UM, WHAT?

Yesterday my doctor’s secretary called me. She said that my doctor told her to instruct me to uncrank my fixator for the next two days. Instead of lengthening four turns of ninety degrees a day like I’ve been doing, I’m to turn the crank ninety degrees, four times a day, but in the other direction. Um, what?

Apparently, this might help with my pin site issues. Aside from my one pin site which may or may not be infected, both my top and bottom pin sites are starting to get very irritated. My doctor warned me that some of the pin sites, particularly the top and bottom ones, might need to be cut open a little bit more, because the lengthening might cause tearing in them once they heal up.

I think that must be what’s happening. I don’t think I’ll need to have any of them cut open, since I’m so close to being done with the lengthening, but it’s very aggravating to have to stop the lengthening now, because I only had two days of it left. Now I’m not only not lengthening, but I’m setting myself back two days with the uncranking.

I’m loathe to uncrank, because every crank was hard fought to achieve. But my pin sites are bothering me enough that I’m willing to try anything to make them feel better. And I’m probably technically done with the lengthening anyway, since my doctor was having me over-lengthen a bit so he could compress when he’s back from vacation.

My pin sites and the skin around them are also horribly dry. I’m dying to put some kind of cream on them, but my doctor says absolutely not. I’ve read of various pin site care methods on the internet, and most of them say that using an antibiotic cream is fine and helps with the dryness, but my doctor says a dry pin site is a good pin site. He also says for me to stop reading the internet and listen only to him. Ugh, fine.

My doctor wants me to email him tomorrow and let him know how the uncranking affected my pin sites. I’m not sure if he’ll then tell me to start lengthening again, but I’m trying to have a whatever attitude about it. I really wanted to be done with the lengthening by the time I went back to work on Monday, but if I have to lengthen for a few days while at work, it won’t be that much of an issue.

And Shannon, if you’re reading this, thanks for the cute get well card! I got it yesterday.