Another Doctor's Appointment

I went to see my orthopedic doctor on Monday.  I've been in this cast for 7 weeks now....7 loooong weeks!  The first thing one of the nurses/techs (?) did was remove the cast.  That saw just really sets me on edge.  I know they cut off thousands of casts, but I'm still scared it is going to cut me.  A friend of mine said when she was a child in a cast, the doctor showed her how it wouldn't even cut his bare arm, but I just don't see how that is possible when I'm looking at those little saw-teeth on that blade.   When the cast came off, I immediately noticed little pin-head-size red dots all over the lower leg.  She said it was most likely a heat rash.  No wonder it had been itching!!

At the last appointment, I sat there like a bump on a log and didn't even touch my leg.  I guess I was just so stunned to see what it looked like.  Anyway, I came prepared this time.  As soon as she removed the cast and left the room, I took a rough washcloth out of my purse and began to scrub off that dead skin like there was no tomorrow!  Ooooohhhh.....that felt sooooo good! I didn't even care that I made a mess on the floor.  (Glad it was about the same color as my skin.)  I couldn't begin to get it all off, but I made a little headway. 

 

Above is a picture of the bottom of my foot.  The top line of skin is as far as I could reach going through the end of the case.  I've tried to keep my toes clean, so they don't get all dried out and nasty looking.  But the bottom of that foot is disgusting!  I'm wondering how I'll get all that dead skin off once I come out of the cast.

 

The heel is hardly recognizable.  While I'm sitting there, and I try to flex my toes and the bottom of my foot, it is the strangest feeling, because the skin is all hard, and it doesn't even feel like my foot.  I just can't wait to get out of this cast and soak this all off.

 

After the x-rays, the doctor came in and said everything was still fine - there was a little bone growth, but not to worry - it was still healing just fine - on time.  I was concerned that there was still so much swelling, but he said that would last up to 7-8 months.  Really?  Finding shoes to wear for the winter may prove challenging.

 

He said the cast would go back on, and I was to come back in 3 weeks.  At that time, depending on what the x-rays showed, I would go into a boot for 2 weeks or back into another cast.  I'm not holding my breath or going to count the days until the cast comes off, because I know there is a chance it could be longer than 3 weeks.  Then if I do go into a boot then, it will just be hunky-dory!

 

As I was leaving, I made my next appointment.  The lady said there were no appointments on that Monday, so I'd have to wait until the next Monday.  OH NO!  Not an additional week!  She said there was an appointment available on Tuesday, but I would have to travel to his Brookwood office.  Well, I didn't want to have to travel the extra distance, but I took it.  Hopefully, I'll be able to get a ride there.

 

I have the sweetest friend from my Sunday school class that has been taking me to the doctor appointments.  The first time, she brought me a whole meal, and it was delicious!  We ate on it for days.  This time she brought me some kind of delicious chewy bars with coconut and pecans.  I'm so blessed with wonderful friends.  Last week I had a dental appointment, and my new next door neighbor took me.  She has two small children about the age of my granddaughters.  We had the best time together (except for the dental appointment, of course!)  She took me to lunch at Chick-Fil-A.  We were finally able to spend some time visiting and getting acquainted.  I'm so happy to have them as neighbors.  When one sweet neighbor moves, you're always a little nervous about who might move in there.  But we are blessed to have Angie and Joey and her son and daughter living there now.

 

Until next time.....