Well, what a surprise. Here I thought the guy was going to shave down the bone, and that's not exactly what happened.

We get there, Alan goes in, I wait in the waiting place (making friends with everyone else waiting there also).

After a few hours, the doctor calls me over and I immediately say "Oh you shaved down his bone, right?" and he goes 'No I didnt'" I said 'what do you mean, Alan told me that's what you were going to do and also take something out of his calf".

The doctor said "No, that's not what I told Alan, I said I would look at his ulcer and ultimately determine if I would or wouldn't shave down the bone. Did you know that he had a hole that went straight through to his seismoid??"

I said 'well, I saw the little hole, but I didn't know about the seisemoid".

He then asked me if there had been any redness, swelling, pus, ANYTHING??? and I said "absolutely not". Alan has been complaining that it's been hurting him lately.

He said "well, I debrided it and took care of it, it has to heal, he has to be off his foot for one week, then bring him in and bring his cam walker too"

Then he told me what he did with the calf muscle thing.

He said (can't remember all of it), but he extended something, and he said and I got this part right.

He said: 'I've discovered in many cases like your husband that if I extend (whatever thing he extended), that Alan's pressure would be oft loaded (or something to that effect), the short version is he did something to Alan's muscle in the calf and he feels that when Alan's ulcer heals, that when Alan starts to walk again, he will walk completely differently and it won't cause the ulcer to re-ocurr. I got that part right because that's what I said back to him and he said "correct".

He said 'we'll see later on if something has to be done with this bone, but honestly, I don't think it will, because I've seen a great many people have no more problems once I lengthened (whatever thing he lengthened).

He also mentioned wound care. I said 'you know he's not a diabetic, and I do take care of him". He said "yeah, I know, very good". He said "bring him in next week and we'll decide from there. Bring in the boot".

So I said "So if you don't like the cam walker, you'll give him a different one?" and he said 'correct".

So the operation went off without a hitch. I found him in recovery eating chocolate cookies, and croissants.

Everything is run like clockwork at Beth Israel. Very good teamwork.

Alan is in a foot cast almost up to his knee. Just his toes peek out.

Now getting this man on crutches and onto the access-a-ride is a completely different. matter. His balance (when he walks he's fine), but put him on crutches and forget about it.

And getting him up the porch to our apartment, well I thought he would fall on me. Then his pants started to fall down and he's screaming "My pants are falling down", and I started laughing my head off. He started laughing too. Thank god we can still laugh at stuff.

He just sat down on the porch (after pulling up his pants), and he shimmied up the front steps, then hopped up and I got the wheelchair. Where he is right now.

I do not look forward to bed time. This shall be very interesting.

So just wanted to update.

I hope he has a speedy recovery....and I hope the cast doesn't bother him too much.

--and would love to know exactly what the surgeon lengthened--suspect it was connective tissue (tendon? ligament?) of some sort . . .

I too hope he has a speedy recovery! You had me laughin on the floor when I read about his pants falling off.

Thanks to both of you.

Alan remembered the word the doctor used started with the letter G.

So I said 'Ganglian??? " and Alan said "might be".

I have absolutely no memory so I'll find out next week. Then I'll take my Lil reminder thingee and record what the doctor did.

Then I'll update it.

Can you imagine, ANOTHER SHOE BOOT THINGEE. This guy has had more shoe boot thingees.

Too bad they don't do anything.

Oh well, we just got through watching American Idol.

Luckily he's not that uncomfortable. But he's a dead weight and I'm no spring chicken.

It's hard lifting him.

I could NEVER be a home health care attendant. I have no idea how they lift people and put them (and take them out) of wheelchairs and into their beds.

How on earth do they do this??

Tell Alan that I hope he recovers quickly, and to take care. We don't want any falls or new problems!

I think Glen is right,but next time Alan a man,well they ,how do I say
this. The Dr. saids to Alan we may have to take you foot and attach
it to your ear..By the time he get's to your it's a whole different
story..Nurses will tell you men are fun to work with there easy.
My home health care nurse said your a doll,but be carefull not to hurt
your back..Do you have to go upstairs to get him to bed,if so get
a script for a hospital bed,and put it in the living room..Prayers and hugs to
both..Mel really be careful of you back...He got pudding oh wow,that
sounds so good...Sue

Wishing Alan a speedie recovery & do take care yourself when moving him, i think we have some ex nurses here that might be able to give you some good tips.
Brian

Sue:

Rest assured, that if I had to go UP ANY KIND OF STAIRS to put this man to bed, this man wouldn't go to bed!!! He'd sleep on the sofa. My whole apartment is on one floor.

As a matter of fact, I just asked him "Can you sleep on the sofa tonight? and he said "why would I want to do that?" and I said "because I want to go to bed and you are heavy". Then he said "I can get myself to bed".

He couldn't get up one step on my porch and yet, he can get himself to bed??

I think not!!!!

At least I made him some brownies tonight.

You all should have been there when the nurse came and got him and he had the operation. When all was over I had to wait all those hours until they allowed visits in the recovery room.

So there I was with about 40 other people and I call the doctor's office to arrange the follow up visit. Because I didn't have an pencil or paper with me, I just took out My Lil Reminder thingee and recorded the date and time of the next appointment.

Well, you should have seen all the people in the waiting room going "Oh my god, where did you get that thing?? I said "are you kidding, it's one of those "as seen on tv gadgets, haven't you seen this and the PEDEGG"?? whereupon a woman jumps up out of her chair and goes "Oh, I have the PEDEGG, isn't it adorable?? and I said "yeah, but I really love the ONE TOUCH CAN OPENER, because it walks around my cans".

With that, a whole bunch of us got together and started comparing AS SEEN ON TV PRODUCTS. One had the chopper, another had the Long Grab it thingee.

One person asked me 'do you have the Lightbulbs that you stick on the wall? and I said "if it has been on an infomercial I have it". I never laughed so hard in all my life. It was the best 2 hours of time spent in a waiting room. We were all in the same boat waiting for someone somewhere in the hospital and we had to wait until the recovery visiting hours were coming up, so that meant, either sitting for 2 hours and not saying a word, or just have a great gab fest.

Guess who started the gab fest?? They all wanted to see and hear the My Little Reminder thingee. But when I explained about the Tater Mitts, the guys got hysterical. If I thought I was the only person who liked those informercial gadgets, boy was I mistaken.

They wanted my youtube links so they could view all the gadgets. I'm telling you , I had a good time for over 2 hours. Then someone comes down and escorted many of us up to the recovery area where we saw Alan eating chocolate chip cookies and saying "did I have the operation already?"

He did great, thank god for that.

bye for now.

So glad he did well Melody... Such a lucky guy to have such a wonderful nurse... We all know he is in good hands...

Cathie