By Herman Sillas
Hi, folks. I’m back. The last time I wrote you about my adventures was eight months ago. As I recall, I was feeling pretty bad. I had taken a couple of pills and passed out. Cora, my wife, called an ambulance, and I was taken to the hospital. I remained there for two unconscious weeks, unaware as to what had occurred to me. I remained in the hospital for another two weeks, but never discovered what happened except to learn I had been unconscious.
I remained another two weeks in the hospital before I was transferred to a recovery facility for another three weeks. While there, I met people and nurses who worked with me to learn how to walk again. I was served three meals a day in the dining room and met other patients who had similar problems. I exercised daily and followed the instructors’ instructions to the best of my ability. I wanted to get home as quickly as possible.
Cora and our kids visited me whenever they could. I tried as hard as I could to follow the instructions on the various equipment that was given to me by my instructors. I was learning how to walk again and had difficulty reaching my goal.
Eventually, I was sent home in a wheelchair. Then came a walking stick. I became stronger and used walking sticks to accompany me. Finally, my instructor gave me my last instruction and stated, “Congratulations. You passed.” I was so happy. It was like it was the middle of December 1986.
The following day, I proudly rose early in the morning and told Cora I was going to cook us breakfast. I was up in the kitchen without shoes and was slicing a banana on the counter. A small piece of the banana fell to the ground. Without thinking, I bent down to pick up the little piece. My right leg crumbled beneath me and I crashed to the floor. I knew my leg couldn’t do what I asked it to. I was on the floor in pain. Cora came rushing in and called the ambulance. I knew I was in deep trouble with a shattered hip and was driven to the hospital in the ambulance.
After some study by the doctors, they concluded it would be best for the hip to stay where it was to attempt to grow it back together and let my small bones slide back. After several days at the hospital, I was released to go home and confined to a bed day and night except for the time I was liberated to limited exercise. The projection was that after much time the hip bone and small stones would fit back in place. The time will be over six months to be completed or maybe more. I spent Christmas time in the hospital.
I now have two nurses staying at my home 22 hours a day until I can care for myself. I have three nurses who visit me three days a week to lead me in exercises for my rightfully painful hip and leg. In addition, I am visited by my trainer. It is a slow process with the rest of the time spent in a wheel chair.
But I look forward to my ability to get my freedom. I have such respect for the freedom given to us on the Pier in the past. I pass this story to you so that you will appreciate the freedom that God has given you to travel free from any injury. Appreciate your freedom and respect the gift. I have learned to love it as I further strive to regain it. That’s the view from the Pier.
Herman Sillas is an author and resident of San Clemente and a former U.S. District attorney. He may be reached at sillas@aol.com.
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