Post-Op Care

This is Pia, she traveled from Denmark
to the US for this surgery!
© Pia Christensen

If you've read all the ups and downs with Dr. East you'll know that he said things like, "No one will be able to tell you they've done hundreds of these." Of course he didn't know that I already knew that wasn't true. That's a shame I think. (while there isn't many podiatrist who can say that I did know of one.)

In any event, I really wish Dr. East had handled things a little better with the whole DICOM thing. (It's not a crime to not be familiar with something, but I didn't appreciate being treated as though I was asking for something that didn't exist. And being made to go through so much to get something so standard.) I would have liked to be able to go to him for post-op care.

Call me stupid, but I thought it a great thing for Dr. East to be very amiable. This way he could be the post-op provider and be in contact with Dr. West. Perhaps begin a report with him and maybe, just maybe, end up partnering a bit with him for future patients who live in the east? Who knows where it could have lead. Dr. West could then perhaps offer more personalized post-op care for his patients from the east through Dr. West. Oh well, water under the bridge. And maybe things don't really work that seamless among practitioners anyway. Upward and onward. ;-)

Last night I found someone online who had the one-stage done! This person is identical to me. She has Brachy only on her left and also needed a Bunionectomy. I got to see photos online!

Dr. West has the experience where I don't need to ask him to provide patient referrals I can speak to. They're online blogging their results/progress.

Reading up on this person's experience, I found out the pump was surgically placed. The dose released is automatic, BUT it is set to end (run-out), etc. She didn't seem to have a problem and from her description— she needed it! So perhaps I need to reconsider. **grin**

I was able to see her bunion incision too. And it was exactly as Dr. West had described to me. On the side, towards the bottom! Awesome. Dr. East was going to do this on the top of my foot! I was also able to see the bruising that occurs. Even in the heel area where the donor bone is taken from.

In any case, I am thrilled having found a patient just like me. This week I am going to try and see if I can network to find a doctor here who would be willing to do the post-op care. I'm not willing to give up on that just yet. ;-)

Looking at her results I feel very confident about having both my issues addressed. Her xrays reveal her bunion seems to be about as serious as mine— and her results are beautiful. 

Mine is the third image from the left. (© Pia Christensen - © DNC)

I will say this, I read through her chronological progress. Just reading it made me very restless! As if I could feel all the discomfort/pain she described while having her cast on for 12 weeks. (and might I add she was very high spirited and positive) Reading it line per line, entry after entry.... I wanted it to be over (as she did and many others). I think the realities are that it is difficult to not walk for 12 weeks. Difficult to remain happy as itching & discomfort develops, and tendons wake up several weeks post-op... in a cast! (FYI, her progress photos and detailed progress has been removed online. She had shared it on a site that was not her own. When that site went down her story went with it.)

Skin gets dry and cracks... in the cast. It can cause wounds. Rashes form. Ankle gets weak. One becomes restless. Heel pain forms. The toe in question isn't moved for so long that its painful once you do. It can stay numb too. It also can 'stick' to the toe beside it and cause discomfort and confusion for a patient. Also, within the 12 weeks one will have several casts and it seems sometimes it hardens just right while other times you feel it's 'off' somehow. It can cause a 3-week-discomfort. But as described with having children... all that seems to fade when full healing arrives. They'd all do it over again if they had to... I guess.

I think I need to come up with a game plan to try and make post-op a little less burdensome for me. I will be working with my foot up, but I will be unable to drive. Going up and down a flight of stairs to walk my dog three times a day is going to be a circus I think. If I can't find a doctor here at home for the post-op care it won't be too bad in that out West I'll have family to help me. But if I do find a doctor here, then I will have to bother people for help.


I will be drugged to the hilt first few days and unable to take myself to the bathroom! ;-D

Tootles! Thanks for following! ;-)