HER OWN THRED HERE...WELCOME! feralfae, aka iloilo buchanan

Jan 3, 2013 - 07:04am PT
Thank you everyone for the get well wishes and the great notes and cards! Neebee, I know you were the brains behind this, so special thanks to you for everything. Yes, it was emergency spine surgery of a highly amusing nature.
Since many of you asked, here's the short version of the story...

Careening along the frozen expanse of the Johansen Expressway in Fairbanks, returning to HQ from last-minute shopping prior to Christmas, the rental car I was driving was struck in the driver's door by a pickup. I was the driver on the inside of the collapsed metal. After the side airbag exploded and knocked me out, and I came to, I realized that I could not move anything except my head. December 2008.

Soon, lights and noise surrounded me, as paramedics and fire people figured out how to pry off the driver's door, slip a board under my body, and slowly inch my frame on to the board, while stabilizing my head. Of course it was -23F, so we did not need to worry about conserving the A/C in any of the vehicles. Our Godson Jason, up from Montana, was in the vehicle with me, but I heroically managed to absorb most of the shock of the impact, so he was unscathed in the collision. But terribly shaken, as he held on to me while I was out and after when I went into convulsions from the airbag blow.

Doug met us at Fairbanks Memorial, where x-rays revealed that I had not broken my neck, but that I had a bit of damage to the lower spine. I was instructed to have it checked out when I got back to Montana. The rental vehicle was entirely wrecked, and was given a decent retirement to the scrap yard. I was given a brace to reduce the pain in my cracked ribs. We scrambled into the trusty Jeep and headed home to HQ.

We had a grand and glorious big bottle party, followed by more glorious parties around the neighborhood. My rib wrap was working to hold things together. I showed the Ice Tower show for everyone.

Later in December, after a delicious dinner with our friends the Foots (Feets) Doug and I went home to HQ, climbed into our bed, and snuggled up for a nice rest. A few hours later, Doug woke up in severe pain, and a few hours after that, he was at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, where he had emergency surgery and the diagnosis of cancer.

I put Jason on a plane home a few days later, and settled in to care for Doug, completely setting aside the "go see your spine doc when you get home" message, because here we had lots worse and immediate stuff to consider.

Fast forward through three years of chemo, doctors, surgeries, special diets, more surgeries, more chemo, lots of hope and desperation there at the last, and Doug writing out detailed instructions, leaving lots of notes, and then managing to escape his body that was no longer functioning. I held him in my arms as he left.

By that time, I was wearing a back brace full time, taking lots of pain medications, and still able to carry on. I made it through the Fairbanks Celebration in May, and was able to hang on for a couple of significant meetings arranged earlier by Doug. I headed home to Montana, driving down the AlCan, where the flooding and washed out roads impeded progress.

In WhItehorse, by now barely able to walk from the pain, I was rescued by a sister climber, who got me back to Fairbanks and on to a flight for Montana.

Arriving home, I remarked to a friend that I could finally collapse and rest. I was eating pain pills with remarkable appetite. Two weeks later, after an emergency room diagnosis of coda equina, I am rushed to emergency spine surgery, from which I am recovering with remarkable success. I plan to be back in the mountains before too long. I had a super spine surgeon, who is a runner and sometimes climber, and the best physical therapy team in the business—all people who live here so they can play in the mountains.

That's it. That's it. The whole story. I'll be in Fairbanks in the spring or early summer, as soon as these PT guys release me to go play and carry stuff. I have a design for helium balloons for carrying my pack into Rainbow. So, I'll be sure to post here before I head up to Fairbanks. For those of you in Wyoming, I will be down in the Winds later as well, hanging on the North Fork with occasional trips in to Lander. If you are in the area, let me know. You can reach me at ilo(AT)iloilojones(dot)com, just put Wyoming or Winds in the subject line.

So, okay, that's the story and update. Other news and links are available through MeansOfInquiry(dot)org, where I will post occasionally, or on the related sites you can find through that one.

Thank you all very much for your kindness, concern, and great notes. I am still sorting stuff here, and have a lot of Doug's stories that he never got uploaded, which I hope to get entered into the sites in the next few years as things settle into a new path and a new life. Thank you all very much for your love, caring, and wonderful fellowship.
Carry on.
feralfae, aka iloilo

I will endeavor to carry the banner and to provide a small portion of the writing my most Worthy Husband and Partner could do.