August 10th, 2023

I haven’t written a blog for a while because not much has happened lately. But yesterday, I had an important appointment with my surgeon.

After having an X-Ray scan, I went to seen by my surgeon, accompanied by a chief doctor and an assistant (no need to say the bill won’t be cheap…). Together, they compared the latest scan images with those taken right after my last operation. And good news: the position of the bones, tibia, fibula, and heel, has improved significantly, all without any screws or plates!

This is fantastic, especially since we were expecting the opposite. Without mechanical support, the bones could have shifted. But here, they seem to have stayed put, even better, they’ve naturally realigned. In other words: no new surgery is planned for now!

That said, I’ll have to keep my cast on for another month to make sure everything stays stable. So, yesterday they put on a new cast because my calf has shrunk further, and the old one was getting too loose.

I also got a prescription for an orthopaedic shoe, which I’ll be able to wear instead of the cast in about a month. The surgeon even said that with that shoe, I might be able to get back on my motorbike, in just a month! That’s a really motivating thought.

In the meantime, I can start gently putting my foot down, bearing a little weight, up to around 20 kilos, which is roughly the weight of the foot itself. So, I can rest it on the ground without really putting extra pressure on it.

These are genuinely encouraging updates. I left the hospital with a smile. After my last surgery, the odds were 50/50: either another operation to put screws and plates back in, or natural stabilisation. So I was a bit nervous before the appointment… but the relief was immense.

Sure, wearing a cast for another month isn’t exactly fun, especially in the middle of summer, but it’s definitely much better than having another operation.

A little anecdote on leaving the clinic: parked right outside the reception was an electric Harley-Davidson! I didn’t even know that model was already on the market. Compact, probably quite manoeuvrable… and actually quite nice-looking, even if it’s very different from the classic Harley image.

This morning, I went to the orthopaedic centre to get measured for the new shoe. Good news again: they had the right model in my size in stock. I left with a pair, not very elegant, to be honest, but if they help, I’m happy. They’re not cheap (around € 400.-), but the insurance should cover part, maybe even all of the cost.

At last, I’m beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel!

And on another positive note: on 2 August, Deniz went to Zurich for an information day at the Tertianum group, and the next day he officially started his professional training, which will last two years. I wish him all the best for this exciting new chapter!