22 March 2012

Update on My Wobbly Lower Half

Today I had a visit with the orthopedic specialist for another X-ray to check how my left foot is healing. It couldn't have come sooner because after 21 days of wearing this boot practically around the clock, I am starting to feel trapped. My poor office mate got an earful yesterday; I unloaded all my miseries on him! It may sound crazy to some, but being stuck asking people to wait on you is not as fun as it sounds. Not only have I been feeling guilty, but limping around with crutches and a boot makes me feel fat and ugly. I can't stand in front of the mirror long enough to do a decent job with my hair and only my sloppy clothes fit over the stupid boot. On top of that, my body is stiff and sluggish from sitting most of the day. I mean, I've never been an athletic person, but I can't even walk around the house right now. As much as I dislike exercise, I have never been so eager to get on a treadmill in my life!

Anyway, the ortho gave me some good news and some not-so-good news. After my emotional low yesterday I was hoping that he would say I could get rid of the boot and/or the crutches, but that was not the case. Today's X-ray didn't look much different from the first one three weeks ago. The good part of that is the ligaments aren't spreading, so I'm not a candidate for surgery. The not-so-good part is that there hasn't been much healing of the bone, so I still have to wear the boot and use the crutches and keep my weight off my foot as much as possible. I have to do that for three more weeks, then if there is significant healing I can go for three weeks with just the boot and no crutches. The best news of the entire visit was that I can take the boot off once I'm settled down for the evening. Huzzah! I will get so much more rest now that I don't have wear the boot to bed.

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