"We know more now, but we do not know everything"

That is a fitting quote from Cara yesterday.
We both went to Tulsa to talk to Dr. Stafford regarding the CT scan of my left hip. I think I mentioned before that there is still a non-union in the femur. Basically, the fracture between the ball of the hip and the femur never completely healed. The current suggestion involves a fairly significant surgery that must take place in Tulsa. He will visit with Dr. Norris this Monday to form an official plan but this is the idea: 1. remove the existing plate and all screws 2. bore into the core of the femur (saving the bone dust) 3. install a shaft into the femur and secure it to the ball of the hip 4. using the bone dust from the boring as a bone graft around the fracture to stimulate bone growth. Since the bone dust (like wet sand) has my scaffold, cells, and proteins it will pull new cells in naturally for the growth. Any scar tissue in the area of the surgery will be removed, but exploration and removal of other scar tissue will not be done. He did mention the possibility of loosening some tight tendons to help me flatten my left leg while laying on my back. Scheduling this surgery is the big mystery. How long will I be in the hospital? Walking on the fractured hip could increase the risk of breaking the screws, but he did not restrict my current load bearing. We have a lot of plans this summer that I do not want to interrupt, but the sooner I do this the sooner I can be closer to normal. No matter when I have the surgery, I will be starting over with the hip and will be non-weight bearing for (3) full months. I will certainly make a new post when we have more answers.
J

In Memory of Carver

It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to my friend, Carver 4/18/09. I will be in Republic, MO for the funeral Tuesday evening. I look forward to seeing friends and talking about the fun things we did together. The picture is from one of those fun times at the chili cook-off in 2002 (green shirt on the right). Carver, we will all miss you!!!

J

New pets can be very healing!

How can you be worried about anything else when a kitten and a puppy are sleeping by your side.

It has been less than 24 hours and they seem to get along perfectly. I am sure there will be scruffs later, but they sure are cute now.

Can't wait to get our new puppy tomorrow!!!

How can you resist that? We will try to post a picture of the new kitten, Tipsy, as well. Maybe the two of them together. Both are just as cute as they can be. Cara and I are just dying to go pick up our new puppy, Bella.

My medical reality check:

No more squats or kneeling - ever. Dr. Arnold will be satisfied with 100 degrees of flex in my left knee. My therapist is going to push for 105. I will be continuing to increase it on my own, but this is a fact - there is too much scar tissue to expect more flex.

Hip surgery is pending in the very near future. We will be going to Tulsa on April 28th to talk to Dr. Stafford about a possible bone graft. After my CT scan, they discovered that my hip fracture has never healed. A bone graft can possibly stimulate bone growth and healing. The other option is a complete hip replacement. There are a lot of unknowns at this time and hopefully they will be clarified on both April 23rd with Dr. Arnold and on April 28th with Dr. Stafford.

It appears that this is going to be a lifelong experience of learning my limitations.

J

New Family Additions

All,
Things are still going well in Fayetteville.
Allen has been given a clean bill of health and is back to off-season practice in football.
Sam and I had "our" day which went well - we got to Krispy Kreme in time to get a free hot donut (they are the best), picked out a couple more special ones and a dozen for the house. From there, we went to Toys R Us and home. After several failed calls to buddies to take to Locomotion, he decided to go to a movie instead. We saw Alien vs Monsters in 3D. Our day was over after the movie, so he went out and played while I mowed the grass.
Cara drained our little pond, then she went with Allen to the pond next to the hospital and released our (2) 3 year old goldfish. I still can't believe they were stilll alive!
Our fence is done and we are excited about picking up our new Golden Retriever puppy, Bella, this Friday.
Sunday after church, we stopped at Pet Smart and adopted a 6 month old kitten, Tipsy.
We have gone from pet-less after Bubba passed to a new kitten and a new puppy.
I hope they get along and play with each other. Bubba was never fond of Maggie, our Dalmatian but I think that was because he was king of the roost for a few years before we got the dog.

I had a CT scan done on my left hip last Monday and will see the doctor on the 23rd to review the results. My knee is doing well, but I am worried that I am way behind schedule on bending it. We maxed at 90 degrees (that was the most I could bend it since before the accident) twice last week in PT and I could tell last night that I am well short of 90 degrees on self bending...

Talk to you soon,
J

Happy Birthday Cara!!!

Yes, today is Cara's birthday!
I wish I had a picture from last Friday night to post. Katie arranged a mini party for her at Grubbs while our favorite local band, Molten Lava aka Boom Kinetic, performed after dinner. Stephen and Amber came down from Springfield and stayed with us. Steve and Julie came as well as, Angie, Lisa and John, Julie F and of course Katie. It was a nice group and the girls enjoyed dancing. I am afraid I cut the party a little short and forced us to come home too early. The band was supposed to give Cara a shout out, but they started late and we left during their second break.

I really could not be happier now and the boys are doing great.
Spring Break came and went without us even noticing.
The boys stayed home and Cara and I continued our routines.

We will be going to the lake this weekend so Cara can do some more yardwork before the season kicks off. I would normally be going to LRAFB and will look forward to phone calls and text messages from them as I watch Cara work at the cabin. The weather should be nice.

Speaking of weather, Allen drove me around with the top down enjoying his new kicked up sound system yesterday. We have really enjoyed the time spent together working on his car.

With all the time that I have been giving to Allen lately, I promised Sam that I would treat him to whatever he wants to do next weekend. It looks like donuts and go carts - I can't wait.

Family and friends mean the world to me and I am constantly overwhelmed recently with humility and gratitude for such a blessed life.
Like I said before, I am happier now than I have ever been.

I hope to share this happiness with anyone who reads the post.

J

Too Much to list in one heading!

All,

This could be the last picture of me in a military uniform. I intend to fight this as hard as I can, but last Friday I got the call and I have been placed on a "Level 4 Profile". This means no points and no participation in the squadron without medical clearance from Keesler AFB. My healing process is increasing exponentially recently, but there are things that I have not done that are probably required for me to be cleared for duty. Right now, I need to continue to heal, get doctor appointments and try to get the necessary paperwork required to allow me to continue my service. I am extremely worried that March 8, was the last time for me to be in uniform. I knew this was coming and was just hoping it would take a little longer to give me time to be stronger. I have to thank Michael Young for sharing this most recent photo. Michael himself will be leaving service in June.

PaPa:

My grandfather, Jerry Hartfield Sr., was found down and disoriented in his house in Gulfport, Mississippi last Wednesday. My parents rushed down to see him last weekend. The good news is that he is alert and it was not a stroke. He was dehydrated and they put him in a rehabilitation hospital. The bad news is that his days of independent living could be ending. Please be thinking of him as we all try to help find the best place for him. I think my parents are going to be looking at homes in Fort Smith. I think that would be wonderful in the fact that we would be able to visit more frequently. My trips to Fort Smith are already limited, but the trips to Gulfport are way less frequent.

Allen:

Enough about his leg. He is still wearing the Velcro ski boot as required, but that will come off for good soon his leg is healed. The big news is that he has been invited to go to Prom this year. Another sign of aging, am I old enough to take my son to be fitted for a tuxedo? Wow time flies right in front of us.

Cara:

Yes, I place her in a heading by herself. We both went to the lake cabin this weekend, but the trip really was all about her. We had a pallet and a half of landscaping blocks delivered on Friday. She single handedly dug and stacked and created a really cool planting bead all around the front and side of the cabin. We did not take pictures, and we do not have dirt or plants in it yet. However, I sat in a lawn chair in 40 degree temperatures with a light rain watching her work continuously. She still never ceases to amaze me with her will and strength.

The excitement of the coming summer and boating season is boiling up now. We heard several bass boats running around during their tournament while she stacked away. A brief visit to the marina just enhanced the excitement.

My Rehab:

I continue to go to physical therapy 2 days a week. My knee is healing quickly and my leg is getting stronger every day. I still continue to struggle with my left hip and have a ct scan scheduled soon to see what we will do. I do not even want to thhink about the suggested options until we get the pictures and the review.

J