update...

Finally got the OK to go back to work on limited hours and duties, but at least it's a start! Still have to wear the aircast for the next five weeks, so it means I can't get my work shoes on but at least I'll be able to do something productive for a few hours a week. Pain levels are easily tolerated without any pain meds, even if I've been up and about on it for a few hours. Still swells up though :-(
But, at least it's on the improve. I really had some misgivings about this procedure, or rather the aftermath of it at first but they've all been unfounded.
See how things go at work next week!

another update

Saw my Surgeon on Monday 20th April. He was surprised the stitches had been removed, funny cause the hospital said they had to come out after two weeks and any longer meant they would be difficult to remove. Oh well, it's done now! He also said my ankle needs support to allow the repaired ligaments time to heal without being stressed so I have to wear this 'aircast' for the next six weeks. I had spent the days since the 14th with no other support, I thought it was doing OK. I also saw the GP on the 20th, he thought I could maybe work two hours a day and I agreed. Problem is I need to be able to wear closed in shoes, and with the swelling and the aircast on my left ankle that's not going to happen soon. There is a chance i could do some office work so I'm waiting to hear from my Employer as to what they have available, and am due to see the GP again on Friday for another assessment. I think I'll stick to the 2 hours a day and see how it goes, the ankle seems to swell fairly rapidly when I'm standing or sitting. We'll see what happens!

Day 14. Cast is off!

Good day today, cast came off and I got my first look at my scar. There was an issue with removing the sutures, the long one in this scar was 'stuck' and the local medical centre staff were not keen on trying to hard to remove it, they wrapped it up and told me wait until my Surgeon came back from holidays on the 20th! My wife rang the hospital where the surgery was done and they said not to leave it that long as would heal over and the suture wasn't a dissolving type, and further ALL the hospital's orthopedic surgeons were on hilidays! Teriffic! I was told to go to my local public hospital ED and see a Doctor there. After a couple of hours wait it was seen to and the suture was removed after a good tug. Job done.

It's more sore now than it was when encased in plaster but at least I can walk, sort of. It's swollen too as to be expected but I think I'm having an easy time with it so far from what I've read. I see the Surgeon and my treating GP on the 20th, so we'll see what they say and I guess I'll be starting physio soon too so I can get my balance and strength back. I can shower too, woo hoo!

ankle injury

Well, up to day ten now. Pain has settled heaps and no longer need any at all! Only gets a little sore if I have the foot at floor level for longish periods of time, if I raise it for 30 minutes or so it gets better. Today is Good Friday, cast comes off in three days....I can't wait!

Most difficult thing is bathing. I love my hot showers and all I'm able to do is wallow around in the bath like a whale. Not very elegant at all! I'm looking forward to being able to wash my left leg, and check out my scars too! I feel I've been lucky so far with the recovery, compared to other people's accounts of procedures similar to mine. I'll post a pic of my ankle when the cast comes off on Tuesday.

another day?

Had a visit with my treating GP on Friday, passed on the Surgeon's report as requested. My Surgeon said the slab cast was to come off after two weeks, ie the 15th of April. Problem is, both the Surgeon and my GP will be on holidays until the 20th! Great.
The GP said to call in on the 15th and another doctor would remove the cast and check the wounds, remove any stitches etc. While I was there my GP gave me a new Workers' Comp certificate to cover me until my next visit with him on the 20th of April. I see the surgeon the same day for a follow up, and I guess to find out what physio I need.
I'm just taking one day at a time, and although it's difficult at times, I know there are many others who have had, and are having a much more difficult recovery than I. My Wife and Son have been a real lifeline. I'd be lost without them! It's amazing how even mundane daily tasks like getting on and off the loo are soooo much more difficult with only one functioning leg!

Well, I went to the hospital for surgery as scheduled on the 31st of March arriving at there at 0630 hours to book in and see my room for the first time. I had my Wife and 13 year old Son with me to keep me company, so I got comfy on the bed and waited for three hours to see the wardsmen at about 0930 hours for a lower leg shave. Lovely. in the previous 18 hours to being admitted I had developed a full blown[pun I know]head cold and couldn't breathe thru my nose at all. Great, I thought...waiting all these weeks for a surgey date then go and get a cold! Both my Wife and I thought they might not operate, but when the Anaesthetist came in for his first pre-op bedside visit he said it would be OK and he'd give me some nasal drops to open my sinuses up before I went under.
I think the waiting for my turn in the theatre was the worst part, and to make matters worse I could see the surgeon's and his helpers working on the poor guy before me thru the op theatre window! I couldn't see the procedure itself, but I could hear all the tools they were using! Yuk!
I was wheeled into the pre-op room next to the theatre at about 1000 hours but didn't see the Anaesthetist until 1130 hours. He was very professional in his manner and gave me the promised nasal drops, popped in the IV line and pushed me into theatre where I met the rest of the Surgeon's team. I was immediately at ease and as I wriggled over onto the stainless slab and got my first sleeping drugs I was out to it.

I woke up in recovery about 75 minutes later to a Nurse saying, William- you need to breathe deep! deeper she repeated! My throat was on fire, probably from the respirator tube and oxygen I guess. I could hear a alarm sounding near me, and every time it did I heard the Nurses' voice-breathe deep William! Took about ten minutes to come out of the induced sleep, and I was as thirsty as after fasting for about sixteen hours. I remember being wheeled from recovery to my room and looking at my left leg and foot and thinking how big it looked........turns out is was in what they call a 'slab cast' and would be for the next fourteen days. D'oh!
I was in my room when my Wife and Son arrived and boy, was I glad to see them! A Nurse brought me a meal of painkillers[I'm allergic to Morphine and it's derivatives]that made me immediately nauseous. A quick injection of Stematil sorted that, followed by an injection of anti clotting drug into my shoulder muscle[ouch!]. I was too ill to eat anything so just kept my fluids up to avoid the IV drip. It was by now about 1530 hours and all I wanted to do was sleep, undoubtedly a strong painkiller side effect. I said goodbye to my family and spent a restless uncomfortable night listening to all the noises hopitals make on the 'graveyard shift'
Wednesday morning I ate a light breakfast with toast and coffee, then my Surgeon arrived for a post op chat. he said all went well, no complications and if I wanted to I could go home that afternoon once i had shown I could use crutches. Of course I said yes please! Best of all though, I could start weight bearing on the ankle in only two weeks, how good is that?