Nov 29th

http://www.footankleinstitute.com/Ankle-Replacement.html Ankle Replacement done on Nov 20th at Duke University Hospital, Durham NC compliments of Durham VA Medical Center.
I had the 3rd one listed - Wright Inbone. You can click on the video if you want - YEECH - or not. I got the impression it is not the most advanced prosthetic, but one of the most "reliable" devices...in other words, I got the one with the good personality.
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Sounds of anguished shrieks in the middle of the night, spastic muscular movements with little form or purpose, inability to form continuing conversation using subject, predicate, and verb; a life purpose bordering on delusion.

And that's Donna's condition after just taking care of me for a week. I try, I really do, but despite my best efforts, I'm afraid I am to good patient comportment what school lunch meat is to gourmet dining. I ask you though, I was brought morning coffee in a coffee cup with animal images on it which of course is only to be used for tea; airplane and sports mugs for coffee; birds/animals for tea; mountains and seascapes for either coffee or tea except the Maui seacape cup (tea only) and the coffee mug from the monastery that used to show mountain ranges with flying birds - before they faded out - that one was always coffee. If she would just look at the cups prior to filling, they would tell her. Is that so hard?

Ok maybe it is. Even I know she has done yeoman's work putting up with me. If you have any more prayers to spare (and thank you so, so much for your kind efforts in this regard), we could use some. For strength and capacity. In your request, try to impress upon God the need to have Donna comprehend in a renewed way that I am "non-refundable." Thanks.

According the surgeon, Dr. DeOrio, a great physician - I was lucky to get him, I have to keep my "toes above my nose" for the first 6 weeks. I'm equipped with a Vaco pressure boot that Dr. DeOrio told me cost $3,000. I thought he was joking, but after looking at it, maybe not. Given the cost I keep waiting for it to recite the Gettysburg Address.

A couch patato! Someone actually ordered me to lie down. All day! For six weeks! Finally something I'm good at! I think for variety though, I'm going to have a neighbor come over and affix a large eye bolt through the raised ceiling by the front door. I can then hang upside down on a rope or chain attached to my good leg (toes above the nose!) and greet the neighbors and their kids when they come to visit.

This should provide an extra dimension of enjoyment and novelty for them, but hopefully not a requirement for future therapy.

I'll let you know.