The Accident Story - Part Three: “Claustrophobia In A Cast”

Day 140

After spending 3 ½ weeks in a hospital bed, confined in traction, I was more than a little anxious to be released…not just from the traction but from the whole hospital atmosphere. I was homesick; I missed my family, my house, my room, my familiar surroundings.

Here I am, being wheeled off to surgery!

And then I had one more surgery, one final surgery that would free me from the pins, the weights, the ropes, and all things that held me down. And the result of the surgery…a body cast. So much for being free from being immobilized! But at least I was able to come home!

After the surgery!

I remember that my family had made a “welcome home” sign for me and gave me a warm reception. It was so good to be home, to see them all again, to return to normal (although I was in a cast from my mid-waist to my ankles, but why carp?) But things weren’t entirely normal. For one thing, my bed was set up in the living room, which would become my living quarters for the next two months. My dad had built a special attachment to the bed: a wooden post with a swing that I could use to lift myself up (so my bed sheets could be changed, bed pan placed/removed, etc.) I loved being able to lift myself up because it was a close as I would get to feeling like I was standing. On one of the sides of post I started to mark down the number of days I was in my cast…like a prisoner in their cell. Not to sound overly dramatic, but I often felt like a prisoner and the body cast was my cell.

Anyway, while it was so good to be home again, I still had to deal with the fact that I was on public display, so the privacy issue was still an issue; but at least I was at home, surrounded by loved ones versus strangers. Again, I had to quickly adjust to this and to give up my inhibitions about having sponge baths, using a urinal/bed pan out in the living room. It was much easier to adapt in the warm, protective surroundings of home.

One thing that I remember about the body cast was how I would sometimes feel claustrophobic. I’ve never really had an issue with this feeling before, unlike many people I know, but I actually experienced the feeling while in my body cast. I guess it was because the cast went up to the middle of my waist, so I could feel the pressure on my chest. It didn’t constrict me or prevent me from breathing, but every now and then I would convince myself that I couldn’t breathe. But there were some was to remedy this feeling: my dad would often pick me up and take me to another room in the house, and just having a change of scenery made me feel better. At night he would put me on my stomach, which funnily enough helped because I used to sleep on my stomach, so this felt normal, familiar.

One time I was feeling a little depressed, suffering “cabin fever”, and Dad carried me down to my room, so I could see it again. On the way down the stairs he slipped and almost dropped me, but he kept his grip on me and I was fine. Unfortunately, I think Dad ended up with a twisted ankle (so sorry Dad!) Dad wasn’t the only one who carried me around, because Mom would have to carry me out to our car whenever I had a doctor’s appointment. And I know it must have been difficult for her because she had to carry me in an awkward way. When I’d go to my appointments it would be to have x-rays taken of my legs, to see the healing progress of my femurs. I loved being able to ride in the back of the car, with blankets and pillows around me to keep me safe. Being able to leave the house, to be outside for even a few moments, helped cure my claustrophobia. In addition to the doctor visits, my family took me out to Rexburg to visit my dad's brother and his family. That was a fun experience!

Best foot forward?

Then there was the issue that anyone who has had a cast can attest to: itching! I would itch all over inside my cast and sometimes it would seem unbearable. Then my family got the idea to use the wire end of a flyswatter to slide up inside my body cast at the ankle end. I remember Jaimee did this one time and it helped relieve the itching. Just having something brush over my legs appeased the irritation! Speaking of Jaimee, I remember that she and my mom would put lotion on my feet, because I had a particularly bad bed sore on the heel of my right foot. The lotion helped, but the sore had been so bad that to this day I have a permanent scar.

The living room literally became my bedroom, as I was able to have my toys, books, papers (for my artwork) and other items all around my bed, within reach. So much better than the hospital room. And I finally had a great view outside, so I didn’t feel so confined. The two months in the body cast were more than bearable, and looking back on it I can say that I enjoyed myself…thanks to the love and support of the entire family!