1/19/12 - Day 7 Post-Op

So it's been 1 week since my last surgery...cast is already getting on my freaking nerves! 1 week down, about 5 more to go.

I went to the doctor's - really for no other reason than for him to tell me what exactly they did to me. And the winner is.....drum roll please.......something in between Plan A and Plan B....ok.... Apparently I have ruined all 3 of my ligaments, so he said he had to do a little of both.

This is how it was explained to me....I think...

STEP 1: They cut out 1 third of my Peroneal Tendon (yellow) to use as the replacement of my ligaments.

STEP 2: Then they put an anchor in my heel bone (black), a larger than normal one...I am allergic to nickel and apparently the small one they normally use has a small trace of nickel in it so they didn't want to chance it - but the bigger one does cause more pain....then, they drilled a tunnel through my fibula (the small leg bone) and tied the piece of the Peroneal Tendon they abstracted to the anchor, through the tunnel and then back into my foot (orange).

STEP 3: They used an engineered ligament to suture a blanket over the whole thing to make sure everything stayed in place (red).

So no my ankle is all chopped up and put back together not in the way it was originally made - but maybe I will be able to stand and run and dance and not fall down...only time will tell. At least my cats are keeping me company! :)

Joe Update: Joe is still in ICU after his surgery last Monday. They found 2 small pinholes in his lung so they sealed them up and used talc to glue his lung to his chest wall. They put in 2 chest tubes this time to assure all air could escape. Doctor says he will not be moved or let go until they know for sure that everything is sealed and the lung is completely attached to the chest wall. As always, we take it Day by Day.