I'm back, sort of!

[MYellowRose]

I got stir-crazy staying at home :o so I managed to ride and hobble my way down to the library today. Don't know how often I'll be getting down here for a while, probably just weekly, though I may decide I need my computer fix more often ::) . LOL
Thank you all for the prayers and good wishes and all sent my way. Ruth read them to me over the phone and it's nice to know I was missed even a little bit. LOL

[gypho]

You're welcome. It's nice to see that our prayers are being answered with a YES!

gypho

[lost1]

You've been missed more than just a little. Everyone is looking forward to your full-time return.
Take Care and get well

[MNMOM]

Glad that you are doing better. :)

[nancy1340]

Hey , it's party time !!!!!!!

Glad your up and around. Don't over do it there kiddo.

[txanne63]

Missed a little??


Ahhhhh we missed you alot---Bunches and we were concerned----

Hows the ankle? you didnt say?

Stay safe----take it easy ok?


annie

[NHboy]

Hey Rose,
Good to see a response, now tell us all about it. We want to hear it first hand.
NHboy

[Faye]

Good to have you back and glad you feel like getting out. Take it easy though.

[MYellowRose]

Went for a followup yesterday afternoon and now have it wrapped in an ace bandage and tucked, my foot that is, in an orthopaedic shoe. Compared to the brace that it was in originally this is heaven. I'm still having some trouble with the ankle and the nurse practitioner said it make take a while yet to heal, yesterday was 2 weeks to the day. If I'm still having a good bit of trouble in a week or too I'm to go back and they'll order more x-rays, those they took on the second of October weren't all that clear from what I was told yesterday. I'm still taking half a percoset once or twice a day for pain and am using my cane all the time but thats about it.
I'm still not sure exactly how I injured it. I was stepping off the bus, it was only about 6 inches or so from the curb, and for some reason I fell. I think what happened is since I didn't go off sideways like I usually do I didn't step all the way onto the sidewalk. I think my foot slid off the curb and was bent up toward my shin, causing me to fall out of the bus and onto the sidewalk. I thought, at the time, that I had just twisted my ankle and skinned my right knee so I refused when the bus driver asked if I wanted a supervisor and the ambulance. When I was being helped from my favorite eating place out to the neighbor's son's car I must admit to regretting it somewhat! I still don't feel I would have been justified in tying up an EMS unit for the time it would have taken to haul me to the hospital though. I'm doing okay to my way of thinking but it has put paid to what job hunting I was doing and after this I'm definitely putting in and fighting for my social security disability benefits. From the way things look now I don't think I'll be able to stand for more than a few minutes at work now.

[DonnaKay]

Glad to see you on here!! Hope you heal up quick.

Donna

[fredusa]

Keep us up on the improved "hobbling"---please! * Glad to see some progress, and looking forward to more warming words of "getting better 'n' better"!

[MYellowRose]

Hi Fred, sure it good to see you're still here.
Still popping an occasional half a percoset for the pain but that's about it.
Went ahead and walked about four blocks, cross-country, earlier to get here to the library, will probably walk the same route back unless the foot is bothering me greatly. I want out of this orthopaedic shoe and ace bandage but believe me, I'm not rushing any more than I absolutely have too! I've got my trusty can and asked the bus driver to lower the bus before I got off today. The place I got off has a very shallow curb and when the bus is a driving height there's at least 12" if not more to step down to the sidewalk. Something I didn't really feel safe in doing so I was very thankful for the "kneel" feature as it's called on the bus. It's something I seldom ask for but am more apt to do it now than I was in the past, especially if I get off and the curb/sidewalk is real low or non-existant. "Better safe than sorry" as the old saying goes.

[Suzy]

Be extra careful still! My youngest daughter stepped in a hole and badly sprained her ankle the same week you did yours....that thought it was broken at first but it wasn't...just badly sprained...

She had a removable cast thing on it for the first week and then "graduated" to one of those smaller lace up things like you buy at Wal-Mart (which is on doctor's orders.)

well, she quit wearing it thursday, just stepped out of her car at my mama's, and twisted it AGAIN! So now she has the lace up thingie back on it after the swelling went back down again....

So please please please be careful! we miss you!

[Suzy]

oh---I meant to say that youngest daughter is age 33....DO BE CAREFUL!!!!

[MYellowRose]

Suzy I'm being very careful, believe me. I took off the ace bandage and the special shoe yesterday and wandered around at home without them, keeping my cane close at hand though.
Since I wanted to come to the library today I replaced both for safety's sake. I go to the rheumatologist on Nov. 3, and I'll get him/her- it's a doc who's new to me, to check it out and see if I can actually leave off the bandage and shoe for the time being.
I've decided that when I start going out without it I will at least carry them in my tote bag in case my ankle starts to bother me again. That way I can stop and put them back on.
Having both OA and RA I'm becoming both more paranoid about such things and more safety conscious than I ever was.
I now ask the bus driver to lower the bus whenever I feel I need it to either board the bus or get off it. In fact the stop where I've been getting off to come to the library has a very shallow curb which puts it well below the level of the bus so I now ask to have it lowered for safetys sake. If the driver hesitates I make sure to tell him/her that I got my injury when getting off of a bus. It's surprising how fast that will make them change their mind. They know if they refuse and I am injured again it will be the fault of the bus company, not me and they don't want to get in trouble. LOL
Also, I watch where I walk, avoiding rough places whenever possible and also trying to avoid stepping on small rocks or even acorns as they can cause me to turn my ankle.
Even though it seems like it I'm not in all that big a hurry to get the bandage and special shoe off if it means having even more trouble with that ankle if it comes off early. I just feel steadier on both feet with my cane than I ever was on crutches with one foot up in the air.

[nancy1340]

MYR, it's good to hear your up and around. Just don't go too fast. We want you well healed kiddo.

[MYellowRose]

Am back to the ace bandage and ortho shoe today. Didn't have any trouble yesterday while I was out but yesterday evening and last night I had some pain in my heel and in that outer bone in the calf of my leg. Don't know if it had anything to do with my injury and all or if it's just my RA acting up. Going to have to change doc's so I don't know when I'll get seen again as I'll have to find one that takes the lower level of insurance that I have. Hope the one I had before that's downtown takes it as it's fairly easy to get to the office and they have lab and x-ray all in the same office, for the same co-pay.