Bit And Pieces

SHIP'S LOG:

     Truth be told there is nothing really new to report. I have one more week until my doctor's appointment and the removal of the splint/cast and the removal of the stitches and a determination of just how good a job the surgeon did on the ankle. it is difficult to say as I am not supposed to walk on it and that's fine as even with the walker it is not a "pleasant" experience. So I stay off it as much as possible and try to keep it elevated and all the other things the "papers" recommended.  I know what the surgeon did but not what he actually did so all speculation on how it went is up in the air. All I can say is that there is no real pain, my toes are pink and I can wiggle them and there are no red streaks going up my leg. All good things I suppose but not a lot to hang your hat on. But at least there is no itching where I can't scratch it.

     Big highlight of this day is that I took another shower!  I have to go through a laborious process to wrap the leg securely against any chance of the dressings getting wet which is a no-no. Once they get wet they never dry out and it can lead to infection which is a major no-no. I have to wrap the leg up in a garbage bag and seal it shut with plastic packing tape to keep the water out. to minimize the chances of an accidental leakage, I take a Caribbean shower, developed over the years by sailors in the Caribbean who have to pay sometimes serious bucks for fresh water. You hose yourself down and turn the water off. You soap up all over and then turn the water on and wash off. Simple. And while it gets the job done I do miss a long soaking shower. Then the bag must be taken off and removing the packing tape is like getting a Brazilian. I have developed a rather strange looking "bald spot" on the upper part of my left leg.

     One thing that i have noticed is that with the pain from the ankle significantly reduced the pain from the knees has increased. The brace takes care of the left knee and really it is the last step before replacement, so that will have to wait. However, the right knee is a cartilage issue and I am going to have to pester my other ortho cutter. I can both hear and feel the cartilage in the right knee and it won't get better on its own. However, he is not sure at this point whether or not removing or repairing it will eliminated the pain problem. I'll go see him after New Years and see what's what.