::Griffblog::

Today I saw my consultant. X-Rays were taken and having having looked at them he declared the fracture well and truly healed and that it was time for the frame to come off.

Off he popped to check theatre availability. A few minutes later he returned and asked if I was available tomorrow afternoon! I couldn’t say yes quick enough.

Then followed the pre-op assessment, consent forms, urine test, MRSA swabs etc and then we drove home delighted and a little shell shocked at the news. We’d been home only a few minutes when my mobile rang. It was the hospital explaining that the Op could not take place tomorrow.

I have a latex allergy which causes issues with theatres. If anyone has been in before me they will have used latex gloves and this causes a very slight risk that latex dust may be on the surfaces or in the air. I’m only allergic if I get latex in my mouth, no balloon blowing for me, but once you declare an allergy they cannot take any chances.

And so, as I was mid list tomorrow they have re-scheduled so I am instead first on the table on Friday instead in a theatre that has been cleaned and is as latex free as possible. The whole removal procedure will take less than an hour and is effectively a day case so I can return home as soon as I have come around from the general anaesthetic.

Friday will be five months to the day since I had the frame fitted last August. All being well I’ll just have some dressings over the pin sites and apart from a little bruising perhaps I should feel a whole lot better than I do now!

I can’t imagine being able to wear jeans, sleep on my side and soak in a bath! After the all time low of the most recent infection this has come as a very pleasant and completely unexpected surprise. I knew we would likely set the date today but hadn’t expected it would be so soon.

As I sit here writing this I am trying to imagine not sitting on a metal ring with a nut, bolt and wire that comes up through my buttock and exits out of the top of my thigh! That is by far the most uncomfortable pin of the fifteen but almost every one has made itself known at one time or another.

Another bonus is they will perform a procedure on my knee at the same time to ‘loosen’ it up. It has been effectively locked straight all this time and so the muscles and tendons are stiff. The procedure I am told will allow me to bend my knee when I awake. Although I will have to work on the muscles it will avoid some of the physio I will need to restore mobility to the knee.

Roll on Friday, I can hardly wait!