Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Amy Update

It has been two and a half months since Amy's accident with the horse that sent her to the University Hospital, where she was immobilized for five days. She was taking her morning lesson and performing an exercise to improve her balance. The instructor had her riding with her feet out of the stirrups, when the horse began to gallup. It essentially rode out from underneath Amy, causing her to hit the ground in a sitting position. She landed on her tail bone resulting in a broken coccyx and a compression fracture to the L1 vertebrae.

Amy has made an amazing recovery. After her hospital stay she came home in a brace. The first three weeks were very difficult for her. The brace was uncomfortable, awkward and limited her mobility. For a person like Amy, who is always on the move and rarely goes two days in a row without exercising, the situation was incredibly frustrating. However, after three weeks Amy was able to get back on the stationary bike. After five weeks she was on her mountain bike riding the roads around the house. Although the brace makes for an uncomfortable ride, she manages pretty well and has been out on her bike daily; sometimes for up to three hours.

Amy has had regular visits to the hospital for follow up x-rays. Although she has lost about a half centimeter in height, the vertebrae is healing according to plan. Amy will be in the brace for two more weeks, then she will need physical therapy to strengthen her back muscles. So, like Chester Amy is expected to make a full recovery and be back to her crazy athletic self in no time.

From Aug 1st 2009 Hike to Dent de Leysin