Freedom!

At last, after 7 weeks of dependancy, frustration and one-legged sitting, the cast is off. Okay there were plusses - no petrol costs, lost weight as I was too proud/sneaky to add chocolate, wine and pork scratchings to my shopping lists.

According to the surgeon my wounds look great - I think the whole leg from knee down looks awful, but then, it never looked great. Big, I mean BIG, flakes of skin keep falling off, leaving a trail behind me. I shook a sock out of the window (disgusting I know) and it looked as if it was snowing.

Anyway, I am now shuffling along like a one year old (or a hundred and one year old - either way, I'm not wearing a nappy) and can finally carry liquids from one room to another without them being in a flask or bottle.

Things you need if you break your ankle - work out for yourselves what use they might be:
good friends and neighbours
a wheelchair (look for Wheelfreedom online and rent one)
a small backpack containing your mobile phone JUST IN CASE keep it with you always
a thermos flask
a large and a small empty lidded jar (ok I'll tell you why, for soups or casseroles, too much sticks in the flask)
a children's cereal container from Lakeland
a big book of sudoko puzzles
lots and lots and lots of whatever type of book you enjoy
small towels and teatowels to hand for mopping up
baby wipes (remember, you can't easily get into the shower)

if you are a woman you will also need to keep handy:
perfume
makeup
tweezers (those pesky hairs begin to be visible beneath the cast)
moisturiser as your toes will dry out

That's it, there's probably more but already I've forgotten. By the way, I haven't washed my hair since I broke my ankle, and I have no intention of washing it until I next go to the hairdresser as it looks absolutely fine, doesn't smell, and I'm treating it as an experiment

I've already forgotten all my hospital experiences, except the wind I had been conscientiously holding in for three hours and which came out like an uncontrolled explosion when I was finally wheeled to the toilet. When I came out I said to the ward staff at the nearby nurses station "Sorry about the noise", as I could see they were shaken. Or shaking.