Journal entry by Pam Lundgren —
Newest Update:
So today was Jacquelyn’s follow-up plastic surgeon appointment to re-evaluate her skin graft. It has been three very long weeks of very limited movement, leg elevated at all times and healing.
Jacquelyn can now begin putting full weight on her left foot. She tried her first steps today at the hospital. Unfortunately, due to the tightness of the skin graft, the pain of still deep healing, new usage and not truly walking “normal” on her foot since the accident, she was unable to complete the initial steps. She will need physical and occupational therapy to begin the process of reusing and learning to walk “normal” again. Our hope is that she will recover quickly with therapy. She is nervous about the relearning along with the pain that has always endured on that ankle area and continues in these new steps. And for the last 9 weeks she has either had no use, very limited use then back to no use. There is a lot of new aches and pain due to all the physical adjustments she has made to compensate for her physical limitations. And the right side of her body has been the bearer of her weight at most times due to the injuries which included the broken clavicle so she could never use her left arm for support ever. So now she will need to learn how to re-adjust everything back to what she was before the accident. Because her injuries were so deep they are still healing internally. So she feels burning sensations and still a lot of deep aches in those areas.
She saw her orthopedic doctor on the 17th. Her shoulder is healing although there is a “point” at the top of her skin where the displaced bone is sticking up. We are hoping over time (it takes a long time) it will smooth down as the bones mend together. There may always be a “bump” under the skin but we are hopeful there is no point. Surgery could potentially fix that but the last thing Jacquelyn needs is anymore surgery at this time. She still needs one more week before she can put complete pressure on that clavicle.
She will continue follow up appts with her plastic surgeon as needed. She has to wait a full year before she can have any scar revision surgeries.
She will continue to see a psychologist as needed to help with the lingering effects of the physical and mental trauma she has endured. It never really goes away, the physical scars are always there as a reminder.
She’s only 16, we will do what it takes to help her learn a new way to live her life without this mental and emotional anguish - she deserves that.
So today was Jacquelyn’s follow-up plastic surgeon appointment to re-evaluate her skin graft. It has been three very long weeks of very limited movement, leg elevated at all times and healing.
Jacquelyn can now begin putting full weight on her left foot. She tried her first steps today at the hospital. Unfortunately, due to the tightness of the skin graft, the pain of still deep healing, new usage and not truly walking “normal” on her foot since the accident, she was unable to complete the initial steps. She will need physical and occupational therapy to begin the process of reusing and learning to walk “normal” again. Our hope is that she will recover quickly with therapy. She is nervous about the relearning along with the pain that has always endured on that ankle area and continues in these new steps. And for the last 9 weeks she has either had no use, very limited use then back to no use. There is a lot of new aches and pain due to all the physical adjustments she has made to compensate for her physical limitations. And the right side of her body has been the bearer of her weight at most times due to the injuries which included the broken clavicle so she could never use her left arm for support ever. So now she will need to learn how to re-adjust everything back to what she was before the accident. Because her injuries were so deep they are still healing internally. So she feels burning sensations and still a lot of deep aches in those areas.
She saw her orthopedic doctor on the 17th. Her shoulder is healing although there is a “point” at the top of her skin where the displaced bone is sticking up. We are hoping over time (it takes a long time) it will smooth down as the bones mend together. There may always be a “bump” under the skin but we are hopeful there is no point. Surgery could potentially fix that but the last thing Jacquelyn needs is anymore surgery at this time. She still needs one more week before she can put complete pressure on that clavicle.
She will continue follow up appts with her plastic surgeon as needed. She has to wait a full year before she can have any scar revision surgeries.
She will continue to see a psychologist as needed to help with the lingering effects of the physical and mental trauma she has endured. It never really goes away, the physical scars are always there as a reminder.
She’s only 16, we will do what it takes to help her learn a new way to live her life without this mental and emotional anguish - she deserves that.
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