Chuck has been "lumping" around ever since her cast was put on in Parry Sound, gradually getting more comfortable with her crutches and regaining
Independence. Yesterday, we were straightened up on that.
Our first visit to the local bone doctor yesterday was a disaster. The technician who takes care of putting casts on and removing them commented that the cast was really beat up - that it looked like it had been worked too hard. he cut it away, threw it out, and replaced it with a fibreglass one. Chuck chose a green cast with a blue "candy-cane stripe" to it as a replacement. I mentioned to the tech that we were more than halfway through our time with a cast on, so things couldn't be so bad.
He looked at me like I was crazy. "how long do you think this is staying on her?"
"They said 4-6 weeks in Parry Sound. This is week 2, so we are either at the halfway mark, or close to it."
The tech moulded the cast and forced the bones back into place with his hands. He never looked at me, just shook his head and made the correction. "4 - 6 weeks is very optimistic. Expect 3 months or more."
3 months would mean Chuck has to be on crutches until Christmas. It means that she won't be sledding, or skating. It means she may miss the annual class trip to "Snow Valley" for skiing and tubing. Crutches in the winter means we will have to be careful whenever there could be ice around. She will come home from school, and won't be able to start a fire to heat the house (we heat exclusively with wood) since you can't carry an armful of logs while on crutches.
3 months on crutches is not what we were expecting.
The tech sent us into
the X-ray lab to get an update on how the bone is healing. Chuck was brave, and got her pictures taken, and then we sat and waited to see the Doctor. We were called into a private exam room.
Proudly Chuck told the Doctor how she could get around, up and down stairs, doing the dishes, carrying her own stuff around school, even participating (in a diminished role) in phys ed. The doctor turned the tides on us.
"Your fracture is worse. you need to sit still and do nothing. Nothing at all.You need to be driven to school. No bus. No phys-ed. No stairs. No hopping on one foot. Never let the baby near by. Never stand if you can be sitting. Lie down if you can. Always elevate the foot. Stay indoors. If need something to do, read. Anything more is too much."
He showed us the x-rays, and it was plain to see that the bone had moved from its original position, and was
definitely looking worse. Chuck and I were both surprised.
We are hoping the cast will come off around Christmas. I think
that's the best gift Chuck will get this year. Right now she is kinda happy in her queen of
the world role, lying on the couch having us bring her drinks, but I bet she will be tired of
it in a week or less when she realizes just how little there is to do lying on your back with your foot in the air.
Hurry up and get those bones growing Kiddo, we're going to run out of dishes soon!
