It's a quiet weekend here at the Ranch. I'm enjoying the new Barney cast so far -- much less shifting about, so much less painful. I should add that I have a very nice new silver Sharpie, and so am just awaiting visitors to come and sign Barney when they like.
James ran a ton of errands today, and worked on all sorts of housey things, which was nice: I have new hanging prettiness in my room tonight, courtesy of the tall handyman. He also installed a new shower head that's detachable -- handheld, I believe is the term -- so a shower for Gimpy!Colleen is imminent. I have dreams of this people, and I am SO excited. My goal is within the next week being able to hop, hop, hop to the shower. Please keep your fingers crossed. I WILL say that, once I am able to hit the shower once again, I fully expect to have a hellacious water bill for the month: I am NEVER getting out again!
Kim is coming to hang tomorrow, I think, which will be lovely as I missed her while she was on her Magical Holiday Tour 08. In my boredom these days, I've been contemplating what to do with my hair ... I'm seriously considering letting it grow out again a bit, and putting in some streaks. I wonder if my hair stylist Laura will make a house call?
Dec 29, 2007
Dec 28, 2007
For Garth
New cast today!
My fabulicious Uncle Bob and I went to the doc's and met with the cast pros, who removed my coolio pink-and-black cast (RIP, Stripey) and took a look at the Frankenstein foot. It looks relatively pretty good, actually -- seems to be healing well, looks irritated but pretty clean. Theories on the pain from the cast range from (A) some people just don't tolerate casts well, to (B) sometimes the material inside the cast causes irritation for some folks, to (C) the nerve endings in my foot are cranky from all of the trauma and neglect, and so are acting up, to (D) who the hell knows? (I like (C) and (D), incidently.)
Anywho, no infections so we re-wrapped (now with even more padding) and then the big question: what color?
And so, to my friend and style inspiration, Garth -- this one's for you:
My fabulicious Uncle Bob and I went to the doc's and met with the cast pros, who removed my coolio pink-and-black cast (RIP, Stripey) and took a look at the Frankenstein foot. It looks relatively pretty good, actually -- seems to be healing well, looks irritated but pretty clean. Theories on the pain from the cast range from (A) some people just don't tolerate casts well, to (B) sometimes the material inside the cast causes irritation for some folks, to (C) the nerve endings in my foot are cranky from all of the trauma and neglect, and so are acting up, to (D) who the hell knows? (I like (C) and (D), incidently.)
Anywho, no infections so we re-wrapped (now with even more padding) and then the big question: what color?
And so, to my friend and style inspiration, Garth -- this one's for you:
Dec 27, 2007
HoHoHo ... Ow
Christmas has come and gone, and it was a really nice holiday. I really enjoyed visiting with friends who stopped by, and we had a nice Christmas Eve dinner with my mom and uncle Roberto. Of course, I missed terribly the usual formal Feast of the Seven Fishes -- our nearest and dearest all around us, candle light and music. But actually, I was just thankful that I was home and in one piece and well enough to go to the table and eat ... and eat we did. Roasted chestnuts and crab legs and shrimps and grilled steak and scallops marinated in fresh orange juice: TOTAL feast.
Chistmas day was very, very quiet, just J and myself. His parents and older brother stopped by for an hour in the afternoon, which was lovely, and then it was just us again. J, as always, got me all sorts of gifts that I adore, including the book How to Be a Villain 
and the game Goth: the Game of Horror Trivia. Nice.
The best gift was one I (and my physical therapist and all the people helping me recover) gave myself: on Christmas Eve day I hopped! OK, so this isn't earth-shattering but it means I am one (teensy-weensy) small step/hop closer to being mobile again. And THAT is a wonderful thing. It hurts like hell but progress is being made.
Speaking of hurting, something unfortunate is going on under my cast ... I seem to have some pin/cast issues, which are making my foot very, very unhappy. I have to go see the doc/cast experts tomorrow AM to get everything "adjusted," so this may just be the swan song for my uber-lovely pink-and-black cast. I should start thinking now about what color cast I want tomorow AM ...
Dec 25, 2007
Merry Happy Joyous Holidays!
Hello, my darlings! It's Christmas, and I just wanted to take a moment to wish you all a really amazing holiday season.
We had a feast last night, and now today J and I are chilling and just enjoying the Christmas vibe. More later with a full report, but I wanted to take a moment to send my love for all of you, my friends and family, out into the universe. Merry Christmas -- we love you all.
We had a feast last night, and now today J and I are chilling and just enjoying the Christmas vibe. More later with a full report, but I wanted to take a moment to send my love for all of you, my friends and family, out into the universe. Merry Christmas -- we love you all.
Dec 21, 2007
Ewwy Gooey
You know that whole thing where something goes horribly, horribly awry (a car accident, people fighting in the street, Britney Spear's existence, etc.) and you know you shouldn't look -- shouldn't even think about looking -- but something in you, some perverse little imp at the back of your soul, forces your head to turn and your eyes to open and then POW! You're stuck forever with an image you really, really, really could have done without?
Yeah, me too. More on that in a mo ...
Today was a jam-packed day, actually. First up with my trip to the surgeon, and my first trip down my lovely new ramp. All was well, which was a treat. I had many new x-rays taken, and then for the big event: the grand unveiling of My Broken Left Foot.
Dear reader, I almost brought a camera with me. Almost took pictures of whatever it was that God and my surgeon (the fabulous Dr. Gorczyca -- hiya, Dr. G!) hath wrought. Almost. But I didn't, and you can send your thanks care of e-mail. It was ... well, disturbing is a word. Actually, let me start by saying that all is well in MBLF land. Yes, the right ankle is screwed up a tad. Yes, MBLF is still broken. However, all is generally coming along, and Dr. G seemed pleased by the health and general healing (right, Dr. G? Hello?). That said: ewwww.
**WARNING: If you're squeamish -- skip ahead, my sisters and brothers. Seriously, it's cool. *I* would've skipped ahead if I could've, trust me.**
Once the initial cast and splint material was cracked open, layer after layer of blood-soaked material was peeled away. The first part of my foot that was then visible to me was pin #1, situated about two inches below my big toe. And why was it visible? Because I am apparently a human shish-kabab, and I have been skewered with this temp pin, which has a little handle-thingy sticking out of my foot. OUT. of my. FOOT. And apparently, we aren't taking that bad boy out for at least six more weeks.
I was barely coming to terms with this little moment -- the blood, the pin, etc. -- when all was peeled away and, well, how do I put this? I apparently have a prop from Hellraiser attached to my left ankle where my foot once resided.
There are three major incisions going. One goes the length of the foot, from below the shish-kebab pin to my ankle. #2 is on the outside of my foot, going probably 3/4 the length of the foot. The third is actually my old friend the ankle scar re-opened for some tweaking -- from the base where the foot and the ankle meet, to about 4 -5 inches up. Very purty.
There are many, many, many black, puckered stitches holding it all together. I would say ... ehh, 40-50? Nice. Dr. G basically said all looked cool, I'm a trooper (he's right, I SO am) and he'd see me in three weeks for le removal du stiches and whatnot. Oh, and I get to have an actual cast. Alex the friendly med tech was feeling festive, as was I so voila:
**END squicky portion of blog. Resume your regular reading patterns.**
The day DID improve, of course. My truly fabulous friends Jules, Alicia and Sofia all came to visit me, which was a TOTAL treat. We visited, had some mad cookies and generally caught up. Then best friend Kim came over (seriously, if everyone could have a best friend as amazingly fabulously wonderful as Big K -- who has visited and helped and supported CONSTANTLY -- then we'd have world peace in like, a day) before her holiday soujourn to see the fam. And then, my team sent me the most gorgous bouquet of flowers from my fave flower store, Arenas. I miss my team so very much: there is no more talented, funny, caring, intelligent group of people anywhere and I am so proud to be friends and teammates with them all. Smooches!
And so, that was Friday.
Yeah, me too. More on that in a mo ...
Today was a jam-packed day, actually. First up with my trip to the surgeon, and my first trip down my lovely new ramp. All was well, which was a treat. I had many new x-rays taken, and then for the big event: the grand unveiling of My Broken Left Foot.
Dear reader, I almost brought a camera with me. Almost took pictures of whatever it was that God and my surgeon (the fabulous Dr. Gorczyca -- hiya, Dr. G!) hath wrought. Almost. But I didn't, and you can send your thanks care of e-mail. It was ... well, disturbing is a word. Actually, let me start by saying that all is well in MBLF land. Yes, the right ankle is screwed up a tad. Yes, MBLF is still broken. However, all is generally coming along, and Dr. G seemed pleased by the health and general healing (right, Dr. G? Hello?). That said: ewwww.
**WARNING: If you're squeamish -- skip ahead, my sisters and brothers. Seriously, it's cool. *I* would've skipped ahead if I could've, trust me.**
Once the initial cast and splint material was cracked open, layer after layer of blood-soaked material was peeled away. The first part of my foot that was then visible to me was pin #1, situated about two inches below my big toe. And why was it visible? Because I am apparently a human shish-kabab, and I have been skewered with this temp pin, which has a little handle-thingy sticking out of my foot. OUT. of my. FOOT. And apparently, we aren't taking that bad boy out for at least six more weeks.
I was barely coming to terms with this little moment -- the blood, the pin, etc. -- when all was peeled away and, well, how do I put this? I apparently have a prop from Hellraiser attached to my left ankle where my foot once resided.
There are three major incisions going. One goes the length of the foot, from below the shish-kebab pin to my ankle. #2 is on the outside of my foot, going probably 3/4 the length of the foot. The third is actually my old friend the ankle scar re-opened for some tweaking -- from the base where the foot and the ankle meet, to about 4 -5 inches up. Very purty.
There are many, many, many black, puckered stitches holding it all together. I would say ... ehh, 40-50? Nice. Dr. G basically said all looked cool, I'm a trooper (he's right, I SO am) and he'd see me in three weeks for le removal du stiches and whatnot. Oh, and I get to have an actual cast. Alex the friendly med tech was feeling festive, as was I so voila:
**END squicky portion of blog. Resume your regular reading patterns.**
The day DID improve, of course. My truly fabulous friends Jules, Alicia and Sofia all came to visit me, which was a TOTAL treat. We visited, had some mad cookies and generally caught up. Then best friend Kim came over (seriously, if everyone could have a best friend as amazingly fabulously wonderful as Big K -- who has visited and helped and supported CONSTANTLY -- then we'd have world peace in like, a day) before her holiday soujourn to see the fam. And then, my team sent me the most gorgous bouquet of flowers from my fave flower store, Arenas. I miss my team so very much: there is no more talented, funny, caring, intelligent group of people anywhere and I am so proud to be friends and teammates with them all. Smooches!
And so, that was Friday.
Dec 20, 2007
Today's news from the front
My physical therapist, Aaron, was here today and now my ankle? She hurts, my friend. She hurts.
We made some almond cookies today -- a new recipe, and I'm not loving. But hey! They're almond, so it's pretty much all good.
James is, of course, the most amazing husband in the universe. He built me a ramp. Let me say that again; HE BUILT ME A RAMP. Seriously. Now I can be pushed in and out of the house, and no longer need to be carried (carried!) up and down the front steps in my wheelchair.
And so, that's the day. I go to the surgeon's office in the AM so I'll be (A) seeing MyBrokenLeftFoot for the first time since surgery, and (B) learning just what the heck is going on down there at the end of my legs.
We made some almond cookies today -- a new recipe, and I'm not loving. But hey! They're almond, so it's pretty much all good.
James is, of course, the most amazing husband in the universe. He built me a ramp. Let me say that again; HE BUILT ME A RAMP. Seriously. Now I can be pushed in and out of the house, and no longer need to be carried (carried!) up and down the front steps in my wheelchair.
And so, that's the day. I go to the surgeon's office in the AM so I'll be (A) seeing MyBrokenLeftFoot for the first time since surgery, and (B) learning just what the heck is going on down there at the end of my legs.
Dec 19, 2007
And now another episode of "As the Bone Breaks"
So. Two weeks ago or so my husband and I stopped into our house to admire our newly-sanded and polished hardwood floors. As I turned to go down the garage steps, something (a mop? a chair? a rhinoceros? No idea.) stuck into the stairwell and down I fell.
One 9-1-1 call, two nights in the hospital and about 30 x-rays/CAT scans later, I was given the news: RIGHT ANKLE - severe level-3 sprain, with possible tearing of ligaments; LEFT FOOT - number of fractures, including heel and various crushed/displaced bones.
Joy to the world.
A week in bed (and I do mean "in bed" - no weight bearing), and then a visit to my new orthopedic surgeon, at which I was scheduled for surgery bright and early the next AM. At a week post-surgery, I have a new cast on the left leg, as well as some new metal screws/pins/etc. No weight is allowed on the left foot for ... well, months, actually. I'm still not moving much; I have a wheelchair and will travel, have stood on the right sprained leg, but with much pain and no movement. Still working on that.
I generally am doing well, really. I have PT three times a week, and am hopeful. Always hopeful. I'll keep you posted.
One 9-1-1 call, two nights in the hospital and about 30 x-rays/CAT scans later, I was given the news: RIGHT ANKLE - severe level-3 sprain, with possible tearing of ligaments; LEFT FOOT - number of fractures, including heel and various crushed/displaced bones.
Joy to the world.
A week in bed (and I do mean "in bed" - no weight bearing), and then a visit to my new orthopedic surgeon, at which I was scheduled for surgery bright and early the next AM. At a week post-surgery, I have a new cast on the left leg, as well as some new metal screws/pins/etc. No weight is allowed on the left foot for ... well, months, actually. I'm still not moving much; I have a wheelchair and will travel, have stood on the right sprained leg, but with much pain and no movement. Still working on that.
I generally am doing well, really. I have PT three times a week, and am hopeful. Always hopeful. I'll keep you posted.
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