Days 27-61: Obla di obla da

It has been awhile since my last post. In an attempt to finish my master's thesis, I have been absorbed in my work for the past few weeks... The good news is that my mad-dash to the finish took my mind off of being in a cast and boot.

Three weeks ago I got my cast off. It was a happy and scary day. I was nervous of what sorts of pains I would feel once had to walk on my foot again. The cast removal process was not as graceful as when they put it on... Nonetheless, it eventually got taken off. My foot and lower leg was pretty gross. Still had caked on blood from the surgery, and there was lots of dead skin. You would be amazed at home much dead skin cells people shed every day. When those skin cells aren't able to escape onto the couch, bed, desk, etc... they start to build up. I made sure when I got home to take a long shower. I think I washed my leg and foot over a dozen times. It was a great feeling. Anyway...since then I have been booted. The boot and I have a long lasting relationship, which goes back over a year. This is my fifth time being in a boot for over four weeks. In terms of bootage (unit of measure I use for the # of boots), I am on my fourth boot... if this blog doesn't work out, I may be able to start another blog reviewing the makes and models of the various boots I have utilized. I actually did have a in-depth discussion with a woman telling her the pros and cons of the boot I was wearing and how it compared to others... believe me, it was a riveting conversation. I think it would be an equally exciting conversation piece at parties in the future. For the first week in the boot, I had to use crutches and put little weight onto my booted foot. After a week, I found that I could walk OK in the boot without much pain (mainly just soreness). I have worked my way up to walking around the grocery store and even Walmart. Focusing on the later of these two places, I have received great joy being among the great people that grace Walmart with their mullets, bellies, and most of all American flag t-shirts. Walmart society is complex but intriguing, and I have gone to Walmart twice now just to bear witness to its almost mystical qualities (I get bored). Although I hobble more than walk, it is a great accomplishment for me. I can't describe how nice it is to be able to get around somewhat normally again. I will need to start doing some physical therapy soon. My left leg and calf has atrophied by about half its original mass.

Rather than show boring gross pictures of my foot, I have included a picture of my cat as well as a new dog member to the family named Maya (gf's dog pictured below). Just having the company of both of these pets has helped me out more than any crutches or boot.