11 MONTHS - Post-Op

Eleven months, I can hardly believe it. ;o) Let's get to some updates.

Physical Balance

I've heard many Brachyins speak about balancing issues. I don't recall ever having any with my Brachy. Now, after my surgery, I do have balancing mishaps (while getting dressed mostly), but that's different. It's due to having bone in places I'm not accustomed to. But I'll get use to it and my balance will be fine. I'm no doctor, but at 11 months, bone union is probably done but still stabilizing?

Closed Shoes

I recently wore entirely closed pumps for a short period of time. It was great. I couldn't fit into these before because of my bunions. But I did notice something. My pinkie toe on my x-brachy foot felt some serious pressure compared to my right. Which is odd because my brachy foot is narrower than the non-brachy foot, so you would think it would fit better in a shoe.

Well it does fit better in a shoe, it just doesn't feel that way right now because that picky toe lived its life under my fourth toe, remember. Now that I have a normal fourth toe, the picky is farther out then its ever been. It's not use to being up against the inside of the shoe. I feel with time it will get use to it. I've evn gotten mild nblisters because of it.

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IN FACT, now that I recall, Anita (the girl is Spain I've spoken to you about) had a similar problem. But she chose to have surgery for her pinkie toe. (Her 5th toe began to develop what she calls a corn, or a permanent blister, on the bottom of it because of the way it was so snug to her new 4th toe. So she had surgery done on the front side of her toe to remedy this.)

My 5th toe isn't as plump as hers, so I think I'll be fine as-is.

Speaking of Shoes

I'm pretty much eating my words now. I've been saying all along that I'm not going back to really high heels. Well a few things have happened to make me turn on myself.  

1. At the stores, there are a poor supply of 1.5" heels 

compared to very high heels. It's frustrating even. I spend way too much time searching for the needle in a hay stack. And it's winter, so small heels are coming in not so feminine looking styles... which my closet is full of. (I'm sure it will get better once warmer weather hits.)

2. Something unexpected happened. I saw a pair I really loved, but they looked much to high. I kept coming back to them though so I tried them on. As I walked the store with them I had to hold back the tears because I've never felt like that in high heels before. There was no bunion pain! I don't know why but I had forgotten about the pain that use to shoot up my chin. (probably because I've been nursing my bunions with short heels for a couple years now.) Anyway, I was shocked at the comfort.

By bunions were in full swing when I was 14 years old. I don't know what it's like to wear high heels without pain. The joy I felt was indescribable. And if that wasn't the best thing ever, the shoes were 70% off! I took those puppies home for $30 instead of $100! 

I've never been so happy to eat my own words in the whole of my life. ;o) I want to hug my surgeon right about now!

Know what else I discovered? The higher the heel the shorter my fourth toe looks. I find this very funny and very cute. I love my new toe!

Another Highlight

My aunts 50th wedding anniversary! I was able to wear the kind of shoes I use to dream about wearing when I was a teen. It was a thrill to show up in these! 

Left Foot is Narrower

My left foot has always been narrower than my right because of the Brachy. My 5th toe on that foot never got the same wear and function as the right, so it remained narrower. And now after my surgeries, it still is.

If you have Brachy on just one foot, this may be the case with you as well. Below you can see how my left doesn't fill the width of the shoe like the right. And still, I love my toe! ;o)

Next month will be my one year anniversary of my Brachy one-stage corrective surgery. Be sure to come back and check that out. I'll be talking about any numbness that remains and I'll be presenting a video. Don't miss it!

Ciao! xoxoxoxo

A New Year Approaches

I've noticed more doctors popping up on the internet professing their expertise on Brachymetatarsia. Regardless of opinions on that subject, I'm hoping this means more open doors for people with Brachy, and more options.

I get to enter a new year with better feet. I'm grateful. Things worth having often comes with challenges and hurdles. I'm happy to be past mine in this area.

Life is too short to live with regrets or hating parts about yourself. Surgery isn't for everyone, but happiness is. Be happy. Shine where you are.

The big "D" word!

Depression. Very controversial subject among people. Even further for Christians. Everyone has their own belief about what it is, the types there are, treatments, etc.

I'm not about to get into all that. I just wanted to share a little something I found. I've not known myself to be a depressed person. Like all teenagers I had my rough times. As an adult I just don't have time for it. My pity parties are short lived cuz there is just too much to do and it's not my cup of tea. 

Going through post-op offered a lot of down time and being in solitude magnified things. I found it difficult. I was not depressed, but too often felt sad. After the fact, when I was already walking, I looked for a natural supplement that would help with this state that seemed to linger.

After some prayer and a 'lil research I started St. John's Wart. I did begin to feel much better. And No, it wasn't a placebo effect because when I got it, I pretty much figured I had wasted my money.

I wanted to post my finding right away, but I've waited a few months to really see. It turns out that I find myself down and discover it's been a week since I've taken it. I take it daily. So you may want to try it, perhaps it may work for you if you find you need to "balance" your mood. That's what I use it for. Be sure get it with "Hypericin".

Tootles! 

UPDATE:  If you remove refined sugars (all sugars that are not from fresh fruits/veggies) you'll stabilize your emotions and not even need St. John's Wart!)

10 MONTHS! —Range of Motion Update!

Howdy. I took these 'before' shots 10 months ago waiting for this day to come. ;o) So here we go.

Not much to say with these because the pictures say it all. I will tell you that I'm flexing and tightening my grip like crazy in my after shots, just like in the before shots.

I was wearing my very old canvas shoes the other day (first time in a year), and I noticed something. There is a dark area right where my Brachy toe use to be, on the left. 

Hmmm, funny how we all know that it's raised up in there rubbing against the top of our shoes, but I'd really never seen the evidence of it on the outside like that. (I think it may be because I was always looking at the bulge my bunions were making instead. lol)

So that's the update. I feel fine. The sciatic pain is improving month by month, so I'm happy about that. Very happy! ;o)

I do hope if you are considering surgery you can find answers to some of your questions among these posts.

Tootles!

Bits and Bobs— 9.5mo Post-Op

While this Autumn has been a warm one, allowing me to continue to spoil myself with flip-flops, the cold weather will come and my feet will have to get use to closed shoes again.

I bought a pair of boots. Aren't they snazzy? A little higher heel than I would have wanted (2.25"), but I do like them a lot. I wore them for 7 hours. My foot hurt for the rest of the day. Mostly where the bone graph is. That bone area seems to get pressure whenever you wear any kind of a heel.

With my foot as it was, I would not have been able to wear these boots. My bunions wouldn't have allowed it. And the vertical room in the front of the boot wouldn't have allowed for my Brachy toe to fit.

Click for larger view.

Another thing I discovered while I shopped for shoes these past few months, is that I felt lost while shopping.

Not so much because I was in a weird in-between stage, where I wasn't in closed or dressy shoes yet, but because I just don't know how to shop for my new feet yet.

I found I kept going for shoes that I use to have to wear. It turns out that your style and taste for shoes has been greatly influenced by having Brachy. I would pick up a pair I liked... then frown cuz they were what my closet is full of.... square toe, with high vertical space in the front. 

I will not be buying the real popular sharp-pointed toe shoes because I don't want my bunions to return, but it's plain to see that I will have to develop a new taste in shoes for my new feet. I did not anticipate this lost feeling while shopping.

But I'm not worried at all, this will straighten itself out in time I'm sure. ;o) Lol.

Lastly, wearing flip-flops has allowed me to feel something I can't remember ever feeling.... the cool/warm air on my toes in the car! ;o) When this first happened on a hot day, I was pleasantly surprised at the feeling of the air conditioning on my exposed feet. It was so nice to feel that! 

I had to wait a few months to wear these. The straps are real snug. While I waited, I sewed on some small beads. ;o)

Where my toe would have been.

Sometimes my foot doesn't look right to me. It seems to me that my fourth toe doesn't belong. It's weird. Not use to seeing a toe where there is a toe now. Lol.

 Tootles!

9mo Post-Op —My Cruise

I'm back! My vacation was great. Was good to really get a change of scenery after so many months. I packed my prescription pain killers that I hadn't used in quite some time just in case. 

I had sciatic pain once I got onto the cruise (I suppose it was the travel)... But I discovered I hadn't packed them after all. 

I don't know why I had this pain nearly the entire trip, but I pretty much popped Aleve like it was candy. Perhaps it was the fact that I was constantly walking around taking pictures. (got a new lens) But I don't believe my sciatic pain is induced by walking. The pain goes up beside my hamstring and into my buttock. I just think I'm getting over some aggravation to it during surgery.

My feet did swell each night, Aleve helps with inflammation.

What kept me going was the photography! There were many christian entertainers on this cruise, so they became my subjects.

Oh, my Pedicure! My first evening on the cruise, I went up to the spa and booked an AM pedicure appointment for the following morning— my birthday, yay! It was a great experience! 

Preeeetty. ;o)

My quick recap is that I get better each month. And that I'm working on the range of movement of my big toe on my Brachy foot.

**I didn't realize this, but because I had Brachy on the same foot, my bunionectomy DID NOT get the post-op attention it needed to regain my mobility there. With Brachy you don't do anything with your foot for at least 3 months... this actually harmed the mobility in the joint of my big toe. Normally you'd be working on it about 3 weeks post-op. ;o/

So my left big toe is much stiffer than my right. But what's done is done and I just work at it as best I can now. ;o)

Not in heels yet. Not sure if I will ever go back to really high heels actually. It's been a warm Autumn, so I still do flip-flops! ;o)

Tootles!