those drugs to work their way out of my body.

Needless to say, I have a lot of sympathy and empathy for soldiers coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan with PTSD.