We've had a busy week or so. Last Thursday we went on a trip to Reno to visit Mike's Aunt Lorraine and cousin Gary. We stayed the night at Circus Circus and took the kids to the midway for some fun in the morning. After a big buffet breakfast we headed down for the festivities. The kids had a blast playing all of the carnival-style games and winning prizes. After an hour or so we were ready to leave. Alicia and Reece had played nearly every game there and my leg was really starting to throb from all of the activity and not being elevated.
We headed over to Lorraine's new apartment where Gary met us. We all sat and talked for awhile, catching up on our lives and then decided to go out for lunch. We were going to go to one of the casinos, but they didn't allow children in - even in the restaurant! That is the first time I've seen that, but they were strict and I didn't want to break any laws so we left and headed to Red Robin. After a big filling lunch we said our goodbyes and Mike, the kids and I were on our way home.
On the way we stopped at Boomtown so the kids could ride the rides in their children's area. Boomtown is a great spot for kids - if you want to spend the money. They had a blast and rode the ferris wheel with seats shaped like covered wagons, the old-fashioned carousel and a ride that took them up and dropped them quickly. They convinced Mike to take them on the 9-hole miniature golf course in the building, something he regretted nearly immediately. While they golfed I sat with my poor leg elevated and waited for them to finish. Once they were done we spent our credits (no money there, just credits on a card) on a couple of prizes and something to drink for everyone and once again we headed out, arriving home late Friday night.
The rest of the week was pretty uneventful until yesterday, Thursday. We got a surprise phone call in the afternoon from Mike's brother Troy. He was driving from Fresno to Sacramento and wanted to stop in and say hi for a few minutes. Of course we said yes - and then we panicked. The house is a disaster since I had my fall! Poor Mike tries, but he can't keep up with the cleaning. I had fortunately just called my brother and asked him to send my niece Anayla and nephew Khori over to help a bit so they did do a bunch and make it a bit more presentable when Troy and his friend Shane showed up.
It was very nice to see Troy. We hadn't seen him but once since their dad died in 2003. He seems to be doing well and was in good spirits. Khori was over the moon in ecstatic happiness because he finally got a chance to meet Troy. Khori plays guitar and has discovered Troy's band Tesla. Khori has been working hard at learning the songs that they play and was a little upset that I didn't tell him Troy would be here because he didn't bring anything to have signed. That was fine because Troy set him up with some autographed drum sticks and took some pictures with Khori. I am sure that as soon as Khori is not grounded, one of those pictures is going to be set as his default on MySpace.
Today, Troy's son, affectionately called Little Troy and a drummer in his own band, came by to see us. He and his dad are currently estranged and did not know that each of the other was going to be here in town. I first met him when he was an 8 year old boy and now he is a heavily-tattooed man with a long braided goatee. He's still a little sweetie, though, and I can see glimpses of that little boy still in there.
A few minutes after Little Troy arrived with our good friend Adrian, another of Mike's brothers showed up. Denny lives in L.A. but is up this way on business. He is also in the music business, but he is in management. We haven't seen Denny in about a year so this was a nice visit as well. He brought with him the birthday and Christmas presents he's been holding for the last year for the kids. The house is now messier than ever but the kids are very happy. Alicia got a chest with dress-up clothing and a Cinderella princess carriage and Cinderella doll. It really is a beautiful gift for a little girl. Reece got a roaring dinosaur that knocks over a stack of plastic pieces that form some sort of hut or something. I'm not sure what it is, but he's crazy about it. He also got - and this is the big-ticket item - a Superman bicycle! Uncle Denny is coming back on Sunday morning to put it together for him. Boy, does he ever spoil our kids.
This evening, I got a phone call from my sister's best friend, Amie. I was a little surprised because I don't think that Amie has ever called me before. She told me that Karnette was involved in a motorcycle accident. Amie assured me that Karnette was okay and that Amie had Karnette's girls with her. Apparently Karnette had been out riding with her friend Cynthia and took a corner too quickly. It was sharper than she expected and she hit the shoulder and went sliding. She thought she dislocated her collarbone and was taken in the ambulance to the hospital to be checked.
I just got off the phone with Karnette and she didn't actually dislocate anything. Instead, they think that she has pulled the ligaments. She is in a splint and doped up pretty well, but still in a lot of pain. And yes, she is planning on riding a motorcycle again.
Friday, March 30, 2007
As I lie gimping...
My healing has actually come a long way. I've had 3 casts since my last posting. One was put on and then removed the same afternoon. The tech who put it on did a really shoddy job. It was poking and curling in next to my foot. Altogether it was the most uncomfortable cast I'd had. I thought that maybe I could last it out until Monday (it was put on Friday afternoon), but when I went to bed that night all sorts of stuff happened. There was miserable pain in leg. My toes went numb and when I touched them they would tingle like pins and needles, as if my foot had fallen asleep and was waking up. That's not how a casted foot should feel.
I had Mike take me to the emergency room. We left the house around 11 pm, dropped the kids off at my sister Karnette's house and got to the emergency room just before midnight. Did I happen to mention that once the clock hit midnight it was my 37th birthday? Yes, happy birthday to me.
The triage nurse put me at a higher priority because my toes were numb. Then we had to go sit back out in chairs and wait...and wait...and wait. Finally, at about 3 am, I was taken back to be seen. The doctor finally wandered in to see me and was distracted, to say the least. Turns out I had to wait so long because some patients from Merced had been airlifted to the hospital with gun shot wounds. One of them had so many holes in his heart that they couldn't close all of them up and he didn't make it.
On to my insignificant problems...they decided to remove the cast since it was obviously pressing on something somewhere and causing issues. The ortho tech came in and removed it and replaced it with a lovely splint. I swear, those things feel as if they weigh 20 pounds!! Monday I went back to the doctor's office and got a new cast.
I am on another cast since that time. My healing is still going along as if I'd had the surgery. This latest cast is a walking cast, which is a major misnomer. I am still on crutches. I can only put 50% of my weight on the cast. I have had it for 2 weeks now and will have it for another 2 weeks, although I may get another one next week if my swelling continues to go down the way that it is. The reason I would need a new one in between is because as the swelling goes down the cast will rub against the foot and make a blister. Hopefully the next one will be a true walking cast and I'm still healing the same.
I had Mike take me to the emergency room. We left the house around 11 pm, dropped the kids off at my sister Karnette's house and got to the emergency room just before midnight. Did I happen to mention that once the clock hit midnight it was my 37th birthday? Yes, happy birthday to me.
The triage nurse put me at a higher priority because my toes were numb. Then we had to go sit back out in chairs and wait...and wait...and wait. Finally, at about 3 am, I was taken back to be seen. The doctor finally wandered in to see me and was distracted, to say the least. Turns out I had to wait so long because some patients from Merced had been airlifted to the hospital with gun shot wounds. One of them had so many holes in his heart that they couldn't close all of them up and he didn't make it.
On to my insignificant problems...they decided to remove the cast since it was obviously pressing on something somewhere and causing issues. The ortho tech came in and removed it and replaced it with a lovely splint. I swear, those things feel as if they weigh 20 pounds!! Monday I went back to the doctor's office and got a new cast.
I am on another cast since that time. My healing is still going along as if I'd had the surgery. This latest cast is a walking cast, which is a major misnomer. I am still on crutches. I can only put 50% of my weight on the cast. I have had it for 2 weeks now and will have it for another 2 weeks, although I may get another one next week if my swelling continues to go down the way that it is. The reason I would need a new one in between is because as the swelling goes down the cast will rub against the foot and make a blister. Hopefully the next one will be a true walking cast and I'm still healing the same.
Monday, March 05, 2007
A broken update
Last Wednesday I went to the orthopedist for a plan of action on my broken leg. It had been exactly a week since I broke it and I had been in an awkward splint the whole time. I was very ready to know what was going on.
Dr. Weiss, a kind older man, said that he would like to avoid surgery at all costs. Apparently, the type of fracture I have would require a pretty involved surgery, complete with pins and plates. I wasn't prepared to hear that. Plates? The pins I pretty much expected, but PLATES? In addition to the complexity of the surgery, I would be at risk for infection. Apparently, the type of break I have is not a great one.
When I break a bone, I do it well!
First thing I did at the appointment was get a couple more x-rays. I got to keep on the splint, but it was still awkward and very uncomfortable. Next, I met with dear Dr. Weiss who told me that if I followed everything he told me to do I would probably avoid surgery. In about three weeks I could probably get a walking cast and six weeks out we would know for sure if I was healing well enough to avoid the dreaded operation. Finally, I made it into the cast room.
The woman setting my cast was very nice and extremely friendly. She cut off my splint and I was amazed at how much the swelling had gone down in my ankle. I was also surprised at just how sensitive it still was. The slightest bump sent pain radiating up my leg and made me cringe. She asked me to pick out a cast color. Alicia had told me before she left for school that she would like me to have a pink cast. Unfortunately, the only pink available was a flourescent pink. I was definitely not ready for that. I chose a dark blue that resembled denim.
She set my foot on a metal stand as I sat on the edge of an office bed. My instinct was to not move my foot one iota, but she had other plans for me. I needed to lower my heel and bend my ankle as close to 90 degrees as possible. She allowed time for me to do it. Over the next couple of minutes I was able to get my foot almost at a right angle and she was happy with it. She confided that she didn't expect me to get it bent as far as I did.
Once it was all wrapped and set, I felt so much more comfortable. The difference between a splint and a cast was remarkable and it felt so much more secure with the hard cast keeping my foot in place. The cast wasn't quite as bulky as the splint, either, which was an added bonus.
I left with orders to continue keeping my foot elevated and to return on Monday afternoon so Dr. Weiss could keep tabs on my progress.
Today is Monday. I went back to Dr. Weiss's office and got an update on my healing. My cast was removed so that we could do some x-rays. The removal of the cast was quite interesting. A small saw is used, but it does not spin. It merely vibrates and cuts through the plaster rapidly. If it does happen to touch skin, it is painless. In fact, the cutting rather tickled. Once the cast was cut she proceeded to cut the soft materials underneath with scissors. Some extenders to further separate the cast and she was able to lift it off. Underneath all of the casting was a surprise for me - bruising had really set in. I thought that I felt a bruise happening in the past week, on the opposite side of the break. The woman (I really need to learn her name) told me that is a good sign. It meant that the swelling had been decreased enough for the bruise to come through and that I have been keeping my foot elevated as instructed. The blood flow is the way it is supposed to be.
I hobbled to x-ray on my crutches with my now-loose foot. The sensation was quite odd after having it encased for two weeks. In the x-ray room I was positioned on a table and told to hold my ankle in increasingly awkward positions, having to flex my toes upward each time. I wished that I had taken a pain pill a little sooner than I had; I took it just before I got to the doctor's office. Once the x-rays were done, I hobbled back down the hall and was put into an exam room.
Dr. Weiss came in and discussed my break. He said that it is healing exactly as it would if I had had the surgery done. If I continue to do this well I will definitely not need to have the surgery. I went back to the casting room.
There was an adorable three-year-old boy also in the casting room. He is actually only a couple of weeks older than my own three-year-old, Reece. He had a bright green cast removed and this time opted for safety orange. He had such a great personality! It helped get my mind off the fact that my uncasted foot was really beginning to throb.
The wonderful ortho tech finished up with him and came to do my new cast. This time I chose a light blue in honor of the spring weather that has hit us this week. Once again I set my foot on the metal stand and worked at getting it bent to a 90 degree angle. I got very close to it this time, closer than the first time. The warmth and stability of the cast was comforting to me.
And now here I sit, my leg once again elevated and me relegated to two more weeks of no activity. I go back in a couple of weeks for some more x-rays and hopefully a walking cast. I can't wait.
Dr. Weiss, a kind older man, said that he would like to avoid surgery at all costs. Apparently, the type of fracture I have would require a pretty involved surgery, complete with pins and plates. I wasn't prepared to hear that. Plates? The pins I pretty much expected, but PLATES? In addition to the complexity of the surgery, I would be at risk for infection. Apparently, the type of break I have is not a great one.
When I break a bone, I do it well!
First thing I did at the appointment was get a couple more x-rays. I got to keep on the splint, but it was still awkward and very uncomfortable. Next, I met with dear Dr. Weiss who told me that if I followed everything he told me to do I would probably avoid surgery. In about three weeks I could probably get a walking cast and six weeks out we would know for sure if I was healing well enough to avoid the dreaded operation. Finally, I made it into the cast room.
The woman setting my cast was very nice and extremely friendly. She cut off my splint and I was amazed at how much the swelling had gone down in my ankle. I was also surprised at just how sensitive it still was. The slightest bump sent pain radiating up my leg and made me cringe. She asked me to pick out a cast color. Alicia had told me before she left for school that she would like me to have a pink cast. Unfortunately, the only pink available was a flourescent pink. I was definitely not ready for that. I chose a dark blue that resembled denim.
She set my foot on a metal stand as I sat on the edge of an office bed. My instinct was to not move my foot one iota, but she had other plans for me. I needed to lower my heel and bend my ankle as close to 90 degrees as possible. She allowed time for me to do it. Over the next couple of minutes I was able to get my foot almost at a right angle and she was happy with it. She confided that she didn't expect me to get it bent as far as I did.
Once it was all wrapped and set, I felt so much more comfortable. The difference between a splint and a cast was remarkable and it felt so much more secure with the hard cast keeping my foot in place. The cast wasn't quite as bulky as the splint, either, which was an added bonus.
I left with orders to continue keeping my foot elevated and to return on Monday afternoon so Dr. Weiss could keep tabs on my progress.
Today is Monday. I went back to Dr. Weiss's office and got an update on my healing. My cast was removed so that we could do some x-rays. The removal of the cast was quite interesting. A small saw is used, but it does not spin. It merely vibrates and cuts through the plaster rapidly. If it does happen to touch skin, it is painless. In fact, the cutting rather tickled. Once the cast was cut she proceeded to cut the soft materials underneath with scissors. Some extenders to further separate the cast and she was able to lift it off. Underneath all of the casting was a surprise for me - bruising had really set in. I thought that I felt a bruise happening in the past week, on the opposite side of the break. The woman (I really need to learn her name) told me that is a good sign. It meant that the swelling had been decreased enough for the bruise to come through and that I have been keeping my foot elevated as instructed. The blood flow is the way it is supposed to be.
I hobbled to x-ray on my crutches with my now-loose foot. The sensation was quite odd after having it encased for two weeks. In the x-ray room I was positioned on a table and told to hold my ankle in increasingly awkward positions, having to flex my toes upward each time. I wished that I had taken a pain pill a little sooner than I had; I took it just before I got to the doctor's office. Once the x-rays were done, I hobbled back down the hall and was put into an exam room.
Dr. Weiss came in and discussed my break. He said that it is healing exactly as it would if I had had the surgery done. If I continue to do this well I will definitely not need to have the surgery. I went back to the casting room.
There was an adorable three-year-old boy also in the casting room. He is actually only a couple of weeks older than my own three-year-old, Reece. He had a bright green cast removed and this time opted for safety orange. He had such a great personality! It helped get my mind off the fact that my uncasted foot was really beginning to throb.
The wonderful ortho tech finished up with him and came to do my new cast. This time I chose a light blue in honor of the spring weather that has hit us this week. Once again I set my foot on the metal stand and worked at getting it bent to a 90 degree angle. I got very close to it this time, closer than the first time. The warmth and stability of the cast was comforting to me.
And now here I sit, my leg once again elevated and me relegated to two more weeks of no activity. I go back in a couple of weeks for some more x-rays and hopefully a walking cast. I can't wait.
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