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Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Stop Poking Me!


I have totally and completely underestimated the impact wearing an aircast would have on me.

For those of you who do not follow me on Twitter (@selenamki) or are not friends with me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/selenakinouye) you probably don't know that I twisted the ever-loving sh*%! out of my right ankle about a week and a half ago. I went to the foot and ankle doctor and he put me in a walking aircast, a.k.a. the boot. Nothing is broken (yeah!) but my ankle was so painful it needed to be immobilized for two weeks.

Now at first, I was happy that I got to be in an aircast and could be weight bearing because I totally suck at walking with crutches. In fact, when I have had to be non-weight bearing in the past, I've resorted to crawling to get up stairs or go to the bathroom. And nothing reduces me to tears faster than having to crawl...

(Would this be a good time to mention that my ankles are the most problematic part of my body from a bio-mechanical and orthopedic standpoint and that I have injured them both before?)

This time it seems that my body does not like having an aircast touching my right foot 24/7. All that extra sensory input is making my body unhappy.
After the first 24 hours, a few of my toes on my right foot went numb from the pressure the boot was putting on them. Then those toes started to burn like they were on fire. Then my whole right foot started itching like crazy.

Not satisfied with driving just my right foot nuts, a few days later the aircast triggered a body-wide flare-up of my fibromyalgia. Overall my pain level increased. Symptoms of the flare-up include digestive upset, dizziness, more severe numbness and tingling in my hands and a lot more fatigue.

In the past few days, I've noticed that my brain has switched to grumpy, short-tempered and completed scattered.

Wearing an aircast has reduced me to feeling like I'm a little kid and someone is poking me. I say Stop poking me! and they keep poking me. The more they poke, the most upset I get, the more I say Quit it! The more I say Quit it!, the more they keep on poking me. It's a vicious cycle that just keeps escalating.

I wish I could do the neurological equivalent of hauling off and slapping my nervous system upside my head in an attempt to get it to stop overreacting even more than it usually does.

Now I am dreading what the doctor might say this coming Friday when I have a follow-up appointment. If he says I have to spend more time in this aircast, I just might get really pissy with him. I want this darn thing off my foot and I'm starting not to care if my ankle is better or not.

I'm going to need to take a chill pill if I have to keep wearing this aircast.
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4 comments

Migrainista said...

ouch! I hope you won't have to keep it on any longer than the two weeks...not good. Feel better Selena!

Dot said...

That aircast is impressive. Fibro Mom says you should rename it: *THE FIBRO FLARE CAST*! We hope the pain eases up soon.

Selena said...

OMG! I love the term "Fibro Flare Cast." Thanks Fibro Mom! :-) And thanks Migrainista for the well wishes. I hope I get sprung Friday too! :-)

Anonymous said...

Oh Selena...what a pain! Hope you get to take it off and LEAVE it off!
mo