Quick update on the ankle: the nerve block hasn't worn off yet, so pain has not reared its amazing head yet. To prepare for that moment, I have a PCA I use every 10 minutes to make sure the meds are working their magic when the block wears off.
Dr. Jeng said the ankle looked terrible. I only had about 10% of my cartilage left, but hopefully that will be enough to grow some new healthy tissue. Dr. Jeng was able to remove several bone spurs as well as increase the length of my Achilles tendon. That will dramatically improve my range of motion.
Now to the point of this post. Our friends and family have been simply amazing. We are overwhelmed by their support in the last few days. Flabbergasted. Stunned. A love punch to the stomach that's taken our breath away (thanks to the PCA, the punch didn't hurt -- and Troy punches like a girl).
I can't list everything they've done, in part because the list is too long. I also presently have the memory of a sleepy goldfish with a brain injury. I don't remember much.
Thank you to everyone for your thoughts, prayers, and help with unpacking my underwear (we just moved a few days ago). It takes courage and a firm bond of friendship to handle my boxers.
Thank you to my family as well for your emails and text messages. We love you all very much!
Okay, I just pressed my PCA button again to administer more pain meds. That means it's time to sit here for a bit and look real stupid as I stare off into space.
So glad you're doing well, Tony! Hope that your recovery isn't too painful. In the meantime, keep pushing that button as long as you can. :)
ReplyDeleteTony,
ReplyDeleteI'm a 39 year old male and I currently have an ex-fix on my ankle as well since 8/11/11. The day after surgery I was able to stand on it and walk with it. I take Vicodin for the pain, no real probs for the first 2 weeks but once I started making the adjustments it got more difficult to walk around because of the pain. It is difficult to sleep at night but I find that hanging my leg off the bed helps me sleep for a few hours before I have to readjust again. Although it has been a challange I am optimistic that I will get good results and pray for the best. I hope that you are able to recover and get back on a board, because my passion is in cycling and it has me sidelined since the surgery. Keeping you in my prayers.