Teri Paulsen from Houston wrote to me and included her story and photos. . Her photos and documents are downloads (In the columns to the right) in PDF and .DOC format. Click the View-It icon to read/download the files. Adobe Acrobat reader is required for the PDF files get it HERE	Surgery July 2005 - the commentary was for people who had never even heard of an external fixator	Progression of straightening my leg
Hello Slim: Just wrote to express my appreciation! I just found your site even though I've had the Ilizarov since July 18th of this year - attached. My tibia and fibula were 21 degrees crooked due to a DOCTOR'S MISTAKE in taking out an old rod that ran down the length of my tibia. I'll also attach my photos and story. I wish I would have found your site sooner! One comment I'd like to make is that I wrote out my "story" very early on in this process and copied onto a half sheet of paper...then I put the "Frequently Asked Questions" on the back. This way, when I go out, when someone is aghast (as you know they usually are) and asked what happened, I can just hand them the sheet of paper with a smile and "thanks for asking!" and continue on my way without being rude..this has also provided me with bad publicity for the doctor who injured me (removed for legal reasons) as well as the doctor who fixed me (The wonderful Kevin Coupe, The Woodlands, TX). Thank you for providing me with support. NO ONE could understand how difficult this has been without going through it. Thanks again! Teri	The half page letter I pass out on the "story" of what happened to my leg	The FAQ's on the back of the "story page" I pass out - I've handed out over 600 of them now and it's November...

It seems that PDF files are the thing right now as I have another of some excellent x-rays sent to me by J. Daniel Baker from the USA. As well as his xrays and his story he's kindly offered to allow is e-mail address on the site for anyone to e-mail him with questions or comments. So to mail Daniel click the link MAIL TO J.DANIEL BAKER

Hello, a friend showed me the link to your website and I’ve been reading your hospital stories. I was in a car accident on Sept. 28th, 2005 and had an ilizarov external fixator (Taylor Spatial Frame; Smith & Nephew) applied on Oct. 17th 2005 after spending 3 weeks or so in traction. I can relate to almost everything you mention about your experience and just wanted to let you know it’s nice to see that I’m not the only one who has gone through this. Not that I’m glad you went through it, but you know what I’m saying. I’ve attached my x-rays in case you want to see them. Luckily for me I don’t get as many strange looks around the office as most people with ilizarov rings probably do. I work for a medical device company (Medtronic Sofamor Danek) and most of the engineers here used to work at Smith & Nephew Orthopaedics, so all I hear every time I hobble down the hallway is, “I used to sell that”, “Taylor Spatial Frame, right?”, “I helped design that.” It’s actually quite humorous at times because it happens every day. I had a wire that became infected on the surface and had to go back to the ER for treatment. I have to say it was one of the most painful things I’ve ever felt, especially when they pressed on it to try and gather pus for cultures. After a few hours there, they sent me home with Kelex and Clendomycin to take orally for a few days. Problem solved for now. Better believe I’m cleaning those pin sites better than ever now! It’s not worth the pain. My orthopaedic doctor (George Wood, Campbell Clinic, Memphis, TN) prescribed a bone growth stimulator (Exogen, S & N) after my November 22nd x-rays showed no growth. I go back for more x-rays on Jan. 31st and I’m optimistic about the results because you can see a small amount of bone growth in the x-ray from Dec. 20th. Since then, I’ve gone weight bearing and I’m sure you know what that means for bone growth. We’ll see. I’m hoping for a February removal, which would make me a four month ilizarov wearer&ldots; Something you and I know aint easy. Take care and let me know how you are doing now? Still in pain? My knee and ankle hurt the most now that I’m weight bearing. J. Daniel Baker

To view Daniel's pictures click the icon below.