Oh, frabjous day, calloo, callay, I'm chortling in my joy! I went to the doctor a couple of days ago and I am out of the plaster and gauze cast and into a boot, which allows me to (very gingerly) put a little weight down on my foot! This is important for several reasons:
So - as much as I've appreciated my knee scooter, I'm retiring it for now. I've found that walking with crutches, while still maddening in it's own way, is not quite as scary when you can bear a bit of weight on the gimpy foot, and I can't help but think that using that leg will offset some of that scrawniness.
The rest of the good news is that my tendon is healing very well, better in fact than average. This is VERY exciting to me because achilles tendon injuries and surgeries are notoriously bad at healing well, because blood flow to that area of the body is not good. The fact that I'm healing so well so far has me thinking that my rehab will probably go well when I start physical therapy in a couple of weeks.
When the doctor took off the plaster cast and unwrapped my leg, it looked AWFUL! I will spare you images of the abomination of the desolation, and will just use mental imagery instead. My leg was shriveled, wrinkled because of the gauze wrapping and muscle atrophy (sorry, but I'm used to firm, tight calves!), orange from the iodine wash they used during surgery, and (this was the WORST PART!), HAIRY.
OK, I have to admit - I'm going for effect here. Actually the scar itself isn't as bad as it looks - the black stuff is glue. My totally cool doctor used glue rather than stitches or staples. So in spite of the grody look of it, this scar is actually beautiful.
1. It makes walking on crutches a LOT easier.
2. I can get my leg wet.
3. It will allow me to use the leg in a limited manner, which should decrease the atrophy of the leg muscles.
Yes, I said atrophy. Take a gander at the difference in the size of my legs - in just two weeks! Now - I realize that neither of my legs actually qualifies as "scrawny," but...there is a definite difference between the two:
The rest of the good news is that my tendon is healing very well, better in fact than average. This is VERY exciting to me because achilles tendon injuries and surgeries are notoriously bad at healing well, because blood flow to that area of the body is not good. The fact that I'm healing so well so far has me thinking that my rehab will probably go well when I start physical therapy in a couple of weeks.
When the doctor took off the plaster cast and unwrapped my leg, it looked AWFUL! I will spare you images of the abomination of the desolation, and will just use mental imagery instead. My leg was shriveled, wrinkled because of the gauze wrapping and muscle atrophy (sorry, but I'm used to firm, tight calves!), orange from the iodine wash they used during surgery, and (this was the WORST PART!), HAIRY.
OK, I have to admit - I'm going for effect here. Actually the scar itself isn't as bad as it looks - the black stuff is glue. My totally cool doctor used glue rather than stitches or staples. So in spite of the grody look of it, this scar is actually beautiful.
Thank you for journaling your adventure. I am seriously considering having surgery and it has really, really been helpful for me to read about your adventures. Keep updating!
ReplyDeleteCali Girl
hello Melanie,
ReplyDeleteI've been following your blog. Its been over a week since your last post. How are you feeling?I'm contemplating surgery and would like to know how your feeling at week 3, 4 and 5. If you don't mind
Jodi