Donna's surgery went very well on Tuesday am. The doctor did a great job and it is awesome to see Donna's ankle at an easy 90 degrees in the cast. It also fills us with hope. Donna just prior to the surgery asked her surgeon whether doing this surgery would allow her to hike and garden with confidence. He said, "He was confident it would" to which Donna said "ok let's do it". After all we have been through, it was very difficult on all of us to have her asleep under sedation and I can tell you there was no more beautiful sight than seeing those green eyes open afterward and she asking how it went. After a woosy day, today she is aware and generally pain free. With her cast walking shoe on, she was up on the leg today and reacquainting herself to the full leg mechanics of walking with an ankle in a good position. A few new aches and pains (things are heavy and the movements are now new) but no question that this is what progress looks like. Also surely the weight of the cast will build a few leg muscles. Some people will come to Galveston and cut it off in approximately 2.5 weeks to measure her for a special custom ankle brace. Then they will refit the cast with hinges for the last week and a half while the brace is made. Her surgeon says she need only wear the new brace till she walks more than sits. Then no more brace at all. I like the way this guy thinks.
We also got good news on Monday regarding Donna's eyesight. Despite still having some double vision, the doctors noticed material improvement in her eye muscles over the last 6 weeks. The amazing brain (especially in Donna's case) recognizes the double images and is filtering out the extra image in her right eye such that she rarely needs her eye patch. This explains a lot as we kept wondering why she didn't need it more. They keep telling us it may become more of a problem as the images collide (improvement) as she may not as easily be able to filter out the image any more. The eye patch ( and the pirate jokes) may return for an encore performance. Ahoy matey
After a few questions I received regarding liquids, I realize I neglected to share that Donna finally got her full release to thin liquids about a week and a half ago. It's nice. And closes a whole chapter of issues regarding swallow and retraining muscles. It was a big achievement that I can't believe I neglected to mention. We celebrated by traveling to a nearby Starbucks and having a couple of frozen coffee's and a chat. Sweet, literally and figuratively.
So here in Galveston they check weight once a week, primarily to ensure that a patient isn't flying off the scale in one direction or the other. So today I expected our good eating Donna (who has been enjoying dessert) armed with a new heavy cast to see a bounce up. Well they told me that she was down several pounds. I said that had to be false and after a reweigh....she was reading down still. She was quick to tell me it was all the hard work but personally I'm not buying it. Despite the flaw suspicions, we celebrated all the good news tonight with a special dessert I picked up from a nearby restaurant. At least till next weeks measurement. Fatigue still rules the days for a girl who works hard and then crashes. She deserves the treat.
Thanks for all the support
Bob
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