Being Cripple

So last Wednesday i went into the doctor and they x-rayed my foot. They said that it was time that i can start putting some weight on the foot, so they took off the cast and gave me a boot to wear. Now over the next few weeks i will be gradually putting more weight onto my foot, re-teaching my foot how to walk. When i took off the cast my foot still looked pretty bad and swollen, which i think had a lot to do with not using it at all for a month. Can you imagine how crappy it would be to rehabilitate a limb after not using it for a longer period of time, like a year! It's crazy how long you have to spend getting back to normal after hurting yourself. So, make sure that your bones are strong guys, get enough vitamin D and sunlight.

I wouldn't really say that my foot hurts. It is sore sometime, but overall it feels normal. Of course, it might hurt if i walked on it. I have started to walk on it lightly using crutches and so far it has been fine. I think that next week I'll be able to try it without crutches. They say an ankle break usually heals in 6 weeks, and yesterday was my 5 week anniversary of my accident.
The most that my foot hurt was the day of and the day after my fall, when i was actually hobbling on it, thinking it was just sprained.

There have been some advantages in being hurt. It is a conversation starter, so i have met new people or gotten better acquainted with some people. People open doors for me, which is nice. I can't carry food in the dining room, so i have friends that help me get my food for me. I actually don't like relying on people so much, so i look forward to being able get my own doors and get my own food. Also, there is a cart service the school has where they pick me up in a golf cart and take me to my class, so i don't have to walk all the way across campus. It is nice, but sometimes it sucks waiting for them to show up. I have also gotten my nickname, which is "cripple" or "stubs," so it's fun to finally have a nickname.

The major downside of being hurt is the inability to go along with my friends to parties on the weekends. The other day was Halloween, and i couldn't really go out with everyone else. But i ended up staying in and watching the Thin Red Line with my friend Shireen, so that was still fun. Plus, there is a chipotle on our campus, and on Halloween they had a deal where if you dressed up as a burrito, you could have a free burrito. So Shireen and i put tin foil on our arms and went and got free burritos, which were huge! very cool.
Also, being hurt i haven't been able to participate in any school groups or clubs. And i have missed some lecturers that have come to campus that i wanted to see, like Primatologist Frans De Waal.

Sounds like you guys had a great Halloween, that's good. You should post pictures! Also, if you really don't want to comment on the blog, it's fine if you email me. But really, it's not that hard to comment. Also, Skype is nothing to be scared about. its really easy to set up. If you need help, just ask Becky, she should be able to explain it to you.

Now for more pictures:

My feet the day i got my cast off

My new boot.




A roll i took for the dining hall.

My cast. There is not much writing on it because i didn't know that was going to be my permanent cast.

I obligatory sunset from my room window picture


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