Orthopedic Surgeons

[Susan1]

Since this is part of the skating forum and not as many people are reading the skating threads off season, I thought I would post here.

If you remember I broke my leg skating in 1996? Ha - 22 years ago tomorrow, August 16. And I had a hunky orthopedic surgeon named Dr. Lochner. My friend, Peggy, was in the ER with me for hours and Dr. Lochner walked in and she made this "wow" face behind his back. Yeah, I know. I'm dying here, but I noticed. I "got to" see Dr. Lochner every three weeks till February at Far Oaks Orthopedists in Oakwood. (I know the locations don't mean anything to people here. It was close to my house and the hospital where I had the surgery and PT. They tore it down and put up a CVS.) And his PA looked like Cliff from All My Children, so it was really kind of interesting, except for the pain and all. ha ha And my mom was rendered useless from all the hunkiness!

Fast forward to this Sunday -- I broke my fourth toe on the same (left) leg. I went to the ER and they had me make an appointment with the orthopedist they recommended. So I went to the appointment this morning. It was at the Far Oaks Orthopedists in the doctors building at the hospital 5 minutes away from my house now.

This doctor was really nice (and cute, geez). He even patted my hand twice. I mentioned about the Far Oaks in Oakwood. And he saw the scars from my rod (and said my leg was nice and straight. Well, I hope so!) I asked if Dr. Lochner was still around. And the first thing he said was that he has less hair and a paunch. What!!! Nothing about his doctoring skills or being colleagues or that he worked out of one of the other offices. hee hee hee I turned to his assistant and said did you notice how he mentioned his looks first? And I told them about Peggy in the ER. And I said he was an excellent doctor too. And pointed to my leg.

Isn't that funny?

So, medically, the nurse put a wad of gauze between my toes thicker than both of my toes put together and wrapped all this brown tape around it. And said I would have to change it every day. He came back in and put a little bit of gauze between my toes - just so they don't rub together - and one little strip of brown tape around both toes. She said she was used to people with thicker toes. Good grief.

Why didn't they just do that in the ER instead of sending me to an orthopedist that I couldn't see for 4 days? I felt 50% better walking out than hobbling in. Wearing that hard shoe was making me sick to my stomach because the top pressed on the broken toe when I moved. I don't have to wear that anymore either. Just keep them taped, iced and elevated. And I can wear my hard soled Reeboks out. I go back in two weeks.

p.s the hospital has a shuttle cart that drives around and takes you to the door. I was planning on sitting in the car till I saw it, but they showed up right when I got there and had to park about 30 places away from the door. He said you can pull up to the front door and let them know you are going to need a ride and they will radio the cart which will follow you to a parking place and take you to the door. Isn't that nice? I'm just rambling.............

Going to do the dishes, then ice and change my tape. I don't know. I'm not good with regular tape or bandaids. They always curl up and stick to itself. At least it's toes and not fingers.

 

[taf2002]

((Susan1)) My right leg is like your left. I broke it in 2 places when I was 9. At 11 or 12 I broke that big toe. At 22 I had foot surgery since that big toe was growing a major spur out the side. FF to 2001 & I broke that foot just walking down the street. It was the bone that leads to the 4th toe & according to the doctor it snapped like a twig. Now I have had tendonitis in the right heel since late Jan. The dr shot it with cortisone & put me in a brace but it hasn't helped. It scares me to think what's next.

 

[Susan1]

((Susan1)) My right leg is like your left. I broke it in 2 places when I was 9. At 11 or 12 I broke that big toe. At 22 I had foot surgery since that big toe was growing a major spur out the side. FF to 2001 & I broke that foot just walking down the street. It was the bone that leads to the 4th toe & according to the doctor it snapped like a twig. Now I have had tendonitis in the right heel since late Jan. The dr shot it with cortisone & put me in a brace but it hasn't helped. It scares me to think what's next.

I got tendonitis in my right ankle less than a year later from trying not to put a lot of weight on the left. I thought I was doing fine. I was back at work, and even mowing the grass that summer. 4th of July weekend, we went to the Merry Go Round Museum in Sandusky on Thursday, Cedar Point on Friday, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the new Hard Rock Cafe (and had to walk around a mall for 2 hours while waiting for a table) in Cleveland on Saturday. That night I barely made it to the fireworks. And I had to miss work on Monday because I couldn't walk. I was back skating in August. A year later in September, I rolled my right ankle and could never skate again. I got tendonitis so many times I had a temporary handicapped parking tag at work whenever I needed it. One time I got stuck coming back from the copier and someone had to get a chair and roll me back to my desk!

I broke the 4th and 5th metatarsals on the right foot stepping off a ladder and getting my foot caught sideways between the ladder and the wall in 2001. I walked around in a untied Reebok in pain for 10 days before I even had it x-rayed. Hairline fractures. Too late to really do anything. I was already icing, elevating and wrapping whenever possible. That side of my foot still hurts when I'm tired or it's raining or cold.

That's why I went to the ER right away this time. If they would have taped it when I was there, I wouldn't have been through three extra days of pain and had to go to the orthopedist. But then I couldn't have gotten to mention Dr. Lochner and get that strange reaction!

In the ER, somebody or another (2 hours and I must have seen 4 different people - they weren't busy; I don't even know which one was the "doctor") said they'd just tape it up. I couldn't bend it at all and one of them said they might have to straighten it and give me a shot first to numb it. Bleah!! The x-ray came back and somebody said I didn't break my toe, it was my foot bone and I needed to go to an orthopedic specialist.

They tried to put one of those knee high boots on me (for a toe!) and my toes were pressed down in it so hard my heel didn't even touch. So they switched to the shoe with the velcro. That put too much pressure on the top of my foot too. It made me sick to my stomach. I did better just wearing a hard soled slipper before it was taped. It happened on a Sunday, I couldn't call till Monday and couldn't get in till Wednesday!

I'll have to put on a shoe and go to the store tomorrow (and the library - I have 4 reserved books ready) before it rains again.

 

[taf2002]

You know you're getting old when something you broke years ago aches when it rains. I'm talking about me & my broken foot.