Quickly, before I depart to the land lacking internet...
The allergic reaction has more-or-less completely cleared (it's hard to say completely because it was so wrapped up with the infection), and the infection is well on the way to clearing. Lots of pink skin, still, lots of inflammation, but the general impression is that everything is looking the way we'd like.
So I've been cleared to go home!
I've also been given permission to swap out the heavy, clunky, frustrating brace for the lighter, better fitting, more comfortable, more (in my opinion) supportive brace for most of the time. All of the time if I can figure out how to use the locking features to lock it at 90/100/120 degrees when I'm not doing my PT. The more annoying brace is really easy to lock/unlock at various points. I know the other one can, and they showed me how... on June 12. And it wasn't as easy and involves adding and removing pins underneath a set of padding. But, still. Totally worth it if I can figure it out.
The surgeon-who-is-not-my-surgeon who saw me last week and today is really pretty awesome. He grew up in Unalakleet (which is not terribly far from Kotlik) and in the '70s was a mail pilot in the area. Before there were gravel runways. He completely understands the whole living-in-the-Bush thing (which was why he made me stay until today), and stuffed my bag full of extra ace bandages and other goodies, and reminded me to fax them the travel authorization form so my insurance will reimburse me for (some of) the airfare.
He's more pleased with my RoM progress than my PT is, though, it's been 3 days since she made me push to 125, and I have been working it, so I did have more than 90 degrees (he didn't measure) without warming up. I like to think my PT would have been happy with that, too. (: He gave me a couple exercises for hamstring strength that weren't in my original routine. I think they're basically a variation on what I was doing, but slightly more accessible for me at this point.
And... now I'm going to pack up because we're about to start pre-boarding.
So I've been cleared to go home!
I've also been given permission to swap out the heavy, clunky, frustrating brace for the lighter, better fitting, more comfortable, more (in my opinion) supportive brace for most of the time. All of the time if I can figure out how to use the locking features to lock it at 90/100/120 degrees when I'm not doing my PT. The more annoying brace is really easy to lock/unlock at various points. I know the other one can, and they showed me how... on June 12. And it wasn't as easy and involves adding and removing pins underneath a set of padding. But, still. Totally worth it if I can figure it out.
The surgeon-who-is-not-my-surgeon who saw me last week and today is really pretty awesome. He grew up in Unalakleet (which is not terribly far from Kotlik) and in the '70s was a mail pilot in the area. Before there were gravel runways. He completely understands the whole living-in-the-Bush thing (which was why he made me stay until today), and stuffed my bag full of extra ace bandages and other goodies, and reminded me to fax them the travel authorization form so my insurance will reimburse me for (some of) the airfare.
He's more pleased with my RoM progress than my PT is, though, it's been 3 days since she made me push to 125, and I have been working it, so I did have more than 90 degrees (he didn't measure) without warming up. I like to think my PT would have been happy with that, too. (: He gave me a couple exercises for hamstring strength that weren't in my original routine. I think they're basically a variation on what I was doing, but slightly more accessible for me at this point.
And... now I'm going to pack up because we're about to start pre-boarding.