Updates March 28, 2008
March 28, 2008 - 10:30pm EST
Talk to you all soon, thanks for the prayers and warm wishes!!!!
Pam
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Doctors say Shelton can start trying to walk !!!
September 1, 2007 - 10:30pm EST
Good news, they said he could start real physical therapy. The x-rays show the one bone is higher than it was last it, but they will only fix it if it causes him pain. The screws will need to come out right before or around Thanksgiving. The spot on the top of the foot that hasn't quite healed......they said it could heal but if it doesn't then we should seriously consider another skin graft. He doesn't want that, he said that was super painful. So we are going to baby it and hope that it closes up before our next appt.
Talk to you all soon, thanks for the prayers and warm wishes!!!!
Pam
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Pictures of Shelton's leg
August 8, 2007 - 10:30pm EST
Hi all,
Ok, so Shelton had some appointments today. They took the pins out of the
foot, hurt like hell! There were 5 total. There is bone growth on the tibial
rod. That is good news. They also took the wound vac off, which is what
he has been praying for daily. Everything is progressing as they expect
it too. He was also fitted for a new splint. This one adjusts the toes
higher. Right now his foot sort of hangs down at a 30 degree angle. So
this new splint is adjustable, you turn a screw to adjust the angle (it
is set at 20 degree now) and will be readjusted every two weeks. Until
the foot can rest flat on the floor.
I am still exhausted but trying to catch up~! Shelton is in much better
spirits today than earlier this week!
Keep us in your thoughts,
Pam
July 4th weekend
July 3, 2007 - 10:30pm EST
Today was interesting. We went to the doctor's again and they took us
back almost immediately. There is good and bad news. On the upper leg,
where it was the huge wound that they filled in with muscle and did the
skin graft, there is a pocket of fluid. Now that could just be fluid or
it could be infected, there is a slight odor. So they are adding the wound
vac back to that part and then starting him on another round of antibiotics.
They removed the stitches from the foot. One side of the heel is doing
great, the wound is closing but there is still some tissue that is looking
like it might have to be removed later. The other side of the heel still
looks really bad. Extremely open and with a rather large spot that looks
necrotic, will probably have to be removed at a later date.
Basically we are the same as last week but with one more medication and at least another month in the soft cast and the wound vac. He is extremely excited that he can now bend his knee and lift his leg by himself without any help.
As for me I am still exhausted! I have been taking almost daily naps because he isn't sleeping very well and therefore I don't sleep very well.
Pam
Click on pics for bigger versions
I have been talking to Pam and Shelton usually every day,
and Pam wanted me to post this update:
"We are
settling into a routine. I have figured a way to get him out of the house
and into the remote controlled truck a couple of times a week so he doesn't
go completely insane!
The doctors say
he is progressing as expected. Still stuck with the wound vac (this vaccum
seals the wound and keeps it together) but otherwise doing well. Pain is
still intense."
Call them at home at 276.623.0398.
Home from the hospital now !
June 09, 2007 - 3:30pm EST
Shelton and Pam are finally home from their weeks
of being in the hospital, the doctors may do another surgery in the future,
but for now he can begin healing at home. I wouldn't be surprised if
Pam slept nonstop for a few days, she has been by his side everyday since
she was released from the other hospital. As luck would have it, their
home phone line is just static when they answer, so if anyone would like
to call them on their business line is 276.628.6621.
photos by Eddie and Nancy Gray
Update from Pam
June 07, 2007 - 3:30pm EST
Shelton is doing better day by day. After another surgery
on Wednesday he recovered even quicker than usual from anesthesia. He is
of course still in a lot of pain BUT his spirits are up and the doctors
say we may even be able to come home Friday!!!!
We are both so very excited,
we miss our bed and having some quiet.
We are optimistic about coming home but realistic about the way doctors
and hospitals do things....it may not happen. Pray that it does, I am slowly
going insane. lol.
We have a long road ahead. Keep the prayers, cards, visits coming. Home
or the hospital, Shelton will still be mostly stationery. Walkers and wheel
chairs are in his future for quite a while. But he has a leg and in a year
things will be so much better than right this minute. And if we can get
home that is the first step.
Thank you all for supporting us. It means so much more than you can even
imagine...........each card or call swells both our hearts. Love you all...........pray
for a safe and uneventful transfer home tomorrow...........and that my
sister and I can get the house ready for him this afternoon!!!!!
Successful second surgery and good news!!
May 30, 2007 - 6:30pm EST
The surgery to reattach muscles was a flying success yesterday,
and Shelton's foot is looking much better. His foot is beginning to
look like a real foot, not some foot cobbled together by Dr. Frankenstein.
Pam sent me some video of this weird looking thing they were calling
"Shelton's foot", and let me tell you that you I don't know how
Pam is still going. The good news is that Shelton even sounds better now.
Since they changed his pain medications, I have actually been able to have
some real conversations with him instead of 30 minutes of rambling about
different things (to all the people who know and love him, yes, there is
a difference between
his normal rambling and medicated rambling, mainly with the normal rambling
you get to switch subject pretty often and he makes some good sound effects.....with
the medicated rambling it is like cyclical conversations about the same
thing, then 3-4 sighs, then lethargy).
It will take a long time for Shelton to gain the entire use of his leg
and foot, but the doctors have said he will be able to regain up to 90%
of what it used to be. THIS IS GREAT NEWS!
Pam sent me a pic of
her recovering knee wound, and it will take her a few more weeks for
her to be able to walk on it reliably. It was a really deep puncture wound
the size of a fifty cent piece (not pretty) and she has been a trooper
about it. Keep the phone calls coming when you get time everyone, Shelton
tells me he feels loved by all of you!!!!
Staying in kingsport
May 26, 2007 - 11:30am EST
The surgery yesterday went well, and the surgeons in Kingsport
can do the procedures Shelton needs to get his leg into better shape. He
will be having plastic surgery on it Tuesday to help heal the huge wound
that almost severed his leg. He will have another surgery on Friday on
his foot to insert rods, screws and the needed splints.
Their room number is 28E, and the direct number to their
room is 423.224.4829.
Surgery
May 25, 2007 -
11:20am EST
Shelton is currently in exploratory surgery right
now, the surgeon is doing some work on his main wound, ankle and toes. Pam
told me that they may be transferring once again to Johnson City for the
BIG
surgery, they will know after the surgery today.
If you would like to send a donation to them by mail, their address is:
Shelton and Pam Pittman
314 Lowery Drive
Abingdon, VA 24210
Transferring to Kingsport and donations galore
May 24, 2007 - 1:38pm EST
Wow - the donations have been flying in. Shelton and Pam want me to thank everyone for contributing, it is making a HUGE difference in their situation right now. They are on their way today from Wilmington to Kingsport TN, 45 minutes away from their home in Abingdon, Virginia. I will post the new phone and room number when they arrive later this evening, I just talked to them in the ambulance and it seems to be going much better than they expected.
Accident Update
May 22, 2007
Shelton had surgery on Monday to repair nerve damage to
his leg. His leg swelling has gone down quite a bit, but they practically
had to reattach his leg below the knee after the wreck- scary. He had a
terrible reaction to the anesthetic, and pretty harsh recovery after the
surgery. The doctors are going to try and transfer him to Kingsport, TN,
where some other surgeons will perform some additional surgeries.....
Pam is going through some rough time dealing with this entire situation, please
support her in any way you can through these times, give her a call if you have
a minute.
An account from Pam:
"On Wednesday evening Shelton and I were riding our motorcycle in North Carolina. a young girl (learners permit) pulled out in front of us and as Shelton tried to go around her to avoid a crash, she attempted a U-turn. she clipped the front of the motorcycle. It was horrible, I can remember every moment. I was thrown up and over the van (not sure how far, haven't seen an accident report). I was told by witnesses "You were like a damp rag, bending and rolling and twisting like I have never seen before. You were in the air more than you were on the ground." I finally hit the ground in the most unbelievable amount of pain. It was so unreal, yet so real at the same time. I was lucky, the witness said when I hit she was sure I was dead. But then a second or two later she heard me start screaming for Shelton. I am okay. I recieved a large puncture wound in my knee, that runs up my thigh. It is extremely ugly and painful. Swollen and sore but stitched together (mostly) and I am on the mend. I also have a lot of road rash, feet, ankles, knees, hands elbows and my back. It is healing....slowly. I have lots of bruising, both ankles and legs look pretty rough. I was wearing a full face helmet. It is completely scraped up on the shielld. I am so glad I was wearing it.
Shelton's injuries.......his are extremely traumatic, I will try not to be too graphic. But it will be hard to read any way. His minor injuries are a litttle bit of road rash and his front 4 teeth are broken. His serious injury was a basically severed leg. It was barely there at both the ankle and right below the knee. They have reattached it. The leg is doing okay. Color is good, the wound is still too huge to close up, may even require a skin graft. The tib and the fib bones are both pulverized, so now he has a bunch of rods and screws and plates. The foot is still too swollen to attempt a repair. It is reattached but it is not repsonding as well. The bones are crushed a lot of skin was torn away. It is bad. Pray for him please.............we will handle whatever happens BUT I would prefer to not have to do the prosthetic crap.........It is too hard to say the "a" word right now. But it is still a distinct possibility............pray, pray, and pray again, please.
As you have read, Shelton had a reaction to the anesthesia yesterday. It was horrible. He didn't know why or where. He did recognize me but that was about it. I had to stand by his side, holding his hand, drying his tears and trying to keep his thrashing good leg from hurting his bad leg. He was incoherent, thrashing, severe muscle spasms and severe pain. Unbelievably hard. I was hysterical and I way overdid it. But that was the only option, he needed me. I am using ice packs to remove some of the swelling.
I am truly miserable, both physically and emotionally. I won't sugarcoat it, I have always been honest with you guys. I am devastated. Shelton in his ramblings last night said "I am a good person, why is this happening?" If only I could answer that question.............. Please continue to pray for us.
Motorcycle Accident
May 18, 2007
Just wanted to let everyone know that Shelton and Pam had a pretty scary motorcycle accident yesterday evening, a 15 year old driving a big van pulled out in front of them, then into their lane on top of them.
Luckily, Pam has only minor injuries (really bad road rash, some puncture wounds, and lots of bruising), but Shelton sustained serious leg injuries- his right leg and ankle are broken in several places, and he knocked out several of his front teeth.
Pam is currently by herself in a small hospital outside
Bolivia, NC, please call her in her room, she is by herself and will be
released in the next 2 days.
Shelton is in ICU in Wilmington after being flown
via Medivac to surgery last night, he has been coherent after surgery,
but under heavy sedation and pain medications and will have to undergo
more surgeries. There are no phone calls or flowers allowed to the ICU,
I am glad that Pam's injuries weren't major, please call her and pray for them both, this will be a rough next 6 months for the couple we all love so dearly!
Thanks for your support!
Heavy thanks to Patty Thatcher for turning
up the heat on me to get this site done for Shelton and Pam...
Thanks to the familes and friends who have been visiting and calling, send
me an email and I will put your pic and note up for them.