Let's Walk, Again

I can see the hospital's lights from where I sit.

But I am at home. Oh, how glad I am to be at home.

The infected ankle was finally operated on Thursday. I was not at all nervous before or during the operation. With spinal anesthesia, I was awake the whole time but had no feeling in the left leg. As good an experience as an operation could be. I even felt surprisingly good afterwards. It's a strange feeling when the legs 'come back' - like pins and needles - but this time I had a lot less pain in the evening and the night than after the previous operation in October.

The hardest thing was to wash the wound on Friday morning, before the nurses put a PICO on it. I have to admit, I didn't really look at the wound... But neither did I faint in the shower. PICO is "negative pressure wound therapy": a special dressing on the ankle and a little pump that I carry round. Apparently, it's a pretty good and effective way to treat wounds like mine.

With the PICO in place and working well and my body responding nicely to pain medication (paracetamol and ibuprofen), I was able to come home on Friday.

So here I am. I can still walk, a bit better than four weeks ago when the cast came off. At home, I walk carefully but without crutches etc. Going outside, I take crutches and wear a walker boot, just to be on the safe side. I try to keep mostly at rest.

I'm thankful for a good, succesful operation and hospital stay and for all the lovely, helpful, positive medical professionals who have helped me along the way.

I'm thankful that the ankle bone has set pretty well already, so I can walk at home without a cast.

I'm thankful to be at home now.

So, rehab time again. Some steps forward, some steps back. There are no shortcuts to reach the goal without effort. There may still be setbacks (I hope not).

But I'm at peace.

Let's walk.

Return to your rest, O my soul,

For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

For You have rescued my soul from death,

My eyes from tears,

My feet from stumbling.

I shall walk before the Lord

In the land of the living.

Psalm 116: 7-9