Ramblings and Lifestreaming

Closer And Closer

Dr Visit

I am going CRAZY !!!!

It’s now been three weeks since my foot surgery and I must admit, I am losing it.  Most of the time I can enjoy sitting on my but and doing nothing but only after some good exercise such as lawn mowing, mountain biking, etc.  When it is NOT your idea and you HAVE to sit, it is painful.  This Sunday I did my first Balance Ball workout.  It made me realize that in one month, you get fat, flabby and lazy.  It was this realization that coming back from my foot injury won’t just be painful rehab but a long time rebuilding some endurance.  Speaking of rehab, it looks to be a painful time.  Not only stretching out the achilles but also dealing with all the scar tissue from the surgery.  I’ve been told that the cure may be more painful than the injury.  I’m ready.

Tomorrow I have an appointment with the surgeon to see how I am doing.  Hope springs eternal and an end to this cast and crutches.  My prayers are for another three weeks before I can start rehab. .

I SOOOOOooooooo appreciate Barb for the amount of STUFF that has been dumped on her due to my inability to do much of anything.  In the middle of all this she has had to deal with the heavy emotional burden of her mother dieing from ALS.  She is the BEST.  I owe her big time.

Dave

Good night Louise

Last week my wife’s mother, Louise Crowson died.  She had ALS, also known as Lou Gehrigh’s disease. This is a horrible disease that traps you in your body unable to do any of the things we all take for granted. Walking, talking, eating, and drinking all become impossible. Louise always had a notebood with her and was constantly writing notes for her side of a conversation. When her muscles failed her for that, she was really trapped in her body.

At the funeral services, the hospice chaplain shared a great message with her family, friends and friends of friends. He explained that Louise was no longer ill, she was whole and healthy. She was walking, no running and jumping. She was with her sister and talking and sharing stories about their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was no longer in pain and spending time in Jesus’ arms. He celebrated Louise’s life and reminded us that while it was a sad time since we would miss her, it was also a time to be joyful since she had gone to her Saviour.

Marks Mortuary in Wood River unfortunately did not provide any good service for the family.  They were disorganized and less than professional.  They even got the obituary wrong in the two newspapers.  They spelled her name wrong along with date of birth and names of children and grandchildren.  This is unconscienable in this mose emotional time for the family.

Post-Op Visit

We went to visit the orthopedist today to see how I was doing.  He was very pleased with the positioning of the bones and the look of the sutures.  Apparently I had previous damage to the tendon.  When he went to reconnect it, there was not enough length to stretch it so he made another cut at the top of the calf muscle to lengthen the tendon there also.  While in there he saw more calcification and cleaned it up.  Looks like 6-8 weeks in a cast and then some extended rehab.  The rehab will go very slowly at first but we’ll worry about that when the time comes.  I’m already stir crazy and not real happy with moving around with a walker.  Anyone got a set of tall crutches?

Here is a set of pictures I posted on Picasa.

Mountain Biking is Not for Sissies

And here is how this all started.

Home

Surgery was 7/17 (yesterday).  One long cut from heal to bottom of calf muscle to clean up and reattach the achilles with a couple long tacks.  Another cut at the top of the calf in order to clean up some calcification at the top of the tendon.

Another cut on the right side of the anlke to put in a screw at the bottom of the tibula.  Saw more calcification so they cleaned that up also.  After everything they did, I’ll be better than ever.

Home now but pretty much immobile.  Can’t put any pressure on the foot.  When I left the hospital they convinced me to have a walker rather than crutches.  It’s definately more stable though I’m not.  Scooted my way to the bathroom and decided that was a dangerous move so I’m pissing in a bottle instead.  I don’t like this, AT ALL.