Dear Smile,

Hang in there, we are all praying for you.

Sherri

Smile, so sorry to hear of your pain. Having gone thru my first medical issues with a lot of pain, i so much sympathsize and emphasize with those who are in constant pain. It can just overwhelm your life. I too have learned to live with some pain and pretty soon it just becomes normal..like my dad always said, if your arm is hurting,drop a hammer on your toe, your toe will hurt so much you won't feel the pain in your arm!! So I try to focus on something else and that helps to forget about the pain. And hopefully you will see light at the end of the tunnel - when you are all healed and casts are gone so goes the pain!

smile, I'm looking for an update from you.

I can totally relate to the reality of your surgery sinking in after the fact.

I tore my ACL a few years ago. My doctor had a great attitude. He told me I was young(God love him) and in good shape. He thought I'd breeze right through the physical therapy.

Well let me tell you...I followed suit with his optimistic attitude. Ah surgery...no biggie. I wouldn't even be awake for it. What's a night in the hospital? Blah, blah, blah!

It wasn't until a few days after the surgery when I was trying to figure out how to pick my injured leg up and get out of bed to go to the bathroom that I thought...maybe this is a bigger deal than I thought!

I kept my upbeat attitude and winced my way through physical therapy with the nicest PT ever. I even tried laughing with him when he layed me flat on my stomach, my bum leg hanging off the table with sand bags on it to straighten it out for the first time since surgery. I laughed through tears of pain. Thankfully the PT had a great attitude!

I pray you are surrounded by loved ones who can build you up for the next few weeks or months. Bless you smile until it's your turn to help others again. That time will come! Revel in the time that others can care for you!

Thank you Dotsie. I know what you mean when you describe the difficulty of just getting that leg off the bed to go to the bathroom. It's a fifteen minute trip one way.
Lordy was it this much trouble before? Probably not. I was almost 20 yrs younger and lots thinner.
I'm laying around most of the time with my leg elevated above my heart to avoid swelling. Just getting up on one leg is an chore. Then hopping around on one leg with crutches or a walker is a whole other project. The wheelchair hurts with the leg elevated so I don't use it much. Have been through four casts already. Two were too tight and drove me nuts.

But if there's a silver lining, it's Dan. He's the best looking nurse I've ever had! And he gives a mean bedbath. (Actually I never really needed a bedbath, but sometimes I fake it just for fun.
smile

smile, how about an update on YOU?

Well, the best part is that I am gradually experiencing less swelling and less pain though I am still concerned about ever being able to walk without pain. And I fear that I will gain weight from immobility. With Dan still doing most of the cooking boy do I ever need some boomer prayer for not eating too much. (BTW it's almost impossible to cook or anything else while balancing yourself on one leg)

The doctor is apparently gradually aligning my ankle with the casts and I'm in my fifth cast now. This one only hurt the first day. Amen!
I have three more months to go and I am FRUSTRATED by the immobility, but I'm painting a nice painting editing a poertry book, and doing some press releases for an upcoming book fest.

So many people have been so nice. I thought I learned that during the numerous times before when I was confined to casts and beds, but maybe I needed to learn it again.

Thank you Dotsie and all for your concern and your prayers. This is a great place with great folks. Helps me get through one boring day after the other. Only three months to go and I get a walking cast in two months. Yippee!
smile

Hi Sweetie, so happy to hear you are on the mend and not experiencing so much pain. Now, I saw on TV that Richard Simmons the Diet Guru has a tape out of exercises for people in wheelchairs or in bed. It looks interesting and is suppose to be some kind of exercise breakthrough. Its on sale now supposedly everywhere. It might help, any movement is better than no movement at all they say. Whoever they are, he he!!

smile, you're peaceful activities sound dellightful. When was the last time you painted? What a reat way spend time healing.

I remember being on crutches for a few months when my kids were young. Making dinner and doing laundry were the biggest challenges. You can't carry anything when you're crutching.

Can you drive? The doctor told me I couldn't because it was my right leg. He went so far as to say that if I got pulled over, he would tell them I shouldn't have been driving. I drove anyway.

I know what you mean about not being able to carry anything on crutches. And just getting upp off the couch and across the room to pick something up is a major journey.
My doctor doesn't want me driving yet because of the swelling which is worse if my foot is below my heart. So I'm stuck here til the next time I see him (week from Monday). I'm trying to do everything he says. I want so much for this to work.
Thanks to Chatty for the Simmons idea and all for your sweet concern.
smile

Hey Smil...I heard using crutches makes your boobs firmer. Maybe there is a silver lining to this dark cloud? I think mine are beyond help. I can drop kick them through the goal post of life and back again.