spontaneous blah.: pedal to the metal.

many of you have asked, so i am going to just give a brief overview of my most recent doctor's appointment.

we ventured back to iowa city yesterday (the gods smiled on us and the water had receded enough that we were able to get across 380). this appointment marked the 14 week point. if you recall my previous posts from march and april, then you will also recall that this was the time they told me i'd be walking again. needless to say, i went in with very high hopes.

i have become very familiar with the clinic rooms, but sitting in there waiting for my doctor was a little different this time. the butterflies set in once i realized just how long it had been since the surgery and wondered what i would find out. seeing my x-rays is comparable to seeing your report card - you can't wait to look, but are a little nervous about what you might see.

my doctor is supposedly the best of the best, but what he excels in as a surgeon, he lacks in bedside manner. the routine is always the same - after admiring his work, he looks to me and quickly states (not asks): "questions." 90% of the time, i am unprepared. i think i have the list of questions ready to rattle off ("what's this lesion?", "can i take a bath?", "is it okay to take off my ace bandage?"), but the brusqueness of his statement always throws me off and i respond, "um...i don't think so..." or "can i have more percocet?" this time i was ready.

"when do i get to carry my child?"

so, here's what i found out yesterday.

* healing is taking place.
* they are going to get me an ultrasound machine that is supposed to assist with the bone reconstruction. i'll have to use it everyday.
* i can begin putting more and more weight on the leg. he is letting me determine when i want to get rid of the crutches. this means i could be walking independently within a month. if it starts to hurt or bother me, i stick it back up on pillows and rest.
* i'm allowed to swim but have to cover the graft.
* i'm allowed to drive again (bill's going to take me to a parking lot so i can reteach myself...)
* the tibia is cracked, but aligned.
* the fibula is still broken. if we don't see any more healing in the next month, i will have to undergo more surgery and have a bone graft done.
* no physical therapy at this time (however, i have a word into my yoga instructor!)
* i can and should be riding an exercise bike to rebuild my muscles. i loaded the ipod with ziggy marley, dave, jakob dylan (son of bob) and michael franti.

i took a bath last night. the first time in well over 15 weeks. with lavender bubbles. it made me feel more 'normal' than i have felt in a long time.

these are the most recent pictures of the leg. forgive me - bill usually takes them, so they look a little different and the leg is swollen from having it down all day. you get the idea though.