Thursday, April 11, 2019

Time keeps on ticking...

After clomping around a week I had my bandage removed to check what was happening.




The wound looked really good. There was no sticking to the dressing like when I had my calcaneal osteotomy so that was a relief. The external stitches were removed and the rest are dissolving stitches.
The nurse told me that my surgeon would come and look at it and then I could put my moonboot back on. Horrors! I did not want that heavy, hot unwieldy thing on if I didn’t have to. It looked ridiculous wearing a moonboot and a walking crutch. I said I’d been expecting a cast. The nurse said to tell that to the surgeon....and I did. Got my cast! The nurse then told me only the patients who can be trusted to follow instructions get offered the moonboot option. I took that on board - I’m a trusted patient 💖 and then I got my cast put on! Not as bright as I’d have liked. She was out of all Fluoro colours sadly.




When she checked my foot the surgeon moved the ankle nicely up and down. That was reassuring. While the cast was being put on I had to keep my foot at right angles to my leg and push my toes flat. My toes don’t do flat they do a weird curling so it was a real mission getting the foot just right.
I had to use crutches to leave because the knee crutch might dent the cast. This was not fun, I couldn’t seem to get the motion right. I was glad to get to the car. It was nothing like when I’d previously had crutches. I struggled around at home and then decided I’d google how crutches should be adjusted. It turns out the crutches that the nurse thought were a perfect height for me were way too high. No wonder I was literally leaping around. I adjusted them correctly in anticipation of my next journey.
Unfortunately even with the correction of the height I still struggled with the crutches. I tucked them in the corner of the room for emergencies and went back to solely using my knee crutch.

I have only summited our driveway three times since my surgery. The first time I used my crutches and my knee crutch and resembled some sort of mantis like creature. The second time I weaved
 backwards and forwards and it took forever. Then it came to me - use your walking stick! I set out on a trip to the train station to check I could get there for work and then to have a nice lunch and maybe some shopping. There are two very steep walkways to the station but with my walking stick I made it relatively easily. Success! I had lunch and walked home. Halfway there I suddenly remembered to hold the grip on my knee crutch when going up and down hills and it will be no problem. And so it was! After lunch and shopping I was able to put my walking stick in my bag and trundle home. I was thrilled by the fact that I beat an old lady to get up the hill.

It’s the small things that make your day! Now I just need a tripping hazard sticker and maybe a safety flag for my foot!



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