<p>Been there, done that. My S#1 suffered serious injuries in an automobile crash while he was home on break (he wasn’t driving) and had what was not (but it seemed like he was) in a full body cast. He was fairly immobile and needed a lot of assistance and also needed to get back to college (Univ. of Rochester). We faced some of the same issues, but it ended up by getting a full-time person for that period to help him get around, get to classes, and to help with everyday chores.</p>
<p>So I know what you are going through. Good luck with this.</p>
<p>digmedia-
I hope you don’t think this rude but I am really curious…Does insurance cover something like that ? I hope I never need to use that service but it would be good to know.</p>
<p>Sorry for your troubles jym… I know how much time you put into making this a wonderful trip for all. Hopefully your son can still get an idea about the schools he was considering and your other son heals quickly. No fun. Juts remember we are all sending positive vibes your way!</p>
<p>Dig-
I may pick your brain about an aide if we need it-- but he just called and they are d/cing him so we need to head back.
I’ll try to touch base later–</p>
<p>Best of luck to you and your son. He sounds very strong willed. Be sure he/you know just what he is allowed to do and not do. And be sure that his limitations are followed. I know he wants to get back to school as if this never happened, but he does not want to jeopardize his healing and the future health of that bone and related tissue and joints by trying to get back to normalacy too soon. He has sustained a serious injury. Generally, home health assisstance is very helpful, with home PT until ambulatory. I suppose that this could be done at school, depending upon his living arrangements there. Does the attending physician know he wants to leave from there and return straight back to school?</p>
<p>We are officially OUT of the hospital. The follow-up appt is set in Houston and yes, the local orthopedist knows he wants to get back to Houston. DS realizes he isnt going to be able to fit his injury around his life, but vice versa. I am just having to learn to quit being the bearer of the bad news because he keeps sorta shooting the messenger. By the time we got back to the house (this LA traffic stinks) it was a little too chilly to sit out by the pool. This house is incredible for the price! (Anyone interested in taking a peek, go to <a href=“http://www.vrbo.com%5B/url%5D”>www.vrbo.com</a> and put in listing # 85329). </p>
<p>The doc we got the follow-up appt with is the team doc for the college sports teams, so hopefully will know how to keep him in check, and not let him overdo it. </p>
<p>Thanks again for all the kind words of support.</p>
<p>Jym: So sorry to hear about your son’s injury. I hope you were able to see more of L.A. than the inside of the hospital. Did S2 get to visit a couple of the colleges on his list?</p>
<p>Went for sushi at a restaurant recommended by Bullwinkle (thanks, Bullwinkle!) but DS is exhausted. His leg is like dead weight and he gets extremely tired just trying to get in and out of the car. Tomorrow is our only full day left here. We will probably just take it easy, and let him try to rest and regain some strength.</p>
<p>Perhaps a case could be made for calling your son’s college and inquiring about what the consequences would be (both financially and academically) if he requested a leave of absence for the rest of this semester. I realize that most students hate the thought of having to take a leave for medical reasons, but sometimes it’s an option worth considering.</p>
<p>Recovery is slow, but it looks like your son is on the mend. Did his fever abate?</p>
<p>Around here, in winter, one sees a lot of students on crutches and in casts. Would he be able to handle housing if he goes back to college? My S’s freshman dorm room was on the 4th floor of a building without an elevator. I shudder to think what would have happened if he’d broken a leg. What about negotiating the campus?<br>
How about your other child’s campus visits? How are they going?</p>
<p>I can hardly believe we managed to fit in the tours of Pomona/CMC and USC into all this. We are staying near UCLA but DS #2 doesn’t want to go visit. He liked Pomona and CMC (Pomona campus is prettier, CMC students a little more laid back was his off the cuff opinion). He liked the fact that USC offers a lot of merit money, but liked the Claremont colleges better. He has been quite amused by the general California culture. The multiple solar-powered hot dog/snack trucks were particularly entertaining. He and DH are scheduled , after they fly back home tomorrow, to spend a day with the College of Charleston Honors program on Monday. What a week! My plans are still up in the air- I may go back to Houston with DS #1. He is trying to be independent and set up resources with friends, but we will see… If I push to go with him, he’ll push to go alone.</p>
<p>As for taking a leave of absence, that is the last thing he wants to do at this point. He realy wants to see what he can handle, and take it from there. He realizes he will probably have to take some incompletes or possibly drop something, but he wants to try to go back. We are just going to take this day by day. Stay tuned…</p>
<p>Today hasn’t been such a good day so far. He is in a lot of pain- really sore and stiff, and the bruising is all over his upper leg. He is beginning to face the uphill climb he has (no pun intended) and I will see if he wants me to go back to Houston with him. I have decided that if it is his choice, not me pushing myself on him, it may go smoother. Even if he tries to go back on his own, with the help fo the airlines and roommates, I can always fly back. We shall see…
As for classes, I think he said he can still drop- with a fee, which is the lst of my concerns right now.</p>
<p>jym, Me, either!!! I’m sorry to hear that your S is not feeling well today. His determination to do it all on his own may also predict a quicker and easier recovery down the road. I hope so! </p>
<p>I know it’s the last thing on your mind but one thought about those classes. Regardless of what your S ends up doing, if you talk to the administration sooner rather than later, they may be able to exempt him from paying fees on dropped classes, even if that ends up being after the deadline. </p>
<p>All the best. I hope he feels better very soon.</p>
<p>jym626,
Friend of the family had a similar leg issue a year ago at another university. Friends were amazingly helpful and the kid had to learn to rely on others to bring things, help him move places, etc. Sounds like your S has a good network in place, and it would be great if he would let you come along to start smoothing the way. Best wishes that this works out as well as possible!</p>
<p>We have compromised. Since all the things in Houston involve man-type stuff (lifting,toting,carrying,toileting, showering, sleeping in dorm room with suitemates), it made better sense for DH is accompanying DS back to school, while s#2 and I head home, and then on a long (6 hr?) car-ride Sunday to Charleston to spend a day with a friend of his, and the next day at College of Charleston. Given what he has put up with this week, I am not going to ask him to cancel out on visiting with his friend Sunday in Charleston. I may just plan not to head out quite as early as he’d planned - so we will be having a late lunch there. I hope to get a good rest on the flight back from LAX. Yes, we could cancel the last part of this trek, but if we can pull it off, we are going to do it. By the way, did anyone here remember that we just adopted a dog??? He will be staying with the former owners for the duration. I guess I can’t complain that life is dull, eh?</p>
<p>Your new revised plan makes perfect sense. So how long do you think your H will need to stay in Houston, or will he play it by ear? I’m glad to hear that one of you will be accompanying your S back to school. </p>
<p>And, of course I remembered about Cody/Colby. With everything going on I was afraid to ask! So the dog adoption is definitely going through? That’s very exciting, but you’re right - not <em>too</em> many dull moments in your immediate future!</p>
<p>The only way to negotiate a <em>slight</em> credit on our airline tickets was for DH to take a flight back midday Monday. Either of us can always fly back to Houston if need be. Get this-- we are meeting an old HS friend of S#1 for dinner (we gotta eat…) Anyway, her bf works for ticketmaster and offered us tickets to the Pack10 basketball playoff game tonight! What a bummer that we cant pull it off. DS can barely maneuver to the bathroom, never mind a huge stadium.</p>
<p>Oh man! I just found this thread - and I am SO sorry jym626. Ouch. I know that at my daughter’s college they keep one room on the ground floor vacant - then use it for students who have ankle/leg injuries. I don’t know if the other Rice colleges have them or not, but if so, maybe they could put your son on the ground floor to ease things a bit. Rice was very flexible with my DD last year when she had mono and had to take incompletes, and they should be with your son’s situation. Maybe they can link you with some home health care sources for help… Can he rent a wheel chair to get around? Or a motorized scooter? <em>sigh</em> At least Rice is flat as a pancake :eek: I wish there was something I could do to help!</p>