Cast Removal ~ January 24, 2013

I was surprised to see that I had not posted since the day we went to the Phoenix Zoo. It seems that ever since I was injured, I am either spending time with the kids or struggling to become more mobile or reading book after book to stave off boredom or just not in a good place mentally.

To visit the surgeon for my six week post-op appointment on January 24th, I was allowed enough weight on my right foot to use the walker into the doctor's office. This is the last photo of me wearing a cast!

Have you ever seen a cast removal? She used a small circular saw to cut through the length of the cast on both sides.

 

The next step is to pry the two halves apart, just an inch or so, which seems to take a lot of strength.

Then she had to cut through the layers of padding material, on both sides where the cast had been pried apart. That padding was wrapped around my foot and leg before the cast was applied.

Only then were my leg and foot finally freed from the cast and all of the padding.

As tempting as it was to post photos of my foot and leg, I like you all too much to subject you to that. The bad news was the shock of seeing the condition of my leg and foot...the swelling, the discoloration, the lack of range of motion, the incisions, and the horrid dead skin that covered the entire length. 

The good news was that the surgeon was pleased with the healing of the three bones that he had surgically repaired!

I had asked Rich to bring the mate to the shoe I was wearing so I could wear it home. Color me naive!  I went home from there wearing that black cast boot in the first picture of this post because my foot was so hugely swollen. I didn't even own a slipper that would fit my ginormous foot! 

That evening, we took the wheelchair for what would be its next-to-last outing. Our whole family went to the school for Shelby's Chorus Concert. Before they started singing, the teacher offered a photo op and Rich got a few great shots. Just look at that cutie stepping out near the middle of the front row!

The next day I actually got to take a shower! It is amazing how well you can care for yourself with the no-rinse soaps on the market, but to stand under pulsing water again...heaven! Then Rich took me to WalMart where I sat in the wheelchair with him pushing it and me pushing a cart in front of us...what a sight we must have been! We did find a simple rubber sandal there with just a Velcro strap across the front of the foot that, when purchased three sizes bigger, could be adjusted to my very differently sized feet. 

Now that I had footwear, I was mobile with the walker. Since leaving the hospital I had physical therapy at home, but the activities were limited due to the cast. Monday, January 28th was my first outpatient physical therapy appointment. Wow...that's work. Rich got such a kick out of the H-Wave making my toes wiggle! The H-Wave provides electrical stimulation to muscles to promote wound healing, improve circulation,  reduce swelling, and improve post-surgical range of motion. I also do a variety of exercises and the therapist manually manipulates my foot and ankle. The progress is very slow though.

I spend my days learning to walk again, which is still a work in progress as I continue physical therapy. There wasn't much beyond that and enjoying my time with the kids that last week of January. Perhaps I will soon find time to post some photos of February activities.

Lovin' Life ~~ On My Two Feet Again!