Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Put Your Right Foot Forward...

Okay, so you may remember in June (4th to be exact), I tumbled down the one and only step of our home in the garage (well, other than the front steps that I don't actually go out/down most of the time) on a toy a small child had conveniently played with in the garage. Ever since then, my dumb ankle as I not so lovingly refer to it has not been the same.

Now my husband is a sweet guy. He can be very romantic. He is very loving. He treats me like a queen...well, most of the time. :) For whatever reason, twisted ankles do not turn him into Florence (or the male equivalent) Nightingale. Because he was and is athletic, he has had a few of these messed up ankles in his time. Apparently they are a way of life for him. In my defense, I am not athletic. I have had only two true "injuries" (one knee, one ankle), and they were a really long time ago when my young body could heal faster. And the same holds true for him...he was much younger when he dealt with his injuries. He also didn't have four kids, one being a very busy toddler, to chase after. So while he was sweet to bring me ice, the sympathy has been a little lacking...he is just matter of fact. Like I said, I love the man and think he is an incredible husband...just not a great nurse. I can only hope that if for some reason I were seriously injured or ill, he could learn...

Well, fast forward nearly two months. The ankle is still swelling. It still hurts. I feel like an old lady when I get out of bed...I hobble the first few minutes of the day due to stiffness. And for whatever reason, Joshua has a real knack for accidentally kicking my ankle, then the cycle begins again. It doesn't keep me from moving. I am pretty stubborn. I do most everything regardless of the pain. However, I have slacked off in the exercise department a tad. Certain things are really painful.

I finally decided it was time to see a doctor. I don't go very often, so that was a big step for me. My doctor's office has on-line appointment scheduling so late last night I put in a request. This morning when I woke up, I found an e-mail with an appointment time for later in the morning.

We attempted a leisurely morning, though nothing around here is truly leisurely...at least for me. Then we drove over to my mom's house to visit with my sister, her kids, and my cousin's son. The kids got to go swimming all morning long. After I got everyone settled, I drove over to the doctor's office. (Note: driving uses your right foot a LOT...)

It took just a few minutes to get into see the doctor. I was a bit surprised since the waiting room was packed. When they weighed me (why must they do that every single time???), I turned around and refused to look. Again, my exercise has been lacking due to the "injury".

After a few minutes, a doctor came in. For sick appointments, I just see whoever is available. That was the case today. He was a nice enough fellow, but guess who he reminded me of? My dear husband. He poked and prodded for a very short time then pronounced that I had a sprained ankle that was likely being re-injured regularly. I will not lie. I wanted there to be something wrong...something that sounded bad but wasn't too serious...something I could tell my dear husband was truly wrong with me. No luck...just a "sprained ankle" diagnosis. (Just for the record, I still think I tore something)

I left with orders (verbal) to wear the brace all of the time and a prescription for an anti-inflammatory medicine. It is a lot like taking Tylenol, but I only have to take it once a day.

Now, as I drift off to sleep, I am acutely aware of this foot/ankle. It hurts, though I have the brace on.

What is your second opinion? :)

4 comments:

  1. Im glad you went to the doctor! Mark needs to be "on duty" all weekend so you can stay off it and truly give it time to heal before you go back to school! :) easier said than done, right?! Hope the meds work!

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  2. I think you need a week of complete bedrest to let it heal 100%. And so that you make sure it's bedrest, go to a spa where you HAVE to rest all day. :)

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  3. My husband is the same way. Anytime I get hurt or get a cut, he shrugs it off and says something like, "looks serious!" Which makes me mad. We just want a little sympathy and a little bit of babying! And to think he grew up with a doctor as a dad. But they were never treated for anything unless they were dying, I guess! I'm right there with ya sis!

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  4. A sprain is worse than a break. When Kayla sprained her ankle the doctor told her that she would have been better off if she had broken it. They take a really long time to heal. She still has to be very careful and she re injures it often. The best thing for it is to wear a soft brace for a while so that it has extra support. Hope it is feeling better soon.

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