Another Doctor's Appointment

I went to see my orthopedic doctor on Monday.  I've been in this cast for 7 weeks now....7 loooong weeks!  The first thing one of the nurses/techs (?) did was remove the cast.  That saw just really sets me on edge.  I know they cut off thousands of casts, but I'm still scared it is going to cut me.  A friend of mine said when she was a child in a cast, the doctor showed her how it wouldn't even cut his bare arm, but I just don't see how that is possible when I'm looking at those little saw-teeth on that blade.   When the cast came off, I immediately noticed little pin-head-size red dots all over the lower leg.  She said it was most likely a heat rash.  No wonder it had been itching!!

At the last appointment, I sat there like a bump on a log and didn't even touch my leg.  I guess I was just so stunned to see what it looked like.  Anyway, I came prepared this time.  As soon as she removed the cast and left the room, I took a rough washcloth out of my purse and began to scrub off that dead skin like there was no tomorrow!  Ooooohhhh.....that felt sooooo good! I didn't even care that I made a mess on the floor.  (Glad it was about the same color as my skin.)  I couldn't begin to get it all off, but I made a little headway. 

 

Above is a picture of the bottom of my foot.  The top line of skin is as far as I could reach going through the end of the case.  I've tried to keep my toes clean, so they don't get all dried out and nasty looking.  But the bottom of that foot is disgusting!  I'm wondering how I'll get all that dead skin off once I come out of the cast.

 

The heel is hardly recognizable.  While I'm sitting there, and I try to flex my toes and the bottom of my foot, it is the strangest feeling, because the skin is all hard, and it doesn't even feel like my foot.  I just can't wait to get out of this cast and soak this all off.

 

After the x-rays, the doctor came in and said everything was still fine - there was a little bone growth, but not to worry - it was still healing just fine - on time.  I was concerned that there was still so much swelling, but he said that would last up to 7-8 months.  Really?  Finding shoes to wear for the winter may prove challenging.

 

He said the cast would go back on, and I was to come back in 3 weeks.  At that time, depending on what the x-rays showed, I would go into a boot for 2 weeks or back into another cast.  I'm not holding my breath or going to count the days until the cast comes off, because I know there is a chance it could be longer than 3 weeks.  Then if I do go into a boot then, it will just be hunky-dory!

 

As I was leaving, I made my next appointment.  The lady said there were no appointments on that Monday, so I'd have to wait until the next Monday.  OH NO!  Not an additional week!  She said there was an appointment available on Tuesday, but I would have to travel to his Brookwood office.  Well, I didn't want to have to travel the extra distance, but I took it.  Hopefully, I'll be able to get a ride there.

 

I have the sweetest friend from my Sunday school class that has been taking me to the doctor appointments.  The first time, she brought me a whole meal, and it was delicious!  We ate on it for days.  This time she brought me some kind of delicious chewy bars with coconut and pecans.  I'm so blessed with wonderful friends.  Last week I had a dental appointment, and my new next door neighbor took me.  She has two small children about the age of my granddaughters.  We had the best time together (except for the dental appointment, of course!)  She took me to lunch at Chick-Fil-A.  We were finally able to spend some time visiting and getting acquainted.  I'm so happy to have them as neighbors.  When one sweet neighbor moves, you're always a little nervous about who might move in there.  But we are blessed to have Angie and Joey and her son and daughter living there now.

 

Until next time.....

*sigh*

Last Monday, I had my 2nd orthopedic doctor appointment.  The cast was removed - that was a weird feeling.  My foot is still fairly edematous.  It feels kind of like two rods were placed on both sides of my foot - hard to describe the actual feeling.  The nurse removed the stitches.  The first stitches she took out in the inner part were not all that bad.  She said those were the one she put in.

 

The next bunch were a bit embedded - ouch!  She said someone else closed up that side.  I think hers will leave a nicer scar than those on the outside.

 

There were also some on my heel.  What nearly made me cry was just looking at my leg.  Honestly, it looked like that of a 100-year old woman!  I wonder if my skin will ever look nice and smooth again. 

As the nurse was finishing the stitch removal, the doctor came in.  This is the first time I've seen him since before the surgery.  Let me just stop here and say that I hope his nurse is paid well, because she is the one that does all the work.  Anyway, while I had him cornered, I told him I had a list of questions.

"What exactly did you do in this surgery?  Do you have a foot model you can show me?"  He left the room and came back shortly with a model and showed me the 3 joints that were fused and where the 5 screws were placed.

"Just because one foot has arthritis, does that mean the other foot will have it as well?'  He said, "No."  Whew that was a relief!

"I've had so much trouble with this right knee, how long would I have to wait to have it fixed once I'm over this?"  He said that once I was walking again, probably 3 months.  Hmmm....I figured I might have to wait a year.  At least with a knee replacement, you are not off your feet for long.  I know that when I was going to physical therapy last year for my foot, I asked them how soon after a knee replacement do you start PT.  He said almost immediately.  If you don't, the knee with freeze up on you.

"Is it OK to take naproxen rather than ibuprofen?  I've only been taking one at night now."  He said that if I needed something, he would rather I take Tylenol.  The anti-inflammatories sometimes can cause the healing to slow some.  Yikes!  I'm not taking any more of anything!  My regular doctor told me, in general, he preferred naproxen over Tylenol because it was easier on your liver.  I'm just not going to take anything right now.  My foot no longer hurts; I was just taking it at night because it helped my hips not to hurt as much during the night.  But I'm not taking ANYTHING that might slow the healing!

"After the cast comes off, will I be in a boot, and will there be PT?"  He said, "Yes, you'll be in a boot, and you'll go to PT about 2 months."  I forget now how long he said I would be in a boot, but I think a couple weeks. 

He then told me that the x-rays looked fine.  There was no bone growth yet, but it was not expected this early.  Really??  OK.  He said she would put on another cast, and I was to come back in 3 weeks.  At that time, they would recheck the x-rays and recast for another 3 weeks. 

"Now, wait a minute!!  It's been 3 1/2 weeks since the surgery.  3 1/2 + 3 + 3.....that equals 9 1/2 weeks.  You said I would be non weight-bearing for 8 weeks."  He said, "Well, we say 8-10 weeks."  I can tell you that I know I heard him say before surgery, it would be 8 weeks.  If I didn't remember anything else he said, that I remembered!  SIGH!  Well, what can I do.....nothing!  Just wait it out.

Now I'm calculating the time and the calendar.  This would make me coming out of the cast on August 26.  That leaves me no time to get any PT in here, to speak of, before we wanted to make our trip back to Kansas.  The Kansas State Fair is Sept 6-13.  I knew I wouldn't be able to walk those grounds even if all went well, but I was willing to go in a wheelchair.  But if we still go, I'll have to have all my PT in Hutchinson.  That means a drive of 30 miles one way, and I'm sure it will be 2-3 times a week.  I really like my PT therapy team here.  I just don't know if this is going to work.  PLUS, now Guy is not sure he is going to be able to get off the month of September since a job time line change at this work.  Well, we are just going to have to wait and see.  Maybe it's not our time at the Fair this year......but I had SO planned on it this year.....Jeannine was going to come and bring the girls.

Life is what happens to you while you are making other plans.

*sigh*

 

So Blessed

Once again, as Guy was preparing to heat up something for supper, there was a tap at our door.  There was another member of our Sunday school class with a load of food!  I just don't know how to tell you how much these people mean to me.  They are such a blessing.  We are enjoying every morsel!

I've now got one week under my belt - 7 to go.  I'm not really crossing off days yet - just too many of those.  7 weeks sounds a lot better than 49 days.  I guess I see just a tiny bit of progress each day.  I've been off the narcotic pain pills for 3 days now - except I did have to take one yesterday afternoon.  I just couldn't get comfortable enough with the Ibuprofen. 

This morning I was in my W/C in the kitchen talking to Guy on the phone.  The door from the kitchen to the screened-in porch was open to allow Annie to come and go at her will for a while.  I was still in my pajamas, but had laid out my clothes in the living room near my recliner.  As I was talking, Annie SHOT out the door with one of my undergarments!!  "Oh, no!"  I screamed into the phone.  Then I had to explain what had happened.  I guess my scream startled Annie, and she dropped the garment onto the floor of the porch and stood there looking at me.  I hung up the phone, scolded her, hoping she would not pick it up and run on out into the yard with it, got my crutches, eased up to the open door, and v.e.r.y carefully eased my way down the small step.  I haven't walked with these crutches except to get from the W/C in the hallway into the powder room off the kitchen.  I'm just not steady enough on them yet, and the jarring bothers my left hip.  I was able to sit down on the little wicker coffee table and retrieve my prize - or what Annie thought was her prize.  That little booger!  One of her favorite things to do is to grab one of the hand towels hanging in the kitchen and RUN out the door into the backyard with it.  But I still love her...... :)

I will be so glad to be able to sleep in my bed again.  Just not sure how soon that will be.  My side of the bed is the side away from the door that leads into the master bath.  I've been having to get up one or two times during the night, and I'm just not ready to try to stumble around the end of the bed and make a little S-curve to get into the bathroom - in the dark.  Plus, a few days ago, Guy said the toilet in that bathroom "blew up."  Something went wrong to cause it to run water all the time.  So he just shut the water off to it until he can get a part to repair it - probably this weekend.   His honey-do list seems to be growing as we speak.  So, I continue to wrestle this recliner through the night.  Sometimes my tail bone just screams, "Get off me!!"

Until next time....

Checking Days Off the Calendar

This is where I've been spending my days - and nights, too. Annie has loved my being pretty much confined to this recliner. She's always been a lap dog, but before the surgery, I didn't sit enough to her liking. Now she thinks she's died and gone to heaven. 

I am starting to get up a little more. I go to the table for meals now. I would love to be up in the W/C more, but it doesn't allow my leg to be in an elevated enough position to remain comfortable.  I'm just impatient waiting for the swelling to go down. 

It's been quite some time since my left ankle has been this skinny!

We both put in a hard afternoon of sleep. The pain medication makes me so sleepy and gives me wild dreams!

Hope to find some sweet dreams tonight. 

Surgery Update

I had the surgery on Wednesday, June, 19.  All went well according to the doctor.  He did tell my husband that the foot had a lot of arthritis in it, and he "had to do a lot of scraping” – whatever that meant.  They ended up putting in 5 screws instead of the planned 3.  The leg and foot was in a splint with an Ace-wrap around it from just below my knee to my toes.  The biggest problem the first day, of course, was the pain.  I was on a morphine pump (PCA), and all it did was help me get some sleep because it certainly did very little for the pain.  Frankly, I didn't really bargain for that much pain!

I didn't go home the next morning as they said I would - just too much pain, and I had not yet even tried to get up on a bedside commode - mainly because they never got one in my room.  It was always, "We've ordered one."  Finally one came in the evening and physical therapy came to get me up with a walker.  That was very painful because, not being able to any weight on my right foot, I had to hop on the left foot, and ANY jarring movement and the hanging down of my foot was very painful!  I think I got up on the commode 4-5 times during the night.  I remember those days when I would tell my new C-section moms, as they were getting out of bed the first time, "The first time you get up is the hardest, and each time after that will get easier."  Those words kept ringing in my ears each time I got up, and each time got just the teeniest bit easier.  It still made me groan, shake, and sweat every time. 

Flowers from my sweet husband.

Friday morning the surgeon's nurse came by to change the dressing on my foot.  She unwrapped the Ace-wrap, removed the cotton and splint, and then proceeded to *peel* off about a 6"x6" piece of, saturated but I think dried, telfa  It felt as thought she was taking skin and all.  Then it happened again as she took the one off my heel.  I could see at least three pieces of paper tape over three incisions on my swollen foot and one just below my knee but to the inside of my leg. The upper one was the bone graft donor site.  She the went to the bathroom with this roll of foam-like stuff.  She stretched that out under my leg and foot, added other gauze, and wrapped the whole thing in a large Ace-wrap.  She said as that foam got warm it would harden into the splint, and the whole thing would be my temporary "cast" until I went into the office.  I'll do that on Monday, July 1, to have the stitches removed and the regular cast applied.  I'll remain NON-weight bearing for 6-8 weeks.

Shortly after that, the nurse came in to removed my IV, and give me the first of my pain pills - Percocet.  After the 2 Percocets took effect, it was the first time I had gotten any measure of pain relief - and what a relief that was!!  *sigh*  I decided that going home was going to be a good thing after that.  The discharge planner came in to see what I needed at home.  When I told her I had a wheelchair that would elevate my right leg, a rolling knee walker, a bedside commode, a shower chair, crutches, and a plastic cast cover for showering, she decided I didn't really need her services!  :)

We left the hospital around 3:00 p.m.  I got into the back seat, leaned against the door, putting my foot up on a pillow.  The ride home was actually quite pleasant - until Guy hit some pot holes.  Any jarring was still quite painful, i.e. the wheelchair ride from the car over the threshold into the house.  Once I got into my recliner and got my foot properly elevated I, was ready to face the rest of the day.  I have to keep my foot higher than my heart for 23 hours out of 24 for the 1st 3 days.  That means eating and sleeping in my recliner and only up to go to the bathroom. 

Annie was ready for me to get home. 

I don't think I felt quite as bad as the picture portrayed. 

 

More updates later, when a little more rested.

 

Surgery Postponed. :(

I've spent the last week getting ready to have surgery on my right foot.  Over a year ago, I started having pain on the inside of the ankle, going down into my arch and up into my lower leg.  After an MRI, an orthopedic doctor diagnosed me as having "severe tendonitis."  After several rounds of anti-inflammatories, custom orthotics, weeks of physical therapy, and a brace, the arch went completely flat, making walking difficult and painful.  I was referred to another orthopedic doctor who specialized in problems of the feet.  He said he could fix it with a tendon transfer.  After a 2nd opinion from another surgeon, he said that tendon transfer was not appropriate for me because all three of the joints below my ankle had become involved.  He said I was on the verge of a stress fracture in the bone on the outside of my lower leg.  He said I needed a fusing of those foot joints - a triple arthrodesis.  Here is a site about the surgery, I you're interested.  http://www.anklefootmd.com/triple-arthrodesis-procedure.php 

That was all about Christmas time, and I went home to think about it.  I should have done it right near the 1st of January, but I just wasn't quite ready to pull the trigger.  After that, so many things began to get scheduled that I needed or really wanted to do, and there never was enough time between the events to have adequate recovery time.  Now here I am - an half a year later, and I was finally able to get it scheduled.  It was to occur next Wednesday the 12th.  Everything scheduled around that date was working out just right - my husband was able to get time off work, it was going to work out for me to attend church the first Sunday of our new pastor the following week, and I might have been able to attend our quilt guild's big quilt show the next week (by wheel chair).  However, as I was sitting in the waiting room, waiting to get my preadmission blood work done, the doctor's office called to tell me the hospital's OR was under construction, and there just wasn't enough room to handle all the currently scheduled operations.  I would need to put the surgery off for a week.  I couldn't believe it!  All ready and psyched up for it to occur in 5 days, and had to reschedule for a week later.  That messes up everything occurring the weekend of the 22nd and 23rd.  ARGH!  Actually the 12th was later than I needed because we are going back to Kansas for the month of September, and being in a cast for at least 8 weeks, I really wanted to have a good 4 weeks of physical therapy.  Now it is down to about 2 weeks. 

We have been planning for nearly a year to go back to Kansas for the month of September and attend the Kansas State Fair. 
Now, that may sound really silly, but you have no idea what an important place in my life the State Fair had.  I grew up with the Kansas State Fair!  My mom and I attended every single year.  We only missed the few short times we lived in a city too far away.  After I grew up and married and lived in Hutchinson, I never missed a year.  I would go nearly every day of the little over a week it was open.  I just loved to stand and listen to all those same people sell their wares year after year.  I loved the smell of hamburgers and onions cooking in the little booths along the midway.  I loved eating sour cream raisin pie in the Methodist booth.  I loved eating the  elephants ears and the funnel cakes.  I loved watching the local TV station broadcast their local programs and news.  When I was younger, I loved riding the rides - screaming in Ye Old Mill.  I especially loved marching in the band every year of my high school days.  When I moved from Kansas, The Fair was what I missed the most - other than my family and friends.  So this year we were really looking forward to going.  It is scheduled September 6-13.  I know I'll not be able to walk as much as it would require, but I'm taking my wheelchair, and I'M  GOING!!  Our daughter is planning to come from Ft. Collins, CO, along with the granddaughters for that week.  Jeannine will want to show her girls her "fair roots."

On one hand I'm really upset that the surgery has been postponed, but I know that nothing happens without a reason.  So I have to believe that this is the way it is supposed to be.  It will give me more time to clean my house, figure out how I want to move the furniture around the living room to form fewer obstacles, and finish getting some more meals in the freezer.  So until then, I just wait....

Latest Happenings

Some time ago my husband went through his closet and tossed out several shirts - which I promptly caught. They sat in a pile for a long time. Finally I took a trip to the thrift store and headed straight to the XXL men's long sleeve shirts. I searched only for 100% cotton ones, of course, and I didn't want to spend over $2.00. There was a sale going on, and I think I even got one for $.50. I took several of them home and washed and dried them. And then *they* sat in the pile with my husband's shirts for a few more months. I found a book with just the right pattern I wanted for the shirts, so I spent many evenings cutting up these shirts while watching TV. I stacked them up all neatly and waited for my chance to begin. That chance came when we took the month of April and went back to Kansas to our little (2nd) house. Here is a picture of one of the blocks.

The machine pictured here is my Bernina 830LE that I'm using to sew a blanket stitch around the edges. I'm working on that now that I'm home. What I took to KS was my workhorse 1001, because the 830 is not a very portable machine.  My plans in KS were to sew, sew, sew!  But I ended up doing lots if running around, and didn't get nearly enough sewing done. What I did get done that took much longer than I thought it would was make cafe curtains for 4 kitchen windows.  Here's the before and after pictures of those windows. 

 

After I finished these, I was then able to get on to the fun things - like starting the blocks using the shirt fabric.  I'm used to working in my huge quilting room at home (in AL) with lots of space to iron and cut.  In the LR house, I had just a tiny little work space, so it took a lot longer to cut any fabric.  I got another small quilt sewn together, but I'll have to take a picture of it, and then I can post it here.