Perry Dyer Surgery update
- Subject: Perry Dyer Surgery update
- From: P*@aol.com
- Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 21:30:39 EST
From: Pooreplace@aol.com
Happy Monday!
Spoke with Perry Dyer this morning in hospital & tonight at home. He's in
great spirits but wired up like a hang glider (literally!)... The fall
happened Friday night as he was getting home late from work. We had this
heavy misty stuff coming down (almost rain) that turned into thick fog... In
an attempt to hurry inside he hit the only puddle on his driveway & down he
went on his back putting down his right wrist to catch himself & try to save
the head & neck. They did the surgery immediately that night which lasted an
hour & a half to 2 hours. Unfortunately the puddle was filled with mud, so
they are taking extreme added precautions to make sure that all the open
wounds and areas stay clean & don't get infected... Now if I had been Perry
with his awful luck the last year or two (& myself having had enough accidents
alone on previous Friday the 13th's) I believe I would never have crawled out
of the bed that day... But as they say Hindsight is always 20-20!
About his wiring contraptions... All the 6 long pins & rods & supports are
external! He will be hooked up in this gizmo for ten weeks... (til Jan
late-Feb early?) He said he has a sling & can go back to work whenever he
feels up to it, but plans to telecommute (like he did with his back surgery)
so he can mend & work from the house. The wrist bone by the juggler was
snapped off. Another bigger bone in his wrist (circumference the size of a
pea) was sticking out (compound fracture). That hole remains but the doctors
are hoping it will eventually heal on it's own.
They have taken his cigarettes away & slapped a patch on him... Said nicotine
will keep him from healing right &/or quickly. They have taken his meds down
from morphine to darvocets now to Loratabs every 4 hours & he is feeling no
pain. Hopefully this is thanks to the painkillers and not nerve damage, plus
he may still be a bit shocky, I would think. The surgeon did feel that at
least one tendon was damaged. Perry told the doctor he'd rather not give up
the piano after 35 years of playing but at least he doesn't have to make his
entire living that way! It may be some time before the extent of the loss of
use will be known...
He seems a little more concerned with the Church Christmas Contata at the
moment than much else. After his neck surgery, major house & garden move, &
kar krash---thankfully he'd already made decision to slow down & cut back a
bit. That may be the saving grace here... Daylily & Iris wise he's caught
up. Still had some gladiolas to dig up & move but Miss Kitty & a helper or
two should be able to handle that.
Tonight he had his arm propped up high on several pillows on top of the desk &
was keying away left handed working on his '99 Contemporary Gardens catalog.
With this down time, he's hoping to not only get his '98 Comtemporary Views
out but to finally get the '97 version done as well! Work on the convention
handbooks cannot get into full swing until he gets both '98 R&I's/Checklists
so hopefully he'll have all the metal apparatuses removed by then. To say
he's taking this setback in stride is putting it mildly. He may be suffering
worse in another week or two when the painkillers are finished and all reality
sets in... Several have predicted that tomorrow could be his most painful or
uncomfortable day. His entire right arm from the tips of his fingers all the
way up to his elbow is swolen badly.
I know he'll appreciate all your long distance prayers & support.
Kath in OKC...
=^..^=
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