Ankle Injury Day 11 or Gotrek and Felix

I’ve been reading Gotrek and Felix while I’m in bed recently.  Already finished the first omnibus and working on the second omnibus.  Each omnibus is three books.

It’s pretty fun to read, and I can imagine the scenes like out of a movie.  Like Lord of the Rings.  I guess it’s not that far of a stretch.  It’s based on the Warhammer universe, which, like other fantasy stories, borrows heavily from Tolkien’s works.  You’ve got dwarves, elves, orcs, and humans.  The warhammer universe is bigger though, with much more magic going around.  The world isn’t as bleak.  And I think orcs are really just sentient fungi in this universe (something about coming to the world as spores).

Ankle Injury Day 10

Ugh, that was annoying.  Thought I had my first pre-op appointment was today (since that’s what they told me on surgery day) but apparently it wasn’t.  Which caused a bit of stress on everyone involved.  They managed to call me before I left at least.  The confusion was that they’d also given me a card that had he appointment for next week, but I didn’t have it with me for the surgery day (they told me not to bring anything) or I would’ve noticed.  I checked with them yesterday but they seemed unsure what day I was supposed to have my appointment (and even today, they put me on hold several minutes after they called me to check).  Geh.

So, the pain from putting my foot off elevation isn’t necessarily pain I think.  It’s more like a pinching/tightening feeling, like someone was holding my foot and exerting pressure.  Well, on one side anyway.  The end of the fibula I think, where the bone protrudes out on the outside of the foot, like a small ball.  That’s where the pressure is.  Maybe that’s where the screw is?

Reading about some people’s experiences it looks like if I ever get the metal stuff removed, I’m going to be incapacitated for a couple weeks as well, though it’ll probably be better in the long-run.  That means I need to time it at a time where I know I won’t have much happening.  It isn’t two weeks yet and it’s already extremely inconvenient.  It’ll probably be next year when it happens anyway.

Wheelchair people came with a smaller wheelchair.  Still too big.  Meh.  Maybe I should’ve kept the bigger one, at least it’s more comfy.

Ankle Injury Day 9

Well, ok.  It’s not quite pre-surgery condition yet.  It seems to hurt a little more at night I think and maybe in general too I think.  At least I’m more restless.  But no painkillers at least.

Still no laptop, tomorrow perhaps.

Ankle Injury Day 8

So it’s been one week.

It’s almost pre-surgery condition again.  I.e. I’m fine as long as I’m in bed, but soon as I take my foot off the pillows, instant pain for several minutes while all the blood flows back down.  The pain goes away after a while though.  Still, not pleasant at all.

Went from 2 vicodin to 1 vicodin to no vicodin so I think I’m okay now.  Just really inconvenient.  There’s more food that I can potentially eat by myself now but crutches mean I don’t exactly have hands to carry them.  Maybe I should see about getting a chair in the kitchen and eat there.

My neck and a little below my chest hurt a bit yesterday and up till morning today.  I don’t think it’s from muscle aching from forcing myself up without the use of my right foot.  Maybe some post-operation reaction by my body?

Ankle Injury Day 7

Woah, the surgery painkillers must’ve numbed my leg for almost 12 hours because I didn’t start feeling the sharp burning/stabbing pain in my leg till well after midnight.  The painkillers the nurse gave me (2 x 5mg oxycodone/350mg acetaminophen) was rather effective though I don’t have any more of it.  Vicodin seems to work though.

Ankle Injury Day 6 (Surgery)

Finally got my surgery done.  Long day.  Went in at 11 and was asked the same questions over and over that must be on half a dozen medical sheets by now.  :P  But better to be safe after all.

Several pinpricks including one that actually hurt (for bloodwork).  Had a physical therapist teach me about crutches again.  This one was better I think as she actually helped me practice on the stairs so now I know what I was doing wrong, so I can theoretically go up and down the stairs properly now, as long as there’s railings.

Stripping naked I guess was expected.

Got to watch some TV which I don’t usually get to do (or bother to do really).

OR room was really cold, but the heated blankets helped.  I was actually given a choice of anesthesia.  Spinal block vs. going out completely.  Choice was easy.  :P  When it comes to stuff like this, ignorance is bliss.

Surgery took 2.5 hours, and I was out for maybe half an hour to an hour after that, and kinda weak for an hour after that.  It was really warm after that, and it took me a while before I realized I should just take those heavy blankets off from the surgery which helped a little (I think the sun was shining into my room).

Got to wipe myself with some wet cleaning wipes just before I left, which was nice.

Wheelchair which the PT insisted I get just got delivered.  It’s too big to be of use in the house, but I guess it would be more convenient when going outside?  Less risk of falling at least.  Though I can’t exactly use it without help either since I need to go down a flight of stairs first, unless I leave it outside all the time (which doesn’t seem good, could get stolen or just get plain dirty).  I’ll keep it for a month then see if it’s actually useful, then maybe I’ll return it.

Also, thank you to all the people who’ve been asking after me.  And especially big thanks to my landlady and landlord, who’re giving me food and taking me to the hospital.  Especially since it’s actually really inconvenient for them to do so because of some circumstances…

Ankle Injury Day 5

Is it my imagination, or does it seem like my leg hurts more and more when I put it down off the elevation?  Does that mean my swelling’s less so every time I put it down it swells back up more relatively increasing the pain, or does it mean I’m swelling more, so it’s getting even more swollen?

I hope it’s the former and it may be so because after keeping my foot elevated I think I can flex my toes and feel more space around my foot than when the foot’s on the ground.

But what good is elevation if mere minutes of unelevation returns the swelling to its original state?

Ankle Injury Day 4

Aunt came to visit me today.

Requisitioned a laptop from work.

Reading about related stuff and I’m dreading the massive pain after the surgery… 2 weeks?  Gah.

For the moment, I’m off all painkillers but I may need some when that time comes… going to the bathroom and (not) sleeping is what I’ll dread the most.

Realizing that a lot of the stuff I had planned for the near-future will probably not be feasible is also a bit of a bummer.

Ankle Injury Day 3

Went to St. Mary’s Medical Center today and got my splint changed.  The new one feels much better, no more major pain just from lifting it.  I can actually get around the house now without help.  Still haven’t figured out a good way to get up those stairs though (besides sitting on the steps), but getting up afterwards was hard.

Can’t use my computer unless I’m eating ’cause I need to keep my leg elevated to reduce the swelling.

Doctor said I may need to be on crutches for 3 months because ligaments take a long time to heal.  The fracture on the fribula is all the way through, but not compound or anything like that.  The big bone looked dislocated because of the torn ligaments (it’s not next to the fibula)

Ankle Injury Day 2

So, the cast feels too heavy and seems like if I lift my leg, the weight is on the damaged part.  I see the orthopedic tomorrow.  Sleeping is actually scary, because if it’s in a bad condition, it will be in the bad condition for hours on end.  Like poor circulation.

The cast feels slightly loose.  Maybe from reduced swelling.  Crutch balance is still kinda poor.  Tylenol helped reduce the pain in the day, but the vicodin so far does not seem to help that much, though I’m using the lower dosage amount.

My leg aches.  Maybe from having to sit most of the day with this heavy cast.