slightly more coherent update

[topaz]

So, on Thursday evening at around 6:30, Ellen lost control of her van and hit a tree at about 45mph. She broke a clavicle and fractured her ankle badly enough to require reconstructive surgery. The surgery took place early this morning and went well, but there is a possibility of long-term bone damage and nerve damage.

At this hour she is recovering in Mass General Hospital in Boston. She will be there for at least the next 3-4 days and, while she's still in a great deal of pain, she would welcome visitors. She's in Ellison 612A -- she has her cell phone with her, and I will find out the phone number for the room as soon as I can.

The long-term recovery prospects will be challenging, to say the least. The surgeon told me this morning that at the very very best she can expect three months in a cast with no weight on her right leg whatsoever, and  docorion  confirmed my guess that the realistic outlook is more like six months. In the meantime, with a broken collarbone, it doesn't seem as though she's going to be able to use crutches either. I'm sure the medical staff will help us figure out a solution, but we're kind of bewildered at the moment.

More as it happens. Ellen does not have Internet access in MGH, so if you have trouble reaching her on her cell please feel free to contact Tim.

Comments

[psongster.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the update. I've been thinking of you folks a lot today. My feelings are an odd blend of relief that things aren't worse than they are and horror/sadness that they are as bad as they are. I suspect you are feeling a similar blend.

Good luck to all of you in dealing with this...

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

As always, you have an uncanny ability to find exactly the right words even -- especially -- in a hopelessly complex situation. Yes, I am grateful that things aren't worse and at the same time completely awestruck and bewildered about how we're going to cope. It's a very weird place to be.

Thanks so much for your words. I appreciate them a great, great deal.

[bridgetminerva.livejournal.com]

I am free Monday. I'd love to come visit with Aileen if she would like or without. Whichever E prefers

[laura47.livejournal.com]

*damn*

Like I said before, please tell me if I can help out with the kids in anyway. (I haven't seen them in months anyway, and they grow so fast!) All I am doing these days is moving.

[crouchback.livejournal.com]

If you call Mass Gen's main switchboard (number is on their web page), and say you want to be connected to her (give her name-they will not connect you by room number), they can put you through to the room.

I woke Ellen up. :( I let her go back to sleep, and I'll try calling later.

[sonata960.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's awful. Please give her our best hugs and good wishes for a as-speedy-as-possible recovery. Based on the really scary picture you posted, I'm so glad that it's not worse.

[mrf-arch.livejournal.com]

Get-well-soon wishes!

[agaran.livejournal.com]

What psongster said. :( Hugs all around.

[lady-mishegas.livejournal.com]

Oh no!!! Poor Ellen! I am thinking good thoughts for you and your family... get well soon, Ellen!

[fj.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a wheelchair.

Send her my love.

[chorus.livejournal.com]

Gragh. Bad combo of injuries. (Well, I'm not sure any combination of injuries is good, but that one's definitely gonna take some working around). On the plus side, I know from working at Highwire that bone and joint surgery has gone through some major steps forward in the last few years, so I will hold out for optimism on a reasonable recovery without significant loss of mobility. Ankles are tricksy, but they're getting a lot better at tricksy these days.

The pain and the loss of mobility for a while will be a bitch, but I highly recommend that now is a good time for Ellen to catch up on any reading or other projects she can do sitting. Keeping busy really helps distract from long-term pain, I've found. Puzzles, reading, computer games, crafts that can be done sitting, catching up on DVDs... whatever will keep her interested.

And, as someone else said, wheelchair's probably gonna be the solution, at least until the collarbone's healed. Might be worthwhile to see if the hospital's social work folks have any help on home setup to accomodate it, if so.

I'll think good thoughts for an easy recovery. Can't visit, obviously, but you could pass on my well wishes.

How are the kids handling it?

I know I'm a couple of hours off

[sulis-vt.livejournal.com]

But let me know if I can do anything - to include mixes of music, sending books on tape, etc...

I'm glad to know that she's actually around, given the pix and things that could have gone wrong.

My prayers are with you all...

[alanj]

Yi. Good luck on her recovery, and I'm glad she's not, like, dead. Hugs would be painful so I'll offer a virtual squeeze of the hand, or some such.

[spunkywulf.livejournal.com]

Honey I'm so sorry :( I sincerely hope that she recovers well and fairly quickly. I don't know much what to say, but if you need someone to talk to, you know how to find me. I will send prayers and good thoughts out to you and yours.