Thursday, May 04, 2006

Finally let the side-effects begin

I can finally, finally, FINALLY, say without a doubt that my foot FINALLY doesn't hurt anymore. I had this thing since the end of March/Beginning of April, and it's may now, and I still have a scab on my ankle. At least I'm not wearing gauze, sterile pads, waterproof tape, or an ace bandage. I will be wearing something similar to the ace bandage however, it hopefully won't wear out as fast. Right now I am wearing an Ace ankle brace, which is something that I should have been wearing quite awhile ago. I don't think that this particular type was out when I was first told to start wearing one, but I am glad it's out now. The other braces that I had before were very uncomfortable in my shoe, and hurt most of the time. In those cases I knew how to put them on. In the case with this new brace I haven't a clue. I just needed something one night to get me home without feeling any kind of pain from the sore even though it had scabbed over, and from the swelling on my foot and lower leg. I think I have it on right though, because it's comfy and it's giving my ankle the support I need. Another plus from the brace is that the swelling on my leg and foot has dramatically been reduced. There is swelling there, but it doesn't cause me any pain.

There are two significant side-effects from being down an out with this injury:

One is is that I would just throw my things anywhere on the floor, and I let everything pile up and collect dust. So eventually I will have to clean up my bedroom (and no I didn't leave any dirty underwear lurking about). My bedroom isn't really that bad, especially when I compare it to "The Black Hole". My sister Ablah's room is a natural disaster waiting to happen. If you stick an arm in there, you better be prepared to lose it, because if something goes in there is a possibility of it never returning. I don't even think she has come across her remote for her television yet. I think that my Favorite Yellow Bowl has gotten sucked into that abyss never to be seen again by me. Anyways when I clean up, I am going to do the whole thing, which includes me buying a closet rack to hang my clothes somewhere other than the little market behind the door where squirrels lurk.

The second is that now that it has scabbed over and the healing process (my
white blood cells got gusto) is in its final stages I have to overcome the urge to scratch the damn thing. I mean I want to scratch SO BAD. I touched it, but never scratch the scab. I actually came to a compromise and started scratching around it, where the infection had spread, because that itched too. It felt so good, I didn't want to stop, but eventually I did, because my arm got tired. Okay I confess, I also almost peeled off the scab. I wanted to do this because I want it done an over. I had to stop myself, because I remember from my childhood, what happened when I peeled those scabs. I'd open them too soon, and some of them would start bleeding again. Just because it doesn't hurt anymore, and because I have a scab, it doesn't mean that my sore or ulcer (which is what I think it was) is healed. Does anyone have any tips on how to stop itching. Please help before it turns into a scratching fetish.

4 comments:

X. Dell said...

You say that letting things pile up in your apartment is a side effect of having an injury? I don't have much of an excuse, then.

You call your sister's space the black hole. I think of mine more as the National Debris Preserve. Don't get me wrong: I'm anally neat in terms of public spaces. But I like to have at least a little clutter around me. (At least that's as good as an excuse as any other).

I'm hoping your foot gets well soon.

And Stephanie, if you're not someone's mother, might you be someday?

Ari said...

I think Benadryl has a spray that will stop the itch. I'm glad it's healing now. While you're cleaning your room, would you mind coming over here to dust mine??? Pretty please? No? Darn.

Ari

Chris said...

One thing that works for me, see if you can find melalueca oil (tea tree oil) at either a beauty supply store or a natural health store and dab it on and around the itching area. It works well for me.

You might also take benadryl.

Chris
My Blog

Anonymous said...

Hi Charles, didn't know you had this site too!! I have an ulcer on my leg, had one last year on my ankle. I was told by a doctor friend from Siberia that in Russia they put cold teabags on them when they itch, don't know if it works as mine doesn't itch yet!!