# Not for the weak at heart.



## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Seems like a never ending saga with me, doesn't it? 

On the 13th I had my ankle repaired. It was the repair I have been needing but possibly not really fully understood the down side of. I came home on the evening of the 13th and immediately started having problems. I began coughing up large blood clots and bright red colored mucus. I called the ER and was told that this was probably from the inhalation tube and if it didn't go away in 12 hours to call back. It went away but not for 24-36 hours. I went to the race on Saturday, had a friend drive me and sat through most of the competetion. Sunday I watched the 500 but about 5PM started feeing very jittery, then the lights went out. Early Monday morning I work up in a different hospitals ER, tubes and IV's running out of me, and everyone asking me if I could hear them. I could but my responses were not what they wanted to hear. I was later told that what I thought were intelligent responses were just jibberish and that I'd had a TIA, or a small stroke. I lost some of my cognative skills and strength on the right side of my body.

Monday they began clot blocker therapy, did a CT, MRI and a floroscopic contrast of my head and chest. The clot was a small embolism that came out of my foot and lodged temporarily in the forward left side of my head. Tuesday I felt better, and Wednesday morning they ran the same set of tests they ran on Monday. Bloodflow had been restored and the effects were beginning to pass. 

Wednesday they sent me home with a home nurse, I was feeling better but still pretty weak. Some of the things I say and write don't make a lot of sense but I go back and correct when I can. Otherwise I'm getting better. 

Here's a few links to pics of my ankle, there's 30-something staples in it. The others are some of the half a dozen large bruises I have from various IV's for tests. Only look at the pictures after reading the warning: This is an ugly surgery that went very badly. I have a lot of recovery left to go.

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z262/FresnoPete/MVC-822S.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z262/FresnoPete/MVC-826S.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z262/FresnoPete/MVC-828S.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z262/FresnoPete/MVC-829S.jpg

In a week the staples are supposed to come out, parts of it are still open right now. The operation itself wasn't what the doctor had described and after my check up today I was told it was more involved than he had expected it to be. I should be walking in another 2-3 weeks if nothing else happens.


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## win43 (Aug 28, 2006)

Pete,
I feel your pain.  I hope you recover quickly. Glad to hear you are home and recovering. Gotta watch out for those blood clots. I had one after my first surgery, but lucky for me it was in my leg, and after months of Koumadin( not sure of spelling) treatment it dissolved. My thoughts are with you and I am hoping for a speedy recovery for you. 
Jerry

GET WELL SOON!!!!!!


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## CJ53 (Oct 30, 2007)

Pete!
Take it easy ,, take your time,, and get well!


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## sethndaddy (Dec 4, 2004)

Daayyuummm............take it easy walking, or wobling. that looks like it hurts horribly


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## JordanZ870 (Nov 25, 2004)

Bless you real good, Pete! 
We hope your recovery is swift!


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## gear buster (Dec 1, 2005)

Pete,

Take 2 tjets and call me in the morning..JK
Get well there Pete. Our prayer are with ya.:thumbsup:


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## RacerDave (Mar 28, 2006)

Thoughts and prayers are with you Pete. Get well soon. Dave.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

It's tough because the repair hurts so much worse than the initial injury did. When I hurt it in the accident it took about 4-5 weeks to heal but I was walking on it as soon as 3 weeks later. They have me taking 2 vicoden every 2 hours just for management now, before it was 1 every 4 hours. So far it's tolerable now. I had thought there were a lot more staples but the medico counted only 37. The bad thing about pain meds is that it's tough to get off them, you get used to taking something for even a slight twitch.


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## 1976Cordoba (Sep 20, 2000)

OUCH -- Hurts to just look at it. 

Follow doctor's orders and take it easy -- recovery might take a while but it is best to not try and rush it and possibly complicate things further.

Good Luck.


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## christos_s (Jan 16, 2008)

My best wishes for a speedy and full recovery Pete.

The "things you write" coherent as always, so dont let that worry you.

Hey, remember those guys at races that raced the next one after an accident with broken ribs, burns etc -Nicki Lauda in F1 was the first that comes to mind - Fun is around the corner, hang in strong

Greetings from Greece, Christos


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Hells bells Pete!

We are all fluent in gibberish...dont give it a second thought!
Easy does it my friend, my fingers are crossed.


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## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

Pete McKay said:


> The bad thing about pain meds is that it's tough to get off them, you get used to taking something for even a slight twitch.


 
Be careful on those meds. My nephew became addicted to them after surgery a few years ago and we had some real issues in cleaning up the mess he got into after he supposedly was healed from the operation. Seems that the Dr was only concerned about his work and didn't really think that he had a problem with prescription durgs and didn't establish a detox regmen to get him weened. :freak: rr


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

RR, that is a concern to be sure. My discharge meds were Talwin and Oxicodine, neither of which I took more than a few of. The VA docs are pretty much the same way but I have very limited civilian health care insurance with a high deductible. I feel better today, can't wait to be cleared to drive again though. I need to go grocery shopping and have to wait for others to tote me around.


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## valongi (Dec 23, 2007)

Pete, get well and be safe.


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## aelancaster (Apr 8, 2006)

Pete, hope your recovery goes well, Just remember to take it easy. If I lived close enough I would drive you around or help you help you with errands. I will be sure to say a prayer for you in church tommorow and add you to my prayer list as well.
Andy


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## videojimmy (Jan 12, 2006)

Ouch Pete... I hope you feel better soon!


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## WesJY (Mar 4, 2004)

DAMN!!! get well soon PETE!!!! 

Wes


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## micyou03 (Apr 8, 2003)

Get well fast Pete. My prayers are with you.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

I got all my homework due turned in via e-mail before midnight Friday, the instructor at UoP wrote me this morning saying she would have given me a few more days considering the circumstances. Other than a few mis-applied terms I got everything right for a 90% score. I always get tripped up with the permissive "may" and the admimistrative "shall" when it comes to employment law. How it applies to certain obligations an employer has for a workmans comp injury is where I needed clarification. 
Things are somewhat better today, took a couple of steps, slept well. May even work on some cars today.


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## fastlap (Nov 11, 2007)

Get well soon! 

Went through something similar in '03. A knee-to-knee impact while playing hockey. Never knew what hit me. I had complete quad rupture,, and had to be sewn, drilled and screwed together. Had about 40 staples in a 8" scar. The meds weren't bad with me, as after two or three days, I started to feel much more clastrophobic than normal. So I stopped taking the Hydro-Codine cold turkey. Talk about pain for the next week, but it was better than my mind going wacky. 

I funny thing out of it. When I was talking to the Doc before surgury, I asked if he thought I could get up on skates in about a year. He said, at your age (48 at the time) I would just like to see you walking correctly and to be able to point your feet in the same direction by the end of the year. Being the cement-head I am, I went into therapy with a vengence. I was back on skates in 5 months. Today, that joint is the strongest, least painful joint in my decrepit body. And, back to playing hockey 2 times a week. 

So, hang in there my "slot car buddy". all will be well in time.


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Great story Gar!


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## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

Get better Pete, 

Glad to here you are thinking of working on slot cars again now.

Saying prayers for your recovery and pain...pain sucks!

Bob...zilla


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## bumpercar88 (Feb 6, 2005)

Pete,
That looks and sounds painful, wishes for a speedy recovery! Sounds like things were close to going really bad. Hopefully working on the slot cars will be a nice distraction. 

Jerry


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