Six Months Later . . .

Thanks for sharing your story. It's all too easy to forget that where there's life, there's hope. Good luck!

hansong

from 1 brother to another//prayers sent..god heal that up...its all i can do..god speed

You're in my thoughts Brother, wishing the best for you and your family.

Praying for you Diesel.

Man, I have no idea how to even respond, other than to say that I hope things turn out as well as possible. You have an incredible attitude, that makes all the difference in the world!

Best,

Jeff

Sending you best wishes from Oz.

You sound like a strong soul with a positive attitude and a remarkable ability to accept change, love your work.

Damn, guts AND class. A tip o' the hat to you, sir.

Diesel, hope it turns out well for you, till recently haven't spent much time on face plant, that is until my gal got whacked by a failure to yield MFer. Your determination in the face of adversity is inspiring. Lets hope you get back on the road again in the not to distant future.

Your attitude rocks! Keep the positive thoughts rolling.

Saw two of my orthopedic surgeons yesterday and this afternoon. They each took x-rays and each--independently--came to the same conclusion . . . that my femur appears to be healed. After three debridement surgeries in August, and then eight weeks of IV antibiotics, and another thirty days of oral antibiotics, it appears that maybe, just maybe they have gotten the upper hand on the bone infection. If so, that makes me a happy guy. Here are two x-rays taken today--the first is from the front, and the second is from the medial view





So far, there have been no further drainages from the thigh and I've been off all antibiotics since last Friday. [fingers crossed] The surgeon has ordered me to begin walking in chest-deep water for physical therapy for several weeks and then to begin walking on land. That's going to be interesting, to say the least. If all goes well and the PT continues the healing and the thigh does spew any more fluids, then in the not-too-distant future, I'll be looking at surgery to begin the process of lengthening my leg.

Thanks to all for the encouragement along the way!

Great news!

Great news on the femur! I think about your recovery often Diesel. I come to this thread to keep myself on my toes, and not get distracted. You have an amazing constitution, and a heart of gold. Best holiday wishes, and keep going strong.

That's great news! Those X-rays of the healed leg really bring home just how badly hurt you were. Fingers crossed that you have the infections beaten and can really start to make progress on your rehab!

Congratz!

I know it can be 2 steps forward and 1 step back sometimes but it really seems like you are turning the corner on this.

Good luck with your therapy. I hope the worst is behind you.

That is great news.

Sent from my awful Android Phone using awful Tapatalk software.

Just bumped into your thread. As a survivor of an infectious disease adventure, I have a wee idea of your challenge. I have been to the edge, and looked over, but it was not my time. Having said that you have been through far more massive trauma. Unbelievable! Although you will fight this battle very much alone, take strength from the strength you give others by not submitting. Fate has given you a huge challenge and I bet your already seeing how many people you will touch. Maybe it's already happened but when the day comes that you start to feel excited again, it will become your new drug! Milk it! You path will never be the same, and that's OK. What a campfire story, for those who want to hear it. Isn't it amazing what you can live through? Hard to have patience and healing can be agonizingly slow, but time keeps ticking. Enjoy each small victory and celebrate it with family and friends. I tip my toque, my good man. Carry on.

Very stoked to hear it!

Wow... I've started this thread a few times but always got distracted in the non-essential replies and lost interest. Glad I focused on the OP's posts this time around. This has certainly been a long journey!

diesel1959 = Perseverance

I hope that infection is finally done! Keep healing, diesel!

really glad to hear that you've gone from preparing yourself to lose the leg, to getting ready to walk in water!