FREE! FREE AT LAST - well....almost

Today was my much anticipated day.  I had my orthopedic doctor's appointment at 9:00.  All week I've been dreaming about what it was going to be like out of this cast and in a boot.  And then I would catch myself and say, "No, don't get your hopes up.  It just may not occur.  You have to be prepared in case you come home with a cast."  So it has been a roller coaster week of emotions for me.  As I was sitting in the waiting room, I found myself starting to get anxious.  I checked FB, several times, just to pass the time and try not to think about it.  FINALLY, they called me back.  A man came into to remove the cast.  It is such a weird feeling when that cast comes off.  You feel like your leg is going to fall apart.  The first thing I did was set about trying to remove some of that dead skin and scratch the itch!  He told me "those wipes there are to use on the leg when the cast comes off."  So after he left the room, I set about wiping and wiping.  That didn't remove much dead skin, so I opened another container and sneaked out some gauze.  That was a little rougher, and did a better job. 

You just can't imagine how good it feels to scratch/rub a leg that's been in a cast for 10 weeks!!  Every inch of your skin itches.  I felt around on the bottom of my foot, and the only place that was fairly tender was right in the pad of the heel.  That made me wonder how it was going to feel when I started walking on it. I noticed that the right leg has shrunk, too

You can see how much more swollen one is, too. 

I wonder if there is any hope for this heel. 

It seemed forever before they took me to x-ray.  Shortly after I got back to my room, a lady doctor came in and introduced herself to me - can't remember her name, but she gave me the good news!  It was healing well, and someone would be in shortly to put on my boot.  WOOOO HOOOO!!  It was really happening!!!!  No . more . cast!!!!  I was having such a hard time containing myself, it was really hard to hear anything else she was saying.  I asked her about physical therapy, and she said I wouldn't really need it. She said not to worry about all this dead skin and not to try to take it all off at once, because it could cause an infection. In about a week of showering and applying lotion, it should a come off. 

And then she left!

Hmmmm......wonder what kind of scar this is going to leave.  It looks worse because it still has their purple making pen on it.

 Then Dr. Krauss came in.  He said it was doing well, and I would be in the boot for three weeks.  If at the end of 2, I was doing well, I could go into a tennis shoe.  He told me I should begin PT right away.  I told him what the other doctor had said, and he said, "No, I want you to have PT.  You'll just recover faster if you do."  Then he said, "When you go to PT, make sure they only move your foot up and down, not rolling side to side.  If they start to move to wrongly, you tell them to STOP and call me!"  He was very emphatic about that!  I assured him, I'd follow those directions.  He said to come back to see him in 3 weeks.  I told him that we might be going to Kansas for an extended time, and he said that was OK; I could do PT there.  I was to not walk without the boot for these 3 weeks.  I can shower and sleep without the boot. That will be so freeing to turn over in the night without lugging that cast over the pillow between by knees.  He moved my foot up and down, and pushed here and there.  It was kind of tender along the outside of the foot but he said everything looked good.

Shortly after that, the cast man came in with this big black boot, putting all the many straps together.  He said that I was to wear this white support stocking during the day, putting it on first thing in the morning, to keep the swelling down.  There was an extra sock so I could wear one and wash one.  He then showed me the best way to get the stocking on.  It is hardest to get over the heel.  I was kind of afraid it was going to hurt, but he seemed to put it on so easily.  I've worn support hose before, but they were very heavy and very tight, so maybe these won't be as hard to get on.  He asked me if Dr. Krauss had told me I could not drive.  I told him, "No.  I thought maybe I would be able to drive with my left foot."  He said, "It doesn't matter what foot you use.  If you drive with a boot on and have a car accident, your insurance is no good."  YIKES!  I did not know that!!  Here I was planning to drive to my PT appointments.  Now, that complicated matters.  Well, that's just something I'll have to work out.  He got the boot on and told me I should just go back to the wheelchair here in the office and wait to try it all out when I got home in familiar territory.

I went to the front office to make my appointment and pick up the prescription for PT, and then we took off.  Leisa was nearly as happy for me as I was.  She's been in my position with a broken foot before.

As we started to leave the parking deck, I suddenly remember a very important question I was going to ask Dr. Krauss - if your wife needed to have her knee replaced, who would you send her to?  RATS!  I really wanted to ask him that!  I was just so excited to get rid of the cast, everything else went out the window!  I must remember to ask him when I go back.

As Leisa dropped me off at my house, she said to call her for help getting to PT; she would be happy to help.  I told her that between her and my neighbor, we could probably work it out.  My neighbor, Angie, has repeated told me that she would help get me to PT.  Angie works at a preschool Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I called to ask her what hours would be best for her on Mondays or Wednesdays.  She seemed just tickled to help.  Maybe if Leisa can take me one day, and Angie can take me the other day, then Guy can take me on Fridays.  I have to go 3 times a week for 4 weeks.  I then called Therapy South, where I went before with my foot, and they are going to try to get me started on Friday.  She said she would have to move some around and would let me know.  If I didn't get started Friday, I could start on Monday.  I would like to get as many times in here as possible if we do go to Kansas.  It will all depend on how I get along.

After I got in the house, I got Mom and Dad's walker that I had, and tried my new wings.  It was not all that easy!  I can see that I'll definitely need the assistance of the walker for awhile.  It's fairly tender along the outside of my foot, and that is the part that I'm walking on since I no longer walk on a(flattened) arch. 

The other issue is my knee!  I can't walk with it straightened out, and I found that it was subject to buckle on me at any moment.  If only.....if only......my knee was OK.  Oh, well, I just have to deal with it.  I found I had to resort to my wheelchair while getting supper since I can't stand for very long yet.  But it feels so much more stable standing when I have both feet on the ground!  Just very thankful for this day!

More Gifts....

23.  NO CAST!!!!

24.  Healing bones!

25.  Sweet, sweet friends that messaged me early this morning to let me know they were praying for me.

26.  Dear friends that are so willing to help in any way they can.

27.  Safety and protection over my grandsons during their soccer games.  One of Dylan's teammates, right in front of Dylan, went down going after a ball and suffered a compound fracture of his leg - 2 plates and pins.  Praying for this youngster - and his dad who was sitting right next to Mark.