Looking for Hope

[NMUWildcat]

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Howdy,
I am currently an MS3 greatly interested in PM&R, and long time lurker in this forum. My reason for posting is two-fold. Two weeks ago I was going out for a training ride as I am an avid cyclist and was struck broadside by a minivan that was passing through an intersection that didn't see me. As a result I had a complete fx of my femur now s/p IM nail, a tibial plateau fx, possible acl tear, and fx of the greater tuberosity of my humerous. First I was wondering what type of recovery can I expect. I know it is going to vary greatly depending on my effort and my premorbid state. I was just wondering if someone could share a story. Also I am now on medical leave from school for ~6months. Is being modified going to hurt my chances of a successful match down the road? Or should I just look at this as an opportunity to do extra research, rotations, etc? Thanks.

 

[Spine Specialist]

Howdy,
I know it is going to vary greatly depending on my effort and my premorbid state. I was just wondering if someone could share a story. Thanks.

Sudha Chandran, the dancer Sudha was 17 when tragedy struck. Her right leg was badly
injured in a traffic accident and had to be amputated below the knee when gangrene set
in. The tragedy was all the more poignant as Sudha was on the verge of beginning a
glittering career in Baratha Natyam, one of the most exacting forms of Indian classical
dance. Sudha's world crumbled. She felt that all the years of training had gone to waste
and in any case what kind of life was it to be without a leg. The reality that she would
never dance again was too much to cope with, she simply did not want to live.

During the six month recuperation period after surgery she became obsessed with the
idea of walking again but without crutches. By chance she picked up a magazine and read
about Dr Sethi and his famous Jaipur foot and immediately made an appointment to see
him. This was in December1981.

The first question she asked of him was 'will I dance again?'. His reply without hesitation
was 'why not'. They tried out various options including a spring loaded ankle fitting for
more flexibility essential for the intricate footwork required in Baratha Natyam. The
spring was not successful as it kept jamming during practice. For the next round of
fittings Sudha brought her dance teacher along. For twenty days Dr Sethi and his team
watched the two working together. In the end they fitted her with the same Jaipur foot
and limb that was given to any other amputee who came to the rehabilitation centre at the
SMS Hospital in Jaipur.

Sudha's dance practice resumed in earnest. It was like starting all over again. She
persevered through pain, blood, tears and doubts. Her family, teacher and doctor stood by
her in this ordeal. It was worth it, for in 1984, she danced again for the first time in front
of a capacity Bombay audience. After paying obeisance to the Lord of Dance she started
and finished to thunderous applause two and a half hours later. Overnight she had
become a celebrity and a star was born. She was feted in the press. She starred in a
feature film 'Mayure' her life story, and it was an instant box office 'Bollywood' hit. Other
offers of stardom and many dance recitals followed. She acted in many films and was
invited to perform all over the world, living proof that the Jaipur foot works and became
its most ardent ambassador.

She now lives and works in Bombay. Her heavy work schedule as leading lady and star
of numerous TV soaps leaves very little time for dancing, she can only manage one or
two dance recitals a year. She has come a long way from the young girl wanting to end it
all to a mature woman who considers that fateful accident a blessing in disguise. Her
story, much simplified, is also featured in a Standard Three reader for every primary
school going child in India.