Surgery complete, recovery continues

Michelle exited surgery around 2:00. The doctor came into the waiting area and beckoned me into one of the consultation rooms.

“She did fine…she’s fine,” he told me.

The fix implemented, for which less-than-super photos will appear in the near future, is a plate on the outside-facing bone surface bearing three screws approximately horizontal and another screw from the other side (inside-facing bone surface) at a somewhat-over-perpendicular angle (call it 115 degrees ) to the three screws mentioned earlier. This engineering update will live with Michelle for the rest of her days. She is now a bionic woman.

I neglected to ask any metallurgical questions. Details will come to light eventually.

I was shown pictures (“these are hospital records; you can get copies at your post-op visit”) of which I took cellphone-camera photos. I look to post those in the next few days. I got the doctor to draw a line on my ankle showing the incision. Got a picture of that, too. Sure, I’ll post it with the other ones.

She has a plaster cast on her left ankle now. We’ll go in for her post-op appointment in two weeks for dressing/stitches removal and fiberglass cast installation, probably in a complicated color scheme.

Six weeks after (or from now, my notes say, I’m not confident about that yet), left ankle cast removed, x-ray, put on another cast if needed, or put on a Moon Boot.

With the Moon Boot, she’ll be able to walk on it, but not before. She’ll only be allowed to walk on it after they put on the Moon Boot.

At the six-week mark, her RIGHT ankle will be fitted with a “sports brace” for the rest of the recovery cycle. She’s been hopping on the right one ever since the event, so that’s how things will be until she’s allowed to put weight on her left.

As I type these words, they’re installing a “nerve block” device to release tiny metered amounts of local anesthetic to the back of her knee and moderate the left ankle post-surgery pain for “about 48 hours.” It’s a home-removal process when the reservoir is depleted. Hey, I get to be a medical technician.

Mom and I await notice of getting to take her home. I think I’ll make chicken and dumplings for dinner.

NO WEIGHT ON HER LEFT FOOT UNTIL THE DOCTOR SAYS IT’S OKAY.

More 411, and pictures, when I get around to it.

Thanks to everyone for all your kind words of support.