Scratch an Itch

I caught a fleeting glimpse of her out of the corner of my eye.  I knew she was there.  I had intentionally avoided making any eye contact, but I could not help myself.  I had not been so close to my mistress in months and revelled in how beautiful she looked.  Sunshine's glow highlighted her features and her lines were even better than I remembered.  Despite my planned avoidance, I suddenly was captured in her trance, unable to help myself.  In such a hurry to touch her, I forgot my crutches and hastily hopped the chain link fence that was the final barrier between us.  I completed the obstacle as if my cast was no longer worn and crouched down beside her.  My fingers reached out and ...

I was really on the Apex Trail and touching its gritty dirt!   Wahoo!

Being way too early for my doctor's appointment, I stopped in a quaint coffee shop near the base of the trail that was decorated with tie dye garments while bluegrass music strummed over the aged speakers.  From the windows, I analyzed the trails on the face of the mountain and could tell some had been redesigned.  The flooding rains in September closed the park due to hazardous conditions on the network of trails (not true, but material for a later blog!) where park officials vowed to work on repairs and make improvements.  The trails are not expected to reopen for many more months.  After touching the glorious dirt, I stood and took a snapshot of the closure.  Obviously way too much effort was wasted on fortifying the closure that can be simply walked around.  I believe such effort should have been dedicated on repairs...

Even a bunny knew how to defeat the mighty closure.

Anyhow, I arrived at the doctor's office and was soon sitting on that wax-paper lined, flat bed that lacks any cushion.  I folded back my sweatpants to glare at the cast.  I noticed the saw nearby and silently pointed it out to Mr Cast and hinted what the saw was about to do.  With a sinister smirk, I reminded Mr Cast how badly he had interfered in my life, how he snickered when I fell and how he chuckled at my misery being unable to scratch an itch.  The Crutch Brothers giggled, but I confronted them how they were co-conspirators with Mr Cast and commented to them how I looked forward to bending them into pretzel shapes.  They quieted while Mr Cast contined his icy stare.  Soon, the nurse arrived with skilled hands where she and the saw made quick work of Mr Cast.  As she tossed Mr Cast into the trash, I waved goodbye to him with my middle finger.

The nurse hacked through the thick cotton padding still wrapped around my leg. Closing my eyes for a moment, I prepared myself to see a gut wrenching ugly, swollen, discolored, disgusting injury.  I braced myself as she unwrapped my ankle and heel and... whoa!  Not too bad. 

Sure, the Frankenstein suture still looked ugly and red, but there was no bruising and only slight swelling.  Someone had shaved my dainty ankle....a very sexy look.  But a doubletake had me realize they shaved to mid-shin...a super sexy look.  With the cast on for 2 weeks, 26 hours and 18 minutes (yes, I counted), stubble grew in the shaved area...the ultimate, super sexy look that I just might apply for a patent.  Throw on a saggy compression sock and ooh-la-la...

Doc finally came in and evaluated the progress and was elated how well I could move my foot and ankle (I had thinned the cast's padding by pushing down and raising up my foot inside of it for exercise to the point that the entire cast wobbled on my leg...plus, super-sexy leg's calf muscle shriveled to a toothpick which also helped the cast to wobble.).  My range of motion exceeded expectations where I was fitted for a boot instead of another cast.

Hoping to contort the Crutch Brothers into horseshoes, I was disheartened to learn they were still an integral part of my life for another month.  Doc wants absolutely no risk of separating the super fragile Achilles from the heel bone while they are trying to reattach.  Guess the Crutch Brothers and I will have a truce for awhile longer.

The boot is wonderful as I can remove it and have my lower leg free from constraint and lightly exercise the area. 

Plus, I can now scratch an itch!  Scratching the Apex itch is a different story.  It might be a race down to the wire who will be ready first.