Busted up. Again

[magentus]

..at least you did not pee inside the cast   

maybe a slight plumbing issue isn't what you take it to be dks, maybe Def is being polite.

[dks]

 

[Grant Lamontagne]

I'm back with my fancy new cast.  I'd show you pics but it looks pretty well the same as the last cast, so there's not much to see.

I did also have the opportunity to clean my leg up a little between one cast and the next which was nice.  As you can imagine my leg was pretty disgusting with six (or so) weeks of dead skin, sweat etc.

Also, it looks like everything is healing well, although the swelling is still somewhat prominent.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

I just got back from the hospital and the news is good.  The cast came off and I didn't get a replacement so that means that the bones healed properly.

The doctor said the X rays looked good- as good as it could be, so I'm happy about that.

I still can't put any weight on it, and the range of motion is restricted on both axis is limited but I can move it up and down and side to side.

Physiotherapy will make a big difference and I'll need to build up strength in it as it has atrophied horribly over the last seven weeks so I'm not out of the woods yet, but progress is progress and I'll take it. 

Def

[SAK Guy]

Congrats on the good progress report!!!

[sLaughterMed]

Hey, good news is good news. Glad that cast is off.

[eamo]

great news Grant

[Monrogue]

Glad it's progressing as it should man.

Sent from my SM-G920R4 using Tapatalk

[Whoey]

everytime I see this thread title:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busted_(band)

 

Good that you're making progress on all fronts 

[SteveC]

Congrats on the good progress report!!!

+1 

[Grant Lamontagne]

I've got to say that the best part of this is that I finally was able to clean off the dead skin, old scabs and other crud that had built up on my leg under the cast.  Even though I had the opportunity to clean it up somewhat last week, it was still a very significant mess today. 

I cannot stress however, how nice it is to actually be able to scratch itches....

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

I'm starting physiotherapy this morning, so of you hear screaming in the next hour or so in your corner of the world, don't worry about it, it will just be me trying to figure out why these people hate me so much.

The questionnaire I had to fill out was kind of funny.  It asked if I was pregnant and I wanted to write "no, I just look that way" on it.

It asked if I had a history of falling, which I also found amusing as I have been in this department several times in the past due to various falls.  The biggest one was when I crushed my other ankle in a fall whole rock climbing!

It also asked if I had any major surgeries or fractures.  I don't think reassembly of joins and a few screws put in is considered major surgery and the fractures are healed, but I said yes anyway since surgery and fracture are the reasons I am here.

I love questionnaires.  No matter how simple they make them I always get confused by over thinking them!

Def

[Gareth]

Just catching up with the news boss.  Glad to hear the cast is off and you can finally get to scratch those itches.

Best of luck at the physio mate.

[eamo]

I love questionnaires.  No matter how simple they make them I always get confused by over thinking them!

Def

i think over thinking things is a trait most of us here on MTo share . . . big time ! 

[Toolslinger]

I love questionnaires.  No matter how simple they make them I always get confused by over thinking them!

Def

i think over thinking things is a trait most of us here on MTo share . . . big time ! 

Agreed.

I also find some of those questionnaires very poorly worded...

[pfrsantos]

I love questionnaires.  No matter how simple they make them I always get confused by over thinking them!

Def

i think over thinking things is a trait most of us here on MTo share . . . big time ! 

I don't know if I agree with you... Give me some time to think about that...

 

[Grant Lamontagne]

Physiotherapy was pretty easy this morning.   The doctor didn't leave any information about whether or not I am allowed to put weight on the joint yet so the therapist pretty well just worked on manually reducing the swelling.  I hope it is ok for me to weight bear since I have been walking on it the last couple of days.  Not much mind you, but I have been.  I'm about 50/50 on crutches in the house and 98% on crutches outside.

My range of motion on both axis is pretty good considering how long I was in a cast.  I'll have to do some work to restore all that I can mind you, but the big thing will be strength training. Because of my old injury my right leg used to be 25 to 30 percent larger than my left leg.  Now my right leg is just a little over half the size of my left, so I've got a lot of work to do on that.

There's a lot of work left to go but I'm starting off in a lot better shape than I could be- or was last time.

Def

[dks]

[Grant Lamontagne]

I have graduated from four legs to three.  I thought I could make the jump from crutches to no crutches, but that was a horrible failure and I compensated by getting myself a cane. 

I got an Airgo Comfort Plus cane in olive green:

http://www.airgomobility.com/Products-AluCanes-Offset-More-E.asp

It's greatly adjustable, which is nice, in case I accidentally grow or shrink six inches or so, I can still use it. 

It met the requirements I had for a cane- it is light, it's pretty and if anyone tries anything while I am crippled it will fin nicely in a human skull. 

Actually my requirements were much less sinister- cheap and handy were pretty much my bottom lines!  I had gone into a healthcare store to buy some surgical tubing for resistance training my foot as part of my physiotherapy, and the funny thing is, the actual healthcare supply part of the store is as far as you can get from the door, and I had gotten adventurous and left my crutches at home.  The walk to the far end of the store was a lot more ambitious than I planned on, so I got the cane while I was there and used it to walk back to the cash and then out to the parking lot.

Def

[Steinar]

Actually my requirements were much less sinister- cheap and handy were pretty much my bottom lines!  I had gone into a healthcare store to buy some surgical tubing for resistance training my foot as part of my physiotherapy, and the funny thing is, the actual healthcare supply part of the store is as far as you can get from the door, and I had gotten adventurous and left my crutches at home.  The walk to the far end of the store was a lot more ambitious than I planned on, so I got the cane while I was there and used it to walk back to the cash and then out to the parking lot.

Sounds like a rather nasty, although efficient, act of marketing on the store's part.

Always attribute to malice what can be explained coincidence, to paraphrase...

[Grant Lamontagne]

I don't doubt that one bit. 

Def

[ColoSwiss]

I've got to say that the best part of this is that I finally was able to clean off the dead skin, old scabs and other crud that had built up on my leg under the cast.  Even though I had the opportunity to clean it up somewhat last week, it was still a very significant mess today. 

I cannot stress however, how nice it is to actually be able to scratch itches....

Def

There was a young lady from Natchez
Who's clothing was always in patches.
When asked to declare
On the state of her wear,
She said 'When Ah itches Ah scratchez'.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Today was my second physiotherapy appointment and it went as well as could be expected.  The physiotherapist is as pleased with my recovery as he could be.  The range of motion is returning quickly and while the muscle hasn't returned yet, it is bouncing back nicely.

Barring any complications resulting from the screws and the fancy new angles of the bones, the physiotherapist believes that if I don't make a full recovery, I should at least be close.

Given that I still suffer a fair bit from the ankle I broke 15 years ago I was very paranoid about what the results of this were going to be, but I have to say I'm feeling a lot better about it now.  The ankle is now a lot better than the other one was long after my previous accident, and even if the recovery stopped here I would consider myself lucky.

Def

[Aloha]

Great news.  Is there anything else you can do other than not slip on ice, like higher more supportive boots?  I was thinking about how better to support you ankles.  Is there something you might wear while out that would be comfortable yet not restrict the natural movement.  I would guess tho that you'd want to strengthen rather than "support" your ankles  . 

[Alan K.]

You're improving and that's a good thing.  Take every little piece of good news as it comes and keep working on your recovery.

[Gareth]

That's great news boss.

[Chako]

Happy to hear things are going better than planned Grant. 

[Grant Lamontagne]

Great news.  Is there anything else you can do other than not slip on ice, like higher more supportive boots?  I was thinking about how better to support you ankles.  Is there something you might wear while out that would be comfortable yet not restrict the natural movement.  I would guess tho that you'd want to strengthen rather than "support" your ankles  .

I already spend a smurf load on boots - the last pair I bought cost over $300.  It sucks but I am very picky when it comes to footwear, even before my other accident happened.  In fact, for work alone I probably have more footwear than the average guy owns just to make sure I have the right footwear for the right job and conditions.

There's not really much I can do to protect them beyond that.  For example I'm not going to wear heavy, supportive boots when kayaking even though portaging a boat through the woods is a great way to break an ankle.

I'm actually not that fragile, I just tend to do things hard. 

Def

[ducttapetech]

Glad your are healing up Grant. Before long you will be kicking so much ass that you will forget to take names. Best of luck man.

That's us mobile

[Gareth]

Not directed specifically at Grant, but at anyone who has to deal with ice covered paths and pavements.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mini-Grippers-Traction-Snow-unisex/dp/B006ZP7MVO

I'm reasonably sure most folks have seen the larger versions of these where they stretch from toe to heal, but these mini ones come in a handy little case an will sit happily in your coat pocket until needed.  You just need to modify your step so as to walk flat footed rather than heal to toe.