I'm a little behind with the update on my leg.

[Wayne Howard]

Posting here because the old forum wouldn't accept the post.

Sorry, Had to get my head back in the game. Anyway.....

I saw the orthopedic surgeon on January 30th. We were expecting to get the cast removed. We actually brought the left shoe to put on after the doctor's office. The bone has healed straight and clean.  HOWEVER, (Don't you just hate that word?), the doctor says he does not see the "callous" on the aft side of the bone. So come back in 3 or 6 weeks.    So we get our calendars out. The office is closed on President's Day so 3 weeks is out. Connie has an event she is putting on the next week and can't get out of it. So that leaves March 6th as the next time I can see the doctor and get this *&#^$$^(*&# cast off.

What really got me down was I know the exact date that we discovered the problem although we didn't recognize it at the time. But on Sunday March 6, 2022 I was in the Florida Keys on my last day helping a friend of mine who was a charter captain. It was a beautiful day and Connie was going to meet me at the Pensacola airport later that day. But no, I had to go and step off the bulkhead while I was admiring a 100' yacht. Scraped my shin down to the bone before landing on the floating dock below. It wasn't until June 30th that I found out that white stuff at the bottom of my wound was bone that had died.

Well, I've had a week to feel sorry for myself. But I'm turning it around. My leg did not go in the water so I never had to worry about flesh eating bacteria. The bone is healing slowly cuz I'm old. Not as old as some of you!!! LOL I can stand on the leg but the knee is slightly bent so that I can't straighten out the leg and walk normally. The doctor says if I could straighten my leg, there is a chance that I would rotate my foot and undo all the healing of the bone. Rebreak? OUCH!

The Florida Keys trip that Connie and I substituted for the Bahamas cruise is in peril but I still think the (Can we still call it) BEER cruise is on.

[Norm L.]

Glad to hear that things are still moving in the right direction, though slowly.
We hope it continues that way as I don't want to hit the TSBB for donations for a parrot and an eye patch.

[Doug SC]

Dang it all, I know that is disappointing. Perhaps find a few good books to read or something to do that you like and gives you something else to focus on. Four weeks go by fast. It's the days that seem to go slow. Like Norm said the healing is progressing.

[Wayne Howard]

Saw the doctor yesterday. Got the cast removed. YAY! Saw my skin under the cast after 7 weeks. Yikes! Big flakes of nasty looking stuff. The cast technician called it dinosaur scales. Ended up still needing support for the bone so I have a boot now. Relearning how to walk because the muscles under the cast are no longer in prime condition. I need a cane to get around because it takes some of the weight off my leg. Crutches are hopefully going to be left on standby. But I can take the boot off at night and sleep like a human. Progress is being made.

Winds beckon and I must heed the call.

[Doug SC]

Great News!! I hope to hear you are sailing in the near future.

[Norm L.]

It is a bit frightening, particulalry for those with high mileage, how fast muscles can fade away when sidelined. Then that puts weight and torque on other body parts just so you can have a new place hurting.

But it is progress and geting off crutches is always a blessing. And the sword cane might come in handy