Ew!

Three and a half weeks ago I fell off a ladder.  I'm still not sure how but I'm thinking the ladder may have been possessed.  One minute I was climbing down, the next minute I was eating red dirt, the ladder was across the yard and I couldn't get up.  A little matter of a bone sticking out of my leg.  I know.....Ew!  After a rather excited call to 911, an ambulance ride to the hospital and emergency orthopedic surgery everything was put back in place with a few add ons.

I had a lovely 3 day stay in the hospital.  I guess.  I have to be honest and admit that I remember very little of that 3 days.  I came home with a surgical splint and a good leg that looked like this.

I know.....Ew!  Again.  One week after the surgery I visited my new best friends, my orthopedic surgeon, Dr. S and his great staff.   They gave me this temporary cast.

 Didn't the Girlies do a great job decorating it for me?  But after just 2 weeks it was replaced with this oh so lovely footwear.

I had to have this because I have to have wound care several times a day.  This is the nitty gritty for anyone that wants to know.   It's Ew!  Again.  So if you don't want to know, quit reading.  Now.

My tibia (the shinbone) broke in 2 just above my ankle, the fibula also broke at the same place.  Actually it kind of crumbled.  The ankle dislocated and the bones forced their way through my skin and connective tissue on the inside of my ankle, causing a rather nasty torn wound about 6 inches long that wraps around my ankle.  EWWW! Again and very.

Dr. S was able to put the ankle back in place and screw the 2 pieces of the tibia back together.  This was a "clean" break and that is very, very good.  The fibula had to be reinforced with a steel plate and the crumbled area filled in with "bone putty."  This is a paste made from cadaver bones and is a matrix for new bone growth.  Isn't it amazing what can be done now?  Eventually this should be okay too.  This compound and the longest screw are also replacing some of the destroyed connective tissues.  The prognosis is very good, though I will have some decreased mobility in that ankle. 

The little dashes and almost squares in the "Xray" image are the staples holding my wounds together.  The nice straight line up and down was the surgical incision to repair the bones.   This incision is doing great.   The other staples that seem to run rather haphazardly around the leg is where my skin was torn and to be honest,  rather mangled.  I know, Ew! Again and again. This will be my problem child and will take some time and help to heal.  So that is why I get the lovely removable boot.  Quite the fashion statement for this spring!

I am mobile thanks to a wheel chair and am learing to do a lot from it.  Like sweep floors, do laundry etc.  I may try painting trim next week!

Thanks to all of you for your good wishes, positive thoughts and prayers.

A very large THANK YOU to my sister who came and spent a week with me.  Doing more than it seems possible for one person to do.  She is amazing beyond belief!  She not only took care of me but she painted  my kitchen and the cabinets!  Pictures will  come soon.   I promise.

I love you K and am so blessed to have you!