Anatomy of an Ordeal In October of 2015 I had an accident and fell, shattering my right ankle with a triple compound fracture. The local hospital operated, placing metal plates and screws in the damaged area. Unfortunately, during post-op I slipped into a coma which lasted four weeks in which I was completely unresponsive. It was a last ditch procedure that was performed using a strobe light, which roused me from my sleep; when I awoke, I had amnesia recognized no one except my wife. I seemed to be making good progress, and by January of 2016 I was up on a walker and using an exercise bicycle at home. Yet, in April the screws started coming out of the ankle, which was massively infected and pushing out the hardware. The local hospital wanted to operate immediately, citing the strong likelihood of amputation. We chose instead to go to Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, where multiple doctors from Orthopedic ONE preformed four surgeries in twelve days; they shredded the infected leg, removed dead ankle bone, and placed a tunnel port in my chest in which massively strong antibiotics were placed order to try to save the leg. Overall, the prognosis was not good. Three weeks after being released from rehab, I had an additional surgery, where they rebuilt my ankle with a bone graft from my shin (with non narcotic painkillers, mind you). Coming home, we had no idea if the bone graft would take, or if I would ever walk again. It took another five months for the leg to heal, and during this time I wrote two manuscripts; In January of 2017 the first X-rays came back. Alleluia! The bone graft had taken and been a success and there was no sign of infection at all. Within a few months I was up walking with little difficulty. We rejoiced wholeheartedly. Miracles do happen, yet there was now a new complication. Due to the strong antibiotics used to save the leg, my renal function was further compromised. By summer of 2017, I was in stage five kidney failure. I then went to The Ohio State University Wexner Center in Columbus, Ohio to be evaluated for a kidney transplant. I hoped and prayed for a living kidney donor, and a second chance at life. In November of 2017 I began to have small wound issues again with the ankle. This continued into 2018, where in June, an MRI was done which showed that infection had come back into the ankle. In July an exploratory surgery was done, and the cultures showed that the infection had indeed returned and was now in the bone. Since there is no way for a kidney transplant with any infection, there was nothing left to be done the leg had to finally come off. During this past year I began working on this collection of poetry: Boom! & Adversity.
It is a literary expression of a blessed, thankful man, who has found that struggling through a continued painful, fiery, roller coaster ordeal has only heightened his wellbeing and sense of purpose. Life for all us is truly a work in progress. The succulent struggle of pain, confusion, and moments of deep darkness has only deepened my faith and given me true appreciation for even the smallest blessing of this life. The piercing sweetness of my Lord has prevailed, and His faithfulness continues to be revealed daily. Where I go from here is anybody’s guess. I continue to wait, pray, and live with grateful joy and a thankful heart that I can continue to write and spirit the goodness of the Maker in spite of undergoing abject difficulty and suffering. I hope this small collection of ditties find the reader moved, entertained, and touched in a good and meaningful way. Blessings, J.D. Emens August 2018 Marion, Ohio