My Left Foot

Never a dull moment, always looking for blog fodder even when I'm in hibernation mode -- that's me.

So I finally got in to see Cindy the Wonder Therapist yesterday, and after doing her evaluation, she was not convinced that it was a sprain, but instead perhaps a hairline fracture. So since it was after hours, and she wanted me to get x-rayed ASAP (and wished I had had the x-ray even sooner in the week), she suggested I go to the E.R. for it.

As I write this, I am still waiting for the radiologist's report to come in to my primary care doc -- since the E.R. doc's impressive diagnosis was "I don't see anything big." 

Well.

If we are looking to rule out a hairline or stress fracture, you wouldn't see something big, now, wouldja? 

That, combined with the nurse who twice told me I should be taking Tylenol for the inflammation and me telling her twice that Tylenol is not an anti-inflammatory, and her saying, "Well, it IS..." and walking out of the room, (Is not. Is too. Is not.) and I just want to shoot somebody. (More than usual, even.)

I'm currently debating whether I should be making a formal complaint to the hospital or her supervisor -- not because she wasn't perfectly sweet and nice and all, but one does think that basic pharmacological knowledge about a very common medicine would be in order in one's E.R. nurses, wouldn't one? 

Sigh.

Many of my friends have said before that I am a weird magnet, and that could be true, or it could just be that I'm more observant than others. One way or the other, I .... well, yeah, I do think I am a weird magnet. 

But anyway, I did call today and ask the hospital whether a RADIOLOGIST has looked at the x-rays, and they told me yes -- that they would fax the report to my primary care doc. So I'm waiting to see if there was ANYTHING SMALL that could be seen on the shot, or if we are just in the business of looking for SOMETHING BIG. Guh. Not that I am cynical or sarcastic or anything. Oh, and if I had not made that call, they would be sitting over there growing moldy and whatever, apparently. Sigh again.

So glad it's not something important or life-threatening. Sigh again.

The good news is, as Margene pointed out quite by accident: It's my left foot. And I no longer drive standard shift, so I can drive. And this is important, because I have a very good work-related drive to make next week as a direct result of my new business website which really just went live last week. Yay! 

More good news is that I am not in pain with it at all, except when I walk. It could be soooo much worse. It really would be nice to get it all healed up though -- I won't lie. 

I'm supposed to keep it elevated and non-weight-bearing as much as possible. The beginning of gardening season, as well as the fact that I was truly just hitting my stride and getting in the groove with running -- make this not a good time to have to sit with my foot in the air. Not that there is any good time, mind. And it would be ten times worse if this were the dead of snowy winter and I had to somehow shove this wrapped and air-casted foot into a boot. Shudder.

And Mr. Jefferies is not happy about the no-recreational-walking rule, either. 

Oh, and P.S.:  Hi! I'm back! (Thanks to all the wonderful notes and comments. It means the world to me.)

P.P.S. In honor of this fateful event, I've put the movie at the top of my Netflix list. If it were streaming, I'd be watching it now, but sadly it's not.

Comments

[Laura]

And just when the running was going so well. Rats.

I hope you feel better soon!

[Annie]

Dear Norma: It's time for a pedicure. Love, Annie

[Adelaide]

Sorry, Norma. Maybe a cupcake would help. :)

[Carole]

Yes, you would think someone in the medical profession would know that Tylenol is NOT an anti-inflammatory. I hope you get definitive news soon.

[Isela]

I am sorry, keep us in the loop of the XRay results.

[Seanna Lea]

Heal fast and well! It is more important to be healed all the way through.

I know it doesn't help, but one of my friends shattered his ankle last winter and over 10 years ago I broke my knee in January. It is never a good thing to be laid up, but hopefully they will not decide your hairline is now huge and requires surgery or something else.

[margene]

I'm not weird! Not all of us are weird, so you're not that much of a weird magnet. Drat about it being garden season. What are we going to do without Norma's garden along!? Heal well!

[Donna]

Great to see you back, guns a-blazin'. I missed you!

[Carol]

Norma, I'm usually just a lurker here, but I just wanted to tell you I am glad you are back. I missed you and you say many of the things that I am thinking.

[Rhonda from Baddeck]

Maybe one of those little garden seats/kneelers would allow you to garden a bit ...? With raised beds, you should be able to plant without tilling, but it WOULD be nice to add some compost, etc. I hope they find the source of your pain and that the treatment is low-tech. After such a long winter, this is a lousy time to be out of commission!

[Laura]

I missed you! I am so glad you've returned!

Sorry to hear about your foot. I hope it heals quickly so you can get back to your regular busy life. It is so tough be laid up.

Let your family spoil you, including Mr. Jeffries!

[Elizabeth]

Poor Norma. Get well soon.
Gardening season is only Just beginning. You can always shuffle about sitting on one of those skateboard-like things to garden. I'm sure that would be good for your abs, at least.

[Usually-comments-at-5 am-Lynn]

Welcome back! So sorry the hear that you've injured your foot, and hope that it heals quickly. (loved your witty movie selection ...) But hey - take advantage of the enforced knitting time?

[Bridget]

I am incredibly glad that you are back!

Feel better - I had the same kind of thing a year or so ago, I got back into regular exercising and bicycling, then I hurt my knee, and was in a brace for 8 weeks. I hope your injury is less than that ...

[Mel]

It will probably come as no surprise to you that nurses are some of the worst clients I have to deal with. Can't tell them a damn thing. Physicians are very close behind.

[Stacy]

Welcome back! I'm sorry about your foot, and write that letter to the hospital and cc the nursing supervisor. You never know, you may save a life. You can just have a late garden, Mr. J is pretty smart, maybe he can learn to walk himself? KNITTING time :)

[AnnaMarie]

Sorry about the foot and glad you are back.

[Kay L]

Drats! And the running was going so good there. Heal! (Not you Mr Jefferies, that was for Norma.)

[margaret]

so really very sorry that you had that "break" ;-( hopefully it won't be one, but it sorta sounded like it when you first were complaining about your ankle ...

as someone else said, great excuse for knitting! and reading!

keep that foot elevated, ya hear?

[Mary R]

So glad that you are back. Sorry to hear about your ankle, just when the running program was progressing so well.
Take the time to let it heal before you try running again. I broke my ankle in Jan '10 and had to have surgery to repair it. It took a while, but I did return to running and can do a 5k three times a week now. So happy to be able to be back at it.
This could be the push to get you reading once more, and there are some felted bags to knit as well...
Heal swiftly and completely, my friend.

[Dawn]

Hope you are up and running soon!!

[Lisa H.]

Glad you're back! Sorry to hear that the ER nurse is a numb-nut. jeez. Get well soon, I want to see what is happening in your garden. I'm just about to leave for our town's first Saturday farmer's market. The strawberries are calling my name...

[CindyCindy]

Boy. I'm glad you're back. I couldn't think of anything to write when you went into hibernation. It all sounded so hollow, but I missed you. You might very well be a weird magnet, but I think it's because you have a low bullshit tolerance and call people on it. For that, I thank you;-P Also, I hope it's something they can find so you can get treated and heal. Fast.

[gayle]

At least being a weird magnet means you'll never run out of blog fodder...
And I'm so glad you're back foddering!
Heal fast.

[Ruth]

Sorry to hear about the ankle ... guess NHS&W is out for this year, huh? Take it easy, and you'll be back running before you know it. If you're looking for a good book in the meantime, I can recommend "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks".

As for the weirdos ... as the others said, at least they make good blog fodder.

[magatha]

Good luck with your ankle, Norma. Hope it heals fast. I know after the long winter everybody wants to be outside.
I look forward to reading your blog every morning; Mr. Jefferies', too. He's adorable.

[Lois Budnitsky]

Glad to see you're back. Sorry to hear about the foot. Love your new business website.

[Jennifer B. / Brooklyn]

Oh man, I totally know from being a weird-magnet. With me, they like to yell, often very surprised when I begin to yell back. Sigh indeed. I'm so very glad to see you back in this space and hope your ankle (foot?) starts feeling better soon.

[Carol]

Not a weird magnet - just someone who notices things and is smart. Unfortunately, that makes you different but we love you for it. Totally contact the hospital. Tylenol is NOT an anti-inflammatory. Feel better very soon!!!!

[Becky]

As a nurse, I think you should say something; think of all those folks who are getting incorrect instructions! Most hospitals have websites, so you could probably send them an e-mail. She NEEDS to be corrected, DUH! Some hairline fractures heal faster with weight-bearing, so don't lose hope! Maybe you won't be laid up for long. And, I missed you so much; glad you are back. Feel bettah soon.

[Joannah]

Add me to the "say something" crowd. Tylenol is not an anti-iflammatory. BUT, it is a common, household drug and people who are on meds that can't mix with anti-inflammatories should not be at risk of wrong info from healthcare providers. Also, wrong is wrong.

ALSO, hey! I'm so glad you're back! We missed you SO MUCH! If we were dogs, we'd be doing Happy Dances -- I'm sure Mr J has shown you how that goes.

[Sandy]

Get well soon, Norma, we've missed you and Mr. J's Terrier Tuesdays. By the way, do you have any more of the 'juice' you brought back from your holiday vacation? Maybe a glass, or two, of that would help with the healing process-just kidding!

[DebbieB]

YAY, you're back!

BOO, you're hurt!

I want to break things when people recommend Tylenol for ANYTHING. It's NOT an anti-inflam. It's NOT. And it's BAD for the liver.

YAY, success with the CART website!

[marianne]

Norma, Norma, Norma. I've been following along with your ankle pain via FB and oh, what a clusterfuck. It doesn't help at all that books are no longer keeping your interest either, as well as other things. ffs. Hoping for the best diagnosis and a quicker than usual healing time for you, all the good you do for yourself, now is the time it should be kicking in and paying up, right? In the meantime, keep it elevated, little to no weight, and cuss up a blue streak :^) xoxox

[CarolP]

Norma,
I am soooooooo glad you are back! So sorry to see your foot in a splint! Take care, let the "little" things role off your back and use the good foot to kick it in the air! You'll be back to normal in a jiff!

[Sheila]

Glad to see you're back but sorry about the foot. I have to say that this has been a real dumb-ass year for just about everyone I know. And it's all been just weird little things like your foot.

I hope you get better soon and perhaps the nurse was just harried and not thinking straight. Perhaps she meant Aleve. Otoh, perhaps she was just an airhead. ;^)

[Rosemary McN]

When someone suggested a skateboard for gardening, I had a "vision" of you on it with Mr. J pulling you around the yard. Just sayin'--- Happy Mother's Day to you!

[Tracey]

The new work site looks great, and I am glad to hear it's paying off already. You won't be too busy to come down this way, though, I hope!

[Angie L.]

Hope your foot gets better soon! Yay Norma is back! I had to cut the happy dance short, my butt jiggles too much!

[Lori on Little Traverse Bay]

When it rains, Norma...

Sending healing thoughts your way!

[Kelly]

That is such a great movie, and totally made me fall in love with DDL. I am SO glad you are back!

[stephanie in Raleigh]

First, I'm so sorry that you are injured. I've been talking about you with my "in person" friends and talking about the whole running routine you were developing and how I was feeling inspired to try it. Heal soon.

2nd, I'm glad you're back. Seeing you on FB is like passing a friend in the grocery. You catch up quick but you wish you had longer. Reading your blog is like having lunch - lots of laughs but sadly no wine!

Persevere! We, the blog lurkers, are out here and loving you.