Because I'm Happy

Today my doctor pulled the pin out of my toe. It's healing well, and soon I can get back to doing things I like to do, such as walking. The office staff ordered a post-surgical boot for me, and by the beginning of next week I'll be able to take a few tentative steps, then a few more, and within a few weeks I can toss the knee scooter to the side for good. (Actually, I have to give it back to the medical supply company, but you get my bigger point, I'm sure.) Having the pin removed didn't hurt much; the toe hurts now, I guess because the bone is starting to fill in where the pin was. I took a pain pill for the first time in nearly a week -- and last week I took a total of one and a half -- to help my foot calm down a bit. I think it's not just pain from where the pin was, but also the cleaning and manipulating my doctor did. Honestly, I'm not used to taking much medicine, and I'm feeling a little tipsy.

I had made a list of questions for my doctor about what I could do and when, and we made a game of it. My doctor is kind of an odd duck, so when he saw my list of questions and asked if it was a quiz, I said sure, why not. So I threw the questions at him, rapid fire, asking him to simply answer yes or no. I hadn't really considered the "when" aspect before I was there; that made some of his answers more complicated than yes or no. By the weekend I can shower and drive. In a week, I can go in the pool. I can travel but not having my foot elevated will cause it to swell, which might interfere with the healing process. (This is distressing because my middle son and I were planning a three-day weekend visit to Winter Park to spend time with my youngest. Now I have to wait and see on that one.) I don't have to do physical therapy unless I start having problems once I move to putting weight on my foot. The swelling that concerned my doctor is gone; overall, my foot could not be healing better.

My doctor finished up with a warning to keep my wraps on for a few more days. The hole from the pin isn't very big around, but it does go down through the bone. Any dirt or germs in there could cause a nasty infection. It's okay; I can stand the lying down and staying in for a few more days, knowing that the end is in sight. Yippee!