I'm sure that you have read on my blog that I have broken a total of 9 bones in my lifetime starting from age 12. Well 3 of those breaks were just in my femur. Yes I have broken my left femur on 3 completely different accounts. The first time I broke it I had a metal plate put in and was bed stricken for six months. I spent those months flat on my back in a Spica Cast. For those of you who do not know what a "Spica Cast" is, its pretty much a body cast. It went from just beneath my chest all the way down my left leg to my ankle, and down my right leg to my knee, and it had a big metal bar from each leg to connect the two and to prevent any movement. I couldnt sit up, not even to eat, and it made it very diffucult to breathe. Many months after the cast was taken off I spent time with my physical therapist trying to learn how to walk again with crutches.
The second time I broken my femur was actually caused by the stress that the metal plate had put on my femur, and it broke just below the plate. I went in again for surgery although this time they took the plate out. And yet again I was in another spica cast for the same amount of time. Although this time I wasn't at home, I stayed all alone at Shiners Hospital in Sacramento, an amazing hospital for children with rare diseases. and there I received all the medical treatment and help I needed. My parents did drive up to visit me on the weekends, until I couldn't handle being all alone anymore and my mom took a leave of absence from work to stay with me the last few months. Then of course after I healed, I went back to crutches and physical therapy, which took just about as long as it did for my bone to heal and was just as painful.
The third time I broke my femur I was sent to Standford Hospital where they drilled a long metal rod down the center of the marrow canal of my bone. (now as I have mentioned on my blog before, my marrow canal is smaller in diameter due to the dense and extra bone growth and lack of osteoclasts eating away the old bone) so it was much more difficult and they had to use a thinner rod than they wanted cause my marrow canal is so small. But because of this rod I did not need another terrible spica cast! They wanted to send me home for complete bed rest and no movement for the same amount of time as before, but this time around the pain was so much more severe that they kept me at the hospital longer for the proper attention and medication. And i think you can pretty much figure out the rest, I was sent home eventually to be completely bed stricken. and then months later I went back to physical therapy.
Now I guess you might be wondering why I am posting all of this today? I guess it was just on my heart...Sometimes my left leg gives me a lot of problems and hurts for no reason at all. And today is one of those days. Its pretty painful and its causing me to limp pretty bad cause of the pain. It helps to get it all out and be able to share it with someone, or no one, I don't know if anyone will read this, I don't even mind if no one really cares. I just wrote this to make me feel better, and to give hope to someone out there that might be like me who will read this, and they will know that there is someone out there that knows what they are going through. =)
This is just one of the many reasons that I must rely on God for my complete and total strength day by day. I truly believe that I wouldn't be as physically able to walk like I can If I didn't have God in my life. He is my strength, he is my total dependence. I know all of this doesn't just happen for no reason at all. There is a reason I have this disease, there is a reason that I go through all of the physical ailments and trials that I do. I may not know all of the reasons, it may be emotionally shattering and I may get discouraged at times, but I do know that it is so God can use to me to help others. So be encouraged if you are like me, whether you have Osteopetrosis or any other physical problems or disease. God is there for you, and He wants to use you. He knows everything about you, He made you. and He is allowing it for a reason. You may not know what the reason is. But give God the glory for everything that He does for you. You can be an encouragement to someone else who has what you have. Just know that there is a reason for everything, and that God is in control.
*The picture above is not a picture of my femur, but its basically the same thing that happened to me except my breaks were always a little higher*
thanks for sharing that. i'm praying for you. i can't even imagine going through all that, but you have found more strength than most people ever have to find. You are a real encouragement, and God is using you, not just for others with Osteopetrosis, or other physical ailments, but really for everyone who sees or hears about how you live, and how you get through it.
ReplyDeleteHi I just read your post and I am now crying a little, I have felt so alone for so long with this disease. My name is Michelle, and I live in Australia. I was diagnosed with osteopetrosis as well at age 3 and have fractured my femur 3 times as well. I am currently healing from the last which was a similar situation to yours. I had previous metal work in my leg that needed to be removed and a rod put down the center.
ReplyDeleteDuring surgery the doctors fractured my femur in 2 other places as well as dislocated my shoulder somehow. I awoke after 9 1/2 hrs of surgery to the most amount of pain I have ever felt in my life.
I am 22 and I thought this time I should have been stronger. I thought this time that it would be easier. I was mistaken, as they got me out of the hospital within 2 weeks and I was then at home and in physio.
it is now 8 mths after my surgery, and my leg is doing great. I am still on one crutch to get around and have been working my leg so hard at the gym it can't take anymore.
But yes there are days when it hurts and it all seems too much. You are right! God gives us these ailments to test us, to be inspiration for others and to show other people what it means to be strong. (Just sometimes it seems unfair and, why should we have to be the ones that have to be strong). I know God loves me and will protect me even though sometimes I have to go through these things. I hope that you are doing well these days and hope that I could be of some help with my story to you as you have done to me. Thanks.
- Michelle
hi michelle. touched by your story. i broke my femur 2 yrs ago after an active life of ballet and tai chi and even though i am 63 have been totally active. it has taken me all this time and meditation to get back to a relatively normal life and i have gotten used to living with daily pain because of the nail and 5 screws and rotation of the femur. somedays are worse than others but at least i can walk and be part of life again. wonder why these things happen but believe in a higher power and yes we do get stuff thrown at us to see how we cope. everything happens at exactly the right time - the good the bad and the ugly and i live in australia too cheers naomi
ReplyDeleteHi Naomi, wow Australia thats awesome :) do you have an email address or facebook to chat at all its ok if not, I just figure the more people I can talk to about this the easier it becomes for everyone :)
ReplyDeleteOh I forgot to put in my post above that this is Michelle again :)
ReplyDeleteI am currently sitting in a hospital emergency room waiting on news about my brother who has broken his left femur for the third time since last April. He also has osteopetrosis. When I read your story I couldn't believe how your situation is so similar to my brother's situation. He has prayed and prayed for healing. His mental state at this point is far worse than his physical pain. What I want to know is where could he go to get the best specialist for his condition? The doctors here are doing the best they can but I wish he could find a doctor who knows how to treat the broken bones related to this disease. I would appreciate any information that I could share with him.
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