<VV> I'm back!!!!! Surgery update/No vair...

[LonzoVair at aol.com]

In a message dated 2/13/2006 11:30:40 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
AeroNed at aol.com writes:
SNIP <<I help but wonder why they would let you  keep 
the rod. Are they going to recycle it? Either in another patient or for the  
cost of scrap?>> SNIP

Hey Ned,
The Dr mentioned something about a "bio-hazard" and it was "his" rule that he 
didn't let patients keep any hardware that he removes from them... I wasn't 
going to press the matter, after all, he's been absolutely a wonderful Dr... 
he's always been straight up, no-holds-barred kind of guy... he's real good at 
what he does (as far as I'm concerned)...
He asked me what I would have done with it, and I said I was going to mount 
it on the wall over the fireplace... after taking it to "show & tell" at church 
and around the family...
The rod was actually what they call an "inflatable nail" in the business. It 
was hollow and would expand once it was filled with the saline fluid, and once 
expanded it was about the diameter of a nickle, and about 20 some odd inches 
long... it went through the heel bone and held it in place with the tibia, and 
went almost to the tip of the ball where the knee cap resides...
Anyway, even though I didn't get to keep it, I'm sure I can get an "old" 
X-ray from the Dr to show all my buddies...
My older brother kept telling me "yeah, I had those in my leg when I had my 
motorcycle wreck, they just grabbed them with the pliers and pilled them 
out..." I said "Bill, THOSE are PINS, not RODS... they were on the surface of your 
skin... this thing is FLUSH with my heel bone and about as big around as your 
middle finger, and 5 times longer"... but being the older brother, he has to be 
right ALL the time.
:-)
Anyway, while watching TV last night I was able to move my foot in an up & 
down motion for the first time in almost a year... a range of motion of maybe an 
inch, and it didn't hurt much!... I'm just wrapped in a lot of flimsy gauze, 
cotton and tape.... something tells me the physical therapy is gonna be a 
pain... my heel is a bit sore where they were digging around in it yesterday, but 
I feel fine... I ended up using one of the pain pills last night, slept fine 
until 3, then I just listened to the owl and the coyotes in the distance for 
about half an hour, counting my blessings that I was home in my bed, and NOT at 
the hospital getting poked and prodded by the nurses every 45 minutes.
Life is good, and it's well on it's way to being a lot better.
Thanks a bunch guys... y'all have helped me along in more ways than I can 
ever know... and for that, THANK YOU.... it's because of you guys that MY LIFE is 
good.
God bless y'all!
Sorry for the use of excessive bandwidth, but I just wanted to share... and 
the sooner I'm better the sooner I can play with my Corvairs!!!!!
Later,
Lonzo


Lon Anderson in White Mills, KY
CORSA, Corvanatics, Central Kentucky Corvair, Derby City Corvair
Quart Low Quarterly editor
1961 Greenbrier 110/pg, 
1963 Greenbrier 110/4spd.
1964 700 sedan 95/pg
1969 Monza cp 110/pg