Thursday, May 08, 2008

Home Again


Well, the TOPAZ procedure on my Achilles went really well. We got to the surgery center at 9:45 and made it back home by 4:00. In between they did all the things to get me ready for surgery, rolled me into the operating room, performed the procedure and I woke up in recovery.

I ended up going with a general anesthesia instead of a spinal, so I was out for the surgery and the day went faster for me than for anybody else. We made that choice because the procedure itself takes only about 20-30 minutes and it takes much longer for the spinal to wear off, increasing the recovery time dramatically. Because I have not other health issues, the general is just as safe, so that's what the anesthesiologist recommended and what I chose.

So, here I am with my brand new "cast," really a hard splint that is open on the front side and wrapped with ace-type bandages and tape. Virginia cut my ID bracelets off after the pic, so, no, I'm not keeping them for sentimental reasons.


below is a closer shot of the splint.

Two weeks from today I have a follow-up appointment with Dr Hamilton to take out the stitches, get fitted for a boot and talk about next steps. Thank you for your prayers. This has already been a good experience: from the kindness and professionalism of the Kaiser staff, to the minimal pain, and especially Virginia's loving care. My hope is that the outcome will also be as satisfying. More later...

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