Boot Buddies

Apparently I have joined some sort of cult, some exclusive club, a fraternity of sorts. It all happened without me ever knowing. All I had to do was show up in public, wearing a walking cast, and BAM!! I was in. I would invite you in too, but I'm afraid this group is very restrictive. See you have to be wearing or have worn a walking cast, otherwise, sorry there is no room for the never-been booted. I first noticed I was in when I went to a spring training baseball game and like three people stopped me to tell me about how they had just gotten out of their boot, or show me their scars. And then if that wasn't enough, it happened again today at the grocery store. But here's the wierd part... we may all be in the same cult, but it is very competitive. Everyone wants to tell you "their story"... what happened to them to put them in the boot, and then they want to hear yours. And this is the part where I really get them. It's pretty hard to top the "I broke my tibia and fibula in a spiral fracture just above the ankle and had to have emergency surgery so now I have a plate, 6 screws and 2 pins holding my now bionic ankle together". They just don't see it coming and then as quickly as they inducted me into their little club... I beat them over the head with it. I told my mom it's the only good thing about this whole ordeal. I least I really committed to breaking my ankle. I didn't just hair-line fracture one bone... oh no... not me. I went for it... and now at least I can be at the top of the boot club.

Crawl before you walk

What's that saying... "you have to learn how to crawl before you can walk"?? Well I am crawling again and praying I can figure out this walking thing. I feel like a toddler all over again. Except I don't have a cushey diaper to land on if I fall down!! That's right folks... the cast is off and it's now time for me to start walking again. Easier said than done. My right calf is seriously half the size of the left one and I feel like I have no control over the muscles in my ankle. Every movement is painful... but I have to do it... I have to push through. That's what happens when muscles aren't used in 7 weeks and your ankle is completely rebuilt with a bunch of metal!! So I'm in a walking cast, but I can't yet walk in it. I have to use crutches to help, hopefully not for long. Anyway, the bottom line is I'm back to crawling... using that couch to pull myself up... and hoping to soon be able to take my first steps. Get your video cameras ready kids...

Scooter Envy

So as many of you know, I have this "scooter" to get around since I broke both the bones in my ankle and have been banned from walking. Basically it is a walker... with a shelf for me to rest my leg on and then I push with my good leg. I can certainly move faster on the scooter than I can on crutches and it gives me the ability to carry something in one hand (which you can absolutely not do on crutches) so I guess you could say it has made my life with a broken ankle easier. But it has also started this whole new phenomenon that I just don't understand... one that drives me literally crazy... scooter envy. I can not tell you how many people have told me how "cool" it is and that "they want one". And then today, this guy is at our work, he has a walking cast on and so he says to me "Hey I need one of those" and flashes me his walking cast as he goes WALKING by. WALKING people.... that's the problem. That walking cast... is my next step (literally). That is the goal of my next doctor's visit, to get me into one of those, but for the past 7 weeks I have not been able to walk. It's like not being able to brush your teeth, it's one of those things we just take for granted without really realizing what a pain in the ass it is to not be able to do it!!! And this, my friends, is why I can not handle the scooter envy. If you can walk, don't talk to me about how you want one, or need one. NO YOU DON'T! And as someone who would give just about anything to walk right now, I don't think it's cute or funny. Now don't get me wrong, I know people are curious and want to take the scooter for a spin and I don't mind that at all. But to those who think their twisted ankle should get them a scooter... and then we could maybe bond over it... I say F-OFF (or as some of you like to say EFF-OFF) Perhaps when I can once again WALK... your scooter envy will not make me want to run you over.

All Alone

So let me just give you a snapshot of my life right now. I have a broken right ankle and I am still in a lot of pain. I am now in a cast (at least it is pretty... red with sparkles) and I can NOT under any circumstance put any pressure on my right foot/ankle/leg for at least the next four weeks... the same instructions I have alreadly lived with for 3 weeks. I have now found a semi-cool way to get around. My doctor ordered me a scooter of sorts... think a razor... powered by my one good leg... but with a paded shelf for me to rest by f-ed up leg on. It does make getting around work easier... and now I can at least make food for myself in my kitchen so I am not starving. But it doesn't go up stairs. So I drag myself... sitting on my butt up the stairs to my crutches, which I leave at the top of the stairs and I use only crutches up stairs. I can shower by myself because my parents got me a chair and handle I use to pull myself in and out... I put a garbage bag over my cast and masking tape it up. Laundry is nearly impossible, but somehow I manage. Basically everything in my life takes me at least 4 times as long to do as it normally does... even just going to the bathroom. Therefore, at the end of the day, I'm 4 times as tired as I usually am. And I'm pretty sure, with the exception of my anchor who has a family and her own people to take care of, not one of my friends has asked if I need anything. If they could come over and help me with anything. Or if they could just come over and be there for me. In fact when I talk about how hard this all is for me, I feel like no one wants to hear it, like they feel like I am burdening them, like I am totally being a baby about this whole thing and I should just suck it up. The only people who seem to understand or give a shit are all miles away... my family and my boyfriend. And right now I can't even begin to tell you how alone and sad and unsupported I feel. I have all these amazing friends right?? But when the chips are down, it's those friends who are supposed to be there for you. And right now... I'm standing... on one leg... all alone.

My Crippled Life

So much for my nice long relaxing vacation. You know me... I must find some way to "spice things up". So I somehow managed to break my ankle... and wind up in the emergency room. But, as we all know, I don't do anything half-assed. So, I didn't just "break my ankle"... I BROKE MY ANKLE!!! I broke both bones (the tibia and the fibia) in a spiral fracture. It required emergency surgery, but because I have a blood clotting disorder and I am on coumadin, my "emergency surgery" had to wait until they could thicken up my blood. It was by far the most painful 24+ hours of my entire life... minutes after I was given morphine, I was in so much pain I didn't know if I was going to make it. The next day I was wheeled downstairs for surgery... where I would receive a plate... 6 screws... and 2 weird looking pin things, turning my right ankle... bionic, but hopefully eventually returning it to "normal". The surgery went well, at least according to all the doctors. I was still in a lot of pain, and then came the bombshell, no weight on my right foot for at least 6 weeks... NONE!!! Crutches would be my new best friend. I spend the next 3 days in the hospital while they tried to thin my blood back out now that surgery was over. I was back on the coumadin and getting shots in my stomach (if you've never had one... let me just say OUCH!!!) but my levels were still not right. By now it was Wednesday and I was scheduled to leave Saturday. My boyfriend really wanted me to be home with him... and I didn't want to be in the hospital alone anymore. (It wasn't like last time. This wasn't my home so I didn't constantly have someone with me... and I was in so much pain and so depressed about how I was spending the end of my vacation that most of the time I just laid in bed... I didn't read, I didn't watch TV... I just laid there.) So finally on Thursday, the doctor said I could leave if someone would give me my shots twice a day in my stomach. Luckily, my boyfriend's mom used to be a nurse and so she agreed without hesitation. I went home and my boyfriend spent the rest of my vacation taking care of me, but at least we got to be together. Talk about an ending to my time in paradise... so by now you're probably wondering... how the hell did it happen!!!
Did she fall during one of those amazing hikes she was on?
Was it on one of those walks on the beach, that sand can be very deep?
Oh no... it was once again the me versus the stairs... and guess who won??
The one time I decided to put on a pair of high heels. We went to town to see a NOFX show. I had a couple of drinks... wearing a couple of heels... and then met a couple of stairs... that's all it took. When I fell, I thought I had maybe just twisted it, that is until I tried to stand up and immediately fell back down (probably because the two bones I had to stand on were both broken) I started screaming in pain... my boyfriend rushed over, picked me up... and carried me up to his friend's condo where I spent the night with my foot propped up with ice on it. I proceeded to pop of couple of pain pills... and drink more... like then it would just magically get better. Finally my boyfriend's friend called one of his neighbor's who is a nurse. He came over and looked at it and said we needed to go to the emergency room immediately. And that's what we did... so there you are... all caught up... on my crippled life!!!