My Left Foot

[This post back-dated for my convenience.] As mentioned previously, I have a foot injury. On May 27, I missed the last step on my way to the basement, and my left foot landed hard on the concrete floor. I spent the rest of the weekend with the foot elevated and iced. I did get crutches, but I put off having the foot checked because [a] I knew I had an upcoming appt with my podiatrist -- ongoing treatment for arch pain in my right foot -- and [b] I have had foot injuries in the past that were sprains, and I thought this might be the case again. The following Wednesday, my podiatrist took some x-rays, and checked out the foot. He believed there was a fracture and sent me to get some MRI scans. The report from the image center confirmed my his suspicion. He referred me to a surgeon at Upper Bucks Orthopedic and Sports Medicine for a consult. I had the consult with the surgeon this past Thursday evening. Here is a quick overview of what I have going on ... I have hairline(?) fractures in the 2nd and 4th metatarsils, swelling on the 3rd metatarsil, and a ruptured tendon. But the real issue is that part of the 2nd metatarsil broke away (that underlying tendon really tried to keep it in place) and so it is popped up -- i.e., out of place. Surgery should be performed to realign the bones in my foot. This surgery will involve inserting a screw or two to hold said bones in place/position. I suppose it is considered "elective" surgery, but it is probably required if only to reduce the chances of alignment problems and arthritis down the road (will reduce the risk from 80-90% certain to only a 10% likelihood). My surgery will be scheduled for next week. At the end of the consult, the folks at the ortho place gave me a non-weight-bearing (but removable) splint/cast to use between now and the surgery. The doc really wants to minimize any internal motion. After surgery, I will be in another non-weight-bearing (but *not* removable) cast for 6 or 8 weeks. And at some point after that, there will be another procedure for going back in and removing the screws. That's right, folks ... Brainwise saw his shadow on Thursday night and the forecast calls for 6+ more weeks of crutching around. I have had to back out of a trip to Mississippi (to participate in the post-Katrina reconstruction), and quit my role in the upcoming production of "Murder at Green Meadows" with the Dutch Country Players. And right now, even MusikFest (in Bethlehem this August) and the August Black Belt training are probably out of my summer picture. ::: Sigh ::: [Follow-Up: Pre-Surgery Details]