Today was another hard day. It started at Zero Dark 30 with screaming. I have no idea what time it was, I just ran to her bedroom while she howled. She begged me to make it stop, and for the first time as I massaged her, I felt it. A Hard Knot in her poor atrophied calf muscle.
Muscle cramps! That’s it! I know it!
I massaged her leg while she hit me, and flexed her toes and ankle while she begged me not to, and screamed how much she hated this, and begged me to stop. Then I felt the muscle finally releasing. Her body sagged, and weakly she said she was better when I asked. She fell asleep almost instantly.
When I woke her in the morning, we had a repeat of the exact same behavior. I can’t tell you have it feels to be in the role of her tormentor… but she hugs me after, so I think she understands that I’m helping her. Doesn’t make it easier though. It happened again about an hour later in front of the school. I whipped off her shoe and brace in record time. I so wanted to take her home, but she insisted on staying. I allowed it, in her wheelchair.
She was fine in class, but when I picked her up, she had another as we arrived home. I left her brace off the rest of the day, and she was free of them- thankfully. I hope she’ll sleep all night tonight.
In the middle of all this, Dr. Hoffinger ordered an x-ray. I never truly thought it was broken, but he was being conservative, and I appreciate that. The result?
No break that I can see. The graft seems to be healing well too. So that’s super positive. Also, bone formation seems to be happening at the distal (bottom) end! I don’t see a heck of a lot of formation exactly at the graft site, but I see a spot that the bottom of the keyhole where there’s some serious bone formation happening. I see a small difference between 10/23 and today (11/13) but a HUGE difference between 8/21 and 11/13. So that’s pretty positive. Also, lots of bone forming at the proximal (top) end too!
Ok, so that’s all well and good. But the pressing matter: what do I do about the cramps??? Hopefully I’ll get a phone call tomorrow.
