I saw the doctor this morning for what I hoped would be good news and I could begin physical therapy. It's been 7 weeks since my injury and initial surgery. Dr. Orth's preference is to not bear any weight for 10 weeks, so I've been trying to prepare for that timeline.
The doc is not happy with the progress of my incision healing. A week ago he said he wanted me to contact a wound care specialist to consider hyperbaric therapy to stimulate new cell growth. When I think of hyperbaric treatment, I think of scuba diving and large, room-sized chambers providing oxygen therapy. This technology has come a long way and is a common treatment used with treatment of wounds, especially in diabetics(which I am not) and amputees. Another possible treatment is a muscle flap transfer where they would remove part of my calf muscle and transfer it to the wound. I'm waiting to hear back from the doctor after he consults with the specialists. Basically, if you were to remove the large scab that still lingers on the outside of my ankle, you'd see the metal plate... I know, yuck! There's just not enough tissue there to work with...
In the meantime, I have orders to continue working on my foot, getting it to flex even more. The doc assures me it's in my best interest to work out it myself vs. going straight to PT, since they will not be as gentle. The good news is, that my pain is minimal and I'm grateful for that!
I have accepted the fact that my ankle may never be the same again, but I am hopeful that I will be able to walk without aid soon. I'm also determined to stop whining about it as well!
2 comments:
You're certainly not whining! And its great your family and friends can keep up with your recovery via the blog!
I was wondering how you were coming along...still praying for you!
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