Sunday, August 10, 2014
Beach Walking
One of the things I have missed most over the past few years is walking on the beach. I took a day trip to Isle of Palms a couple of days ago snd was able to walk barefoot on the sand and in the surf! Woohoo! It's the little things that really matter.
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Four+ Months Post Op
I looked at this blog and realized that it has been two months since my last post. Just in case anyone still looks at this thing I decided to update.
I stopped wearing the accursed boot May 5 and switched to tennis shoes. I wore the boot to Taste of Beaufort on the 3rd, and went to the beach with it on the 4th. The reader is wondering why I just didn't switch to tennis shoes three days earlier. The truth is that I was afraid I wouldn't be able to handle the activity level with tennis shoes. In retrospect I probably could have. The transition to a shoe was much easier than expected.
My last visit to the doctor's office was May 20 when I was seen by the PA who removed my stitches. I was still feeling a lot of pain and numbness in my foot - the same spot that was so bothered by the boot. I was rubbing the spot and asked him why it felt that way and what I could do. He said that the nerves had been pushed around and were still waking up and that what I was doing was the very best thing. I gave myself lots of foot massages for the next few days. The area started feeling better fast.
I asked about physical therapy, and he said walking was all that was recommended. After that I decided that I would mow the lawn myself since that is basically walking. That is really the most strenuous walking I have done so far. I walked a mile at Congaree National Park - a combination of boardwalk and trail. Hopefully by the time the weather is pleasant enough to do so I will be able to hike to the Harry Hampton tree.
The first weekend in June I attended a formal wedding and wore gold Birkenstocks! The dress was long enough that the sandals didn't show. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to dance at the wedding but I did. The increased swelling experienced over the next day or two I am blaming on the long car ride to and from Atlanta where the wedding took place.
I starting teaching my Monday aquafit class June 9 and the Thursday class on the 19th. Best of all, I have been kayaking several times and have even managed to load my own boat. I paddled on Cedar Creek three days ago for the first time since my surgery. It was great. I didn't realize how much I had missed it.
I continue to have some level of discomfort every day, and there is also some swelling most of the time, though less and less of both as time goes by. The pain is not always in my ankle but rather in my leg well above where one might expect it to be, or I get a strange twinge on my foot or even in a toe. Sometimes I have a tingling feeling or a little numbness, mainly in my foot, which I know is more of the nerves trying to get back to normal.
My activity level determines the extent of pain and swelling. An ice pack is sometimes enough to relieve both. The shoes I wear have an impact on my discomfort. If I am walking a lot or if I am standing for an extended time I need to wear tennis shoes or something similar. Even if I am working at the desk at the CNP visitors center where I am up and down I need tennis shoes.
I stopped wearing the accursed boot May 5 and switched to tennis shoes. I wore the boot to Taste of Beaufort on the 3rd, and went to the beach with it on the 4th. The reader is wondering why I just didn't switch to tennis shoes three days earlier. The truth is that I was afraid I wouldn't be able to handle the activity level with tennis shoes. In retrospect I probably could have. The transition to a shoe was much easier than expected.
My last visit to the doctor's office was May 20 when I was seen by the PA who removed my stitches. I was still feeling a lot of pain and numbness in my foot - the same spot that was so bothered by the boot. I was rubbing the spot and asked him why it felt that way and what I could do. He said that the nerves had been pushed around and were still waking up and that what I was doing was the very best thing. I gave myself lots of foot massages for the next few days. The area started feeling better fast.
I asked about physical therapy, and he said walking was all that was recommended. After that I decided that I would mow the lawn myself since that is basically walking. That is really the most strenuous walking I have done so far. I walked a mile at Congaree National Park - a combination of boardwalk and trail. Hopefully by the time the weather is pleasant enough to do so I will be able to hike to the Harry Hampton tree.
The first weekend in June I attended a formal wedding and wore gold Birkenstocks! The dress was long enough that the sandals didn't show. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to dance at the wedding but I did. The increased swelling experienced over the next day or two I am blaming on the long car ride to and from Atlanta where the wedding took place.
I starting teaching my Monday aquafit class June 9 and the Thursday class on the 19th. Best of all, I have been kayaking several times and have even managed to load my own boat. I paddled on Cedar Creek three days ago for the first time since my surgery. It was great. I didn't realize how much I had missed it.
I continue to have some level of discomfort every day, and there is also some swelling most of the time, though less and less of both as time goes by. The pain is not always in my ankle but rather in my leg well above where one might expect it to be, or I get a strange twinge on my foot or even in a toe. Sometimes I have a tingling feeling or a little numbness, mainly in my foot, which I know is more of the nerves trying to get back to normal.
My activity level determines the extent of pain and swelling. An ice pack is sometimes enough to relieve both. The shoes I wear have an impact on my discomfort. If I am walking a lot or if I am standing for an extended time I need to wear tennis shoes or something similar. Even if I am working at the desk at the CNP visitors center where I am up and down I need tennis shoes.
Here is what the ankle looks like today. I'm pretty pleased with how it's coming along.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Give the Boot to the Boot
I have now had my walking boot for over two and a half weeks and am so ready to be done with it! For the first week it was so painful I could hardly stand to have it on at all. I called the doctor's office about it and went in to see one of the PAs. They sold me some heel cups and gave me some padding for another area of my foot that was hurting. The PA said to get rid of the crutches. (I was walking with two.) The padding helped and I have been able to get rid of the crutches entirely when I am wearing the boot. In about a week I will get rid of this torture device and wear tennis shoes.
My incision still is not completely healed. There is one sections that continues to have a scab, but it seems to be getting smaller.
The surgeon told me that I would experience swelling for up to a year. I hope that six months from now it won't be as badly swollen as it is now. I am still sleeping with my foot elevated and try to ice it at least a couple of times each day, but the swelling never seems to go away entirely. Also, there is some discomfort even when I am sitting or lying down. I've resorted to taking a little pain medication again so that I can tolerate the boot and do something other than sit with my foot elevated.
I had to find some Mary Jane style water shoes because my regular shoes cannot be loosened enough to feel comfortable. I am barely able to fasten them, but they are okay, and being in the pool has allowed me to get some good exercise and makes my back, which hurts from the awkward sleeping and walking positions, feel better. I try to incorporate some good stretches into my pool workouts.
In a way it seems like the surgery was a long time ago, but it's only been eight and a half weeks. Considering what was done that's not a very long time. The folks at the doctor's office say I am doing great, so I guess I am even though it doesn't always seem like it.
And, of course, here is a photo of the latest in fashion footwear for the spring. Soon to be passe.
My incision still is not completely healed. There is one sections that continues to have a scab, but it seems to be getting smaller.
The surgeon told me that I would experience swelling for up to a year. I hope that six months from now it won't be as badly swollen as it is now. I am still sleeping with my foot elevated and try to ice it at least a couple of times each day, but the swelling never seems to go away entirely. Also, there is some discomfort even when I am sitting or lying down. I've resorted to taking a little pain medication again so that I can tolerate the boot and do something other than sit with my foot elevated.
I had to find some Mary Jane style water shoes because my regular shoes cannot be loosened enough to feel comfortable. I am barely able to fasten them, but they are okay, and being in the pool has allowed me to get some good exercise and makes my back, which hurts from the awkward sleeping and walking positions, feel better. I try to incorporate some good stretches into my pool workouts.
In a way it seems like the surgery was a long time ago, but it's only been eight and a half weeks. Considering what was done that's not a very long time. The folks at the doctor's office say I am doing great, so I guess I am even though it doesn't always seem like it.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Walking!
Today I got my walking boot! The doctor said I can put full weight on it. I can remove the boot for showering, sleeping, getting in the pool, etc. I will wear the boot for 3 to 4 weeks. Then I will be able to switch to tennis shoes.
It hurt to put weight on it at first, but felt a little better after the first few tries. The top of my foot is somewhat numb, but I was told that is normal. I will need to do a few exercises moving my foot up and down. That's it for now.
My incision is not completely healed, but the doctor said that is okay too. I just need to keep a little antibiotic ointment and bandaids on it.
Things are progressing as they should, and I am so pleased to be able to start walking!
It hurt to put weight on it at first, but felt a little better after the first few tries. The top of my foot is somewhat numb, but I was told that is normal. I will need to do a few exercises moving my foot up and down. That's it for now.
My incision is not completely healed, but the doctor said that is okay too. I just need to keep a little antibiotic ointment and bandaids on it.
Things are progressing as they should, and I am so pleased to be able to start walking!
Monday, March 31, 2014
Five weeks
In two days it will have been five weeks since my surgery. I have found that if I keep my ankle elevated I do not need to take much for pain. It's hard to be sure with this cast but I believe some of my discomfort is due to swelling. When I see the doctor next week I should get a walking cast that I can take off. That means I will be able to use ice to control swelling and not just elevation, allowing me a little more freedom to go out and do things, knowing that relief won't be as difficult to find.
I also hope that I will get some good physical therapy instruction and that permission to get in the pool will be granted as well. Two or three times a week in the pool will feel great! It will also get me out of the house and outside. Now that the weather is warming up I am excited about having the chance to enjoy it. I bought a quad chair with a built-in footrest. The doctor says my ankle will swell for up to a year, so the chair will come in handy for outdoor concerts, soccer games, campimg, etc. I can hardly wait to use it.
So, for now, I am feeling well. I don't have any real pain - more like discomfort. I can get around fairly well on my scooter or crutches and even do okay getting the scooter up and down the front steps if necessary. Being allowed to put weight on the foot will make all that even easier. Bit by bit my life is getting back to normal.
I also hope that I will get some good physical therapy instruction and that permission to get in the pool will be granted as well. Two or three times a week in the pool will feel great! It will also get me out of the house and outside. Now that the weather is warming up I am excited about having the chance to enjoy it. I bought a quad chair with a built-in footrest. The doctor says my ankle will swell for up to a year, so the chair will come in handy for outdoor concerts, soccer games, campimg, etc. I can hardly wait to use it.
So, for now, I am feeling well. I don't have any real pain - more like discomfort. I can get around fairly well on my scooter or crutches and even do okay getting the scooter up and down the front steps if necessary. Being allowed to put weight on the foot will make all that even easier. Bit by bit my life is getting back to normal.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Two Weeks
I'm living life in two week increments. Every two weeks marks an important milestone.
Tomorrow it will be four weeks since my surgery and two weeks since having the stitches removed and the splint changed to a cast. My next appointment is two weeks from today. At that time, hopefully, I will be put in a walking boot and be able to start putting weight on my foot! How cool will that be?! Hope I'm ready.
Before the surgery I was advised to "take the drugs." So I did. I took the Percocet for a week. Then I took the Vicodin for a week. Then I switched to Tramadol. I'd probably still be taking that if I hadn't developed a very stiff neck. The Tramadol didn't seem to help the neck pain so I took some Extra Strength Tylenol instead, and I realized my ankle felt fine. I'm down to two Tylenol in the morning and one every five or six hours the rest of the day. So, my question is, how do you know when to stop taking the drugs?
Now that I have the drugs out of my system I feel so much better. When my neck is back to normal I will really feel great. Getting out and about is still a challenge. The crutches make me nervous and take a lot out of me physically, and while the scooter is a fantastic device, I can't get it in and out of the house easily without assistance. Also, I feel off balance when stationary on it for a while - such as when trying to do things in the kitchen - and my hip starts to hurt. Maybe a height adjustment will help.
I am so excited that spring is almost here! By the time I get my walking boot the weather will hopefully have warmed up enough for me to start taking daily walks in my neighborhood. I'm also hoping for clearance to get in the pool where I will really be able to do some good whole body workouts.
What will the boot be like? Will I be able to remove it so that I can bathe? Will I have to sleep in it?
So, two more weeks and then...
-walking
-less need for crutches/scooter
-a clean, non-itchy leg (even if just for the day)
-good aquatic exercise.
Yay!!!
Tomorrow it will be four weeks since my surgery and two weeks since having the stitches removed and the splint changed to a cast. My next appointment is two weeks from today. At that time, hopefully, I will be put in a walking boot and be able to start putting weight on my foot! How cool will that be?! Hope I'm ready.
Before the surgery I was advised to "take the drugs." So I did. I took the Percocet for a week. Then I took the Vicodin for a week. Then I switched to Tramadol. I'd probably still be taking that if I hadn't developed a very stiff neck. The Tramadol didn't seem to help the neck pain so I took some Extra Strength Tylenol instead, and I realized my ankle felt fine. I'm down to two Tylenol in the morning and one every five or six hours the rest of the day. So, my question is, how do you know when to stop taking the drugs?
Now that I have the drugs out of my system I feel so much better. When my neck is back to normal I will really feel great. Getting out and about is still a challenge. The crutches make me nervous and take a lot out of me physically, and while the scooter is a fantastic device, I can't get it in and out of the house easily without assistance. Also, I feel off balance when stationary on it for a while - such as when trying to do things in the kitchen - and my hip starts to hurt. Maybe a height adjustment will help.
I am so excited that spring is almost here! By the time I get my walking boot the weather will hopefully have warmed up enough for me to start taking daily walks in my neighborhood. I'm also hoping for clearance to get in the pool where I will really be able to do some good whole body workouts.
What will the boot be like? Will I be able to remove it so that I can bathe? Will I have to sleep in it?
So, two more weeks and then...
-walking
-less need for crutches/scooter
-a clean, non-itchy leg (even if just for the day)
-good aquatic exercise.
Yay!!!
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Stitches Out, New Cast
My first post op appointment was today. I was attended by one of the PAs and a fleet of medical assistants and trainees. Once again everyone was helpful and courteous. The splint was removed, x-rays taken, stitches and staples (ouch!) removed and a cast put on. The staples were in the bottom of my foot.
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Here is the bottom of the foot after the removal of 3 staples and the top of the incision site after being cleaned. Looks pretty good.
And finally... the new cast!
And here are the stitches.
And finally... the new cast!
The PA said everything looked perfect and that I can drive now. Yay!
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
More Questions
So far I haven't been really bored, thanks largely to the wonderful people who have spent time with me and helped me out. I've really enjoyed my visitors. When no one else is here I can read or play games on the tablet or watch videos. When I don't feel like doing any of those things I just close my eyes and go to sleep. Ahhh! Better living through chemistry.
I wish I could be outdoors paddling or something like that while we are having such nice weather, but at least I have my sunroom and my window seat and can look out at the birds. Tomorrow the weather will change and will become cool. By the time it warms up again maybe I'll have a nice chair with a footrest that I can put in the yard.
Although I feel pretty well most of the time, I started running a fever yesterday afternoon and had a terrible headache. I thought I was past that. One reason I am writing this blog is so that others undergoing the same procedure will know what to expect. Of course, there are so many variables that no two individuals will have identical experiences, but it would have helped me to have just a little more knowledge of the experiences of others.
Tomorrow I go for my first post op appointment. I am eager to see what the incision looks like. There is a good chance that I will feel a bit lightheaded when he starts taking off the bandage and removing stitches. I know I have in the past under similar circumstances.
I started out taking Percocet for pain and switched to Vicodin. I am taking one every 5 hours. If I am up and about too much the ankle starts to ache, so I am spending a lot of my time flat on my back with my foot propped up on pillows. One of the things I am uncertain about is the pain medication. Would I be better off taking more or taking it more frequently? Or would that just make me more wooly headed? Where are the guidelines?
Looks as if I have some questions to write down before my appointment tomorrow.
Nice flowers from my neighbors Jessica, Michael and Elizabeth.
I wish I could be outdoors paddling or something like that while we are having such nice weather, but at least I have my sunroom and my window seat and can look out at the birds. Tomorrow the weather will change and will become cool. By the time it warms up again maybe I'll have a nice chair with a footrest that I can put in the yard.
Although I feel pretty well most of the time, I started running a fever yesterday afternoon and had a terrible headache. I thought I was past that. One reason I am writing this blog is so that others undergoing the same procedure will know what to expect. Of course, there are so many variables that no two individuals will have identical experiences, but it would have helped me to have just a little more knowledge of the experiences of others.
Tomorrow I go for my first post op appointment. I am eager to see what the incision looks like. There is a good chance that I will feel a bit lightheaded when he starts taking off the bandage and removing stitches. I know I have in the past under similar circumstances.
I started out taking Percocet for pain and switched to Vicodin. I am taking one every 5 hours. If I am up and about too much the ankle starts to ache, so I am spending a lot of my time flat on my back with my foot propped up on pillows. One of the things I am uncertain about is the pain medication. Would I be better off taking more or taking it more frequently? Or would that just make me more wooly headed? Where are the guidelines?
Looks as if I have some questions to write down before my appointment tomorrow.
Nice flowers from my neighbors Jessica, Michael and Elizabeth.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Hardware and Gadgets
On the left is a front view, and on the right is a side view. Pretty serious stuff.
Here is a photo of my cast/splint. I will keep this until March 12 or perhaps longer. At that time I will have a boot. I will be non-weight bearing for 4-6 weeks.
Now is the time when I am feeling pretty good, but only so long as I spend lots of time lying down with my foot above my heart. I'm trying to take less pain medication, and that means being very quiet and still. Boring!
Finally, here is a photo of some of the paraphernalia accumulated to assist me during my recovery.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
4 days post op
Today is Sunday. I think I am doing pretty well. Of course there is pain, but if I keep my foot elevated it isn't bad at all. There are about a million side effects to oxycodone, and I am experiencing about half of them. My face is splotchy - oxycodone. Headache - oxycodone. Night sweats - oxycodone. The list goes on.
I will include xrays of my implant in a later post, as well as a picture of my cast.
I will include xrays of my implant in a later post, as well as a picture of my cast.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Home
Home from Mercy Hospital in Charlotte with a new ankle. Now I feel like the Bionic Woman, or at least I will when the swelling goes down, I am out of a cast, and there is no more pain. More tomorrow, including photos of X-rays of my new ankle, the Wright Prophecy.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Tomorrow is the Big Day
My surgery is scheduled for 1:15 tomorrow and should take about 2 hours. Unless there is a problem I will be released at about noon on Thursday and allowed to come home.
The implant that will be used is manufactured by Wright Technologies and is called the Prophecy. It is custom made for the patient - very hi tech stuff!
The implant that will be used is manufactured by Wright Technologies and is called the Prophecy. It is custom made for the patient - very hi tech stuff!
Monday, February 24, 2014
Counting down
I know I will go stir crazy during my recovery, so I made sure that I got outside both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday I volunteered on the Congaree canoe tour. The park is littered with fallen limbs from the recent ice storm, and there are numerous portages and difficult spots on Cedar Creek, but spring is on the way, evidenced by the flowering of the red maples.
Stumpy Pond where I paddled on Sunday is different every time. Yesterday the water was very high due to the release of water from the dam. Previous times when I have been there the rocks were visible, and the water formed small pools around them. This time what we saw was whitewater! The banks of the pond look pink from a distance with the red maples sporting buds.
This afternoon I will pick up my knee scooter, and will be almost ready for my surgery on Wednesday. I have lots of clean towels and underwear. Tomorrow I will make a quick trip to the grocery store so that there will be something here for my care givers and me to eat. Bit by bit items are being crossed off my to do list, and although I am constantly thinking of more things I need to do before the surgery, the list is getting shorter.
Stumpy Pond where I paddled on Sunday is different every time. Yesterday the water was very high due to the release of water from the dam. Previous times when I have been there the rocks were visible, and the water formed small pools around them. This time what we saw was whitewater! The banks of the pond look pink from a distance with the red maples sporting buds.
This afternoon I will pick up my knee scooter, and will be almost ready for my surgery on Wednesday. I have lots of clean towels and underwear. Tomorrow I will make a quick trip to the grocery store so that there will be something here for my care givers and me to eat. Bit by bit items are being crossed off my to do list, and although I am constantly thinking of more things I need to do before the surgery, the list is getting shorter.
Friday, February 21, 2014
Good Friends
If I ever doubted my friends and family, my experiences lately have restored my faith in friends, family and humanity. People have been so kind, thoughtful, and generous. Several wonderful people have volunteered to spend time with me during my recovery so that I will not have to be alone, and others have offered to help me out with rides to the grocery store and such. I have also received what will surely be delicious homemade dishes to keep in the freezer and heat up as needed. Last night my Aquafit students brought me a beautiful bunch of flowers that is brightening up my kitchen, and the scent of the stargazer lilies is perfuming the entire room. (And I am not even sneezing!) Thanks, everyone.
Here is a photo of the flowers.
I know I will go crazy being inactive and unable to get out like I'm used to so for the next few days I will be doing as much as possible to enjoy my independence. I may be very tired by the time I have the surgery!
Here is a photo of the flowers.
I know I will go crazy being inactive and unable to get out like I'm used to so for the next few days I will be doing as much as possible to enjoy my independence. I may be very tired by the time I have the surgery!
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Getting Ready
Monday I bought a shower stool and put it together It will come in very handy and will be very easy to disassemble and store once it is no longer needed. I also checked into getting a knee scooter. Insurance will not pay for it. Rats! I bought a walker for $7 at Goodwill a few weeks ago, but I'm not sure I will use it. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I have my crutches from when I broke the leg back in '82 and have replaced the rubber parts which had succumbed to dry rot or whatever it is that happens to rubber. I have a plastic thing to put over my splint or cast to keep it dry when I shower. Since it will be difficult to put on pants I bought a couple of night shirts and a couple of the baggy fleece lounging pants. I guess I'll manage to get by with a few skirts and baggy pants for a while. I have a couple of pars of pants that have the zippers at the bottom so that you can put them on without taking off shoes. I don't know yet what the cast or splint will be like or how big it will be. I can only guess based on what I have seen other people wearing. One way or the other, I'll manage to clothe myself.
Each day I think of something else I should make sure to get done before my surgery, like cutting back the roses. I'm trying to write things down as they occur to me so that nothing will be left undone. Sometimes I think of things at really inopportune moments - like when I'm driving or in the shower. But I guess it will all get taken care of one way or the other.. I hope arrangements have been made to cover my classes, but that is one of the things that is really out of my control.
Each day I think of something else I should make sure to get done before my surgery, like cutting back the roses. I'm trying to write things down as they occur to me so that nothing will be left undone. Sometimes I think of things at really inopportune moments - like when I'm driving or in the shower. But I guess it will all get taken care of one way or the other.. I hope arrangements have been made to cover my classes, but that is one of the things that is really out of my control.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
10 More Days
My ankle seems to get worse every day. I'm thinking that it's all in my mind and that it's been this painful all along but that I just didn't let myself acknowledge it because it wouldn't do any good to dwell on it or even think about it.
I wonder how it will look once my recovery is complete. I know there will be a nice, neat scar running down the front of my ankle and onto the top of my foot, but what shape will my ankle have? I've thought that the bulging sides of my ankle were due to swelling, but something the doctor said made me think otherwise.
Here are my ankles side by side. It will be interesting to compare before and after photos and also to have a record of how the whole thing progresses.
Here are my ankles side by side. It will be interesting to compare before and after photos and also to have a record of how the whole thing progresses.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Pre-op appointment day
Today I had my pre-op appointment with the doctor. My surgery is scheduled for February 26, two weeks from tomorrow. I was concerned that my appointment would be cancelled due to weather. When I left home shortly after 8:00 sleet was falling and had accumulated on the windshield, but quickly the sleet turned to rain. Then it turned to snow - great big fluffy flakes - where Wilson Boulevard crosses I-77. The snow kept up until near Rock Hill. By the time I got to the clinic in Charlotte it was snowing again. By the time I left almost two hours later everything was covered except, fortunately, the streets. From then on the snow was steady until I got almost back to Columbia.
Here's the parking area outside the clinic.
Here's the parking area outside the clinic.
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