Day 34 Cast off!

Day 35, Wednesday March 7, 2012: Cast Off!

My nice blue cast comes off... As mentioned I had been anticipating this day since I was "looking forward to the boot", the next concrete progression, etc.

Since other people blog about being anxious of the tool that is used to remove the/a cast (a small circular saw type device), don't worry. First the person removing the cast should explain that 1) it makes noise (well the vacuum attached makes the most noise) and 2) it doesn't cut skin... at best (worst?) it may be ticklish. I've had previous experience so the saw part was not an issue. The bit of apprehension was the manipulation of the leg and the final prying off the cast... I find I'm now very sensitive/apprehensive about it moving/the threat of it moving even if it's not actually hurting. It's a weird feeling.

The cast was removed and I got to take a picture of my ankle which I had neglected to do when the cast was put on (at that time my ankle was much more swollen despite keeping it elevated almost all the time). The ankle was less much less swollen than the last time I saw it, so that felt good, but it was still swollen and just seeing and not being able to move it was also kind of depressing. Despite knowing that no matter what it's a long road to recovery, it is difficult to be optimistic. I guess the main point is ok to be realistic, just don't get depressed/down. Chin up and all that!

Cast off, stitches out, boot...

So the my surgeon comes in to see the ankle for the first time since surgery and to remove the stitches.  Either I had gotten over my apprehension by trying to move my toes/foot while waiting for the doctor, or (some) doctors (and massasseurs!) somehow know how to hold/handle another persons body without making them apprehensive if not even making them more relaxed. So it was and she replaced the stitches with buttefly type bandages saying that when they fall off on their own then their job would be done by then.

I had emailed the office earlier about getting the Vacocast instead of the fixed cam boot but apparently she had not gotten the email since I only received a confirmation phone call later that evening. So at the time of prescribing the boot she had not gotten the information link to their website and was not familiar with it. So she gave me a prescription for a cam boot and physical therapy and told me the former was on the first floor and the latter on the fourth floor and said she'd see me in 4 weeks. (April 3, 2012).

So now need to go into a side rant on the boot and medical insurance. First off, I know, I am lucky to have medical insurance in the first place. This type of injury in the US for somebody without insurance can be financially devastating.

So I went downstairs to the "Orthotics Center" and they said they are not in my insurance's (Blue Shield) network. They said I'd likely be footing (sorry) the full bill if I get the boot from them, and provided two other places in the city (San Francisco) that were in the Blue Shield network... So there I am with my foot exposed (like I said above I was very apprehensive about any "threat" of movement so this made me very anxious and pissed, and they are telling me to go across town to get the boot. I don't know what the story is, why this "center" in the building wouldn't be in the Blue Shield network when the surgery clinic and physical therapy center are (they are all part of the same UCSF Medical Center as far I know but apparently somehow managed differently with respect to insurance coverage).

While I'm ranting, I'm also perplexed that the front door of the building has an automated door but the Orthotics center does not. Not only that but the staff weren't about to get up to help me (and others I saw) navigating their relatively heavy door (for somebody who is on crutches or other issues). They left it to passer by's or patients/friends of patients to help people with the door. Really? And this was also true of the Orthotics center I ended up at as well. They also had a large heavy door and the people at the front desk made no effort to assist people coming in and going out. Strange.

Anyway, just seems like it's something that you shouldn't have to worry about, go across town for. Can you tell I'm a Canadian?

So I went into work after this and ended up attending a meeting that went on for about an hour. With the foot being down all day for the first time in a long time, by the end I was very uncomfortable and just had to seek out a lounge/somewhere to get my foot elevated. Decided that it was probably too early to try and repeat that again the next day so stayed home. But went in the next day and managed to get in a full day with only really getting uncomfortable late in the day after standing up for a while on crutches (but those are supposed to be separate daily blog posts aren't they?-P).

Das boot:

The best thing about this is having the ability to remove it to wash/just let it all hang out. What a relief. Both my legs have atrophied. Very little if any real muscle tone in the left leg now!-( Amazing how fast this happens.