The SEVEN-WEEK update

The SEVEN-WEEK update of how it’s going with Michelle

IT WAS SEVEN WEEKS AGO TO-DAY THAT THIS CHALLENGE BEGAN.

Hey, got through yesterday, if you put any stock in that sort of thing.  Today has been a good-enough day.  She’s still got mobility issues that we’re dealing with.  Stairs and curbs are in issue.  Not keeping her foot up enough during the day is an issue.  Standing up is an issue.  Still, she can manage curbs and stairs, and she can stand up from a seated position.  It’s WAY better than what we were dealing with a week ago.  Impatience with how long this is taking is also an issue.  Needing to delay everything else going on to contend with all the issues is an issue.  It’s getting better, though.  Just not so quickly as we were both hoping for.

We drove down to Palmetto today, taking the three parakeets (some call ‘em budgies; I like that, but it’s not so widely recognized) down to Mom, after she expressed her interest in managing avian life and knowing that, without birds down there, sure enough there would be a comparatively small quadruped or two joining the local menagerie.

Going to sing Mass tomorrow for the second time, and the last time of the summer, what with this year’s choir season ending.  We’ll be back at the end of August, and Michelle should be down to just a brace on the left ankle by then.  We’re hoping, anyway.  And kind of expecting.

She starts back to work full-time Monday, after getting doctor permission to do so on Friday.  The half-days have gone well, but it’ll be good for her to have a whole day in the office to address those concerns.  It’ll take the focus off her own issues and give her cause to concentrate on business things.  It’s good for her to be at work.  It helps her get through the days. 

Handling the challenges

Michelle status is good, but not as good as she was expecting. She’s got mobility, but it’s slow mobility. She went out for a little walk last night, slowly down the garage-side stairs off the deck to look at the flowers, headed towards the mailbox as I took the dog for a walk, thought better of it part-way due to the driveway’s incline, headed back inside and on up for bed.

This morning, she walked down the stairs, one at a time. We’ve learned that the air boot was doing more for her right ankle than she realized. We’ll see how she’s doing tomorrow.

How about a few pictures?

Number 6 is where all the big-deal stuff happened, near where the plate and screws (316 stainless steel, I was told yesterday) and surgery happened.

The cast comes off.

The scar is healing very well.

Now, the air boot is on the left.

The whiz-bang yee-ha woo-wee 21st Century "sports brace" that's now on her right ankle.

And now it's this way.  Her next consult is on 10 August.  Maybe things will settle out better by then.

The 10 July Update

As promised through the earlier parts, the cast came off today and the air boot moved from her right ankle to her left ankle.  We'll go back on 10 August for another consult.

Michelle mentioned being told that her right ankle looks like it had never been broken.

I'll put up larger versions in a few days, along with excerpts from the notes I took today.  Right now, it's late, and it's been a long day.

Maybe just one more day of this

Today’s entry is brought to you by Arial Black .

Tomorrow afternoon, we'll get the 411 on the next part of our ongoing experience. After arriving a little after ten, we’ll go back in to meet with the orthopedist and get going on the cast removal. Once that's taken care of, we'll see what's next.

Probably, hoping, x-rays will confirm the expected level of healing. We'll get a splint put on her right ankle, move the air boot to her left, get some physical therapy input (I'll take some notes), and we'll head on out for some lunch.

Maybe she won't need any support from any of the supportive appliances to get around, or not so much support.  We'll just have to see.  Will the wheelchair and the knee scooter go back after tomorrow's medical consult?

I've arranged to take the day, so it's wide-open for me. I sure didn't want to contend with taking the morning to get her over there and then have to hustle back home to leave her off and go into the office. Thankfully, I'm ahead enough of what's going on to be in good shape, for one day, at least.

I sure would like to bring some pictures back so I can share how much better she’s doing now than she before this series of weeks began.  I can’t say enough how supportive everyone in our lives has been of Michelle and I both during this extremely disadvantageous situation.  We are both very thankful to one and all. 

Counting down single digits

Tuesday, 10 July, is the day we go in and find out the next step.  The plan is for the cast to come off her left ankle.  I expect that there will be some looking at it, and probably x-rays.  We would like to think that the air boot will move over to her left and that they'll put a splint on the right.  The further expectation is that she'll be permitted to walk, to put full weight on her left, for the first time since the morning on 19 May, just before she stepped off the next-to-last step down into our garage expecting to continue on her way to the car so we could go to breakfast. 
It didn't go that way.  Looking at the calendar, next Tuesday will be just over seven full weeks and maybe, finally, hopefully, she'll be allowed to walk.  It's what we've been looking forward to, even if it's not completely actually walking.

A Good Day

Michelle spent this afternoon at her job today.  After her doctor provided permission to work half-days, and all the various details got sorted out, I took her in during my lunch break, and she was able to get a good amount of work completed. I picked her up and took her home after my work day ended.  I'll take her back in again tomorrow during my lunch break.

She feels much better about how things are going.  We're counting down to 10 July.  19 Days, woo-woo!!

12 June update, plus duckies

For me, the big takeaway from the consult is that Michelle should be independently mobile on 10 July. She’ll actually be wearing a brace on her right ankle with the air boot on her left after then, but there should be a lot more mobility when we leave that office visit. I may have to take the day off, just so I can be with her as she celebrates her new-found options.

Maybe the best thing I heard yesterday was when K----, the nurse, looked at Michelle’s ankle and said “you’ve done a good job of healing.”

Somebody said “..right foot looks much better…” yesterday. I think it was Dr. S-----.

So, basically, four more weeks of the air boot on her right. Pink and purple fiberglass cast on her left ankle for four weeks. Lots closer to normal life after that. Still some limits, but way serious improved in a lot of ways.

Rudy (Michelle’s nephew) is being a really great help for us and, I think, having a reasonable time in our home. Maybe we’re not so boring.

also, the long-awaited duckies link is below.

herding ducklings

many thanks to everyone for all your help and good thoughts.

here's a few pictures: