Heather in SF...

R

richard-in-cincy

Well-known member
Trying to send you a message and that function does not seem to work for me anymore. Anywho. Was wanting to talk with you about SF.

 
It was a lot of fun, see above Weekend 6. I had to use a low chair, because of the ankle

but I was able to get up and down off the blanket okay with ankle/shoulder!! Truly I am starting to feel normal. Abby Normal.

hahaha


But it truly was a great day, I loved everyone who came, the food was amazing, my food came out good and the ice cream afterwards was to die for. I had a banana split! They brulee the bananas, and I can eat bananas, as long as I have a Tums later. So divine. I had their egg free ice cream, chocolate and coconut milk - wow.

Next year we are going to bring things to make bubbles, and lots more sangria!

 
Sounds delish!

and lots of fun.

Yeah, I have a fear of getting lower than I can get back up from. The cast I'm pretty sure will come off on Thursday, but I'm worried about trying to walk, been thinking a lot about that knee walker you mentioned, though don't know how much the "good" torn up foot can take. Did you use it only with the cast? Dreading crutches, so looking forward to getting out of the wheelchair, but crutches...gah, feel like I've spent half my life using them. I need a jet pack or anti-gravity machine. Is there an app for that? smileys/wink.gif

 
NFRC for MariaDNoCA:

Oh Maria, no low for you for a long while, I used a tall camping chair and brought a second one to put up the "bad" foot and that worked great! plus friends to help me up and down. You will also need to avoid uneven surfaces for quite a while I imagine. Next summer!!

About the knee walker (a scooter) I kneeled on it with the bad foot and it was supported off the back cushion, surprisingly comfortable and necessary since I couldn't use crutches with my surgery shoulder. Then you push off with the good foot and scoot around like a kid. Worked great in my apartment and okay outside, I'm really tall and the wheel base is narrow so it's a bit tippy. It also served as a foot rest when I moved to a regular chair. Maybe once your good foot gets better you could try one out, wonder if your doctor has one for you to test?

Another note - kinda gross, just remember your skin will be rather in need of gentle exfoliation after the cast comes off, I looked like a lizard for about a month - so weird!

Hope this helps you!

 
I was a bad food blogger and did not document things, haha!

I wrote a blog about it and didn't mention specific dishes because I didn't want to offend anyone by leaving out their dish.

I remember:
roasted cauliflower in curry with raisins
vietnamese pork sandwiches
dim sum (store bought but the best)
vegetarian paella - gorgeous and I'm getting together this blogger to make her recipe
Filipino fried pork from a place on the peninsula - so good and so evil
chocolate chip cookies
eggplant and bean dip - she's sharing the recipe soon, it was amazing
various middle eastern treats from a place in the East Bay

There was about 15-20 of us all together I think. a smaller group than in previous years but it was so fun, we barely took pictures or played with our phones, it was just great fun to hang out and talk. Then we got silly with Grooveshark and started playing our favorite outrageous songs and putting our phones in red Solo cups to boost the sound, singing along like goofy teenagers.

Best day ever!

 
Thanks for the info - ha, I have lizard skin on good foot now.

Lizard skin! So weird! I've soaked it in the tub and exfoliated, but still: lizard, lizard, liiiizard! Dr, says it's because everything tore, but it's getting better. I've taken that cast off, but can't move it much yet. I'm kinda worried about how naked and/or painful it's going to feel (and somehow re-injuring it) when they take the big cast off.

I don't know how you managed dealing with the foot AND the shoulder in the city especially. I like the chair/stool idea, and I so hear you on uneven surfaces, that's how I sprained the now broken ankle last Fall - right after my MIL warned me of the uneven surface not 10 minutes before. My feeties have seen better days. This is major injury #4 for the left foot, #2 for the right. Apparently steps of any kind are my mortal enemy.

So glad to hear you passed your check-up with flying colors and life it get a bit back to normal - hearing you out and about is great news!

 
Maria

My skin was so tender that I couldn't do exfoliation but I did slather on that shae butter and massage every day and that seemed to help a lot. Your poor feets!!!! It will be okay. I found the most frustrating thing was not being able to cook or pick things off the floor - had one of those grabber things, very handy, or I'd borrow my friend's kid. He even vaccuumed for me, what a dear boy. It's nice to be in the kitchen again and able to do my own wash and shop. There was a major ego adjustment to not being able to walk gracefully but I got over worrying about looking like a drunken sailor. So I limp! But still, being a lady I miss pretty shoes and being graceful and elegant.... perhaps someday!! LOL

Let me know how you're getting on and I hope your Cast-Off day goes well! I know 3 other ladies now who broke ankles/feet and we are all joking with each other about being gimpy.

hugs....

 
The cast is off!!! (Is it suppose to hurt this much?) NFRC

or anyone who wants to chime in.

So dr took it off, x-rayed it and claimed it good. We talked while I sat in my wheelchair and he didn't have me stand on it or anything, just said I needed to get working on range of motion, blah, blah, blah.

So my SIL comes and gets me, then I try to stand to get in the car, and whoa...totally unprepared for sharp pain. Had to put no weight on it, and now back home I ended up putting the removable cast on because it was so weird, kinda hurting, and sharp pain in ankle if ankle moves bends ever so slightly (like when I tried to slip on a clog). I expected stiffness, but not sharp pain that makes you cry out.

Feeling kinda defeated, was this normal for you?

 
Maria, I was in a cast for 6 months and "yes" it DOES hurt that much. Your supporting muscles,

tendons and ligaments have all atrophied from disuse while you've been in the cast. That means they've tightened AND shortened. It's going to take a little time and some patience, not to mention totally abandoning any fear of pain, to get back your range of motion. If you commit yourself, you can get close in a couple of months and back to "normal" within 6.

 
Isn't your doctor going to have you do any physical therapy?

Breaking something is such a b*tch. It is amazing how one little misstep changes your life. You are in my thoughts and prayers, Maria.

 
Yes, but he said it's good to go and start doing stuff right away

the more I do, the better it will be in the long run. We both knew there would be pain, and I've been working on the right foot already, but I didn't expect this level of intense sharp type pain, more like stiff muscle pain.

I slept in the removable cast last night, because apparently I'm a wimp. I've got it off now though I think I'll have to work my way up to the standing/walking on it part.

 
Oh yes, I started with PT and they had me doing tiny tiny movements

and they did manipulations that just about put me though the ceiling. Take your pain medication before starting any PT!

But a little at a time means baby baby steps, no full weight on it, just try resting your foot on the floor and moving it a little side to side.

after being out of the boot for a few minutes everything would ache like the worst feeling ever, so just a little at a time. I had to sleep in the boot for 6 months after the cast too to keep the foot from pointing toe down at night under the sheets.

Steve2 has it right, it takes quite a bit of time, being diligent in your PT is important but don't go trying things on your own until you get into PT and then do what they tell you, diligently. I am sure that is what your doctor meant, not for you to try this without guidance.

 
He did mean for me to start right now smileys/frown.gif

he knows I've done some of this before and he said the more I could push myself the better it would be for my recovery*. He said waiting/going slow can actually cause things to take a lot longer to heal, so he wants me to push through the pain, but I can barely put my foot on the ground. I can hobble a little with the boot on, which he doesn't want me in, but said I could "if I had to."

I'm glad this pain level sounds normal, I thought something was wrong or I was being extra wimpy or something.

*He also thought it would take a long time for me to get in to PT as he'd heard of problems, but I already have an appt for next week.

 
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