Still Obsessed

Alright...I confess. I'm still obsessed about finding out as much as I can about my broken leg. Some of the info is useful. Like the reason why I don't have water retention is maybe because the injury to the soft tissues, including the lymphatics, is not so serious. Thank God. I keep worrying my leg will be shorter and cause limping. But it was my choice not to go for surgery since I was given an option. OK, just move on and think positive.

Inspirational book that I read: The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. About this professor who has terminal cancer and is writing a book about lessons in life for his three young kids. He has such a beautiful wife and kids. It is such a warm, funny, witty and poignant book. He's such a remarkable and inspiring person. One of a kind. Don't know if he's still living. I should check out the website he mentioned. Reminds me why I shouldn't be complaining.

My aunt has just undergone an operation to save her husband's life. She has given her kidney to him. They're of two different blood types. He's O, she's B. They've done this procedure in Europe and Japan. But it's the first time they've done it here in Singapore. Latest news is he's going to be moved out of ICU soon. Both are in stable condition. Yesterday, I felt such pain and sadness just to imagine the pain and sacrifice she has to go through. But I guess it's fated. Her husband and kids are lucky. I would have done the same thing if I had to.

Two weeks prior to 23/5/2008:
Heel bone was throbbing day and night. Agonising. Couldn't sleep. Panadol didn't help. The toe massages that used to work didn't. What helped was standing up for a while and sleeping on the couch with my cast resting on a kiddy chair. Yes, I slept in the living room. The next day, found a detachable arm rest to put on the kiddy chair so I could sleep in bed since the height between the chair and the bed was manageable. I realised I couldn't put my leg up on two pillows any more as that caused the heel pain. Maybe because too much weight was on the heel causing poor circulation. All I know was the pain felt like broken glass pressing against the heel. Called the nurse to ask if my cast was loose - she said it was normal.

23/5/2008
4th visit to doctor. My heart sank when he looked at the words my hubby had written on the cast (Heal quick!) and said: "Not so soon, you know. Not much bone growth", as he studied the latest X-ray. I asked if bone growth stimulators worked. He said they don't help. Well, pretty depressing. He looked at the X-ray, said that it was too early to see calcium deposits but there seemed to be slight shadows around the displaced bone. That could indicate some healing going on. Hah! Finally, something encouraging! But if he doesn't see enough bone growth soon, he would recommend a bone grafting operation because he doesn't see the point spending so much time in a cast. OK, not that encouraging.

Then, he said he'd put me in a knee cast in two weeks time. Yeah!!!!! No boot/air cast because of the nature of my injury (spiral, slightly displaced). Well, at least I can bend my knee. He didn't prescribe an injection (painkiller) as it wouldn't hurt (unlike the last time it was casted) because the injury would be 8-weeks-old by then. What a relief. I knew, from what my cousin told me, that it would hurt when they bend my knee (what do you expect, 8 weeks without bending it?) but have decided to brave it.

I pushed the doctor for a date when I could return to work. He said three months. Somewhere in August. At that point, I was just happy that he could put a time frame because he refused to give me one the last time I saw him. (Initially, both doctors I saw said 6-8 weeks. Yeah, right! I'm wondering why they said so when they had my x-ray)

He said I should take 1g calcium daily, excluding food, when I asked.

Feel lighter these days. Don't feel as tired when I move out of my room on crutches. The leg aches when I put my leg down too long and feel the whole weight of my cast. Feel pain when I try to carry my leg up from the left-hand side - that's where I twisted it. But I have to expect more pain. My friend's leg was in a cast for two months for an uncomplicated tibial break. Walking was more painful than when she broke it. Ouch! She couldn't walk straight because the leg was so weak. I've read about how it will swell and ache when I start walking on it.

24/5/2008
Went to see the TCM doctor. She said even though I didn't have much water retention the last time I saw her, it looked like the slight swelling of the toes of my casted leg had gone down. She checked my blood pressure and found it was low. She told me to get my blood checked. Told her it had started since my 2nd pregnancy. I had to take iron tablets during pregnancy. Have had nausea which lasted a few hours when I over-exerted myself. So far, it has happened 6 times. The most recent incident, I had a headache, nausea, vomitting and my eyes hurt. I think it is a combination of sinusitis (bright lights) and low blood pressure that caused it. But my blood pressure went up when I started taking a iron supplement. Stopped recently. Have been feeling nauseous last few days come to think of it. Think I better top up the iron and maybe see doctor to have my blood checked if it doesn't stop.

She gave me a massage to get circulation going. Said that people sometimes forget that they overrely on the non-injured leg that it causes problems for that leg later on. It's good that I'm going to be in a knee cast soon so she can do accupuncture above the knee.

Some advice she gave: I must get some morning sun (7am to 11am) because it is then that the calcium binds with the vitamin D. Am I taking it seriously? Yup. I am getting some serious sunshine every morning now at the day bed near the living room window. Before this, I did get some sun but didn't go into the bright sunlight.

Must self-massage like she taught me because it's better than someone doing it for me. Also wriggle toes for circulation. She gave me herbs to boil (which includes calcium) to take twice a day for blood clots, healing and strengthening the bone. Luckily, it isn't so bitter. A bit sour. We bought an $8 claypot to boil it in.

Yesterday, my shoulder bone really hurt. I massaged it the whole day, it finally went away in the afternoon. Has happened twice already. I guess because I lean to my left-hand side to do stuff like use this computer. Or maybe I haven't been getting enough calcium? I am finally able to sit up putting my casted leg on the kiddy chair+big rectangular arm chair cushion, laptop on low computer table. But just a few minutes ago felt nauseous. Got to find out more about this low blood pressure thingy.