13 days and 4 casts later....

I have to say, it's been awfully strange to be back in the classroom in the way that I am back. I'm stuck in my wheelchair, with the overhead beside me and a chair stacked high with pillows in front of me.

The kids have been super helpful picking things up for me, fetching papers, throwing away garbage and adding to the ever growing pile of pillows on my chair. My overhead pen which falls quite often, doesn't rest long before someone dashes up to give it to me. And my massive pile of pillows which had only grown larger and larger yesterday is in constant danger of teetering. A few kids have taken it upon themselves to make sure it's all sturdy so that I can rest the limb upon it. They're good kids:)

I really can't do a lot of the things I'm used to doing, which I think may bother some of the kids. On the other hand some of what I can't do the kids think is just terrific. They now have to put the next number on the calendar, the next weather symbols, and the next days of the week.

But the thing they all clamor over is being able to write and put up the next shape which counts how many days we've been in school. Yep, this is definitely something that they'll continue doing even after I start walking again.

The view from my chair.

Which even Marvin wanted to check out :)

Today was a half day at school because I was once again headed off to the fracture clinic. The kids were a little queasy when they thought about my staples being taken out. "Won't that hurt?" Well, it did a little, but it's sure not as bad as breaking the leg!

So here we have my cast being taken off. It sounds awful, but it's really not a big deal at all. The little kid I heard screaming away last week probably does not agree with me.

Once the sides were cut, the pieces were pryed apart. And yes I saved them. It's good for Show and Tell!

Here are all the staples that got pulled out of my leg. And if you want to see it in all its gruesome details, well here they are. Yep. It's ewww.

After the staples came out. Apparently I haven't been keeping my foot quite high enough because my foot was quite swollen, and more swollen than it had been last week. More pillows for the chair! And maybe a few more days at home. *sigh*

Nope, this isn't me grinning in delight. Rather grimacing in pain. This time I had to swing my leg over the side to be fitted for my new cast so I could push my toes up farther and my foot would be more level. Not very nice.

We had a vote on the colour. Purple was excluded, as was pink because it was too much of a hot pink. The kids voted for my new cast to be green. So there ya go kids, I obliged. Besides it reminds me of spring! When I'll be able to walk again!

See? More pushing up off the toes. And pushing down on a very swollen foot.

Then I was off to the x-ray room again and then I saw my surgeon who showed me the before and after pictures of my foot. I had to get a picture of that!

Before:

After!

Hmmm. Our next Science unit is Magnets. I wonder if a magnet would stick to my ankle. Wouldn't THAT be cool?!

CastSigningFest

Back again!

Well I certainly felt like a celebrity today back at school. It was nice to see everyone again. Of course, everyone was checking out the cast looking for potential places to sign their names. I happily obliged. They need the practice for the next cast anyway...

cast #2

Today I went back to the hospital for a check-up. More x-rays, checking the incisions from surgery and how x-rays from after my surgery looked. Everything appears to be looking good. I hope to be back in school for a least a couple of days next week.

And for all the kids who want a close up of the three gruesome pics, here you go.

this was one well documented break!

A few more pictures of my ill fated trip down the hill had arrived in my inbox. And of course I was going to share wasn't I?!
Yeah, this first one looks how I remember going over that jump, my right leg trailing behind with no ability to move it. It looks kinda crooked too doesn't it? I don't remember it hurting though. My face looks like it did.

Yup. Lay like that for a while too, only with the foot flat. And now it's resting up on pillows and encased and a "comfy" cast. For who knows how long....

100 DAY

Tomorrow is the 100th day of school.
However, we will NOT be celebrating the 100th day of school until next week.
I wanted to try for Wednesday, but the leg doth protest too much.
More details will be forthcoming when I know better when I'll be back to work.

to make it even more fun...

I have a broken leg.

The coffee grinds are way up high.

The cups and plates are in a high cupboard.

There's laundry all over from Friday when I was going to come home and fold and finish one more load.

Attempting to plan lessons from home without any books.

Wondering how I'm going to resume my job. Get to my job. Move around the classroom. Write on the chalkboard!

A plethora of doctors visits that I need to make.

These are just some of the things I'm trying to adjust to.

This is also one: I have to give myself a needle in the stomach every day. Ick.(actually it's not that bad, and it's to prevent blood clots since I'm trying not to move my leg that much)

Thank you for all the get well wishes and offers of help.
This has certainly been a humbling experience!

miss j's an invalid *sigh*

It figures that I, of all people, would have a photographic recap of my rather adventurous weekend eh? In case you hadn't heard, I have broken my tibia and fibula at my ankle. I couldn't believe it either when they told me.

But here is the moment of truth. You can see how my left knee is high in the air, and my left foot is still on the sled. Right about here my right foot has slipped to the inside of the sled, and the right runner is sliding right over it. Ankles are not made to be bent 90 degrees to the right. You may see on my face that I've immediately noticed I've done a very bad thing.

Landing after my very bad thing. I couldn't move my foot at all. Many, many thanks to Wilma, Kim and Lori who helped me hobble ever so slowly to Kim's van for the trip to the hospital. Many thanks to the moms and dad who stayed behind to watch the young 'uns who proceeded to have a grand time on the hill. The shouts of "miss j, move out of the way" were, I'm afraid, not received too graciously by their teacher.

Many, many, MANY more thanks to Kim for driving me to the hospital and staying with me for hours and hours until we heard the not so pleasant news of what I had done to myself. Here I'm in the waiting room, waiting for my trip to x-rays. They had pulled my boot off by then...

...but I don't think this picture really shows how swollen my ankle was. My boot had been tightly tied and kept all the blood from pooling in my foot. It instead made a grapefruit sized lump at my ankle. I haven't really seen my ankle since then...

I was living in blissful ignorance after x-rays figuring for sure that I had either sprained my ankle badly or torn some ligaments since I couldn't move the foot. That happy bubble burst when I was brought into a room to be splinted for a cast. "A cast?? I broke it?"

"You did indeed. You broke two bones."

"I broke two bones?!!?!!"

"Yes and you'll need surgery to repair it."

"I need SURGERY??!!"

That was a slight approximation of my shock and disbelief. I still can't believe I did that.

Here I am in the hospital just before my surgery. Bored to tears and feeling yucky.

But surgery went well, and I am now metal detector ready with a plate and screws on the right side of my ankle and some screws holding the left side of my ankle together.

And here I am, back home again, all casted up and very happy to be in the comfy confines of my many, many staired apartment. I still need to visit the doctor at the end of the week and get another cast to replace this temporary one. As to when I'll be back in school...I don't know. Walking around today with my crutches, and up my plethora of stairs has proven to be a rather exhausting experience.

Needless to say, 100 day isn't going to be happening on the 100th day of school. I'll keep you posted!