What a week.

So if everyone watched my previous vlog, ya'all know I ended up going to see my surgeon and found out I have torn tendons in my ankle that is the source of my pain. So my doctor opted to try a fiberglass cast for 6 weeks to see if that would help me heal up without having to have surgery. If it doesn't heal with the cast, I'll end up having surgery. Which would suck. I don't do surgery very well. The first time I had surgery I panicked when it was time to get the anesthetic... the second surgery I panicked because while watching TV in the prep room, I was watching a Dr. Phil or some talk show about people who had surgery that were seemingly under, but were really awake and felt everything being done to them and couldn't let the doctor know.

So I want to avoid surgery. lol

Things were going good. I got home, rested up, then the next day weighed myself with the cast on. Didn't know how much extra weight the cast put on me... 1 pound, 2.5 pounds, a few ounces... so I just went with whatever weight it said at that moment and went from there.

I kept to my diet. Haven't fallen off it yet. Still eating my lean cuisines and fruits and veggies and such. Despite the cast I was trying to get out and walk on occasion. It's been in the 70's here, sunny, the snow is almost all melted away and the green grass is starting to peek through, so I like to take my dogs on short walks through out the day to get some fresh air and exercise. They're slower walks obviously, but at least I get out there and am moving around every so often.

Weighed myself and in 1.5 wks since getting the cast on, lost 3.5 pounds. Not bad. So things were going good, until yesterday. (Friday)

I went to church... being a good little Catholic girl I go stations of the cross every Friday in Lent with my mom, then my mom and I go out for a fish fry. Everything was normal until half way through the stations. My cast was starting to feel kind of tight. It was an odd, all of a sudden feeling. When I was walking out of church to the car... it was REALLY tight. Weird. So when my mom and I got to the restaurant I noticed my toes were getting numb and turning kind of white. So after we were done eating, it was off to the emergency room.

I had to have the cast cut off.

When it was loosened, after a while, the feeling and color came back to my toes. Turns out, my ankle was pretty swollen. Obviously, with little room in the cast, it had no room to swell. So there were issues. Since my doctor is in another state, and the E.R. doc wasn't sure what he wanted to do, he was going to put the cast back on, and hold it together with an ace bandage (or as I like to call it, Doctor's duct tape) and give me crutches until I can see my surgeon.

That would have sucked. For one thing, crutches aren't easy, and for another thing... you either have to get up a LOT of steps or a few steps, but the only way to get into my house involves steps. Not fun when you have crutches. So the E.R. doc called the after hour doctor who works with my ortho surgeon, and he recommended this boot cast. Thankfully the E.R. had a few available.

I actually like this better than the cast.

1. It's more comfortable. This boot cast is padded and soft, and has inflatable/deflatable "airbags" for more comfort and security. With the cast I had two toes hanging over the cast, and the other three squished inside the cast, my foot was always cold because my toes were exposed. (Before it warmed up).

2. The airbags are nice. It makes my ankle feel snug and less wiggly. In the cast there was enough room in the ankle that it moved around quite a bit when I walked, which is why I think I had such an issue with swelling.

3. It's adjustable and removable. This is HUGE. If my ankle starts to swell, I can loosen it... I can remove it to take proper showers without worrying about getting the cast wet, I can wear a sock so my foot doesn't get sweaty and stinky, and I can take a proper weight without the cast on. Best of all, if I have an itch I just can't get at, I can take the cast off and scratch instead of trying to use a ruler. lol

So comfort and convenience wise, it's definitely better. that being said, minus taking showers (and maybe weighing myself in the morning) I have to act like this cast is not removable and wear it all day, all night, really at all times except for showers. Because I don't want to have surgery and I want this to work, I'm going to be a good little patient...

And do as the doctor tells me. I'm going to keep this cast on. At least I know the next 5 weeks will be more tolerable than if I were still in a fiberglass cast.

So anyway. that's the update. things are going good, weight is going the right way, and minus a little E.R. visit... I'm doing good. Talk to you all later. Will continue to let you know how things go! (PS, Happy St. Patty's day!)