Ankle surgery, part deux - bathing sans foot.

Bathing without being able to use one of your feet or get it wet is complicated and requires significant effort. You're not going to want to do it every day... which I say with chagrin, because I loathe leg hair stubble more than almost anything else on this planet.

Anyway. You're going to want some kind of non-slippery stool to put in the bathtub, a chair to put beside the tub to put your foot on, and a bunch of towels - some big fluffy ones to provide a foot cushion, and some smaller handtowel-sized ones to dry yourself with and to put between your leg and the tub. Also a couple wash cloths, one to wash and help rinse with and one to sit on. And a big plastic cup or small bucket for rinsing purposes, unless you have a shower head that has a holder that you can reach from a sitting position.

When I had my half-cast on, I used a cast protector sleeve, but after I got that off it was just too painful to use that way - I just draped it and/or a towel over my foot. Also, err on the side of more towels within reach of the tub. And keep in mind that it is a pretty tiring experience; be gentle with yourself and remember it's temporary. (I personally can't effin' wait to be done with it.)

More on the Cetaphil: The fact that you don't have to rinse it all off and what's left moisturizes your skin - that makes it perfect for the sponge baths and awkward-semi-sponge-baths I've been having since the surgery. You can apply it like lotion and rub it off with a warm washcloth and feel fresh again, which is so good for those early days when you don't feel very good. I'm also using it to shave my legs. I have pretty sensitive skin that just loves getting razor burn, so results are a tiny bit itchier than what I'm used to. But if I get my skin wet, use plenty of the stuff, let it soak in for a few minutes, shave, rinse and pat dry (or wipe with a warm damp washcloth), and finally apply my normal lotion quickly before my legs dry, it's not bad.

The worst part for a while was the "whenever I put my foot down, it blows up like a balloon and HURTS like hell" thing. As of about two weeks from surgery, I am slowly leaving that stage, though it it's by no means gone. (UPDATE: it lasted until about 3 weeks post-surgery, though I still find it's more comfortable to have it up.)

I've definitely made my way into the "needles, spasms and weird twinges in my ankle" chapter, though! More on the strange pains and tingles in my next ankle installment.