11th Week — Post-Op Summary

I start work next week from home. My boss was a sweetheart and got me a laptop so I can work in a reclined position with my leg propped up. It will be nice to be busy again— I think.

So, one more week and I take my first steps. Wow. It feels like forever. The last time I put weight on this foot was Feb 18th!

Let's get to the summary... 

THERAPY

When I'm doing my toe exercises, it's uncomfortable because in this area of my toe.. it feels bony.

The bone here doesn't seem to have the meat around it that my other toes do. So when I push the toe forward with my finger it's uncomfortable.

Remember, this toe is stiff like a rod. I'm pushing against a toe that gives back resistance.

Also, when I asked my surgeon what exercises I should be doing, (to see if they were any different then my post-op doctor), he said: "You can start gently bending the fourth toe up. But holding it as far to the base of the toe as possible."

CONGESTION

I have less atrophy in my left leg than someone who would normally have had a cast on this whole time. But I still have some. 

The leg also appears darker due to congestion when the leg is not raised up (resting). With this blood flow issue comes discomfort, and it turns to pain the more time the leg is lowered.

I'm praying this will go away soon.

FLEXIBILITY

Pointing my toes looks like this when comparing both feet. It's difficult to allow the weight of my left leg to rest on the heel. It hurts. But I did it for this shot, it's not raised off the floor at all.

The heel surgery greatly affects your ankle and tendons.

Flexing my feet forward all the way looks like this.

and this. It will take some time for my left foot to catch back up to my right.

Note how the 4th toes does not move forward like the first three toes.

That's pretty much for this week. I have a sort of pain that goes through my hamstring, up into my buttock muscle. I hate it and wish it would go away. I put an inquiry into my surgeon about this (Dr. West). 

So far his reply is that perhaps I should stretch my leg out every 3 hours or so to get the blood flowing. (not much help)

PROGRESS 
I'm pretty happy with the improvement in appearance.(left)

Well, the fear of my 4th toe never being able to grip has been settled I think.

You can see that here. As I grip my toes into the carpet, the tip of that toe is able to grip a bit, turning the tip of it yellow like the other toes. Pretty cool. ;o)

10th Week — Post-Op Summary

Normal left foot placement
on the clutch pedal

DRIVING
I tried driving again. I went downstairs with my boot on. Once in the car I switched to a big sneaker. (Ace bandage on, of course) With much effort I drove a few miles to my favorite bagel place and back again. (Not before sitting and having a YUMMY bagel!)

Can only use this section of my foot.

The problem is that I have to be sure not to apply pressure to the 4th metatarsal bones. This leaves me with the first three to use. Doing this, places my foot more to the left, BUT there is a bit of a wall that doesn't allow me to go much more left than you see here in the photo.... 

With the sneaker, my foot placement on
the pedal puts too much pressure near the
4th metatarsal bones.

And with a big sneaker on, it takes up much more room than a naked foot as in the photo above.

So when pressing down my foot bumps into the left wall, and it forces my foot to the right, causing me to put pressure on my 4th metatarsal bones.

While trying to drive like this, let me assure you that the clutch pedal gives a lot more resistance than the accelerator pedal (all the way to the right). I can feel pressure under my bunionectomy incision and intensely in my ankle. That night my ankle swelled up. I won't be driving again for a while.

FELL
I didn't have my boot on. I had a little slip in the kitchen. I was able to stop the fall, but my heal hit the floor and bore weight. Yup, I had to take a pain killer and ice it all night.

PAIN
Outside of the pain induced by the fall, pain was bearable this week. It's an underlying constant aching. It sometimes goes up through my hamstring to my buttocks, and stays a while.

SLEEPING
This is getting better, thank God. I wake up a lot, but am able to at least go back to sleep. 

EMOTIONS
This was not such a good week. I can't stress enough how I do not recommend doing this post-op alone**. It's a struggle sometimes to not have a pity-party. The effort it takes to do things and the loneliness at times is too much to bear.

THERAPY 

Before surgery                             Post-Op

It does seem as though the bending backward of my toes is improving with my exercises.

         The way it is.                 The way it should be.

But the range of motion when bending my toes forward is limited by the Bunionectomy I had. See the difference? This will dictate the height of heels I can wear in the future.

This is my right foot. (no surgery) While the bunions cause their own problem, the range of motion (bending) is fine to fit into this shoe.

NWB - Non Weight Bearing

It took me forever to gingerly struggle to put my left foot in this shoe. It's not in all the way (I can't crimp my toes properly to shimmie into it like we women do.) But you can see I don't have the full ability to bend to walk in this shoe. But the two bunions look much better, no?

CONGESTION

Making Guacamole! ;o)

I still raise my leg up in the kitchen and bathroom to avoid the discomfort of the congestion.

DISABILITY
I'm on disability. I get 8 weeks at 100% salary coverage and 4 more weeks, if I need it, at 60% my salary. Normally a doctor determines when you can go back to work. But my post-op doctor is relying on me to tell him when I can perform the responsibilities to my desk job without pain because of the oddity of the situation. 

The oddity is that I can not sit upright and put my foot up and be OK. That causes pain up my leg after about 30min. I NEVER ANTICIPATED THIS! No doctor or other brachy-ers online ever mentioned this. I would need my job to supply me with a lap-top so I can be reclined with my leg up, instead of the desktop they gave me to work from home. (My public transportation commute-to-work is too dangerous for crutches.)

After the 12th week, if I don't return to work, three things happen:

1. It goes into Long Term Disability, which is like opening a whole other claim.
   
2. My job is no longer protected under the FLMA law. 
   
3. My 60% salary is no longer paid by my job, but by my disability company.  

I didn't like the idea of not being protected under the FMLA. So I made arrangements for my doctor to sign the proper "return-to-work" forms, and talked to me employer to get a laptop delivered to me. This is the only way I can start work again.


Working now means I will use up 11 of the 12 weeks allotted to me. This leaves me one (1) unused week, that hopefully I can use when I get my bunionectomies for my right foot in a few months— I hope. That 1 week, and one week's vacation time should do it for recovery for the bunionectomies on my right foot. I hope! I can still work from home after that surgery. Let's see how things work out.

**I do have a friend who comes every other week to take me grocery shopping. And another friend who visits every Friday with me. And sometimes I'm blessed and a friend is able to take me out for a bit on a rare free day. And still, the cabin fever and loneliness I feel is terribly difficult to manage sometimes. I'm alone sometimes for 5 days straight without human interaction or the ability to go outside.

I'm sharing this so those whom this applies to can prepare themselves, but the truth is, not too many people have my exact situation— 1. live alone, 2. drive a stick-shift vehicle, with Brachy surgery on left foot. Add all these together and it's very hard to bear the affects of the long post-op.

I have found that I've had to take my own advice and utilize some of the positive links on the right side of my own blog.

9th week — Post-Op Summary

XRAYS
Saw Dr. Yes at the top of this week. All is well. He says I don't have to see him until the 12 week mark.

He took xrays marking my 8th week, and we sent them to Dr. West. I'M DYING to hear what he has to say about them. Maybe I can start walking sooner?!

PURPLE-EE (CONGESTION)
I asked Dr. West about the purple color of my foot from last weeks post. His reply: "Swelling and congestion is common for 'months'. Could be up to 6-12 months, but most is about 4-6 months." This congestion is not just a visual thing. It's very uncomfortable.

PHYSICALITY
This week I had to vacuum and mop. I did this before, during the first few weeks, and I ended up paying for it. But this time it was ok. It took me forever of course, hopping around and sometimes on my knees— but at least it's clean around here and I got to burn some calories. I'm really flabby. Can't wait to able to work out a little.

SLEEPING
Had to break down and take a pill twice this week to be able to sleep a little without the aching. But I do feel that finding a comfortable position is getting better. (Reminder, I had 4 surgeries done on one foot.)

MISSY
Easter Sunday was warm and I was invited over a friends house. As I was getting ready Missy was sniffing the fresh air coming in from the windows. I just couldn't take it! I felt so bad for her. I prayed and then mustered up the energy and courage to gimpy down the stairs and around the block with her on my crutches. 

I won't lie, it took some serious energy. (Long distance on crutches can make your collar bones ache.) And it was hotter than I would have liked, but it got done. I don't think she enjoyed it though cuz she had to wait for me and all she wanted to do was go. She would hurry along, but then feel a tug because there was no more slack on the leash... this made her think the tug was coming from me intentionally— some sort of disapproval on my part. My poor baby.

This confused her a lot cuz she couldn't figure what she was doing wrong. ;o( So then that made me feel bad. I won't be doing this again. I can't wait until I can walk her normally. She's such a trooper for going through this with me. ;o

PAIN
Pain is different now. It's not the suck-air-through-your-teeth type of pain. It's an aching that doesn't go away. And maybe a shooting pain about 3 times a week. My foot does not feel normal. 

THERAPY
Neither doctor has told me to do, or what to do, in regards to therapy. I started my own last week. I really feel it makes a difference doing the massaging. I feel it gets stiff when I don't do it.

FLEXIBILITY

See, the flexibility is getting better. Compare it to two weeks ago!

8th Week — Post-Op Summary

A bit of a breakthrough this week. YES!

The first bit of good news is I finished my taxes! ;o) At a turtles pace, but they are done! Yay!

That soon was coupled with an unseasonably warm day this week. I got to open my windows and let some fresh warm air flow through the apartment. (I can't walk Missy yet so she does all her business on her wee pads— the venting was needed. ;o)

PAIN

Heel pain I had last week diminished. Looking at my scars I decided it was time to bathe without a plastic bag on my foot. (I had not wanted to do this until the skin had really bonded together well— I didn't want incisions to reopen.)

Running water on my foot...OMG, this was amazing!!!!! I hadn't done that in 52 days!!! It was awesome. I gently scrubbed my foot with soap and water. (Had only periodically washed with a damp washcloth.) It was dreeeeamy!

MORE GOOD NEWS

I actually could put on a regular sock without it bothering me now. Wooohoo! (tried shoes... not happening yet.)



STRANGE (congestion)

I have to talk to my doc about this. Whenever my leg is down it changes color. (and becomes painful) I presume it's blood. The feeling of this several weeks ago was painful. Now the feeling is just uncomfortable. But the color thing is a little un-nerving. Gonna ask about it. Looks purple-ee. (what this is: see: "PURPLE-EE (CONGESTION)")

SCARS
Apposed to last week, this week I decided to go back to the ace bandage. I feel my scars still need the "pressure" for the scars.

Also, at the end of this week I decided one morning to massage my scars. (Doing it in the morning ensures any pain from it will subside by nightfall.) I thought it would be good for the scar tissue, to hopefully help heal with more flexibility.

Genius that I am, I did it too hard! The tendon underneath my Brachy scar swelled up. (made me panic a bit) and the opposite side of the heal-scar swelled up too! OY. I put the ace bandage on tight, checked it now and then. By the following morning things were fine.

A friend of mine went to physical therapy for a scar on her finger. She did confirm my thoughts about massaging the scar tissue. So I will continue, but gentler.

SLEEPING
Horrible. I have to do something about this...

LANDMARK

I'M 3/4 of the way through the 1st phase! YAY! 4 more weeks and I should be able to take my first steps! WooooHooo! 

TOE
This week I've been moving my toe as Dr. Yes recommended. Not remembering 3 times a day though. I do see immediate difference as to where the toe lays, but after a while it seems to revert back. I think I have to really do it 3 times a day and understand that it's a slow process. Let's see what happens.


Have a great week!

Some More Transparencies

This is the kind of information that will help you see the truths about your own surgery. Or at least know how it might affect other aspects of your day-to-day workings. (see earlier transparancies here)

BATHING

During this second week I have found every other day to be all I can muster for bathing. It's a slow and cold task. Being naked and wet while not under warm running water makes me feel like I'm camping... but much less fun.

My aunt lent me the chair. It only fits into the tub sideways, but turns out that's best for me. I sit and place my left leg outside the tub. (I use a small trashcan to help me keep my foot raised out there.)

ATROPHY

Just pointing your toes is enough to flex you calf muscle. I have not flexed my calf muscle in 2 weeks, and already Atrophy has set in. (disuse atrophy) 

My left leg is already starting to look thinner.
Geez, can you imagine how it will look after having the cast on for weeks?

EATING
Because I'm not moving like normal I'm not burning the calories I use to. So I'm being very conscious with my eating. When my surgeries are done, I want to go shoe shopping.... not to a gym to lose weight.


PROPPING 

The pain is too great to keep my foot down, even when brushing my teeth. So I prop it up on the sink. (what this is)



 


WEIRD
When I touch the very front of my ankle area, I feel a painful pulling in my 1st metatarsal Bunion! I wonder if this will go away as I heal.


HALF CAST

These first 2 weeks I've been wearing a half cast (Splint). I have unraveled the outer ace bandage and taken my foot out of the splint to stretch out my ankle. I was shocked at how stiff my ankle was!  

This now raises concern about when the complete cast comes off many weeks from now. Will I need physical therapy??