Bling

I got a picture, well, a copy of my x-ray from 2 weeks ago showing the hardware the doc put in to hold my ankle, etc. in place. There's a plate, 7 screws, and something called a tightrope.  That tiny little thing on the left, across from the space in the line of screws, is like an eye (from a hook and eye fastener) and some sort of string threads through a hole in the plate, through the eye, and back to the plate to hold the bottom of my tibia and fibula (the one I broke) in position so it all heals right and I can walk on it.  Eventually.  At some unspecified time in the future.  Because I sure can't walk on it now.

The didn't take a new x-ray so I guess we're all assuming that things are healing correctly until 2 weeks from now when I'll get to see the doc instead of the PA, and I'm guessing it'll get x-rayed again.  They did take off my cast, took out the 11 stitches, and gave me a boot, which outweighs the cast by a couple pounds at least.  There's also a lot more of it below my foot so hopping along is a new challenge.  My bedtime leg lifts were a challenge too with the extra weight.  My hamstrings, hip muscles, and lower abs all said, "what????" when I picked my leg up for the first one (of 10).  Can I just say that I'm glad I've been dedicated to doing 10/leg every night so I'm not starting from scratch?  She wrapped my lower leg in an Ace bandage that I can remove so I can shower, get my leg wet (but not soak my incision), and put lotion on my scaly, crusty-skinned leg.  Ahh.  I am also commanded to unboot and flex and stretch my ankle to a count of 10 a few times a day.  Nothing too strenuous and not forcing anything, just stretching and flexing a bit to start things moving again.  No driving until I'm off painkillers.  No working for at least 2 more weeks (gotta keep that foot elevated and iced to bring down the swelling) and no weight-bearing.  I'm most bummed by the no driving part but they said even though I broke my left ankle, not my driving ankle, you still use your left leg to brace so no, no driving yet.  Plus painkillers = narcotics, not optimum driving enhancement, not by any stretch of the imagination.  *sigh*

I did manage to make a cauldron of chicken soup yesterday morning.  I got smart, I used a kitchen chair as my left leg by kneeling on the seat and sliding it around.  Worked great, as did the portable dishwasher that we've used as a rolling island forever.  Now I can have something other than cheese for lunch.  Something healthier.  It's a good thing I made the soup while I still had the cast because the boot doesn't lend itself quite as readily to being knelt on but I'll figure it out, don't you worry about that.

I won a book!  A knitting book!  I ran across Ann Budd's blog a couple weeks ago and linked it to this here blog since I use her basic sock pattern to make the ones I wear in the winter inside my boots, the ones I knit with bright, variegated yarns and never make 2 the same.  (I'm wearing one today in honor of my win.)  Anyway, she's compiled a new book of sock patterns using "new directions" meaning not your traditional toe-up or cuff-down construction.  She had a drawing for a copy.  All you had to do was leave a comment about what yarn you'd choose to knit the pattern she's working on.  I thought "what the hell", left a comment, and I won.  The book came yesterday which was a welcome distraction after all of the festivities surrounding my broken ankle.  I sat on the couch paging through, reading about each sock pattern, and I've only put a post-it marker on 7 of the 18 patterns.  I think that's reasonable, don't you?  There are projects I want to finish first and I'll have to shanghai a friend to go down to find some yarn and needles so for now I'll just fantasize about which ones I'll make first.  I might even make a pair, probably fraternal twins, but they might turn out match-ish.

I didn't write a prompt last night.  I was tired and just wanted to go to bed and lie down in the dark.  I'll do better today.  Oh, hey, I think I'm getting the hang of Bullet Journal-ing.  I got out my markers and started adding a little color to the pages.  Sweet.
--Barbara