Hi Sue:

Alan is on absolutely no pain meds at all. Hasn't been on any for 6 years. They don't do anything for him. Just the alprazolam to sleep at night. That's his natural personality. He is a hoot!!

And yes, they gave us the release papers that say "elevate the leg to heart level", blah blah. But the nurse in the recovery room actually said "you can put a bit of pressure if you have do but not too much". Her exact words.

He's doing just fine. I don't think I'll give him a percocet tonight. Doesn't do anything for his neuropathy pain. Only the alprazolam quites down the nerves so he can sleep.

Oh, I forgot to mention a med that they gave him about an hour after he came out of the operation and he was in surgery. A nurse came over and said "do you have any tingling" and he said "are you serious, I have neuropathy, I always have tingling". She said 'okay".

She gave him (in the IV), something called TORADOL. (not sure of spelling) but it's an anti-inflammatory. Well, five minutes after he got that in his IV , he was a happy camper. He was talking and saying "I have no pain at all, what IS this med?? She explained that it is usually given in an IV, it's somewhat like a strong dose of ibuprofen and they don't usually give it in an oral form. (Believe me he would have taken them home if they gave him some pills). That's how good he felt.

It lasted for about an hour or so. But his pain level was not "out of this world" when I got him home. So, so far, he's eating, peeing, pooping, and watching tv.

Maybe they might take off the cast next week?? I have no idea.

--and I have a diagnosis.

You're both nuts.

"My wife attacked me last night." "I didn't attack anybody".

Like watching a post-modern version of the Honeymooners.

Hey, you cannot say I didn't make you laugh!!!

But getting him off the wheelchair and into the bedroom was a major thing just now. Very hard.

I'm going to try something different tomorrow night and bring the wheelchair down one step into he bedroom, and have him turn around and plop into it, then I'll roll him up to the side of the bed.

We're finding ways to maneuver him. He does very well in the wheel chair and actually got himself on the computer chair and went on the computer and watched some movies.

So he's feeling better and now he's asleep.

As Tara from Gone with the Wind said: ''Tomorrow is another Day!!!

lol

I enjoyed it. I guess if he can laugh about it...he will certainly heal faster!

How long does he have to be in that cast?

I should think he'd get instruction on how to walk with it and crutches.

When I had my foot operation (many eons ago) on the hemangioma I had on the instep of my foot, I remember a nurse or PT person teaching me how to use
the crutches. We even went up and down the stairs. It was hard..and she wasn't very patient and I remember it as a negative experience. But I never used a wheelchair. It was a delicate surgery back when lasers did not exist and I guess I am lucky they didn't damage anything else!

Mrs. D.

When he was in recovery they gave him the crutches and they DID show him how to use them, but he has such bad coordination. I guess if he put his mind to it, he could get the hang of it.

I watched him as he got off of the access-a-ride and got on the curb with the crutches. That's when his pants fell down and we laughed our heads off. He was trying to remember "left foot on ground, keep right foot up in the air, put right crutch this way, blah blah.

He couldn't do it. I watched him. His brain could not connect all the dots.

I watched him in the house. It's too hard for him.

He would need to be on crutches, outside, in a long baseball field, practicing for hours, to get his brain to navigate the whole coordination thing.

I know how his brain operates.

It's like he explained when he got his first apartment (in his early twenties). He went out and bought pots and pans and hamburger meat.

He tried to cook the hamburger, that was a big mistake. Then he had all the stuff in the sink, he took one look and said to himself "I have to cook for myself and then clean up and I have to do this EVERY NIGHT??? No, this is not for me".

HE THREW EVERYTHING OUT and began eating all his meals out. He got married, lasted for 3 months, she wiped out the bank account. He was left alone. He continued to eat out. He did this until the age of 32.

I guess when he realized he married an italian cook that he knew he hit paydirt. I will never forget the first time I made him Romanian Tenderloin Steak, with potatoes and carrots and garlic bread. He looked like he died and went to heaven.

He exclaimed" "This is the best f*uc*ing steak I ever had in my life. And the man doesn't curse. I laughed so hard.

He had never eaten like this before. And when I made him lasagna, well, he was in heaven. Someday I'll tell you about when I made matzoh ball soup for him. I believe I already told this story.

The point is, if Alan can't do something, he just forgets it and does the alternative. He couldn't cook (my son is exactly the same way, only he buys microwave meals for breakfast lunch and dinner. He says cooking and cleaning up is too much work (what is this way of thinking ....genetic??")

So same applies to the crutches. It's too much of a learning how to do this experience. So he just sits in the wheelchair. He's not going out anywhere so the wheelchair and the couch are just fine.

The absolute hardest part is getting him in the bed. But I figured it out.

That's what I do. Figure out stuff.

Tonight is the OSCARS!!!! Are you watching?