I'm copying this from an email I sent out earlier.
Blake had a little accident on Tuesday night, injuring his hand. If that's enough information for you to pray for him this week, you can save yourself time and not read more.
For those of you who LOVE details, here I've compiled most of the story together from the emails I've sent out to different people different times this week as a bit of an update. (If you've already heard what happened on Wednesday, say, just scroll down to Thursday or Friday).
~Colleen
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TUESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2009
Blake is in Massillon Hospital at the moment. He was working on his friend Dwayne's truck transmission at Dwayne's house near Massillon when the transmission fell and landed on his right hand. He took one look at it and told the guys who were standing around that he was hurt. They ran to the house to get Lanette (Dwayne's mom) so she could ride along to show the way to the hospital. Steve M (who some of you know and some of you don't) happened to be there and he did the driving.
Paul had been moderating a church business meeting when Steve called him to come to the hospital right away. I don't know how he excused himself..... John G took Paul to the hospital.
They gave Blake some potent pain killers which Steve said he reacted badly to at first, but is fine now. They soaked his hand for hours as it was black with grease. Steve said the water had black grease floating in it!
After many hours, they took x-rays. One broken bone, two severed tendons. I believe it is his index finger that is out of commission. He can't move it.
Paul said he'll be needing surgery. Paul is spending the night up at the hospital. Logan put Steve down for the night at Paul's parent's house. (Steve is from Mt. Gilead and he was here to butcher chickens today---Tuesday. His trailer lights weren't working, so he decided to stick around for the night. He was spending time with Blake at John G's while Paul was at the church meeting.)
Paul just sent a text here at 1:30AM saying Blake got 12 stitches in his hand, but just until the surgery. Paul is saying surgery later this week.
They got home around 3AM.
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009
I'm so frustrated. The recording at the surgeon's office keeps telling me scheduling dept is busy and they'll call me back. I've even tried calling them back a few times with the same thing! I don't know a thing about picking hand surgeons!
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LATER WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2009
I feel like I've run through a million hoops, but I was able to jockey and trade a few times to get to 10:15 tomorrow morning. (Apparently the only hand surgeon in this part of OH is on vacation today......). The gal at the office assured me that, if warranted, the doctor will do surgery ASAP. (I hope she's right!!)
I had finally resorted to calling Massillon ER back and going through the original referral number and I by-passed all the regular waiting, I think.
I had finally resorted to calling Massillon ER back and going through the original referral number and I by-passed all the regular waiting, I think.
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009
They're waiting till next Wednesday, January 14th to do the surgery. We all think this seems like a long time to have waited. The hand specialist didn't seem to think it was a big deal at all and I'm hoping that he knows what he's talking about. Blake is really bummed by this news because he' s thinking by then he'll start healing and then they're gonna tear it all open again. He's anxious to be on the road to recovery, even knowing it's going to be a long road.
He's bandaged quite well. There is some nerve damage that probably will never be repaired, but the doctor says with therapy he should have fairly normal motion in a couple years!!
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 2009
A friend of ours is a physical therapist (thanks, Barb!) with connections to networks of specialists and such. She gave me some hand surgeons out of Cleveland to call. The first one on the list basically said what the internet research I did said: surgery of this nature this far after the accident isn't as alarming to the professional community as it is to me as a mother. It is within the scope of normal....which makes me think calling the other couple of numbers on the list aren't going to net me a surgery appointment much sooner than the one we already have.
Not to mention, you can't just call up a surgeon and say, "Hey, schedule me for surgery this afternoon. Which hospital should I meet you at?" They all have to do an evaluation first and they all have other patients who have already made appointments before me....
Blake is presently outside trying to work one handed (and I do hope keeping clean.....). He is NOT taking pain medication because he gets so incredibly emotional and irrational. (Really, when he gets that way it scares the younger children!!) He says, "All's the medicine does is mess with my mind. The pain at least reminds me of my limitations." Who can argue with that? He is taking an antibiotic, though.
~Colleen
~Colleen
