Surgery Ahead--Tuesday Feb. 28, March 16
Jason had a good night's rest for his first night in Mologne as an outpatient. He didn't wake me and I didn't wake him. Jason will be getting up at 7 AM to be ready for PT in the hospital 3rd floor at 8:30. He talked to MedHold (Jason is now attached to MedHold) and his accountability sergeant. Jason will need only to report for mandatory each Friday to the "Old Red Cross Bldg." I believe at 7:30 AM.
Jason started his day at 8 AM with a visit to the Orthopedics Dept to review the proposed surgery to remove the heterotopic ossification(sp?) found in his right hip muscles and adjoining area. The MD's said there is no clear understanding of why the bone forms in this way. The research data, and it is very sketchy at this time, concludes that in some way it is connected to brain injuries even in patients such as Jason who show no sign of such injuries. We know he took a traumatic blow to the head which fractured the right side of his face and injured his eye.
The MD's and Jason think that this bone growth is interfering with his ability to flex his right leg. They measured the flexing at about 30 degrees. The MD's had a resin (?) model of the extra bone created from the cscan taken a few weeks back. Jason's Uncle Bob Lincoln MD said this was the largest such ossification he and his fellows in CA had seen. The WR MD's said "Docs in private practice just do not see such as these caused by war trauma." The Iraqi war is writing a new chapter in lasting trauma in the bodies of our wounded soldiers. The MD's said they had done 14 surgeries for ossification from amputee sites. They said they had previously done 2 with such bone growth as Jason's.
The surgery to remove the largest of the free forming bone is now scheduled for Tuesday February 28. The docs estimate the surgery will take about 4 hours. It has serious risks in that this boning likes to wrap itself around nerves, in Jason case the sciatica. The MD's said the area also contains large blood vessels and as the forming bone "literally moves nerves and blood vessels" the surgery is very delicate to"find and not to do damage to nerves or blood vessels." If the MDs cut a blood vessel, Jason could "bleed out." The MD's said they start below the ossification and "follow the nerve or blood vessel back through the ossification" clearing away bone as they go. Jason is projected to stay in the hospital for about a week after the surgery. The wound will be a crescent moon shape starting from low on the hip and curving into the spinal area. This will be a new scar as they cannot use the previous scar because of the location of the bone mass. Jason said that for the other two patients who have gone extensive bone removal, one was walking the next day, one was walking with 3/4 days.
Both had increased flexibility in the affected areas.
The surgeons will coordinate Jason's eye surgery around the hip surgery. Jason's ortho MD's can only operate together on the given date, the eye surgery also an elective surgery is more movable. The eye docs called late today and said the date for Jason's eye surgery is scheduled for March 16. It will be done as outpatient, that is no plan for Jason to be admitted to hospital for this surgery.
Jason checked into OT to find that his prosthetic does not fit because his residual arm is continuing to shrink. So...he had to turn in the prosthetic arm again, to be down-sized. He also surfed the net looking for a back pack large enough to hold his prosthetic as the ones he has now are too small and cannot close.
Martha arrived a little after 4 PM and we chatted with Jason about the surgery to come. We left Jason saying he would check out the cafe located on the first floor of Mologne for food later on and headed for Quixote Center for liturgy and dinner. After liturgy, we had our wonderful pot luck especially good today because, I believe, one of Martha's relatives likes to hunt and had given her some venison. She made venison stew,"I cooked it all day" and it was great tasting. Martha had asked Jason if he would like to try some and he said "Sure" So Martha gave him a good size serving for dinner on Thursday.
I came back to find Jason stretched out on the bed and talking to Jodi with his phone head set on. I put away the groceries and it was lights out at 10:30.
Please keep Jason's coming surgeries in your prayers and good thoughts. Ask that this bone stop forming in his hip and arm.
Jason started his day at 8 AM with a visit to the Orthopedics Dept to review the proposed surgery to remove the heterotopic ossification(sp?) found in his right hip muscles and adjoining area. The MD's said there is no clear understanding of why the bone forms in this way. The research data, and it is very sketchy at this time, concludes that in some way it is connected to brain injuries even in patients such as Jason who show no sign of such injuries. We know he took a traumatic blow to the head which fractured the right side of his face and injured his eye.
The MD's and Jason think that this bone growth is interfering with his ability to flex his right leg. They measured the flexing at about 30 degrees. The MD's had a resin (?) model of the extra bone created from the cscan taken a few weeks back. Jason's Uncle Bob Lincoln MD said this was the largest such ossification he and his fellows in CA had seen. The WR MD's said "Docs in private practice just do not see such as these caused by war trauma." The Iraqi war is writing a new chapter in lasting trauma in the bodies of our wounded soldiers. The MD's said they had done 14 surgeries for ossification from amputee sites. They said they had previously done 2 with such bone growth as Jason's.
The surgery to remove the largest of the free forming bone is now scheduled for Tuesday February 28. The docs estimate the surgery will take about 4 hours. It has serious risks in that this boning likes to wrap itself around nerves, in Jason case the sciatica. The MD's said the area also contains large blood vessels and as the forming bone "literally moves nerves and blood vessels" the surgery is very delicate to"find and not to do damage to nerves or blood vessels." If the MDs cut a blood vessel, Jason could "bleed out." The MD's said they start below the ossification and "follow the nerve or blood vessel back through the ossification" clearing away bone as they go. Jason is projected to stay in the hospital for about a week after the surgery. The wound will be a crescent moon shape starting from low on the hip and curving into the spinal area. This will be a new scar as they cannot use the previous scar because of the location of the bone mass. Jason said that for the other two patients who have gone extensive bone removal, one was walking the next day, one was walking with 3/4 days.
Both had increased flexibility in the affected areas.
The surgeons will coordinate Jason's eye surgery around the hip surgery. Jason's ortho MD's can only operate together on the given date, the eye surgery also an elective surgery is more movable. The eye docs called late today and said the date for Jason's eye surgery is scheduled for March 16. It will be done as outpatient, that is no plan for Jason to be admitted to hospital for this surgery.
Jason checked into OT to find that his prosthetic does not fit because his residual arm is continuing to shrink. So...he had to turn in the prosthetic arm again, to be down-sized. He also surfed the net looking for a back pack large enough to hold his prosthetic as the ones he has now are too small and cannot close.
Martha arrived a little after 4 PM and we chatted with Jason about the surgery to come. We left Jason saying he would check out the cafe located on the first floor of Mologne for food later on and headed for Quixote Center for liturgy and dinner. After liturgy, we had our wonderful pot luck especially good today because, I believe, one of Martha's relatives likes to hunt and had given her some venison. She made venison stew,"I cooked it all day" and it was great tasting. Martha had asked Jason if he would like to try some and he said "Sure" So Martha gave him a good size serving for dinner on Thursday.
I came back to find Jason stretched out on the bed and talking to Jodi with his phone head set on. I put away the groceries and it was lights out at 10:30.
Please keep Jason's coming surgeries in your prayers and good thoughts. Ask that this bone stop forming in his hip and arm.
posted by Katy (Scott) Zatsick | 2/08/2006 01:59:00 PM
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