Hi everyone, Dineegla here. Just wanted to give you an update about what's been going on in our little family group here in the Chicagoland area.

As you may or may not know, I fell against the concrete patio Wednesday evening after choir. It was a pretty severe fall, bouncing into the garbage cans behind me and took over an hour for MW and the tenant upstairs to get me into the wheelchair.

When we got to the hospital the hospital staff chastised me for not coming in on an ambulance. Nice... Surprisingly, it took me very little time to sign in and for the hospital to get my room, # 804. When we got into the room and for the next day or two, I went through a series of tests, x-rays, consultations, and just all the general stuff I needed to do so the hospital and I were on the same page regarding my care.

The result was I fractured my hip in many places. What they did not know until the x-rays was that the pin that was holding my hip was not solid, for at least 9 YEARS since I had the first problem fixed! The pin was actually moving about, and it's not supposed to do that. They also found out that I had a major infection in my leg which is going to complicate in the outcome for improvement and care. The doctor said that the infection could've been recent or continuing since I have the first surgery, again: nine years.

So for right now, I am in the hospital until they decide what to do. My options: I have to take out all the old hardware and put an hip replacement full of antibiotics in order for the infection to go away. Then I will have to be in rehab for about a week until they can confirm that the infection is gone. After that they will restore new pieces of prosthetics into my leg, which will now have an 85% chance of me being able to walk on it: without using the wheelchair or walker or cane.

At this point, all I can do is wait and figure out what Blue Cross and Blue Shield will pay for and what course of action the orthopedic surgeon wants to take. I will keep all of you informed as we go. If this journal sounds very clinical, it's because they've got me doped up and oxycodone and the other pain killers until I can get some of the pain under control.

Dineegla