Back from the repair shop.

First the bookend limericks :

"I have severed connections before
But this time I've struck at the core
Not by distancing friends
But by detaching ends
Which disabled my foot, what is more!"

Then the operation ... the surgeon was an amusing chap, he had me in stitches!

"My connections are severed no more
But I have just one foot on the floor
For the other I feel
Although not 'down at heel'
Is a tad more than just a tad sore!"

The operation went well from a mechanical viewpoint, back of heel (spur) sawed off, hole drilled through bone for some sutured sinews and metal anchors drilled into bone for others. Surgeon said the bone was very hard and I thought that was good but turns out it is hard because of limited blood flow and therefore the healing and growth of tendon back to bone will take longer.

For the record, I had full anaesthetic and the leg had a tourniquet (time limit 2 hours) for the duration of the operation.

Currently I am told 12 weeks in plaster and then moon boot activity from there. Unfortunately even if I progress more quickly there is no way of knowing because no scan adequately shows soft tissue and therefore they have always to assume the slowest improvement is happening. There is just one way of finding out whether it has healed more quickly and that is to use it hard and see if it breaks!!!!!

I must say speaking of my hospital experience the staff were very good and attentive. They even laughed at my jokes which takes commitment and training and, some say, quite skilful acting.

I had been wondering about showering in the plaster cast because our shower has a rather high lip to get over on entry and the floor is fibreglass. I had visions of hopping over the lip onto a wet floor and my good foot going straight through to the basement. Solved the problem by sitting backwards into our bath from one side with my legs hanging out of the bath - hang on here's a photo. Nope sorry I had to delete the photo the lens seems to have zoomed more than I expected. Perhaps a private showing?

Today 2 December had the stitches removed and a new cast fitted. Wound was well healed - I've always tried to be well-heeled.

Fitting the cast was interesting, it is fibreglass and I have worked quite a lot with fibreglass so expected glass mat and epoxy resin applied sequentially in layers. However the mat comes in rolls impregnated with the mixed epoxy and kept in sealed inert gas bags. When opened the rolls are first dipped into hot water and then wrapped around the leg. The hot water does not harm the epoxy but the heat reduces the reaction time, 20 to 30 minutes in total.

Another two weeks and then a new cast and I think I can begin some minor weight bearing. The leg with the cast is about the size it started before the operation. There is already (7 and a half weeks) almost a complete lack of muscle.

I am finally getting used to swinging along on one leg and two crutches. Catriona picks me up at the top of the drive if we go out. She opened the door and said “hop in” the first time – that won’t happen again – taking the Mickey out of my disability! I was going to the doctor’s for sun spot liquid nitrogen treatment; I go about every 6 months. There was a data sheet they handed me this time referring to things to watch out for after ‘Cryosurgery ‘. I asked the nurse what they call it if I just grit my teeth.