Tonya and PQBON's WebLog
am in fact still alive.
I went to the doctor today. I got that last of my staples out and a removable adjustable walking boot. I can't walk, but I can put a limited amount of weight on it. The Dr. said that the only way I could really damage the bones was to jump up and down on it multiple times. Right now the big task is to get my knee and ankle back. My knee is about 80% there but my ankle only has about 5 degrees of motion. I need to do a lot with my ankle. The best news is my brace is removable so I can take a shower without a bag taped around my leg. The Dr. did talk to my about a 10% chance of failure to heal. There is a 10% chance that my tibia won't grow together and I will have to go though one of two alternative. The first is just electrical stimulation of the tibia to force bone growth. This is the best option if it fails to heal. The second alternative is to go back under the knife, have the rod removed, get the bone re-reamed and a bigger stronger rod that will encourage more growth installed. This is the worst option. It doesn't look like this will be a problem but it is something that I can't forget about.
The other thing that happened recently is a copy of the bill Washoe medical center sent to my insurance company arrived at my house. The grand total for my surgery and my time in the hospital: $40,000. Yes, forty thousand dollars.
For those that don't know I'm back at work starting yesterday. Other then not realizing how far apart buildings 2 and 3 are and not being able to get my own coffee it was pretty good.
I thought it was time for an update so here it goes:
Ok, on the injury front: I have had the staples removed from my knee
and incisions for the screws into the tibia. I have about a 60% range
of motion in my knee that I am supposed to work on. My leg now looks
more like a leg. Next week, the staples that are holding the very long
incsion that was used to rebuild my fibula will be removed. It is
going to suck as some of the staples are in the skin now... When the
doctor was checking me out and I was out of my cast it was discovered
that I have about 20% range of motion in my ankle. Once the staples
are all removed rehabilitating my ankle with be the top priority.
Here is where I thanks some specific people:
Shane and Alyssa for doing every thing they have done (ALOT)
Shelly for being there to help out
Tooch and Cathy for the PT Cruiser
Randy for helping get me where I need to go
and last but certainly not least, my two of my roommates
Ken and Amanda who make sure I don't starve and keep
me up to my eyeballs in graphic novels.
If I didn't thank you explicitly I'm sorry...
Ok, on the me front... I'm doing OK. I haven't been on the vicoden
since last weekend. I can shower and get around the house OK. I still
spend most of my time on the futon where I can watch TV, listen to my
IPod, use my laptop, or read graphic novels while I keep my leg
properly elevated.