Update

Phew, life’s been crazy at the Weber house the last two months.  If you read my December 2^nd post you were able to learn about my incredible balance.  This is a continuation of that post.  So, where I left off was all I thought I was going to need was a cast to fix this thing.

Well, my appointment on December 6^th crushed all those dreams. With how our home/kid schedule is I was supposed to take the older girls to have them evaluated by an orthodontist at the exact time my appointment was scheduled in the orthopedic clinic. Brian took the older girls while I went to my appointment alone. As a side note - Froedtert hospital, where I work and went for my care, is a teaching hospital which means there are lots of medical students and residents.

I get to my appointment in the orthopedic clinic and need to have x-rays taken of my ankle. After those were done I was brought to the cast room where they cut the top open of the splint that was put on after they set my ankle (ouch) in the emergency room. The room is large with about 8 exam tables around the outside. The physician I was seeing, Dr. S, was over talking with what looked like a college age boy who had broken his arm.

Meanwhile, someone was over looking at my x-rays on a COW (computer on wheels – great name I know) without saying anything to me. Dr. S now comes over to the table I’m lying on.

Without acknowledging me Dr. S turns to the resident and says "well, what would you do?"
"Um…cast it??"
"You should be telling me, not asking me. Hello, Mrs. Weber. The right way to fix your ankle is to do surgery."

He went on to explain why and the rationale for his opinion. Then he says "how’s Thursday?" "Works for me". Drats…Brian had all day training that day, but I’m thinking this is a little more important. Oh, and the best part is you can’t put weight on your ankle for 6 weeks. Gee…this is sounding better and better all the time.

I was the first surgery on December 8^th, which meant that I had to be at the hospital by 5:00 am. Wow, was that early! We are so very fortunate to have Diane close and able to help us with anything we need. She came and stayed the night and got the kids to school. It gave us a sense of relief to know she was there while Brian and I were at the hospital. And little did we know then that we would need her again later in the afternoon/early evening after surgery.

Those hair caps are so cute!!

Surgery was scheduled for 7:30 am. Most of you weren’t on Brian’s emails he sent out about my progress. Here they are:

8:37 am - Just spoke with the doctor.  Surgery went well.  Assistants are putting in the last stitches. 　Another 90 minutes before I will be able to go back to see her.

 

11:31 am - Back in recovery with Laura. She is doing well and trying to sleep.  She had a plate and seven screws put in.  The long screw was not needed, so should not need a follow up surgery to remove.  Toes are starting to tingle which means the nerve block is starting to wear off, so she has started the pain regime. Looking to be discharged in the early afternoon.

 

3:50 pm - Still in recovery.  The anesthesia is making it difficult for Laura to go to the bathroom which is required before she can be discharged.  She did get a catheter and is now waiting for the bladder to fill up again to try again.  She is very ready to go home.  The nerve block is still in place and she has no pain yet.

 

6:17 pm - Yeah!!!!!   Working on getting discharged now.

 

7:15 pm - Home.  Thanks for all your prayers and good thoughts. Laura is looking forward to hopefully a good night sleep. Will give another update tomorrow. 　

 

Next Day - Nerve block wore off around 1 am.  Lots of pain, but the medication (3 different ones, one taken every four hours) is handling most of it and letting Laura sleep. Overall she is doing good and is on the road to recovery.

 

Wow, they give you some good drugs! There are two or three days after surgery that I don’t really remember J

 

More tomorrow…if I have a chance to type it out.