Lee (Longblade)

[FRJ]

The Doctor is in.

[RobesonsRme.com]

5 C's

Charlie

[KAW]

Lee... I just discovered this thread. I'm sorry to hear about your situation.
I hope all is going well as can be during your recovery & that it will a speedy recovery as can be.
I always enjoy your posts here. I guess one silver lining is you have more time to visit the board which will be a benefit to us here.

[RalphAlsip]

I have my doctoral degree from the Medical College of PA - while my work focused on understanding the complex organ called the "brain" I am very familiar with the medical physiology/biochemistry of the body as a whole

Lee can you tell me if I have Knife Fever?

Seriously, well wishes and prayers for a speedy and comfortable recovery.

[LongBlade]

Thanks very much Ken and Jerry - I truly appreciate the well wishes!!! ...

Ken - I'll be online when I can for sure - and thanks for the kind comments!!

Jerry - Yes indeed the knife fever is approaching dangerous levels ... I'm doing my best to find something to score given I missed the NCCA show last week - I need to get the fever under control ...

[gsmith7158]

Lee I suffered a broken ankle many years ago and I do not envy you. It's not a serious sounding malady But it is quite debilitating and even after the doctor gives you the okay for cast removal it just doesn't feel right. Well wishes for your recovery!

[LongBlade]

Thanks very much Greg ... you know from which I speak given you had the same long ago - "debilitating" - no doubt as I'm going pretty stir crazy but doing my best to keep distracted... I am getting pretty good on crutches and my knee scooter ... but I am on my back with foot elevated 23 1/2 hrs a day....

Next week I get stitches removed which are under my cast (so haven't seen the incision yet ) but a new cast will be done again after the stitches come out - RE: -your comment about feeling not right eventually with no cast - I guess that is why the orthopedist said Physical Therapy will strengthen and teach me how to walk again ... and I thought I learned how to walk when I was 2 years old ... PT still doesn't start for another 3-4 weeks but will have a walking cast at that time...

(PS - My orthopedic surgeon has sports medicine as his specialty and a good reputation (very compassionate and a nice guy - that separates good from bad physicians in many cases) - given athletes often break ankles etc in contact sports and he has alot of experience - I have complete faith in him to get me back on track - and the PT rehab center only deals with patients such as myself recovering from broken ankles etc which is important ... I actually am looking forward to working hard in PT to get myself on the road again ...

[FRJ]

All the best, Lee!!

[philco]

Lee I've been able to predict snow ever since I broke my ankle in 1972. Unfortunately I've never been able to figure out how to market that skill.

[Quick Steel]

Wishing you a quick recovery LongBlade.

[LongBlade]

Thanks Joe, Phil and QS ..

Phil - if you figure out a way I would be glad to go in on that venture - we couldn't be any more inaccurate than the weather men and probably more accurate in the long run ... the orthopedist did warn me of the possibility that I may develop some arthritis in that ankle which of course can be sensitive to weather.. I was thinking the metal plate and screws may be an internal barometer for weather prediction ... Cheers buddy!!!!

[jerryd6818]

I was thinking the metal plate and screws may be an internal barometer for weather prediction ... Cheers buddy!!!!

No, it's an antenna so the aliens can contact you.

[LongBlade]

No, it's an antenna so the aliens can contact you.

"E.T. phone home" - ...

[Eustace]

Now I see this. What did you do, man?
I sincerely wish you a recent recovery!
How did it happen? Do you slip on a stone in the river?

[LongBlade]

Thanks Eustace ... Thankfully it didn’t happen in the river though I have heard of many that have broken ankles wading in a river... Truth is it was done stepping onto a wooden plank leading to my shed in the pouring rain at night - the plank was slippery as ice as I unfortunately found out which resulted in a severe twist and fall... Hard to explain but given the intense pain I knew it snapped my fibula - the smaller of the 2 bones which go from your ankle to knee... the rest is history and now recovering from surgery and in another month Physical Therapy for a few more months... thanks again Eustace for your wishes for recovery!!

[bighomer]

Hang in there Lee this too shall pass.wishing you the best pal.

[LongBlade]

Thanks BH - much appreciated ...

Well - last week I had the stitches removed and now have an air cast though still no weight bearing... I can take the air cast off when I am seated and wiggle my toes - and gently try and move foot in an up and down motion but it is not going very far at the moment ... Physical Therapy starts next Wednesday - it will be a long road with the plan to increase weight bearing slowly week by week - motion, strengthening, gait and essentially learning how to walk on it again... no doubt abit of atrophy in my lower leg muscles from lack of use... at this point lots of the swelling is gone, surgical scar looks pretty good but no doubt the ankle does feel strange being so stiff which is why I am slowly just doing some slight motion with toes etc... at the end of day I no doubt have that ache which is common with many injuries at night... I'll have to say the simplest things become a challenge with one leg at the moment - I just focus on the fact I will be getting back to normal eventually slowly but surely ..

I wil say I got a great 2 knife "bomb" from Glen today - Thanks so much Glen - Two very cool boys knives that I will photograph and post asap - SwanWorks (with a "Boys Friend" etch on the master and a punch blade - and a classic The Young Co Germany 2 blade beauty - I'll probably use my iPhone camera which is easier right now once I figure out where I will get the best light - my usual light box won't be accessible until I am more mobile... Thanks again Glen - Very kind & generous and a real spirit lifter

[djknife13]

Lee, I still have you on my prayer list. I was close to being in a similar boat years ago with a busted heel but I got really lucky because my heel wasn't displaced and I had little pain. I had doctor's appointments twice a week and specialist appointments once every week or two. They would both spend about 20 minutes ach appointment trying to scare me out of doing something stupid which would put me closer to your situation with pins and months of physical therapy. I just had to not bump it or fall down or forget and try to step on it for several months. The problem, mostly for the doctors, was my lack of pain and zero ability on my part to sit still and let it heal. Two of my daughter-in-laws caught me up on the scaffold where I got hurt in the first place helping my brother cutting rafter tails on the garage I was building for him when I got hurt. This was several weeks into the healing process. I was being careful but they threatened to tell my wife so I had to climb down until they were gone. I fully recovered and can't even remember which heel was broke. Yours is much more complicated than mine was, but I still can relate to your having to sit with so many things just out or reach. Hopefully you are a better patient than I was.___Dave

[wlf]

You’re tough ,you’ll do fine,because age makes you tough . Grin’n

[LongBlade]

Thanks Dave ... yes indeed we are similar in one sense - I am not one to sit still long but in this case I was warned and not only from the Drs but others that experienced similar injuries to keep off the leg and really had no choice - mainly because in contrast to what you noted about no pain the ankle was quite abit of pain and can be quite uncomfortable at times though it lessens by the week - definitely not a day to day difference... some days are better like everything else in life

Lyle - .. I need to contemplate that one - I don't know if age makes us tough... or more irritable ... I will say one thing I think you heal faster when you are younger - I love it when the Drs and nurses say "you know you're not young any more so it may take abit longer"