SCREWED, BLUED AND TATTOO'D 9-15-2011

For as far back as I can remember, people around my house and darn near everyone used the phrase: SCREWED, BLUED AND TATTOO'D. Now since I have made Texas my home, (35 years now), I still use the phrase and I get a lot of blank stares. So, here is the definition, gleaned from the Internet, and my current state of affairs: "The phrase has always had a very definite negative connotation, and means to be supremely screwed, screwed beyond all comprehension. The original phrase was "screwed, blewed and tattooed". Well, they should have listed my favorite, royally screwed.  Yesterday, 9-14-2011, I went to the Doc's and got my cast cut off, hoping to be put into a weight bearing walking boot. Yeah, wishful thinking on my part. Scroll down and see if you don't agree that I am SCREWED, BLUED AND TATTOO'D royally. REMEMBER: IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE PICTURE BIGGER, JUST CLICK ON THE PICTURE.

                                 
Here I am upon our arrival at the Doc's. This office serves patients for three different Doc's and this is the first time, in two years, that I have seen the waiting room completely empty when I arrived. It's unheard of, as a matter of fact. 

They get me right in and I was taken to the cast room by Jolene, the cast tech, to get the cast removed. Here is Janice talking with Jolene.

Jolene goes and gets the "cast saw" (is what I call it) and starts cutting on the cast. Remember now, I have been bleeding and draining from the bottom of my foot, into the cast, thru the cast and onto the floor for two weeks. I was concerned because it stank. Janice was concerned because she thought it was infected. I don't think either of

us were prepared to see what the foot looked like when the cast  was finally removed.                                                       

As she cut, Jolene mentioned that she could also smell it. I took a sponge bath before going to the Doc's, (can't get the cast wet), and afterwards I discovered that it was my foot and cast that stunk, not me..lol

Jolene cuts down both sides of the cast and then across the bottom. Janice & I really like Jolene and we think a lot of her.

Jolene makes the final horizontal cut down the right side of the cast.                          

After the cast is off, I look down at the top of my foot and other than being a little swollen on the bottom right, it looked ok to me.  Then they looked at the bottom of my foot.......

From being in the cast and soaking in the drainage & blood, the bottom of the foot and one side, was macerated. Here is the definition of macerate: become soft or separate and disintegrate as a result of excessive soaking; "the tissue macerated in the water" And I concur that that was an accurate description of the bottom of my right foot.

The RN, Shelly, said this was basically the same thing as when you stay in water a long time and when you get out, your skin is all white & wrinkly. This however, in my humble opinion, was a step or two above being wrinkled. It was an off white color, kinda like the top of a pie before being put into the oven, you know, doughy looking.....I'm sure you'll think of this next time you eat a piece of pie or kneading the dough for the crust..

It had gotten so bad, as it pulled, it pulled the stitches and skin apart and you could look down into the foot. But, the Doc said he couldn't see any tendons or bones, so that was good.  I guess....

While we waited for the Doc to return, we sat around and talked. Here is Jolene

Here is Jolene looking at my foot and waiting on orders from the Doc. Oh, and Janice was the winner. It was infected because it was still seeping while I laid on the table.

Since I have about given up on this thing, I let Janice pick out the cast color. She picked green this time. Jolene starts putting the casting wrap over the gauze that was put on heavily but loosely so the foot could get air..You can tell how much gauze they used by the picture.  I get to go back every week now for a cast change & cleaning.

Here are two happy folks, Janice & Jolene, after the cast was put on.

                                  

                           
Here is one happy person, Jolene, and one not quite so happy person, me.

As we headed out of the Doc's office, Janice  took a picture of her car in the parking lot, as we waited on the elevator..

And, here is the cast. I have to have the foot elevated and a fan blowing on it and is to be non-weight bearing. That is I am not to put any weight, zero, on the foot.

The Doc couldn't tell me how long I had before it healed but  he did say, he didn't know how long. He said I have healed good  in the past and he anticipates no problems this time but it will take a long time.  So, my Harley continues to gather dust and remains on the trickle charger for, it looks like, an indefinite period of time now.

Can't say I enjoyed my visit to the Doc's today because of the outcome but I did enjoy seeing the Doc, Shelly and Jolene again and it appears we will be seeing a lot of each other, with the weekly visits. I did learn that the Doc rides bikes and he knows how I feel..

Scroll down for more rides, runs and events and don't forget to click on the "OLDER POSTS" at bottom of each page or underneath the last post on the page,

Continue to pray for ALL of our troops both in and out of Harms Way; especially for Che Whitaker and Chris Drage  all of whom are serving in the Afghanistan Theatre of Operations and  for Pattie Jackson who has been deployed to                                 Qatar..

                                                                                             

 Until next post, ya'll be careful out there, keep the rubber on the road, keep your head on a swivel, and most importantly of all.............................RIDE SAFE.......................JOHN