Day 22 of My Imprisonment

A current photo of the foot in question. Still bandaged. Aren't I well behaved?

Actually, with today being such a nice day in the Koots, and with walking so slow and somewhat uncomfortable, I decided to try for a bike ride. I managed to ride most of the way to town and back - maybe 4 km or so? It was slow, and I was careful how I pressed on the pedal with the foot, but rather successful.

Otherwise, it's mostly shuffling or hobbling around the house and the shop, with little forays out to get wood for the stoves. I think the way I'm walking is causing some tendon strain just above the ankle. I will have to be careful about this. I don't need a case of shin-splints on top of what's already wrong with my right appendage.

I hate to say it, but being kind of house-bound sucks. I feel for anyone who is "really" house-bound. At least I can drive and I can sort of walk and, if the roads aren't icy, I apparently can ride my bike.

Six weeks to go.

The Politics of Fear

Here we go. Following the lead of politicians and the media in the USA. The politics of fear. Brought to you courtesy of the Harper Conservatives.

The Harper Conservatives keep on with the message that they are being "tough on crime". Sure. You need to be tough on crime, when there actually "is" serious crime. The problem is, however, that the crime rate in Canada has been going down for years. Canadians are safer now than they have ever been. And don't for a moment accept the silly story about "unreported crime". You have statistics on "unreported crime"? Really? So we're spending all this money to deal with a mystery shrouded in an enigma? Unreported crime??

So why are the Harper Conservatives insisting on this message? Because, as Rick Mercer says, people in fear are more likely to hand over their lunch money and shut up.

The sensible thing would be to spend some money on the root causes of crime: poverty, poor education, parenting...families, in other words. Improve community policing. Work to improve the poorest parts of our cities.

In the USA, the media has been bleating on about crime for years. It sells. People are more afraid and it shows up in things like gun ownership, which for some reason, seems to make some Americans feel better. So, Mr Harper: how long before you allow us to adopt gun laws (ie: no laws, really) American style so we can feel safer?

This is complete nonsense. We don't need to go down a path already shown to be the wrong one. Don't worry Canada. The thing we need to fear the most is our Government.

Day 15 of My Imprisonment

The days pass inexorably along. I spend time each day reading. What I'm reading is reminding me of my "radical" environmental days back in the late 60s and early 70s. Not that it was all that radical.... These days it's more to do with social justice, the ruination of the economy, climate change, of course...

I'm currently making my way through Too Big to Fail by Andrew Sorkin. This 600-page tome recounts the events leading up to and through the financial crisis of 2008-9. The most head-shakingly amazing thing is to realize that so many occupants of the executive suite were in total denial of their companies' true financial state, right up to the hours before they were forced into bankruptcy. And how many were pleading, repeatedly, for help from government (ie: the taxpayer). God, you gotta love capitalism and the free market system!!

We've had snow. This has made walking outside on the wounded foot difficult. I've spent some time trying to create some more appropriate footwear since the "hut bootie" just doesn't work that well in 6 inches of snow. Accordingly I surgically modified a pair of old sneakers that I've been saving (just in case I needed them...). I have to say that they feel great and work pretty well. Since I did the modifications, it's snowed even more so I may still need to wrap it up in a plastic bag and wear my gaiter on that foot.

One positive note - I've experienced no discomfort, an exceptionally unusual occurence pre-surgery. It feels better already.

Six more weeks....

Day 7 of My Imprisonment

Over the past few days, I have discovered techniques that have allowed me to ditch the crutches. The walking, however, is slow. Very slow. I'm glad to be able to walk unassisted at all, though.

Night 2 there was a slight amount of pain as the freezing finally came out of the foot. The drugs they used to block the nerve and freeze the foot must be really something, because it was numb for almost 24 hours. Otherwise, I've been unable to feel much of anything uncomfortable. I am, however, walking **very** carefully.

Becoming bored in "rehab chalet" where my "nurse" is staying while helping with the twins, I arranged to drive home on Friday. Driving is no problem. Glad it isn't my clutch foot. Not sure how that will work next fall when I get the left foot done.... Forewarned is forearmed, perhaps....

At least here at home I have a wider range of activities I can work on, including jobs in the shop. Note to self: don't drop anything on my foot, especially the right foot.

I hear there is 2 feet of snow in Jackson Basin. My skiing buddy and I will be getting the backcountry ski lift machine ready on Monday, but I think I'll be out of action until early January. That's when the bandages come off and I'm allowed to put weight on the front part of my foot. The snow should be good and ready by then. I should be good and ready by then....

The convalescence continues....

The Price of Civilization

So this is the state we're in: political gridlock in the USA, sovereign debt bringing down one country after another, protests growing, corporate bonuses growing.... It's in this context that I just finished reading Jeffrey Sach's book: The Price of Civilization - Economics and Ethics After the Fall.

There are many memorable passages I could quote, but one will have to do:

"The list of recent government failures is long and growing. The intelligence agencies failed to anticipate 9/11. The Bush administration launched a war over Iraq weapons of mass destruction that did not exist. The Iraq and Afghanistan occupations were totally botched, brought down by ignorance, lack of planning, and corruption of U.S. contractors. Hurricane Katrina shattered our confidence in our emergency response system. The banking crisis shattered our confidence in financial regulation. The banking bailout destroyed any remaining sense of fairness between Wall Street and Main Street. And now we face budget deficits unprecedented since WWII, but continue to grant massive tax breaks to the richest Americans."

There's a problem with what's been happening in American society over the past 30 years. Maybe it's time to admit that the current strategies aren't working.

This book examines the mess we're in and what could be done about it.

Interior Health.ca

Having had a real sample of the health care system at work in this part of BC, I thought it would be a good idea to record a few comments....

Our (single payer) medical care system in Canada and here in BC comes in for lots of criticism, but I've had surgeries in Saskatchewan, now one here in BC, our daughter had twins recently.... I have to say that the experiences have been quite positive. There are several large Health regions covering all of BC; ours is Interior Health. When people want to complain, they call it Inferior Health, but I think we've been pretty well served, so far.

Our daughter and the twins received great care at the Regional hospital in Trail, and with twins, there was a much greater level of attention and care devoted to her situation.

The wait time for my orthopedic surgery would have been 2-3 months, but I wanted November so that month has been booked for almost a year now.

The orthopedic surgeon has always been very clear about what was going to be done, the anesthesiologist explained what he was going to do: general anesthesia, nerve blocks, freezing.... The nurses were friendly and helpful.... I didn't see anyone who was abrupt or impatient. Everyone was good humoured.... It's all the little things that add up to a positive experience. The surgeon came by after I was awake to see how I was doing and answered my questions about what condition the joint was in, which certainly explained why I had been having problems with it.

So for me, so far, I'd certainly like to recognize the good work being done in this little part of Interior Health's fiefdom.

Day 2 of My Imprisonment

I've been sitting/lying around contemplating my future convalescence and a cat diary came to mind. Actually, it was a dog diary compared to a cat diary. Gotta love the Internet - I was able to find it.

The surgery yesterday went well. Some expected waiting, but I was wheeled into the operating room around 12:30. The surgeon and the anesthesiologist had both been to see me, making sure it was clear which foot was to be the object of their attentions, drawing black marker arrows pointing at the joint in question. I was reassured. I was told what was going to be ground off, where the screw was going to go, where the nerve blocks and freezing would be put... Maybe too much information for some, but I was happy to hear it.

The operating room seemed large, nice windows with a view, lots of neat machines and tools all around...and I got to see it for all of 2 minutes. I remember a nurse arranging a nice arm rest and the anesthesiologist injecting something into my IV line. An hour later I wake up in the recovery room, completely alert, with a large wrapped foot. No nausea. Nice.

Back to the ward - a couple of juice boxes and a muffin. Managing to get dressed and hopping around with the crutches. The surgeon came by to see how things were going: the joint had no cartilage and lots of bone spurs. That would explain the pain. No weight on the front of that foot for 2 months. In fact, the dressing doesn't even come off for 2 months. I wonder what will be going on under the bandages during that time?

The night was fine. I was expecting the freezing to be out by midnight, but it still feels numb this morning. No pain at all, so far. I have these painkillers to use. Better living through chemistry I always say. I'm sure I will get a chance to use them....

So...the day ahead. I have CBC Radio, my computer, a bunch of files I need to work on, a new accounting program I want to learn how to use, many podcasts, two e-books, a fire in the stove....and where I'm staying is small and easy enough to get around. My "nurse" will be back from her day helping with the twins in time for supper, and the view down across the valley will be nice with the new snow that fell last night.

Laughter - The Best Medicine

[This title is for those of you old enough and with the literary tastes to have read Reader's Digest back in the day ...]

The way things are going, I'm starting to think it can't be healthy to get upset or to take what's going on too seriously. Various "Occupy" movements, the mayor of one of Canada's major cities losing it on the heads of a comedy team, repeated (and unsuccessful) bailout proposals in Europe, the Harper Government determined to take us down the (already discredited) criminal "justice" path trodden by the USA.... You get the picture.

It's with some relief that I offer the "medical" antidote to the chaos around us: Wonkette

I'd never heard of this blog before (no big surprise given how much I pay attention to pop culture or whatever)...so I consulted Wikipedia to learn more.

I'm reassured to learn that Wonkette, although referred to as "left-leaning", clearly isn't afraid to take shots at idiotic nonsense in all directions on the political landscape. Wouldn't want anyone to get the wrong idea about me from my suggestion, just because I live in Canada...and BC, at that, ...hotbed of left-leaning, socialistic ideas as we all know.

To give appropriate credit, my "discovery" came from "The Rogue: Searching for the Real Sarah Palin", a book I'm currently enjoying. More on that later.