I understand why my break wasn't bad enough for surgery

I finally got out my old external DVD-ROM drive, as my laptop is new enough it just has an SD card slot for removable storage, and put in the CD that has my x-rays on it. I understand why, while it hurts and is making me limp, I can still bear weight on a broken ankle. Yes, it is a medial malleolar fracture, which is a broken bone in the ankle joint on the inside of the ankle. I had one on my right ankle when I got hit by a car years ago, but that was due to a lot more force and a different subtype of fracture. It took me a little while to see the broken part on this one...it's just a little bit on the end of the tibia, which isn't all that integral to bearing weight and doesn't require surgery. Here's the image, with the broken bit on the left tip of bone:

That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt, of course, but it is much milder than my fracture of the right ankle eight years ago. And thankfully, being on the left, it doesn't affect my driving. I am taking the boot off and just leaving an ACE bandage wrapping, sock, and shoe on while driving, but I drive an automatic so the left foot is not used.

I went back to work today, had a very productive day, and despite being physically tired after walking all over the place in a boot, I feel good about going back.

Well, I had hoped for better

1. I got the worst case scenario--I have an ankle fracture as well as the two metatarsals in my foot.
2. If we can get the swelling down, I'll be having surgery on my ankle sometime next week. Good thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated.
3. I'm off work for now, unsure of when I will go back.
4. I e-mailed the coordinator for the trip to Chicago and said that in all likelihood, I need to cancel. So, no Field Museum, no giant T. Rex skeleton as I take care of my bones.
5. A little down tonight as a result. But I'm alive, at least. And also I have some more medicine for the pain, plus something to bring the inflammation down. This morning when they unwrapped my foot, it was this sickly swollen yellowy green, from the bruising. And, I'm back in the splint, non-weight-bearing still. And Brandon brought me pillows that are helping with sitting up and keeping the leg propped up.
6. I have talked with a host of people today, whether friends, co-workers, business related to the accidents, etc. I am cheered by the willingness to help from all of them, and well wishes.
7. Brandon took my by YKWIA's today, so I got to see him (albeit from the car. No trying to get me up any more steps than necessary.) It was good to see him. He is an odd best friend, and most people would not find him comforting. But I do, generally.
8. I'm lucky to have good friends. I'm finding out I may have more than I thought. My definition of 'friend' is someone who you can count in in a pinch. And there seem to be quite more than I thought out there.
9. Sooo, for now I'm going to count my blessings, and I'm going to try to focus on the positive.
10. Really.

Well--I got the results of my MRI

I have two stress fractures, which would explain why it hurts on the entire outer side of my foot, I suppose. I'm to wear the boot and come back in four weeks, remaining partially weight-bearing. If it gets too painful walking with the boot alone, they'll put in a prescription for crutches. I'll try to avoid that, although sometimes it hurts even while I'm in the boot, but nothing like when I'm out of it (it actually hurts this morning all the way up my lower leg, and burns, and that's after being on it just long enough to use the bathroom myself and take Cerys out. I haven't been wearing it at home unless I'm standing a lot. mainly because I tend to read with my feet up and that leads to napping, and I'm not supposed to sleep in the thing. But I may have to start putting the thing on as soon as I get home and take it off if I have a chance of napping. I've done really well at work and running errands, though--anytime I'm walking, being caught only twice somewhere I needed it without it. Ugh. Well, it's time to get ready for work. Just thought I'd share my troubles. At least everything else is going alright. :)

On to other things

It looks like I do have a fracture in my foot. They're going to do an MRI for sure but the X-ray indicated there was something funky going on. (Stress fractures often don't show up on an X-ray until they're actually healing.) In the meantime, they're treating it as if it's broken. Of course that means I have to go into a regular MRI, which didn't work so well the last time I tried (I'm claustrophobic, so we wound up doing an open MRI). But I think I should be okay so long as my head is sticking out of the machine. I have an immobiliser boot that I have to wear except for driving and sleeping. It's kind of neat--lots of Velcro and an air bladder I can pump up or leech the air out of for greater comfort.)I have to take a children's aspirin (but the coated-for-your-stomach-for-adults kind rather than the flavoured chewable kind you give kids). That's to keep down the chance of blood clots from wearing the boot. I can still work normally but obviously resting it and being off it as much as possible is good. If it hurts while I'm still wearing it, they'll put me on crutches, something I'd prefer not to do, as I'm incapable of using them correctly and I always wind up with back pain once I've been on them for a few days.

What else? Oh, the world's worst library design. Via, Jessamyn West....

The Czech Republic is interested in building a new national library in Prague (you know, the place with all the dark, old Europe architecture?) and they set up a contest for architects to design it. The winner looks rather like a mushroom or a slime ball making its way across the scenery. And the inside looks very uncomfortable, even if it is purple.

See it here. There's more about it at Joe Alterio's blog, Good Work.

Well, I'm going to go on to bed. I get to sleep in, as I'm not working and we decided to put off Hairspray for now. I have some things to do around the house, need to go grocery shopping, make out bills, and I'd like to stop by Half Price Books and see what they're like.

Today I got 1) Children's Aspirin for Adults (yes, it says that), 2) Diabetic socks (I'm supposed to have white socks for my boot, and I mostly have black ones...these wick away moisture, cushion, and are non-binding), 3) an academic year day planner that will fit in my smallest purse, and 4) two pens that telescope up and down, again to fit in a small purse--I'm tired of carrying monstrosities--and, finally 5) P
pantyliners--not that any of you really needed to know that, but that made it complete.