Urgh, should have known this would happen!

[Guest guest]

I guess I really should have known better than to expect my good

news and happiness from yesterday to last very long. After another

early, but pretty uneventful morning having my MRI scan and cardiac

monitor fitted things I'm afraid have turned sour again this

afternoon. It's my own fault I suppose as I should have taken more

care, but it was a lovely afternoon for a chance and I was sick of

being inside...so I went to pick some brambles (blackberries) from

the bottom of the garden with my Mom.

It was really nice enjoying the sun and we collected a bumper crop

of juicy, ripe fruits for my Mom to make her bramble and apple

crumble with. We were just finishing and about to return to the

house though when I lost my footing on some ground I thought was

solid and bingo, one use crack later I'm looking down to see my

right ankle horribly dislocated with the foot at 90 degrees to the

ankle joint. I screamed rather loudly with the pain, but worst

still I actually had to weight bare on the dislocated ankle in order

to get to the grass and flop onto the floor - that has to be one of

the most agonising things I've ever done - practically standing on

the base of my tibia. Ouch!

With some help from Mom I managed to relocate the joint and hobble

to the house, of course the fact that it's my opposite side knee

that's stuffed isn't helping matters here either. The foot swelled

up pretty bad, felt awful and every time I tried to put weight

through it, just rolled back out of joint again...suggesting pretty

bad ligament damage. So back off to the hospital again into the

fortunately great care of the ER consultant and my good friend

the staff nurse. Between them they rescued me from a well

meaning student who didn't have a clue and educated her rather crash

course style on my " rare condition, multiple morphology and special

care " protocol!

Several hours, poking, prodding, x-raying and conflabbing later they

decided there is thankfully no bone spurs come away with the

ligaments, but the joint is practically just hanging as I've torn so

much internally. Because of my current state of play with my dodgy

left knee and of course my left arm still in plaster, they decided

that putting my right leg in plaster would be too much strain for me

as I'd need to be NWB. I am still having to risk my wrist and newly

fixed shoulder by using both crutches, but thankfully instead of

plaster cast I've been given a very fancy Aircast pneumatic walker

cast, that can be pumped up with a special tool for a perfect fit,

and which they are not really supposed to give out! It's a very

impressive piece of kit, worth around $170 and although cumbersome

and awkward still, is a lot better than being in plaster for me as I

can partly weight bear with this. I have to stay in the cast, use

both crutches when mobilising but try to stay as immobile as

possible until I see Mac on Wednesday and take things from there....

oops, yet an other thing for poor Mac to care for!

I really do look such a sight at the moment, I will have to get a

picture for you all to have a good giggle at - Imagine a mutant

wearing a huge, greay plastic aircast on her right leg, a bright

blue brace on her left leg, a plaster cast on her left arm, two

crutches and a slightly noticeable cardiac monitor with wires

everywhere and a pager type recorder clipped to my waist. If ever

the NHS want a calendar girl, I'm it :-)

Take care everyone and I promise to post that picture for you

tomorrow. Thinking of you all.

Love and hugs....Jo

xx