"I will not put anything in front of my therapy. It's the most important part of my life right now. Therapy is my job right now!" Rod Powell, August 7, 2024 Update October 21, 2024 Not much has changed for Rod since the last update. He is still having good days and bad days. He can work on one client a day max – which causes his hand to become fatigued and to swell. He is still doing exercises to strengthen his hand, and his middle finger still doesn’t bend or work properly. Rod sees the surgeon on Monday, October 23. Lisa ******************************************************************************************* Update October 11, 2024 Rod has had some moderate highs and low lows in the last month. A few weeks after the last update Rod was able to stop wearing the brace and was told to start working on a few clients a day to get the “muscle memory” back in his hand. And then the scar tissue went wild. He has a special tool to work on the tissue in his middle finger. If he doesn’t work on it, it seems to grow quicker than ever. When it’s acting up, he cannot bend his finger. So, throughout the day, throughout the night, he does his physical therapy exercises and works on the scar tissue. It’s exhausting – physically and mentally. Yesterday, at PT, his therapist put him back in a brace while he does his exercises. He has to wear it to keep his fingers straight – without it, they want to curl in – but doing exercises with the brace hurts. On top of that, his fingers are swollen and stiff. He’s really having a rough time. Rod can see one client a day. His hand doesn’t work the same, so it takes him longer than usual and it’s wearing him out. Rod is a strong man – but this is getting to him. He doesn’t know when he’ll get back to normal. Normal hand. Normal work schedule. Normal life. I’ll be reaching out to folks again for donations. Any little bit will help him. Lisa ******************************************************************************************** Update September 9, 2024 Rod thought he was going to have the brace removed on Friday, but his Physical Therapist gave him a new one that keeps his fingers extended flat. The electro therapy is helping but is making his fingers feel weird. The reason I increased Rod’s goal is that he received word yesterday that his physical therapy will be 10 more weeks until November 17. Rod is still treating his physical therapy as his job – he currently has ten exercises to do every two hours. Next week his PT is adding more. Lisa ***************************************************************************************** Update August 29, 2024 Rod has diligently been going to physical therapy twice a week. On Friday, August 18, Rod’s hand scarily and unexpectedly swelled. The doctor ordered an MRI, which thankfully came back okay, which was a relief. On Monday, August 28, Rod had a follow up appointment with the surgeon. The doctor said everything looks great with the exception of the last digit on his middle finger. However, it began moving during his first electro stimulation during physical therapy. Rod is relieved and has a good attitude about everything – even though he uses his middle finger when he cuts hair, he feels it won’t hamper him. He’s hopeful the electro therapy and physical therapy will continue to improve the mobility in his fingers. Rod has 9 more days with the hand brace and six more weeks of PT. He’s half way there! Lisa ****************************************************************************************** Update August 16, 2024 Rod's physical therapy is going slower than he wants - he feels like he takes two steps back each time he takes three steps forward. His therapist says he's doing amazingly well! He does his exercises and waits 30 minutes to do them again - that's how quickly his fingers stiffen up. Today he was told he has to wear the brace that keeps his fingers at a 45-degree angle for three more weeks to ensure his tendons and nerves don't "pop". After that, he begins intensive PT... evidently, his current PT is like Disneyland! Rod is doing everything he is told to do - and can't imagine PT being more intense. They have begun messaging the incisions to prevent scar tissue from forming. Rod is not thrilled! Lisa ****************************************************************************************** Update August 9, 2024 Rod's physical therapy today was the hardest one to date. The therapist added three new exercises to the three Rod was doing every two hours. He now needs to do all six every hour. He said the PT is pushing him, which he's thankful for... "if anyone can get me back in working order, she's the one". Lisa ******************************************************************************************** Update August 7, 2024 Rod had a follow-up appointment with his surgeons this morning. The 63 sutures were (painfully) removed. He is still required to wear a brace and cannot get his left hand wet for another four weeks. The surgeon is concerned with his middle finger and wants to look at it again next week (if you know Rod, he's not 100% upset that he might be "shooting the bird" for the rest of his life!). Although his circulation is improving he was instructed to not use his left hand at all. He now has intensive physical therapy for 12 weeks, which is why I raised the goal. He knows he has a long road ahead of him, but he's up for the challenge. Thank you to all who have donated in the first 48 hours of his fundraising campaign. It has affirmed what good folks Rod knows and has touched him deeply. Lisa ****************************************************************************************** My name is Lisa Near and I have known Rod Powell for 39 years – first as a client and now as a friend. I have his blessing to set up this LFEBridge account. Late on the night of Saturday, July 22, as Rod Powell was finishing a floral arrangement for a wedding shower, his left hand went through a large vase severely cutting his fingers. After four hours at Parkland, it was verified he did not have glass in his fingers and he received 23 sutures. Due to the damage to his index and middle finger, he was scheduled for surgery the following Wednesday, July 26. The surgery lasted nearly five hours where Rod received donor tendons and nerves in his index and middle fingers along with 63 sutures. His hand will be immobilized for the foreseeable future as he is only allowed to move his fingers for physical therapy. He initially did not have feeling in the two fingers, but he has started to feel tingling. Rod began twice a week physical therapy on July 28. He has to do exercises every two hours, even over-night, so he does not lose mobility in his index and middle finger. Rod has a follow-up appointment with the surgeons on Monday, August 7, where he will receive more information on his prognosis. Rod has not been able to work as a hairdresser and was told he cannot use his left hand for at least ten more weeks – effectively putting him out of work. Rod has been there for us in the past – he will give you the shirt off his back if you ask! If you can donate to his LFEBridge account, even a little, it will help relieve some of his stress and worry. We are hopeful that he makes a full recovery and will be able to work again. P.S. The picture is a photoshop cartoon drawing of his hand to show the extent of his injury – but not as gruesome as the actual photograph. Lisa
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