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Injury report: day 17
Sep. 16th, 2005 01:39 amI had my first followup appointment from the surgery today. It was, as things go, fairly boring. They took the splint/wrap rig off my leg. I got to see my leg, including scar, for the first time. There was nearly no blood on all the dressings they peeled off from near the scar. I was rather surprised; given the amount of pain I'd had, I was expecting it to be messier. My ankle is somewhat swollen, and has a bit of bruising. I think the joint has already stiffened up from enforced lack of use, but I was disinclined to try moving it to test.
They pulled the stitches* and put a solid cast on my leg. This one is a dark purple. The cast still makes my foot point down; the idea is to keep as much tension off the Achilles tendon as possible. I have another followup appointment in two weeks, where (I think) they will try to set my foot at closer to a 90 degree angle (i.e., flat) in the cast. After that, I have one more followup, where they will put my foot at 90 degrees in a cast. Next, I get a walking boot -- and presumably that's when I start on physical therapy.
I brought the Virginia handicap tag application with me to the appointment, and got it filled out. On the way home, I stopped by a DMV and got a paper handicap tag, with the plastic mirror-hanger one getting mailed to me. Handicap spaces, here I come!
When I got home, I found in the mailbox a classic "hang in there" card, signed by many people at Purgatory. Thanks, everyone! And for those of you who were curious, yes, I am medicating with beer on occasion.
* The nurse said "you'll feel a little tug". When the "little tug" came it felt like someone was cutting right into my leg again, but this time with no anaesthesia. I think my skin or muscle has an affinity for stitch-stuff. The last time I had stitches (21 years ago), they were excruciating when they were pulled, six weeks after the surgery. Then again, they were a variety that was supposed to just dissolve, and didn't.
They pulled the stitches* and put a solid cast on my leg. This one is a dark purple. The cast still makes my foot point down; the idea is to keep as much tension off the Achilles tendon as possible. I have another followup appointment in two weeks, where (I think) they will try to set my foot at closer to a 90 degree angle (i.e., flat) in the cast. After that, I have one more followup, where they will put my foot at 90 degrees in a cast. Next, I get a walking boot -- and presumably that's when I start on physical therapy.
I brought the Virginia handicap tag application with me to the appointment, and got it filled out. On the way home, I stopped by a DMV and got a paper handicap tag, with the plastic mirror-hanger one getting mailed to me. Handicap spaces, here I come!
When I got home, I found in the mailbox a classic "hang in there" card, signed by many people at Purgatory. Thanks, everyone! And for those of you who were curious, yes, I am medicating with beer on occasion.
* The nurse said "you'll feel a little tug". When the "little tug" came it felt like someone was cutting right into my leg again, but this time with no anaesthesia. I think my skin or muscle has an affinity for stitch-stuff. The last time I had stitches (21 years ago), they were excruciating when they were pulled, six weeks after the surgery. Then again, they were a variety that was supposed to just dissolve, and didn't.
