Cody giving Bella some room
The news about Lucia’s condition is mostly good. She had more dental surgery yesterday to repair her displaced front teeth, and was encouraged by the removal of the metal bar from her mouth which makes her feel more “normal”. More time is required for her teeth to fuse to the bone again, but she is delighted that she did not have to resort to pain-relieving medication. She will be on a soft food diet for a while.
Her home physical therapy/conditioning regimen is both challenging and rewarding. She has increased her time on the elliptical trainer. The second opinion received last week regarding her knee injury was encouraging : The ACL appears to be fine, and the PCL may not require surgery. However, a severe bone contusion was discovered, probably from the initial impact of the accident. This requires avoidance of all but very moderate impact activities , giving the bone 6 months to heal. The orthopedic surgeon will take another look next month.
The effects of the concussion remain the most challenging and perhaps least remediable and predictable results of the accident. She remains highly disciplined in her approach to various therapeutic sessions. Progress is slow, but steady.
She has asked me to tell all of you—new friends and old—how much she appreciates your messages of support. Her biggest disappointment about her current condition is that she is unable to respond. As her father, I am left with the pleasant duty to tell all of you who read this that she appreciates your continued interest and support more than any words of mine can convey.
Those close to her continue to be optimistic and supportive. Not the least of these are the various critters in her life. The attached recent photo of Lucia’s canine companion Cody could be captioned :”Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!” Submitted 12/17/09 by Alan Wade, Officer Lucia’s father.
Update on Lucia’s Recovery Progress
As of today, it’s eight weeks since Lucia’s accident. An update is in order, even though noticeable changes take place very slowly and are often hard to identify. Yesterday, I attended the annual meeting of a local charity which Lucia had served for more than a year as its first website technician. I responded to dozens of inquiries regarding her well-being and progress. I will try to summarize my comments to Lucia’s old friends and acquaintances in this update. Further, I spent two enjoyable days with her last week so noticed a few things at first hand.
She remains primarily upbeat and optimistic, but does become frustrated when she tires easily and is unable to accomplish as many tasks as she did before the accident. We are working with her to limit her expectations of herself and allow more time (and energy) for healing. Her daily routines include regular visits to various therapists and doctors (she has to be driven to the appointments by a care-taker), short, slow walks with her dog Cody, who must be handled on the leash by someone else. Lucia walks ahead, supported by her two European style hiking sticks. She remains grateful that she is able to walk at all, even though she misses her good, long runs through her neighborhood and elsewhere.
Several issues remain, in addition to those currently being dealt with. One is her double vision. She is able to read, but must wear an eye patch. She reads and answers email to the extent of her ability, but is severely limited. The eye doctor told her last week that six more months to a year are needed to determine if the vision heals itself before considering surgery. Two sets of corrective lenses, one for distance and one for reading, are also a possibility. She is concerned also about her loss of a sense of smell.
The double knee injury (anterior and posterior cruciate ligament injuries on the same leg) will be evaluated this coming week by an orthopedist who we hope will clarify current ambiguities about desired treatment.
Lucia at last has a temporary caretaker whose presence has made it possible for partner Monica to return only on a part time basis to her own demanding job in San Francisco. Lucia is extremely happy with her new caretaker’s temperament and professionalism.
Time, patience, and measured intervention seem to be the keys to recovery. Meanwhile, keep up the prayers and supportive energy. There is no doubt that they have helped Lucia along the path to full recovery.