I FELL RIGHT ON MY FOOT!!!

I left my doctor's office and wanted to try my hand at eating out. Although I can only sit for about 20 minutes before it starts to get uncomfortable, I figured I would have lunch with my friend who drove me to my appointment. (I can't drive my stick shift.)

It was raining. Although I took the handicap ramp while using my crutches, once the rubber sole of my crutch touched the ceramic tile on the landing, my crutches slipped out from under me outside the restaurant door!

My left foot hit the floor pretty badly. It bent forward while the bottom front end of my foot made contact with the floor. Of course, because the 4th metatarsal sits lower that any other of the toes, it hit first!

I ended up on the floor on my hands and knees. I sat inside, took pain killers immediately, and called Dr. Yes. We decided that because I wasn't in excruciating pain at the moment that I would try and come in the next two days to get some xrays done. He wants to make sure nothing was damaged.

I was fine with that, but you are probably thinking what I was thinking: "He didn't take xrays when he first saw me that morning, so he has nothing to compare the xrays after my fall." But I decided to say nothing.


The next day he took xrays and reviewed them with me. He says all is well. I think he is right. But I just sent him an email and asked him to please send a copy to my surgeon out West.


I took these pics that night:

You can clearly see the blue marker marks from surgery.

The dot is a beauty mark ;o)

In my opinion, when you compare this picture to the ones in my "9 Days After Surgery" post, you can see that the 4th toe doesn't rest as low as it did. I believe this was due to how I fell. ;o(

Check this out! While watching TV, I can definitely see the improvement in my left Bunions. Yay!

1st Post-Op Visit Back Home

This is actually my 3rd Post-Op visit, but my first one with my podiatrist, Dr. Yes, back home. ;o)

Not much change. It's still too swollen for the cast. We'll wait another week.

Oddly, he decided that because Dr. West took xrays 3 days earlier he would not take xrays now during my first visit with him. (I think he is being conscious of my costs and the amount of radiation I've been getting?) ;o)

9 Days After Surgery

Howdy! Here is how things are looking.

BRUISING (It's hard to get bruising to show in photos because they aren't black and blue per se. They are yellow and red.)

 

4TH TOE (The toe is stuck in this position. You're not suppose to use your fingers to move it. It's as hard as a rail.)

The 4th toe is in this position due to my surgeon
"over-correcting" the toe. More on that in this post.

Traveling Back Home... (Travel Tips)

God is awesome! (even when things don't go our way) But he was faithful and sent me help every time I was in need. I only brought a backpack so I could carry it on my back while on crutches. But I never had to carry my bag.

My aunt gave me some advice when I left. She said, "Don't wait until you fly back to do this... on your way out west get your boarding pass from a human being NOT a kiosk [even though you booked online and have an e-ticket]. Tell them when you return you will need a wheelchair for travel."

I did just that. And furthermore, I made sure that on my way back I got my boarding pass and repeated the request again because it's a different airport than the first one I spoke to.... so always cover yourself. It all worked out. And I mentioned the wheelchair again when I had a layover. Again, a different airport.

I found that they always knew because I had already requested it before heading to my destination.

FYI, usually when you need a wheelchair, you are boarded first, and let off last. (Don't be silent, make sure the person working the desk at the gate knows you need help boarding. They will most likely already know because you'll be in a wheelchair already— so be friendly. Smile. Be polite and give plenty of thank yous. Kindness goes a long way.)

(I had an amazing experience with several workers who went waaaaaay out of their way for me. It even made me cry. Their kindness made me emotional. Way to go DELTA!)

Oh and you should probably have some singles and 5 dollar bills easily in reach. While the workers at the gate itself don't need to be tipped, the person who wheels you up to the gate should get a little something. (and those wheeling you off the plane to where you need to go) ;o) It's just nice to do.

The other thing I did when booking my flight online, is choose an isle seat that would allow my left foot to be in the isle (for stretching). BUT each time I got my boarding pass from a human being I asked if I could be changed to sit by the BULKHEAD. The bulkhead is the first economy row after first class. It has the wall in front of you. I used the wall to prop my leg up during the flight. 

ALSO, I made sure my trip back home was NOT a nonstop flight. I knew I would need the layover rest, to be able to prop up my leg properly off the plane for a while. I also made sure that the layover was a few hours so I could do this at my own pace. It worked out well. I found that I was accommodated each time without a problem. PRAYER and thinking ahead WORKS! 

It was a long day though and I needed some serious rest. My foot was quite swollen.

2nd Post-Op with Surgeon before Flying Home!

This is my second and last Post-Op visit with Dr. West before flying back home. This visit has to go well for me to be able to fly out tomorrow. Of course I already have a booked flight, but I know there is no infection so I'm not worried.

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Ok, I'm back. I'm good to go! (and was not charged a co-pay this time.) I'm traveling back alone, but I know God's got me covered!

Here's how things are looking: 

 

All the sutchers are dessolvable except the external ones
on my 5th metatarsal (pinkie toe).

5 Days After Surgery

I'm feeling well. My appetite is still low thanks to these little guys, and I'm not even taking the pain killers on a prescribed timeline.

Nothing major to report. The sun is out after two days of rain, so I'm resting outside to get some Vitamin D. The fresh air is doing me good.

Here's how things are looking:

 

1st PostOp Visit - Graphic Photos! (disability claim info, too)

3rd Day After Surgery - LEFT FOOT

Howdy! My mother had to go to work today (as she should), so I took a bath today by myself. Not too bad, just have to be patient AND CAREFUL. 

My dad took me to my first post-op visit with Dr. West. (Way to go Dad!!) 

I was charged my co-pay again (for my plan it's $25)
The pump was removed. No pain there. (it has no needles. tubes directly into skin.. weird.)

4 hours after pump was removed I got the munchies for two hours, then my appetite was gone again. 

All of the sutchers used are desolvable except for the ones used on the outside for the bunionectomy of my
5th metatarsal. (pinkie toe)

One screw for my 1st metatarsal and 6 screws
for my 4th metatarsal bone graph.

See the heel? It has a filler. My own bone is suppose to grow back within 2 years time.

 

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Submitting my short-term disability claim
First thing this morning I called in my claim. A few things...


1. The person I spoke to was only someone who collects information. They do not handle the claim. He wouldn't let me give him any other info outside of the answers to his questions. Before hanging up I insisted he let me speak. While some of the things I wanted to say may not be important to the claim itself I didn't want to make a mistake and leave out information that would make a difference. I wanted to give a true picture of my recovery challenges.

After saying my peace, he was very humbled at what I had shared and changed his tone completely. So that was that.


2. A few days later the person handling my claim called me. She asked if the bunionectomy was done with or without osteotomy. (she also asked for tons of personal data, contact info, dates, etc.) Apparently this is a big factor on how things are categorized and approved on their end.

I did not have this answer on hand, but called Dr. West on his cell phone and quickly got an answer. My Chevron bunionectomy was with osteotomy.


3. She's suppose to contact my surgeon [and my employer if necessary] in order to make a complete decision. But she shared with me that she would be approving me for 2 weeks disability. I was taken aback by the short time, but not too shocked as my experience so far has taught me that people really think Brachy correction is as simple as a bunionectomy (never mind that I had TWO bunionectomies done on the same foot WITH the Brachy at the same time!) 

I then shared with her my real situation and real challenges post-op. For the most part because I have a desk job and it's considered foot surgery, it's viewed as hardly anything major. But I pressed in to paint her the real picture. I was polite, but I worried about sounding like someone who just didn't want to go back to work. Which is not the case at all.


She then decided to approve me for 4 weeks with still needing to speak to my surgeon. So things are pending right now.

2nd Day After Surgery - LEFT FOOT

Last night was a little rough. The pain woke me up and I had to take some pain killers. When I feel the numbness wearing off, I can feel my calf and more pain in my foot. I still have not felt my first metatarsal though!  ;o) (Large bubionectomy)

I'm in good spirits. I thought being medicated would mean I'd be sleeping much more than I am. In fact, I think I have too much "awake energy". I think I'd rather be more sleepy.

I've removed the tea from my diet that I've been drinking. Getting rid of that caffeine is helping me rest more.

I just tried curling my toes and my 4th toe bent a little! YAY!

(I'm very determined to get as much flexibility in that toe as I can. In fact, I'm not accepting the report I got from both Dr. East and Dr. West who both said I would not retain the ability to bend my toe as I have before the surgery.)

FYI: I'm taking my antibiotics every 6 hours. And I'm really not very hungry.

Note: I called my doctor back home, Dr. Yes, who will be doing my post-op care (12 weeks) to schedule an appointment as soon as I return. It's important to do it now so you're attended to as soon as you get back home.


Tootles!

1st Day After Surgery - LEFT FOOT

I haven't done much as you might have guessed. My appetite is gone. My mom had to bathe me. (brought back memories ;o)

Although the bathroom was very near by, it became necessary for a bucket to be placed near my bed so I could do urinate. Doing this was a great help. I have disinfective wipes for my hands and my mom faithfully emptied it daily. (Tip: if you're going to do this, fill the bucket with some water first!)

My leg feels very heavy and every movement is cumbersome.

You may have noticed smalls tube coming out of my bandages in my last post.... well, that's the Infusion Pain Pump. I had asked my surgeon if I could control the amount myself (with a max-cap of course), I wanted this control because... what if I didn't need it as much? (Again, I hate pharmaceuticals!) He stated that this would not be possible. So be it.

(Tubes from Infusion Pain Pump)

(There are no needles under the tape. )

I have one pump, but two tubes. This was necessary I think because I had so much done on one foot, the two bunionectomies and Brachymetatarsia correction.

The pump is a round ball. (It has to be carried around by you.) I was given a small fanny-pack to carry it. I use it around my waist and/or neck when walking around on my crutches. The ball is warm.

As the days went by it administered Bupivacaine on a set auto-cycle. I had this on for 4 days. I hardly felt it when it administered. I had to be very still and it had to be completely quiet for me to feel a vibration inside my bandages for me to feel it administering. No pain with this.

 As each day passes, the ball shrinks inside.

Incidentally, inside the fanny-pack I found a brochure that shows that the infusion pump comes in 3 controller types. "Select-A-Flow®",  OnDemand™,  or  Fixed Flow Rate. So perhaps your doctor may choose a different flow than the "Fixed Flow" my doctor insisted on.

Note: I only felt nauseous once during this whole thing. Today was that day. It was just for a few minutes. I had one dry heave and it was over. I think it might have been because I took a pain killer and antibiotic at the same time.

Tootles.

 

SURGERY DAY!- LEFT FOOT

Up at 4:30am. I have to be at the hospital by 5:30am. My surgery is scheduled for 7:30am sharp. Remember to choose something comfy and easy to wear.

At the hospital I had to sit and answer questions (DOB, SS, etc.), give ID, insurance card, choose someone for Power of Attorney, pay hospital balance up-front (my insurance covers 90%. I had to write a check for approx. $370). I received my wristband and was reunited with my mom.

Later I was taken by a nurse. I was weighed. I changed. They wanted ALL my clothes off even though this was surgery for my foot. I kept my undies on. I was asked to state what day it was and what was going to be performed on me. They also took a urine sample. After giving the sample I realized it was for a pregnancy test. But I had already had this done (paid) for such a test for Dr. West some weeks earlier. I explained. They made a call to the lab to disregard my urine sample. (yay!) My IV was also done at this time.

I had to sign a form at this time for the crutches I would need later. Apparently, the crutches are billed separately by a company other than the hospital.

I sat on a gurney with the privacy of a curtain and my mom soon was let in to sit with me. I was given a marker and was told to write "yes" on the foot that was to have the procedures. I did, but I also drew a happy face on the bottom of my right foot. I put my sock back on that foot to hide it. I was hoping that in the operating room it would bring a few chuckles. (I was pretty sure that Dr. West would view my right foot while working on the left. My right foot does not have Brachymetatarsia.)

Soon an intern who works with Dr. West came over, introduced himself and asked if he could see my foot. I removed my sock. He took a look touched a few toes and was done. He asked if I had any questions. I said, "Yes. I was told I get a continental breakfast with this thing. Someone lied to me." ;oD This of course broke the ice. (I wanted everyone to experience a little humor before going into this thing.) 

Another nurse soon came who would be involved in the surgery and introduced herself. She too asked me to name what was being performed on me.

Then Dr. West came in. We were all in good spirits. He took the marker and signed his initials right next to where I wrote "yes" on my foot.

He took a digital picture of my foot, them placed his hand on my shoulder and bowed his head to prayed for me. Yup, Dr. West is a believer! ;o) He prayed aloud with me and my mom right there while the two nurses where going through paperwork. 

There are times in life where you feel you are perfectly situated at the right time and place... this was one of those moments. (I can not tell you if my surgeon does this with all his patients. But I feel pretty confident in stating that if his patients let it be known that they are followers of Jesus Christ, that he will most likely feel the liberty to express and show his own faith as well.)

He left before my mom could start blubbering. ;o) She was very touched by his gesture of prayer. Soon we were making jokes again.

For the most part my humor was accepted. The Anesthesiologist was a little taken aback however. Her point being that if I'm cracking jokes she is unable to determine if I'm really disoriented or not. "Surgeries are canceled when patients are asked questions and the wrong answer is delivered." (I understood her point and told her I understood, but her delivery on this point wasn't the best.) I felt that she is the one usually cracking the jokes... (maybe I was stealing her thunder?) a few minutes later she administered the anesthesia in a forceful manner.... it was very painful. (I had anesthesia admitted 10 years ago for a surgery and felt no pain whatsoever.)

Considering the anesthesia isn't delivered by needle directly into my arm, but an injection into the IV tube.... you'd think there would be no pain... but she managed to delivery it too quickly and the pain was practically unbearable. 

No time to complain as I would very soon be out. Approximately 4.5hrs later I awoke to Dr. West saying something to me that I couldn't make out. He left. I felt myself go under again, but not before I felt someone remove my catheter and hand me a zip-lock bag with my undies in it! LOL. Then I awoke to see a woman at the end of the gurney trying to tell me how to use crutches. It was much to early! I couldn't understand her. I was disoriented. They even got me up and placed the crutches under my arms. All I kept saying was, "I really shouldn't be on crutches right now." ;o) Drrrrr.

Moments later I was being wheeled out. I was in and out of consciousness. I then found myself at my parents, in bed, and took the strongest pain killer as directed by my doctor (Roxicet). The day before he instructed me to not wait for pain, but to take it as soon as I got back from the hospital. 

This is what I was looking like.

Gauze. An ace bandage on top of that. Cotton wrapped on top of that.Then a fiberglass splint running from my toes to my calf. Then TONS more cotton wrapping. And finally another ace bandage.

My leg was numb from the knee down. I was able to move my first 3 toes forward and backward— that very night. (one can do a lot when you're numb. ;o)

All this waiting and it's finally done, pheeew....

My Accomodations

My parents live out west, so the first 8 days I will have their help. 

After my pre-surgery doctor appointment we headed straight to the pharmacy to fill the prescriptions. I decided not to have the Zofran filled. (I hate pharmaceuticals!) I did this because I know my body pretty well. Do what is best for you.

I also stopped and got some flowers for my room. I figured I wouldn't be outside much, and I really love flowers. My mom was a gem! She had the room set up beautifully and practically. Where would the world be without Mom's!!!???

THANKS MOM!!!