Wednesday, August 05, 2009

New Busted Leg Updates

Saw Dr. Pittman today and he is pretty happy with my progress. Here's the scoop:
  • I am moving to 50% weight bearing on my leg for the next 4 weeks, unless it hurts and then I should stop. The swelling may still go up and down for awhile. He even told me how to figure out what 50% felt like.
  • Dr. Pittman ordered physical therapy twice a week for the next 4 weeks.
  • I can drive now.
  • I no longer have to wear the cast - he said my leg is stable enough. If I have a really bad fall, which less likely on 2 legs than on just one, I should come back and have it looked at, though.
  • I have to stick with the crutches, at least for the next 4 weeks. I guess a cane is pretty much full weight bearing. It would have been nice to have a hand free, though.
  • The remaining numbness is a wait-and-see thing. Could get feeling back, but maybe not.
  • I have been written out of work for another 4 weeks, which kind of bums me out.
  • There are no longer "cards" for metal detectors. After 9/11 they usually aren't trusted anyway and if the plates set off the machine, they will wand me or ask to see my incisions. He also said that the stainless steel used in the plates usually isn't picked up on metal detectors today, although that could change.
  • I can start rubbing whatever scar cream I see fit on the incisions. He said they would not always be bright red, but I should absolutely put a heavy sunscreen on them if I'm out, or they will not fade as much.
  • The million dollar cadaver bone answer is: my body will eat away at the cadaver bone and replace it with my own bone. It will basically be dissolved, it's not just going to show up somewhere weird or anything.
So, yay for no more cast, physical therapy, and for driving, but boo for not going back to work anytime soon. Now if I can just figure out how to get up the front steps without help, I can actually leave the house occasionally...

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Sounds like you need a ramp or something. If there is a handrail on your good side can you hold onto that and use a crutch on the bad side? Well, I probably couldn't either. Suppose that would require a lot of coordination. ;)

Syl said...

Stairs with a handrail are no problem, but the ones at the front of the house don't have one.

Kashka said...

I'll sketch some plans for one of the boys to bash together. We build temporary ones all the time at the railroad.

Syl said...

I revel in your dorkitude.

Allknowingjen said...

Driving?
Dude. You could go to a movie! (which is now my personal measure of ultimate freedom, the glorious afternoon matinee...)

Still no twinges of bionic ability? You must have to be fully healed first... or maybe they will teach you how to use it in PT.

Suzuri said...

Why do I not read your blog with greater frequency?

Be assured - somethign I will rectify.

Hmm. Scar cream. But, scars are cool. If they weren't SO-Not-Worth-getting-just-for-the-sake-of-a-scar, I'd think everyone should have bunches of them so they could have nifty conversations around the water-cooler. That, and I think the human body is absolutely amazing in its ability to heal.