Dear Reader,

No, this is not a Chinese beef tendon stew recipe.

Thanks, Kathleen, for writing a guest post last week to cover my absence due to injury. What I’m more thankful for and love about Kathleen is that she dropped everything and flew to Canberra to help me. Thank you, Love

The injury

The Wednesday after Christmas, I was packing an old heavy food processor. As I was lifting it, a blade fell from the bowl and penetrated the medial dorsum of my left foot, lacerating the overlying skin and severing my extensor hallucis longus tendon. The bleeding was impressive. I got to the Canberra Hospital Emergency Department via an Uber. Did you know that kitchen paper towels and rubber bands work to staunch venous blood? I will buy a proper first aid kit.

After about six hours in the ED and being seen by an advanced practice nurse who had a cautious examination, an orthopædic registrar confirmed my suspicion about my EHL tendon. I was admitted to an orthopædic ward, put in a back slab, and had intravenous cephazolin started (in orthopædic doses).

The admitting registrar put me on an emergency surgical list, and the repair occurred on Thursday morning. The surgeon’s incision widened the skin laceration to explore the wound. After the trainee cleaned the wound and repaired the tendon, another back slab was applied. I’ve finished the oral cephalexin. The discharging resident prescribed cephalexin for me to prevent post-operative infection. He prescribed rivaroxaban for 42 days to avoid deep vein thrombosis.

My experience in the Canberra Hospital Emergency Department, Orthopædic ward, and Operating theatres has been excellent both times this year. All the personnel have been A1.

Yesterday, I attended the outpatient clinic and was fitted with a fibreglass cast. I’ll wear this for the next four weeks. Then, a CAM boot for six weeks. The first six weeks are non-weight-bearing on the foot.

I’ve elected not to share an intraoperative photograph. I was sent the photograph while I was in the recovery ward. It depicts the operative field with the wound widened and opened along with both ends of the tendon exposed ready for repair.

That’s two surgical procedures in four months, and I’ll be in some orthopædic support until April. I’m hoping everything heals.

What am I eating?

This injury is more difficult to live with compared with a fractured patella plus its ruptured retinaculum.

With the knee, I was in a straight leg brace and could bear weight on the leg. The tendon repair requires six weeks of not bearing weight through the foot.

I can cook simple meals but must be careful with every step to ensure I am steady and safe.

I’m getting essential food products delivered from my local supermarket.

The main items are butter, avocado, beef, lamb, and eggs (BABLE).

My choice of beef and lamb are thinly sliced scotch fillet steaks and lamb chops, respectively.

I’m scrambling eggs in butter for breakfast. Eating leftover meat for lunch, and then cooking meat in an air fryer for tea.

The most essential tool for me in my kitchen now is a stool. Kathleen looked on Facebook Marketplace, found two stools for a reasonable price, bought them and went to pick them up for me. I use the stool to hop around the kitchen by placing two hands on the seat, lifting and moving the stool, and then hopping on my right leg. When I get the stool positioned, I can sit. Moving objects involves the refrigerator and the bench tops in small movements. Everything takes a long time to complete.

Cooking and cleaning dishes while seated feels weird.

I’m not shooting photographs (with a proper camera) of anything now and probably won’t until I can start bearing weight on the injured leg. I’ll use the camera app in my smart device to capture images like the ones I’ve included in this post.

Lesson for the future

Wear steel-capped shoes inside.