The Leg Report - A Continuing Saga. Someone mentioned in a recent note to me that I had not written anything about my leg lately. This will remedy the lack of information.

I had an evaluation with the physical therapist this past week. He wondered what he was supposed to do with me as I explained that after almost nine months, my femur bone had still not totally healed. He questioned me as to any chronic conditions I might have that would inhibit the bone from healing. That's what I love, being a medical oddity.

Well after he took as much personal history from me as he needed, he did his initial evaluation. He tested me for range of motion, reflexes and muscle strength. I completed all the tests with flying colors. He almost forgot, but also checked the length of my legs and agrees with my feeling that my injured leg was now slightly shorter. He will be referring me to a specialist for a possible heel insert to correct that condition. He said that considering my travails, I looked remarkably well. (Please take note any single members of the opposite sex.) Hey of course I look good, it is one of the few ways you can show the keepers that they are not going to get you down,. As a matter fact, one of the frequent responses when other inmates ask how I am doing is, "More fun than an inmate is supposed to have."

When we were discussing further treatment, I told him it was my impression that the surgeon was letting me decide when I would consent to the hip replacement surgery. I told him I thought that at the least I would be better off having the surgery after I get the muscles on the right side of my body that have been weakened from the last eight plus months of disuse back to full strength. He said that made some sense. The healthier one is with any surgery, the better off one is.

The doctor also took an x-ray of my leg and confirmed yep I can still see the fracture line and I have no idea why it has not healed by this time. He also cheered me right up with the possibility that the pins that are currently holding my femur bone together might actually break under stress.

The bottom line seems to be that at some point in the not too distant future I will be going under the knife for the fourth time in less than three years. Amazing, I managed to make it the first fifty years of life without having broken any bones, or received anything more serious than stitches and one three day hospitalization for my chronic asthma condition.

The first two surgeries were for my hopelessly clogged sinuses, and the correction of a deviated septum. The third time was the pinning of the broken femur.

I do notice that while I am still using both crutches to hopefully prevent me from relearning to walk with a limp, that each week brings me closer to walking without one. I do get very physically tired when walking without the crutches. My guess is that using the muscles that are not as strong as they should be uses more energy. Hence the tiredness.

So that is the latest on the leg for now. Stay tuned for further updates. And hey, thanks for asking about it. You know who you are!  ¶ 11:05 PM