Saw Doctor yesterday. The cavity inside my left heel is not healing, it is getting bigger. I have to acknowledge the reality of the situation. I am nauseous from taking antibiotics, my pain level has gone up, and now I'm bleeding more and more. Time to end this. I have to see Doctor again in three weeks, we both agreed that if there isn't significant improvement by then that we will schedule an amputation. He is running about three weeks behind, so six or seven weeks from now I could have the operation.
He says surgery would take 1-2 hours, then 3-5 days in hospital. Normally folks would go to rehab for a while but he will send me directly home since I have proved to him I can use a walker and one leg to get around. I can also get wheelchair for rental for a while. Several months of home nursing care plus the excellent care I get from wife and I will be ready for fitting of prosthesis. Doctor claims I could be walking in three months and would barely notice it in six.
Found out I have enough sick leave to take the Fall off and since I am retiring this year and would get a free sabbatical semester in Spring anyway. End result is that I will never have to go back to work at University. I will get full salary until end of next July. And I may get a little better pension if I retire under a medical disability, plan to talk to HR folks Friday about that.
I've been training nephew to run machine tools, by the time I go under knife I should have a good inventory of standard items and hopefully can get him to make nose/top punches.
If all goes well I plan to buy Haas CNC mill in Spring, a year from now I could be in real good shape both physically and commercially, and have a well trained assistant I can count on.
I've been wanting to do another lead hammer site benefit sale, but I haven't felt good enough to do it. Maybe next Spring.
No regrets, no sorrow, I'm really looking forward to ending this part of my life and moving on to something better and far more satisfying.
|
   
   
|
|
Reply With Quote
