[MelodyL]

He went to see the Orthopedic surgeon yesterday.

He took 5 x-rays of Alan's foot. Then he made him stand in his bare feet and examined his stance, his arch, (everything about the lower extremities).

He told Alan, you need the bone shaved (under the foot ulcer), and you also need the muscle in your calf, extended. I see the way it's putting pressure on the bone underneath the foot". (I wasn't there, but Alan remembered everything the Ortho said).

So February 14 is the due date. He will be in a cast for 3 weeks (on crutches too), and then the shoe boot thing for another 3 weeks.

And the ortho is consulting with Dr. Fred. The ortho gave Alan a big folder thing with instructions on when to get the blood work. So Alan will follow procedure.

I guess it's all been pointing to this for a long time.

Alan is worried about one thing. Not the operation, he knows he'll be put out for that and he had no problem with the former foot surgery for his tailor bunions (he asked if this guy would do the other tailor bunion and the guy said "Is it giving you any problems?" and Alan said 'no" so the guy said 'we're not going there then".

But Alan is worried about the pain afterward because he'll be in a cast, and he has to shake his foot when he gets the PN pain. I told him 'they will give you something for the pain", He doesn't use any pain meds now, he just uses his massage thing on his legs and the pain goes away. Other than that, he just tolerates it.

But what happens after this kind of surgery is anyone's guess.

I would have asked the doctor how high the case will reach. I mean does it go right up to but below the knee (so he can flex the leg), or will it be a full leg cast??)

I wish he would have asked.

So he's having two things done, the shaving of the bone, and the extension of the calf muscle.

If anyone knows any info about these things, now's the time to start sharing.

lol

Melody