Progress Report #2

Brian J. Sullivan

My recovery has been progressing relatively well and I am able to move around a bit more on the crutches, albeit rather clumsily.

One persistent problem which has plagued me since the beginning is that my leg/foot inside the cast occasionally becomes very itchy, however I am unable to scratch it. Being the inventive sort, I devised a scratching apparatus using a bent coat hanger. Ah, the relief to be able to scratch an itch was immeasurable, that is until I got the hooked coat hanger stuck down inside my cast and could not get it out!

Again, being the inventive sort, I hobbled over to my studio and got out my trusty Dremel tool. I put a circular cutting wheel on the Dremel and proceeded to cut my fiberglass cast off. Halfway down one side of my leg I began to wonder how I was going to cut through the cast but not my leg? And then once I did get the cast off, how was I going to explain it to the Doctor: "Oh, by the way, my cast accidentally slipped off when I was getting out of bed".

Thankfully I came to my senses, drove myself to the emergency room using my left foot to operate the brake and gas pedal. After the ER personnel picked themselves off the floor from laughing uncontrollably at my situation, they finished cutting my cast off and replaced it. And I was happily on my way.

Since I was already out and driving illegally, I figured I might as well get a new pair of shoes. At the store I stuck up a conversation with a young man who recently had his left foot amputated. It turned out we both wore the same size shoe. The light bulb went on! We agreed on a style of shoe. He took the right one, I the left. Now that’s what I call a real two for one special. So until we meet again under the canopy, please take care. Brian