WoolGatherer

43

Today's my 43rd birthday. This picture was taken 37 years ago today. I haven't changed a bit.

I'm spending the day quite lazily, watching movies and hanging out with Hudson.

Darren is out of town until this evening, but then we're meeting a group of friends for a birthday dinner. I'm really looking forward to that--I haven't had too many chances to socialize since I broke my leg six weeks ago today.

Speaking of the leg, there's good progress to report. I'm actually walking now, though it's probably more accurate to say that I'm hobbling. Either way, it's a very nice change to be moving about on two legs instead of rolling around on my scooter.

I've still got a cast on for one more week. I think next I get a boot, but I'm not really sure.

Once this is behind me, I plan to get my first mani-pedi. I feel I've earned it.

Just because.

"Stupendous."

That's what my surgeon said after viewing the x-rays taken yesterday at my first post-op exam.

I had to agree that the even to a writer's eye, things in the films looked much better than they did three weeks ago tonight when I had my accident. Instead of nasty twisted bone shards, I saw a nice, tidy tibia with only the faintest lines indicating where the breaks had been.

My ankle will forever more have two metal button-like thingies in it with a wire binding the base of my tibia/fibia. It didn't look nearly dramatic as I expected.

Sorry, I know this is gross, but when my surgical cast came off and my stitches were removed, I felt a morbid need to take a picture of the incisions on either side of my ankle. The left side, which had about a 2-inch cute, was a bit icky looking, so I'll spare you that. Here's the right side, which looks neater, despite the longer incision.

 

A few minutes later I was firmly ensconced in a snug new Kelly-green cast that I'll wear for the next four weeks. The dress cozy fits it really well over it.

 

The biggest and best surprise of the day was that I get to start walking on this cast in two weeks. I had originally been told that it would be four weeks before I could start putting any weight on the leg. I imagine that won't feel too great to start with, but I'm really happy to be making better progress than expected.

So, good news all around. Hurray for my recuperative powers!

On Tuesday I start back at work. I'm quite nervous about it, but it will be good to see my friends and do more than watch endless episodes of Law & Order.

Progress report from the hop-along shut-in

In the land of the dislocated ankle and spiral tib/fib fracture, things continue apace. That pace is s l o w, but at least I appear to be moving in the right direction.

I'm not in very much pain--mostly it's just dull aching that sometimes keeps me from sleeping well. The other annoyance is that my cast is now way too loose, because my swelling as receded so much. I'm not sure, but I think I can feel stitches or staples rubbing at times, and that's icky, especially at 2:30 in the morning.

Last Saturday I made my first foray out into the world since the surgery. Darren and I ate a brewpub near our house. We were only out for an hour, but I was totally exhausted when we got home.

This coming Friday morning I'll visit my surgeon's office to have the surgical cast removed, and be fitted with a snugger (and I hope lighter) cast. I'm curious to see the x-rays of my repaired leg.

While the time away from work has been good for me, I'm a bit lonely spending my days here on the couch. But I'm watching a lot of movies, working my way through some of the unread novels I have stashed about the house, and spending quality time with Hudson. And let's not forget the fun the fun paperwork for my medical leave as well as getting refunds for two canceled trips.

Over the past weekend, I decided that I should have a cast-cozy for dressy occasions, and Sunday afternoon I dreamed up a new design. I constructed it sort of like my felted bag, minus the felting. I started with a tidy garter stitch rectangle, picked up stitches around the edge, and knitted six inches of 2x2 ribbing.

 
I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. It fits snugly and the ribbing makes it stay on much better than the first one I made last week.

The "dress-cozy" will make its debut out of the town tomorrow night. We're going to see Mavis Staples perform live at the Dakota jazz club in Minneapolis. I'm nervous about looking like a dork on my scooter, but once I'm seated I'm sure I'll have a great time.

That's all for now!