6 more weeks of crutches

Been waiting for today for a while as I am sure you have too.. It's been way to damn long since I've posted. I'll be lucky if anybody reads this work has just been nutz.

*updated on 8/1/07 - see below*

I met with the doc this morning to figure out how I have been progressing and what the time table for the rest of recovery is. When I got there they called me in to get x-rays. w00t! I finally get to see my post-op pictures. I never got a copy of the ones they took right after the surgery.

Well... with out further ado here are the pics: (click the pics for larger views)


And to answer your question I can't feel the screws on the inside of my ankle. However, I am sitting here comparing the pics to some scars on my leg. I do actually see two small spots on the inside of my ankle where the screws probably did bruise me. I wish I had the actual 1:1 x-ray so I could compare. But I am pretty sure that's them.

So, again the doc wasn't very communicative but I did get some info from him. Basically he says I am progressing well, the x-rays show that everything is right where he put it. I am still required to use both crutches at all times for the next 6 weeks but I can use them for assisted walking. I am now allowed to place 1/2 my body weight on my leg. He did adjust (by this I mean he said I can adjust it myself) the boot to allow for the additional 30 degrees of planter flextion. I was already allowed to flex my foot up (dorsiflextion) so now I am able to flex my foot down. So the most interesting thing the doc told me was that I may not have to do physical therapy. wha?!?! He is expecting that I will work up the muscle and flex just by starting to walk around on it. So I guess that also means I will just have to do PT on my own. Swimming and working the upper part of the leg is going to be the first steps.

So I started the assisted walking around today. Well.... yeah ankle is a bit sore.

After I got home and started going through the pics I took of the x-rays I noticed something in one of the pics that you may or may not have noticed already. I can tell you what I think it is, but here's the closeup so I'll let you look first. (once again if you click on the pic you'll get the big big version)


So what do you think it is??
Yeah I agree with you. It does look like there is a big chunk of the fibula still just sitting there. Unfortunately I only have FE (fucking expert) at the end of my name and not MD or in my doctor's case DO. So I didn't want to call the guy up first thing and say "yo dude, why does it look like about 1/4 of my fibula is still intact at that spot? and, is it supposed to be like that?"

I have sent the pictures out for a friendly second opinion. I'm not going to go see another doctor or anything. I just happen to know an orthopedic surgeon very closely that is about 1200 miles away. I've sent him the hi-res pics and we shall see.

**UPDATE 8/1/07**
So I've heard back from the orthopedic surgeon that I know. The official name is called a butterfly fragment. He said it is going to take a LONG time to heal but that I am still ok with easing into activity like I am doing. Also he is concerned that my doc is not intending on removing the screws prior to me walking. I have been told by both doctors that there is a good chance they will break. But despite that he wants to leave them in. My thought still remains that backing out two screws is a shit load easier then extracting 4 broken pieces of screws. Related to that he also says that removing the screws will probably allow for the fibula to heal much faster. Finally, he agrees that there should be no problem with me getting back on a bike by Oct/Nov.
**End Update**

The thought did cross my mind tonight... this guy is saying no PT necessary, and that I am progressing well, yet I have a fucking chunk of what appears to be bone floating in my fucking calf......... ok ok ok.. Let's all calm down. Let's just go one day at a time.

So there you have it. 6 more weeks of these bloody crutches. I am glad I bought 2 extra pairs of after market crutch tips. Although the first set of replacement tips I put on are holding up much better then the original (or as some would say the OEM). Does MTV have a show "Pimp My Crutches" yet?

Stay tuned for the update about work this week... oh what a frickin mess. You'll love it!

Oh... There's no quick only Cuban Time

What the hell am I doing working in the field? Well as most of you know we started this off a little different at work this week. Right now it is just my boss and myself. So we've got my boss who hasn't work in the field for 2+ years and me. I've been running the field operations and project management for 2+ years but I am practically useless. Still can't lift things, climb ladders, or even stand for a lengthy period of time. So again, I ask what am I doing there?

*addition 7/20/07 4:00pm*
The housekeeper is trying to kill me! I have setup camp in the kitchen and I walk out for a few minutes to test something. I walk back in and WHOA, holy shit stop... the floor is wet!!! She's mopping. Luckily I spotted it before going in. I have trained myself to spot these situations and I am always scanning the floor for wetness because it don't mix will with crutches. So I didn't want to add a new post for this since it was related. I am actually posting this from a customer's house. So like above.... I will ask, what am I doing here?
*end addition*

Well somebody that knows what going on has to be able to teach and direct the one who does not. Now, don't get me wrong my boss is a very intelligent man and certainly understands the concepts quite well. I mean he should, he has been doing it for 20-30 years. But here's the problem. The processes we go through now, even the cables and connectors we use now are different. Plus I don't think he realized you actually have to be in decent shape to move in and out of tight spaces while protecting the customer's house. Stand up get some parts, sit down put it together, stand up test, rinse, repeat. So not only does he not know the new equipment but the techs that we laid off and/or quit have had their processes for YEARS and know where all their tools and stuff is. My boss comes in and can't find anything.

This is driving me crazy. I feel pretty much useless in the field. I'll sit on the sofa and do some work on the computer and think about the things that I can do myself. So I too am playing a little catch up since I was out for a bit. So I sit there and wonder if part XYZ was installed correctly and working, "oh let me just go check that real quick..... oh damn A) there is no real quick with anything on crutches and maneuvering through the house and B) that part I am thinking of is installed outside in the back yard. How the shit am I going to get to it?" Yeah sure I could but I would end up dirty and really sweaty because I'd be crutching through the damn yard in 95 degree heat. Then get yelled at for tracking mud into the house onto the white floors with my crutches. So I stand there and show my boss how to do something and get him going on it for a bit while I stand around in HYD mode (Hold Your Dick).

Now we can top it all off with the fact that my boss is a true Cuban at heart. So what that means to people that don't know... he has NO concept of time. Prior to moving to Miami I really didn't know about the concept of "Cuban Time." But the clue should have come from the fact that my boss was late to my interview. And, he hasn't been on time since. To this day he defends that by saying when he shows up on time bad things happen. This drives me completely bonkers. I am typically on time if not early to just about everything I do. Sure, I've been late to things or caught up at the office or other things. But generally if I say a certain time I'll be there at that time. The other day he says we'll meet after lunch around 1 at the site. So at 1:30 I call and ask what the plan is. We end up meeting at 2:45. Trust me, I understand the guy is busy he is trying to get shit back up and running again. But I am still going

After I had been with the company for a bit and I was meeting my boss at client meetings I would show up on time and have to dance a jig for the customer or even potential customer for at least 15min before he showed up. Talk about awkward. "Hi, I'm Matt, he's about 20min behind me. I don't know shit about sales and I don't even have the proposal or the plans so I am going to ask you for a glass of water, pet your dog, and say hi to your family and then I'll sit out by your pool. Thanks for having me. Oh... You got any chips and salsa?"

Kickball Cheerleader/Score Keeper

Well the kickball season started again. This time with out me. Well... with out me playing in the field. But I am play right bench for the team "Brickell Slap and Tickle", our division is FL Fuego.

And yes I said kickball. It is WAKA (World Adult Kickball Assoc.). There are divisions literally all over the world. So check out the site and see if there is one near you or if you have enough people you can probably start your own. I have told people many times about kickball I've been talking about it and people say "errr... wait. Kickball?? You mean like...", "Yes just like in the third grade with the big red ball." The look on most people's face is great every time because you can see it just brings back their childhood memories of playing on the playground.

My team was saddened to hear last month that I would not be returning with my all-star like kicking an running abilities. But really the league is all about meeting people and just having a great time. So I figured I had met so many people I couldn't just not show up. I had to show my support for my team either by being the cheerleader or the beer bitch or something.

So I showed up on Sunday for the first game. The best part was the field was still locked and many people were either climbing the fence or walking ALL the way around. Neither was going to work for me. Luckily Miami Parks Dept. showed up to let us gimps and people that decided not to walk or climb in.

Well the game wasn't very successful to our team. We ended up playing the champions from the previous season. I'll leave it at it wasn't a complete shut out. I was the score keeper. Apparently I hit my head when I broke my ankle because for some reason I missed an entire inning and all I had to drink was about 1/4 cup of the punch. The odd thing is I had the correct score but I guess I just doubled up in one column or something. But good thing somebody else was paying attention.

There are some teams or some people here and there that take the game seriously, too seriously sometimes. There are other divisions like the Grove that are a bit more serious then ours. Obviously nobody wants to lose but really it's about having fun and meeting people. I do plan on registering for the next season probably this spring. I'll be back.

Vacation to Jersey

So I guess it has been a little bit since I've posted. Sorry if you feel neglected. Between work and
vacation I've kept pretty busy. I know I know... You're thinking "Vacation?!? He's hardly even working why does he get vacation" Well basically I figured since I'm not working I should just take one.

So on July 4th I went to a BBQ at the Boss's house. Got asked the same questions about a dozen times about the leg. But we had good food and went to some pretty craptastic fire works in South Miami. Probably some of the worst ones I've ever seen.

The next day I flew to Jersey. This was a bit interesting. I typically travel with a backpack and a small duffel but I don't think this would work too well with crutches. But I was able to get everything I needed in one backpack. I don't know how exactly but.... I did. I ended up driving to the airport and crutched to the ticket counter to ask for a wheelchair. So this wasn't a bad gig. They wheeled me right to the front of the line put my bag and crutches on the x-ray machine (I should have had them put me through so I could see my post op x-ray pictures) and wheeled me to the pat down area. I think the guy owes me a drink or something, geesh. But it was sure nice to skip the line. Also first on the plane too bad I wasn't in first class but bulkhead seat will do.

The weekend was good. Got to see the rents, hang out with Rachel and Marc, and my grandmother was also in town. Oh and we can't forget the puppy Jayda. Rachel, Marc and I went to the movies a couple times. We saw Ratatouille and Live Free or Die Hard again and saw Transformers. All of them are totally awesome movies!!! If you haven't see them yet you must!

I also got primped and pampered. Well.. sorta. I got my hair cut, a massage and my eye brows waxed. So yes... now I have two eye brows. And I do still happen to go home to get my hair cut. I just haven't found a place here in Miami that cuts my hair the way I like. I've tried a couple times but it just doesn't work out. So all in all the weekend was pretty good. Got to see pretty much everybody and hang out and pretty much do nothing. It was kinda nice.

The return trip wasn't too much different then going there. Except for the fact we pushed back from the gate on time and taxied out to the runway at which point we just sat there. You know it isn't a good thing when captain comes on and says he's shutting the engines off because we are going to be a while. So after about 2 hours of trying to find a new flight path around the storms we were cleared. Finally! So basically we spent 6 hours on a plane instead of 3.

The one bad thing about going home was I miss my first kickball game. Not that I am signed up to play but I figured I could be a good cheerleader or something like that. But my team won!! Congrats Brickell Slap and Tickle!

Well this week has been pretty busy. With our only tech quitting on Friday and starting on Monday it's just going to be my boss and me things have been a bit nutty. I've spent quite a bit of time working on some engineering work but also making as much stuff is completed prior to him leaving. So yeah.. next week will be interesting to say the least. Yeah.. I'll let you know.

Not too much to report on the ankle. I definitely have a lot more flexibility and the bruising has gone down considerably. So we'll see what the doc has to say in a couple weeks.

Plot Thickens

Well I guess I will report that there isn't much of a change to the leg/ankle right now. I've been getting around pretty well with my boot, but I will still be using crutches for another month or so. That is if the crutches make it. I have left chunks of the rubber feet around my apartment and the streets. I have ordered new feet online but it seems like every place I go to order from is sold out.

Also, acupuncture has also been going well. I have a cream and a liquid that the acupuncturist gave me I apply to my leg that is supposed to help reduce swelling and dissipate the bruising. He also gave me the most horrible tasting Chinese herbs to take. After some discussion with him he's going to encapsulate them for me so I can take it in a pill form. Phew.

But that isn't the big story at the moment is not my ankle. It's work. I know I've mentioned before work's been a little harry for the past couple months. We've been busy but we haven't had any new work come in. So with people getting laid off, people breaking ankles, people getting rehired it's been quite a mess recently. Well one of the guys we regretfully laid off has found himself a new job. I am very excited for him and glad that he has been able to find work. So I've been mainly working from home providing support to my other guy in the field, learning engineering software, and doing other office work that I can. Well..... Here is where the plot thickens. Due to obvious uncertainties in the company my remaining guy has decided that he needs certainty for him and his family. He put his two weeks last Friday. So that leaves it to my boss and I.

So how is this going to work? I can't walk and really work in the field and my boss has been really out of the field work for about the last 2 years (it's been my job). So we think we have an idea. In, what I think is Disney Pixar's best movie ever and probably the best movie this summer, Ratatouille. Remy the rat hides under Linguini's hat and by pulling his hair in different directions gets Linguini to do what he commands. It may be our only option for the time being.

At least for right now I've been able to work. I have yet to figure out if I am allowed to work and supplement my disability income or if I am screwing myself. I got a whole 'nother set of papers to fill out. I have started to see the insurance claims come into my insurance company though. They haven't all been processed but anybody want to guess what the total billed to the insurance company is up to so far?

Well, I am off to figure out how I can carry my bags when I head to the airport on Thursday.

Have a happy and safe 4th.

I've upgraded!

Well today was a long awaited day. Today marked my first real step toward recovery, toward walking, and toward getting back on a bike. Wow, that sounded dramatic. But really it was only the first step.

I met with the doc today. Yes the doc that needs a lesson on bed side manner. I have heard nothing but good things about this guy from the day I fucked up my ankle. Three people went out in different directions to look for a good orthopod and all ended up at the same spot. So this guy must be good. Now... don't get me wrong. I am certainly not doubting that. But since the surgery he hasn't been very communicative about anything.

They led me to a room and one of his staff came and cut my splint off. I was quite anxious for this moment. I really wanted to see what it looked like. My first though was "wow look at all the dried blood". Then I though "oh my, that looks gross". Then..... "oooo I've got to take pictures." I took a hand full of really crappy pics with my camera phone. I emailed them out to a few people right from there. But I decided as an amateur photographer I couldn't post those low res pics. So here is the real deal. I found it is kinda hard to take pictures of the left side of my leg but here's what I've got. (official I warned you.. it's a bit nasty. The people that have seen the sneak peak pics already have been a bit grossed out.) click a picture to see a larger version.









Oooo look more scars!

People have asked what the sore is on the top of my ankle. That is where the bone decided it was about to pop out of the skin when I fell..





You still with me? If you are reading this then you have either seen the pics or you skipped over them right to here. If you skipped over then I suggest you go back and peak. You know you want to.

Yeah I thought you'd like those.

The doc came in and checked to see if I could move the ankle. I had very limited dorsaflexion (flex foot toward body). By limited I mean 1/4". But he said the stitches were ready to come out.

So before he left I decided to get some information. I cornered the doctor and asked him exactly what the procedure was that he did. Did he do anything to the ligaments or was it just the screws. Basically he said I pretty much shredded the ligaments but these soft tissues will heal on their own. So all he really did was put two screws in the tib/fib at the ankle. ok... fine. Now my next question "are they going to stay or take them out when we are done?" He says most of the time they leave them in. Despite the fact that many times they break on their own. Exqueeze me? Many times they break?!? But he says most of the time when they break they don't effect anything and you don't notice. If you do notice they will take them out. I didn't mention it then but I would think taking out screws that are in one piece are easier then taking out a broken screw... but that's just me. I did however express my concern about them breaking. I mean your ankle takes a hit of 4-5x your body weight as you walk. Ok so for you math people out there figure this out one. Lets say I weigh 250lbs and I am on a 30lb bike. I decide to do a drop off a 3 foot ledge to the ground. As I hit the ground my bike absorbs 3" of travel. How much force is put on my ankles then? I know there may be some variables missing like how many lbs of pressure in the front and rear shock, etc, etc. But I think you math and non-math people get the point. It's A LOT. So I guess we will just wait and see for now. We are still 1.5-2 months away from that point.

So that paragraph looks like I talked to the doctor a lot. No, that was mostly inner monologue.

The same staff guy from before came back and cut my 6 stitches out. He fitted me up for my upgrade. I went from this lightweight plaster and ace bandage splint to this heavy rocker boot looking thing.



The boot basically allows for me to begin flexing my ankle to start stretching it out and improve the dorsaflexion. This boot is a 24hr a day thing including sleeping. I can take it off to shower. The boot also help to force my foot to a 90 degree angle.

This guy was much more informative. After the boot, he hooked me up with my handicap form to get my temporary sticker and gave me some information about exercises I can start and general timing.

Basically I am heading back in one month for x-rays and see when I can start physical therapy.

It is nice to be able to wash my leg and get my whole body in the shower. Well, I'm one small step closer. I'll keep you posted.

Picture Slideshow is LIVE

Due to an overwhelming demand I have added pictures.

So here is the link to the slide show. If you click on a picture it will give you some information about it or give you the option of viewing the full size version.

If you want to skip the slide show and just go straight to flickr then just go straight there.

I have plenty more to post and a bit of organization to do but the ones there should get you started. Please feel free to leave comments I want to know what you think!

Go for a ride...

Well, I have now been out of work for about three weeks. I ran out of PTO days (vacation days) last Tuesday. I am still waiting to receive legible paperwork so I can submit for my short term disability claim. And I am getting pretty bored sitting on the couch. So I am making no money and I've got no job. Wonderful eh?

"What?! No job" you say? As I discussed in the beginning, this has been a very interesting turn of events in the past couple weeks. I talked to my boss last Sunday and basically his hands are tied. We just don't have enough money to pay more then one person. He has tried talking with the other partners to see if there is something that can be done, anyway to get me some work. The only real things my boss could really come up with are just some BS things. Granted they would be helpful but I can't be doing work that we can't charge my hours back for. So if something comes up like programming some lights or something like that then we could probably work something out.

So I decided that I need to start finding some work. Either via my job or some job but I need to find someway to bring some money in. I decided to call the other partners in the company in the NJ office. After explaining the situation I think they realize they need to find some work for me or they may lose me. They have decided to push down some engineering work for both the Miami and NJ offices. So basically I'll be working with CAD and Visio to generate drawings for the technicians to follow. I'll get paid an hourly rate (yet to be determined). It does look like I may get some work directly from Miami after all. We got a call from a customer last week saying there was an issue with some outside lights not turning on consistently. So I get to make some programming adjustments. I am not sure how they are going to pay me, but I am going to submit my time worked. Also we have a new prospective client. I spent about an hour generating a lighting and motorized shade quote to pass along to engineering for a proposal. A whole hour. w00t!

My week could be busy. Well at least for the first couple days. Between getting caught up with the engineering software and doctor appointments.

I have finalized the acupuncture schedule. I will meet 3x a week for a month, then 2x a week for two months and then 1x a week for another 2 months. Basically a 5 month program that he believes will cut my recovery time down by about 30%. Like I've said before my realistic goal it to be back on a bike by Thanksgiving. One comment I would like to add on behalf of my grandmother regarding Acupuncture. I found out recently she is experiencing similar yet more severe hand numbness that I was having. Hers is pretty much permanent and effects the whole hand. After completing a nerve conduction study (which she says doesn't hurt), seeing orthopods and finally seeing an acupuncturist she still has no relief. I ended up telling my acupuncturist about this. I think we agree that it is possible the nerve damage may be too far along but it does seem like quite a coincidence that my grandma and I have the same symptoms in the same hand.

I will know much more about my recovery/physical therapy timing once Tuesday afternoon rolls around after my meeting with the orthopedic surgeon. I'll keep you posted.

Other then all this drama I have a bit more to throw on the fire, although it isn't really dramatic. I met a girl online about two weeks ago. We've exchanged a good handful of emails. She seems like a great person, seems to get my sense of humor, and overall is somebody I would like to meet, oh and is cute to boot. So we decided to meet on Saturday. The only stipulation for meeting was we couldn't go somewhere where I would have to walk a lot. So no romantic walks on the beach or anything. We decided on a nice sit down at the stereotypical Starbucks. Unfortunately her car broke down on Friday so we are going to reschedule for some time this week. We were both bummed about not meeting but we did get a chance to chat online over the weekend. As I've been typing this I as thinking of a name so you could identify her as I post more of the story. But of course I wouldn't post her real name, it would have to be a nickname or something. But then I realized I am not Jacqueline and I don't come up with nick names for all my friends and people I've dated. If she comes up with one I'll think about it and let ya know.

Since I screwed up my ankle I have thought about riding quite a bit. But last week I was on my way home from acupuncture. I was driving down the road and I was thinking about what I was going to do that afternoon. First thought that popped in my head was "hey I'll go for a ride"..... "aww fuck."

Acupuncture

I've been going to see an acupuncturist for about 3 months now. I originally started going because for a little while now I was noticing a numbness/tingling feeling in my left hand, mainly my two middle fingers. I noticed it a while back and certain activities would cause it to be worse. But it was typically temporary. I would just shake my hand out and I was ok. Well it was getting worse and worse to the point when it was effecting my daily activities. I would get numbness typing, riding my bike to the point I couldn't grab the break and even just sitting on the couch, driving, or sleeping. Once it got to this point I was really getting worried.

One worry was diabetes but it would be a bit odd to get it in only one hand, nothing in my feet, etc. So... ok not so worried about that. I decided it was time for me to find a local physician. I've typically gone back to NJ for doctor visits (like my hair cuts). But I figured a doctor was easier to find then a barber. Went to him for a general physical, we talked about my hand, allergies, etc etc. He wanted me to go get a nerve conduction study for my hand to figure out where the nerve was pinched. Decided to hold off on this procedure as I hear it can be a bit painful. After talking with a couple other people we pretty much determined it was carpel tunnel syndrome.

Well because pretty much my whole family is pretty into alternative medicine and healing we are all pretty open to acupuncture. So what the hell. If I could get some tiny little needles stuck in me and I won't have to wear a wrist brace... perfect.

So I got referred to Coral Gables Acupuncture I met with the guy. Totally an awesome guy, really friendly and real easy to talk to. He got me started that day. He thought maybe it was a nerve pinch and poor blood flow in the upper back and neck. We started on a 2x/week meeting for I think 3 weeks. He put some needles in my neck, back, and head and off we went. Other visits we would do points in the legs, arms, and head. He also gave me some Chinese herbal meds to work on blood flow.

---

Sidebar #1: Now I guess I will add this in now. Some of you must be saying, "I can understand the arms and neck but why is this dope putting needles in my legs when I went in about my hands." I'll give you the short short version (check out his website, HowItWorks, or Google for more info). Your body generates tiny electrical charges during it's normal process. This energy flows through your ENTIRE body if there is a blockage or an unbalance then something ain't going to work right. The needles at specific points help release the blockages so things can balance out. For those that live in South Florida. We all know that when you are driving on 836W past the Miami airport and a plane in landing, traffic tends to slow down a bit. This effects you if you are right behind the guy but somehow it would still effect you if you were at the 395/95 interchange, or going East on 836. So, you remove the one dumbass rubber necker and get everybody else to cooperate and traffic is much better. Ok.. maybe not the best description of acupuncture but I think you get the point.

Sidebar #2: The next point of concern people always ask.... "Does it hurt?" Generally I have found it doesn't hurt. Yes I have felt a small twinge when the needle goes in. Getting needles in the harder parts of the ear isn't really painful but an interesting feeling. But honestly it is so relaxing you very quickly forget about the needles. I have fallen asleep during every session.

---

He very quickly determined if I was responding to treatment. If you don't respond within a few then it is very possible that A) they aren't attacking the right points or, most likely B) your body just may not respond to it. We were seeing slight improvements. I was waking up less each morning with my hand being numb or less frequent numbness during other rest periods. But I would still get it biking. After a couple weeks we switched to a direct attack to the hand. We are talking about 10-15 needles in the hand and wrist area specifically concentrating the carpel tunnel areas. We met 1x/week and after the first week I had already noticed a difference. Now, 7 visits and about 9 weeks later I have not had any numbness in my hand riding, sleeping, typing or anything. This is exactly what I was looking for. It may have cost a bit more (insurance didn't cover me for this) then going to see a neurologist but totally worth it.

I also did a diet cleansing/weight loss program with them. Basically the cleansing process (and no it wasn't a liquid diet with a bunch of diarrhea) was to help flush any chemicals and artificial stuff out of my system to ensure my digestive tract was running as efficiently as it should. So with the cleansing, acupuncture to help stimulate the digestive system and a life change in eating (can't really call it a diet) has gotten me to where I am.

I have one more scheduled visit because I had to cancel one due to a broken ankle. At this one I am sure we will talk about my hand but I think the more pressing issue to talk about is the ankle/leg. I want to see if there is anything he can do for me to help with the healing of my leg, help prevent scar tissue, help prevent arthritis in the future, and overall speed things up so I can get a move on.

So I will be happy to talk to anybody about my acupuncture experience, and I want to hear about yours. I know there are a lot of skeptics out there and people afraid of needles. Oh and of people that I know, let me know if you are interested I have a coupon of sorts for basically a free first visit/consultation.


(he really should pay me for this eh? You know what, the success of my hand is enough)

On the *road* to recovery

Well the week is just about over and I can't believe about 2 weeks ago my foot was rotated around my leg by about 90 degrees. Good times... right? I know this has bothered me since that day but I was thinking about it today. Before I broke it I was riding about 4 times a week which worked out to be about 50 or so miles a week. This certainly attributed to my 20+ lbs weight loss over the past month/month and a half. Between biking, eating right, and my acupuncture, I feel great, I have more energy throughout the day, and I look damn good.... well almost.

The good news is I think I have actually continued to lose a little weight. I got on the scale and I've lost 1lb. Now... that is with my crutches (~2 lbs) and my splint (even though it may fell like it weights 10lbs I'm thinking more like 2 or 3lbs) so I may dare to say 5lbs but let's just say 4 to be conservative.

I have been getting a bit of a work out with my crutches. Mom and I went shopping Thursday so I could get some new shorts. I never knew how exhausting it was to try on clothes with ONE leg. I had brought a paper towel to wipe my brow, I was thinking more along the lines of "ahh hell I'll get a mop"

So I really haven't slept in about 3 or 4 days and it's getting annoying. Last night (Thursday night) I got about maybe 3 hours combined sleep. With some really weird dreams. People tell me it is the drugs working out of my system. To top it off we had to get an early jump on the day. Mom had a flight to catch. So in the morning mom came by to pick me up around 9:30 and we went back to her hotel for breakfast. We went to a car rental place and I got me a car. Some may wonder why do I need a car.... well my car has a manual transmission and I don't think I am quite able to clutch yet. Who really knows if I should be driving yet. So I am now on the road to recovery. w00t!

One question that people have asked is how well mom and I got along for the past week or so. I would say things went very well and I really couldn't have gotten through without her help. I told her that the next time she wants to spend a couple weeks at the Four Seasons I have a whole 'nother leg. So... Mom, thank you very much for your help. I don't know if you realize how much I appreciate everything. I love you.

So I've made my follow up appointment for my ankle. I am seeing the doctor on the 26th. At that point I hope he will take some x-rays so I can get a copy, because I'll never be able to get them from the hospital. And he should also put me in a removable boot of sorts so I can shower with both legs in the shower. And I hope I can sleep without the boot soon. Having this weight on my leg is just annoying when I am trying to sleep. Oh, and I should be getting my handicapable pass. Who wants a ride?

Welcome Home

Well I have been home now for most of the day but I just now awake enough to start this post. It has been a rough couple days as I am sure you can imagine. After going to bed around midnight on Sunday and pretty much sleeping through the night I was back out the door about 5:30a to head to the hospital. Guess what... I waited. It wasn't too long though. Off to the recovery room to change into the stylish, drafty gown. I noticed lying there in the bed that my gown matched the curtain between me and the person next to me.

Then the barrage of questions. Nothing difficult, just the same question again and again. Sometimes by the same people and then by different people. Obviously they are just checking to make sure that I am who I am supposed to be, that I am not allergic to anything, and that we are working on the left ankle, right? No... CORRECT. When dealing with left and right anything you answer with yes, no, and correct. If you say right, then next thing you say is Who's on first.

It's 7:27 and I have just about met with everybody, the nurses in the recovery room, the nurse that was going to be in the OR, a cute anesthesiologist she was asking about doing a nerve block in the leg for pain management after the surgery, the other anesthesiologist and his intern, some random people, and finally some chief surgery dude that came and did one last final verification of the LEFT ankle and he signed my foot. Notice how I never met the doctor. More on that later.

They wheel me into the OR, I climb onto the table and they strap me down. I wish I could remember what music they had playing. They started hooking up PO2, EKG, and a bunch of other sensors. It all starts to get a bit fuzzy now. I remember hearing the anesthesiologist telling the intern to make sure he keeps the mask on me and keep telling me to breath deeply. (I think he got side tracked a couple times). That was about the last thing I remember. I was told all in all the total OR time was about 3 hours. About 1 for anesthesia and 2 for slicing, dicing, and drilling. The actual procedure was an Open Reduction Internal Fixation of the Left Ankle. *unfortunately I have no pictures of the operation, and at this time I don't have the post-op x-rays. But I am hoping to get some soon*

Now I am in the recovery room. Starting... my recovery. Hung out there for a bit. I asked if they told my mom I was out of surgery. Nurse said she was sure the doc would have told her. Nope, in fact it is possible if I didn't tell the transport guy to stop at the waiting room we would have just kept going up to my room. I pretty much slept off the anesthesia the rest of the day.
I tried to have my first nurse get in touch with my doctor so I could figure out how things went. She kinda blew me off. At least my next nurse got in touch with an Orthopod resident that was familiar with my case. Be he couldn't really answer the questions I had.

I ate a little Jello and had some juice but wasn't quite ready for whatever they call dinner. I'm not sure if I wasn't ready or if it was the food. At this point Mom was beyond exhausted and hungry and she couldn't find a way to get comfortable in that silly chair. So she left around 7.

Jacqueline stopped by around 8:30. She brought me a surprise. A bag-o-goodies with play-doh, silly putty, bubbles, some Reese's Pieces, and a Captain Jack Sparrow action figure. I guess they didn't have an Elizabeth Swan action figure. So it all should keep me entertained for about 35min.

I think I was up at least every hour if not every 45min through out the night because of all the people coming in and out to take x-rays, taking my blood pressure/temp, some alarm for the stuck elevator twice, finally I am sleeping and somebody comes in with breakfast. Oye. I want to sleep!

Mom got there around 930a just in time to watch me sleep a little more. Finally the Orthopedic Attending came in to talk to me about what would kinda happen next. Which basically was, don't put weight on it and go home and call the doctor to make an appointment in about 10 days. Shortly after I met with the physical therapist. He told me about exercises I could be doing with my leg to work on preventing atrophy in my quad and help with blood flow through the lower leg. Then he had me go for a walk down the hall so I could show him I knew how to use crutches and could get around. Success.

Ok now I just have to get the IV out sign discharge papers and let's go! Finally go the student nurse to pull my IV out backwards and bleed a bit. Who pulls out an IV without some gauze or even a bandaid? All she had was an alcohol swab and yes I said backwards. Some reason she pulled the needle out in the opposite direction it should have been. haha. So I had to assist in holding the alcohol pad while the nurse got some gauze and tape. But she didn't bring enough tape. By the time she left to get more and was back I had stopped bleeding and needed a bandaid.

Got my prescription for percocet, signed the discharge papers and they wheeled me out the door. w00t!

So since I've been home I have assembled my new shower head and shower stool so I can sit in the shower with my leg out and get all nice and clean. I did FINALLY get to talk to the doctor. He said the procedure went well and he was happy with the results. He also mentioned that typically when they fix a broken ankle they match it to the other foot. But that my right ankle was too screwed up from previous sprains the left one was done differently but should perform better once we are all done. He wants me to see him in about a week and a half and said I could drive once I am off the meds and I can sit with my foot down for extended periods of time. Once I meet with him I will probably get a removable boot but still won't be able to put weight on it for still a couple months.

Well, percocet is kicking back in, it's time for bed.

And now the real recovery begins. Thank you all again for your support. I'll keep ya posted.

Winer Out

It's the night before

Well I figured I'd post about the last few days. It's been pretty uneventful. I haven't taken any percocet in 3 days now. Figured I'd save it up for next week when the pain is 10x worse. I've been warned that after the surgery when I go to stand up my leg will feel like its on fire. Sounds exciting.

Mom's been in the kitchen stocking and prepping meals for me so it's easier to eat healthy while I hop around the house. See.... Prior to breaking my ankle I have been really good about my eating, exercising, and overall staying healthy. I mean in the past month I've put over 200 miles on my bike, plus probably another 30 in my spinning classes. I've lost about 23lbs and overall feel great. So when I broke my ankle not only was I pissed about not being able to ride, or even walk for a while but I really didn't want to gain back the weight I've lost.

Well, last night we went out to dinner with my boss and his wife (Alex and Lourdes). Went to Ortanique on the Mile. It was a delicious Caribbean fusion type place that Lourdes picked. Good food, good conversation, and good company. So thank you again to Alex and Lourdes for everything.

Today... You never would have guessed it but I spent basically the entire day on the couch. Just kept the leg elevated as much as possible. My toes are so black and blue, I can only imagine what my ankle looks like under the splint. Can't wait to see tomorrow.

*edit* (added at 11:40p 6/10/07)
So I figured I wasn't really tired yet and I hadn't posted or even taken any pictures of my leg since the ER wrapped it up. So here are the pics of the toes and compared to my good foot and a picture of my leg. (Please excuse the gross toes but this is all in the name of science, or something like that)








We ended the day pretty well. Mom and I had dinner with Rev. Jacqueline and her niece Dr. Ivy at Maroosh Mediterranean Restaurant also in the Gables. We all had a good time and shared some great stories. I believe some of the stories most people would say are probably not common dinner conversation. You know... stuff like throwing horse placenta into the bay, people with their eyes popping out, giving births to cows and horses. But who says we are common? Good times, good times. So again thank you Jacqueline for everything.

Well it's about 11pm now, can't have anything to eat or drink after midnight and I have to get up early so maybe I'll call it a night. Mom's picking me up at 5:30a. Surgery is scheduled for 7:30a. I will be spending the night in the hospital so I won't post again until Tuesday maybe Wednesday depending how I am feeling. I am going to try to ask the doctor for pictures of the surgery, but we'll see.

So take care and thank you all for your support and best wishes.

ZZZZZzzzzzzzz

I crutched across the street last night for dinner. We went to The Oceanair. New seafood place that opened up. Luckily they have booth seating so I could prop my leg up and a coat check for my crutches.

A couple weeks ago I had dinner at the Oceanair, just sat at the bar by myself. I have kinda gotten to know one of the bartenders (he used to tend at PF Changs). That night he was telling me that he's been out for a couple weeks cause is twisted his ankle pretty badly. We swapped stories, I told him about the two times and the 4 month of PT for my right ankle. Well last night on my way out of the restaurant I stopped over at the bar, he just looked at me and laughed. I guess I win. Dinner was good... but it's back to the couch. Got to get the leg up.

This morning I was awoken by mom calling my cell phone. I was asleep all nice and peaceful in bed. But I can't complain she's helping me out quite a bit. So I figured I would make my way to the couch. Time for meds. I am only taking one percocet at this point. The pain (for now) is pretty bearable. I can't exactly tell how swollen my ankle is, cause it is still wrapped up in the splint.

Mom came by (she's staying at a hotel) and made some breakfast as I continued to elevate my leg. That is basically my job for now.

So off to the hospital for a 1pm appointment for registration/pre-op blood tests. We got there at 12:45 and waited about 2hrs until we met with the first person for registration. Another hour
later until we met with the nurse practitioner. She took history, BP, and temp. Then wait another 20min to meet with the RN so they could take one tube of blood for CBC and a UA. Finally about a total of 4hrs later I was out and heading back home.

So all in all it was a pretty boring day. Did a little bit of work and talked with one of the techs at a job site. So, the highlight was The Price is Right this morning. Don't you just love day time TV?

Ok I think I am going to take a nap and I think we are heading out for dinner or something in a bit.

Met with the specialist

What a day. Percocet has kept me pretty much entertained. If I wasn't sleeping then I was trying to work on this blog. I did do a little work today. I got a bit of a nasty gram from a customer on Monday. Something about the storm shutters not working right. So my tech in the field (who was laid off until I broke my leg) and I worked over IM to troubleshoot an issue that was caused by somebody else.

Anywho, my mom was supposed to come down this weekend. We were gunna hang around, go to the movies and maybe do a bit of shopping. But because of recent events she decided to come a bit earlier. So she came at about 2:30 today. It was essentially a changing of the guards, Jacqueline left at my mom was tagged in.

We made our way to the orthopedic surgeon. He is supposed to be one of the best in S. Florida. He took a look at the x-rays I showed you in the other post. His prognosis was not very good. Here is the summary:

• I broke my fibula (the small bone in the lower leg). Although the doc isn't too worried about it.
  
• I pretty much fucked up 2 of the three major ligaments of the ankle. The ligament that basically holds the tib/fib bones together just over the smooth ball at the top of the ankle is pretty much ripped up. Hence in the xrays you see the tibia shifted over 1". Also the ligament along the back of the ankle.
• Surgery will be Monday. After surgery I will be in a splint until the wounds heal and then they can put a cast on.
  
• I would not be able to put any weight on it for about 3 months. After which I would start PT.
  
• So basically in about 6-9 months from now I will be at full-ish recovery. And then maybe longer until I could ride or play kickball again.
  

WONDERFUL eh?

ER

So I make it to the ER probably about 20-30min after the fall. That's when the waiting begins. I started texting people to let them know my status. I was able to get in touch with Jacqueline and she decided that due to me moving her TWICE in 6 months she would come down and keep me company while being my hospital/parental liaison. That way I could stay drugged up and not have to handle finding doctors and what not.

So it took me about 1.5 hours from the time I was admitted to the ER until I got out of the damn backboard/neck collar. Then about another hour later until I got some vicodin, now we're talking!!

So now we got the first set of 3 xrays done of the ankle. The xray tech came back with the portable unit to take one more of my tib/fib. He said he was worried about something he saw and wanted I picture a bit higher up the leg. This whole process only took about 30min. But took another hour for the ER doc to check it out. He comes back and says he ordered another set of tib/fib and ankle on the regular xray machine instead of the portable.

At this point it is about midnight. My boss and his wife showed up to say hello. I think she laughed at me. But she figured I would have done this snowboarding last year. Oh well.

Back off to xray. See below. In the first on you can see at the red arrow where the tibia is about 1" away from where it should be.


In this one you can see the fibula fracture at the top. And a very small bone piece or something at the bottom.


So after researching with Marc's dad, the web, and other people we found a really good orthopedic surgeon. We notified the ER doc and after waiting a couple more hours for my leg to be splinted and wrapped, prescriptions, discharge papers to leave AMR, and a copy of my xrays I was finally out the door. Jacqueline took me home by about 3:15am. Because she is such a good friend she dropped me off and got me settled she went back out to go home, shower, take care of her dog, and get my prescriptions filled. Now at 24hrs of no sleep she showed up back at my place to lay down on the couch just to answer the phone from my dad to discuss finding a doc.

First Post - The hurtness

Well this is my first ever blog. Never really done this before. But I figure it would be fun to share my life with you for the next couple months. Why you ask would you be interested in my life for the next couple months.... Well if you know me, you know I love to do extreme sports like rock climbing, mountain biking, snowboarding and the sorts. Although not an extreme sport but kickball should also be listed. Yesterday, a day like any other, Bob (from Kickball) and I decided to move our Tuesday night urban ride to Monday. Cause Tuesday was to be the Pairs Hilton Goes to Jail theme party.

So the ride begins. Again, it was like any other. We started heading towards the Grove to check out the sights. Plus there were some stairs and gaps I wanted to jump. The ride was really going well, felt great on the bike and all. Turned back toward home, we are about 5 min into the ride back. Decided to manual off a curb and I guess I pulled back a little too much. I tried to hit the breaks to catch me.... too late. So I put my left foot down to brace myself.

SNAP!!! (I knew something is not good at this point)

I looked down and saw my left ankle turned 90 degrees to the outside. Bob looked back and asked if I was alright.

Me, "no, I just broke my ankle." As I crawled military style back to the curb.
He totally thought I was joking until he saw me crawling and then saw my foot. He asks, "What do you want me to do?"
Very simply I responded with, "uhhh... call 911"

A whole bunch of strangers stopped and asked if I was alright. I think most people thought I was hit by a car. So thank you to everybody that stopped to see if I was ok. So the ambulance shows up and they started their thing, ABCs, prepping me for transport, etc. I had Bob call my parents in NJ, and my Boss. He asked if there was anything else he could do. I said "take pictures." So here they are! (Notice the fact that both of my shins and knees are facing the right way. But my left ankle, not so much)



So off to the hospital I go. w00t!

Photo Slideshow - Click a picture for more info or larger version

Add to my blog