Let the healing begin

Am I adjusting to being back at home? Not sure really?  

I don't spend much time at home usually as I am always out working, exercising or socialising! Daytime TV leaves a lot to be desired so I am trying to build up some recordings of decent stuff to watch. Lots of things have had to change and thankfully I have a very organised and efficient husband (Andy, note I am praising you!). I have to be up and in the shower by 7.30; I need help getting in and out of the shower, but thankfully can dry myself and get dressed.  However getting my knickers & trackies on requires me hooking them over my club foot, pulling them up to my thighs, then rolling backwards in a gambol to get them over my bum.  I make sure everyone has left the room at this point, probably not a nice sight! I have taken to coming downstairs on my bum now as the stairs are the hardest obstacle in the house. Andy then makes breakfast and a packed lunch for me and I am usually ready and sat on the sofa in my corner position by 8.30am!  I can’t risk showering or navigating the stairs when everyone is out at the moment so it’s a case of having to be up & ready early.  I also have to make sure I drink lots of water as that makes me get up hourly for the toilet as my bum gets sore sitting all day, I can only imagine how painful bedsores must be!  Andy came in with some Jif Lemon wipes the other day and said he wanted to wipe my crutch!!  Thank god he meant my walking aid! I had moaned that it smelt plasticky! There are many things I have had to laugh at this week, such as the shoes lined up in the hall the other day, along with my “shoe” for my right foot.

Guess which one is mine?

Shortly after I arrived at Plymouth hospital last week, I realised I ought to tell my parents I had injured myself as they were in Australia at the time.  They were visiting my sister and family as it was the 1^st birthday of my niece Ruby and they were having a naming ceremony on Bondi Beach on Sunday 22^nd April.  However I decided not to tell them until after the naming ceremony as I didn’t want them to be worrying about me, so decided to text them later on Sunday.  I woke up Sunday morning in hospital and turned my mobile on to read the following message:

I think I must have read it 3 or 4 times before I realised I wasn’t dreaming, you can see the start of my reply below it.  What are the chances of that? Mother & daughter breaking an ankle on the opposite side of the world, 12 hours apart! Mine is my left and Mum’s is her right.  Mum had a double fracture, she hasn’t yet had surgery and may not need it, her foot is in a boot cast.  They had to arrange their repatriation back to Portugal through insurance as the consultant had insisted her leg be elevated for the whole flight, so it had to be business class.  I said to Mum it’s a very dramatic way to get an upgrade!  They also had accommodation paid for as my sister lives in a 3 storey town house in Sydney so mum didn’t have easy access to the bathroom and sleeping on the sofa was not ideal.  Mum & Dad are now back home in Portugal where she will get another X-ray to see if they recommend surgery to insert plates & pins in her ankle too! Can you imagine if we fly together, we will both set off the alarms as we go through security at the airport with our bionic legs!  Get welll soon Mum, love you lots.  Everyone has laughed at me including the paramedics & nurses when I have told them I have a metal allergy.  I am allergic to cheap metal jewellery (nickel) which gives me a nasty rash, so I thought I had best mention it as I was having metal inserted into my leg for the rest of my life!! Well it paid off as I have titanium plates, worth top dollar on eBay apparently, no bog standard NHS rubbish for me ha! I thought I might as well tell the surgeon I was allergic to cats, dogs & horses too but he assured me there were none in theatre that day.


red circles show area of break, obviously have to be an expert
as I wouldn't have spotted it!

The kids have slowly adjusted to me changing from “busy working mum” to “mum on the sofa”.  They have been really good and have helped Andy around the house with not too much nagging, Joseph has vacuumed and helped tidy up and Georgia has kept her room tidy and put plates and dishes away, after her obligatory reply of “hang on a sec”!  I was hoping the novelty of using my crutches might have worn off with Georgia by now as she uses them and then leaves them in another room! I shouldn't moan, as they are always there to give me a hug if I get tearful, which I do frequently!  Georgia makes me stand up for a hug though as she says its not the same when I am sat down ;-)

One of my hourly walkabouts

I have had lots of lovely visitors since arriving home last Wednesday and a great variety of gifts, I am not being inundated with grapes which is good.   My lounge looks like a florists, I have fruit platters, jaffa cakes, scented shower gel & bubble bath, magazines & a lovely M&S pamper hamper from the girls at work.  We have had dinner cooked and delivered by friends, lunch bought in for me and continuous offers to get things in town.  I am overwhelmed by the kindness of people, not that I had any doubt but I have a great bunch of friends and family around to help out.   It really breaks up the time when I have visitors and is the highlight of my day.  I am having to write down my visit schedule though as I am still a bit “away with the fairies” otherwise I forget who is coming and when.  We went out to the local pub with friends for Sunday roast this week and I was taken to Nero by friends on Monday, it’s nice to breathe fresh air and it makes you realise how much we take normal activities for granted!  I bumped into Rachel from Regency Runners at Nero who assured me I would be back running in no time, I can’t see it myself at the moment but it’s a goal to aim for!


My escape to Nero with Cheryl and 2 of my fellow
walkers Michelle & Paula

My leg is less swollen now and I can see the muscle in my thigh and calf shrinking already from lack of exercise and general usage.  The best position is still to have it elevated on pillows day and night, otherwise as soon as I stand up or put my leg down the blood flows to my foot and it feels like its going to explode out of the cast. I am not in constant pain, I just get a bit of discomfort around the wound and a bit of aching from time to time.  However if I try to do more my ankle makes sure I pay for it, for example not having it elevated for an hour or so one day made it so painful that night I barely slept.  My next appointment at the fracture clinic is Mon 14 May, when they will x-ray to make sure the broken bones are setting straight and I will hopefully get a new lighter weight cast, so I might get to see the wound then!   I am still on daily pain relief, I tried to wean myself onto Paracetamol for a few days but have gone back onto Cocodamol until the pain calms down again. The healing process relies on good nutrition and a few good quality supplements to help you along the way, so my friend Sarah has sent me some useful links to information for certain types of Vitamin E, Calcium Citrate and Magnesium Malate.  These along with a healthy diet should help the bones, muscles, tendons and skin heal quickly.

nice bruising post surgery with surgeons fingerprints top of pic

Our holiday to Florida on 1^st June with the Fitzmaurices has now been cancelled by the travel agent.  We have lost 70% of the package holiday cost but got a full refund on the park passes, airport parking/hotel and car hire, apart from small admin fees which we can claim back.  We can claim the 70% loss back on our insurance once we have all the paperwork we need and are currently looking at re -booking for Christmas, which will be something to look forward to. Holiday insurance has saved my family & I over the years many times!!

I have stopped with the “what if’s” now as there are too many, and as my sister said “it is what it is”.  I said to Andy I wished I had taken the time to look for my walking sticks which I have taken on every mountain walk we have done previously. Maybe they might have saved me falling, which they have done many times when its slippery or uneven under foot. His reply to that was “If my aunt had bollocks she’d be my uncle”. So, no more what if's!