Almost Four Weeks After Surgery

I can't believe it's been almost 4 weeks. I'm walking better, of course. It's a little uncomfortable with no shoes on unless I'm on carpet. Today at church, I didn't even notice myself limping! But it is hard to get my black, shiny dress shoes on so I'm thinking the foot is still just a tad bit swollen. Not enough to notice by comparing both feet, but by putting on a slightly tight shoe. All the pieces of steri-strip have come off but it still feels like a layer of adhesive or something. I've been to the pool 4 times since the stitches came out. I had to miss 2 days this past week because of Thanksgiving. Can't wait to swim tomorrow!

Three Weeks!

I can't believe it's been 3 weeks since the surgery. I'm walking much better. I have looked on youtube and different websites for physical therapy and have been doing them. I talked to the dad of a friend of Lacey's at school and he's a physical therapist. He said, "You don't want to lose the instrinsic muscle strength in your toes". I thought, "Now, why didn't Dr. P tell me this?" I mean, this is something that could affect me the rest of my life. You know, like be an annoyance.

The steri-strips are coming off more slowly now. When I kick in the pool, I can feel a little bit of pulling. Now, though, the pool is closed until next Monday and I don't think I'll be able to stand it! I was doing SO good!! I've been kicking halfway and then walking to the other end and back to the middle and then kicking back to the starting point. Then I'll go from the end to the middle on 1 breath, stop and go again the rest of the way. Nine laps total yesterday doing that and 9 laps today doing that. Oh, and I did 1 lap of freestyle. Believe it or not, that was easier than breaststroke because the kick for breaststroke makes the water move the steri-strip and hurt a little.

Here's a not so pretty picture (the toes) of my foot at 3 weeks:

Two Weeks, Two Days

I'm walking better, but not like I want. My calf is either tight, injured, re-injured, atrophy-ed (sp?) or something. If I walk a lot and use the calf to push off, it will eventually cramp almost like a charley horse. This is the same leg that I ruined in high school while running too long.

The good news is that I swam today! Only 25 minutes and no real swimming, just kicking a few laps and a bit of breaststroke. Also pushing off from the floor and the wall. I forgot my goggles so I wore a pair that were hanging on the RACE board. Now I have raccoon eyes bad.

Still don't have the washing machine fixed. Igle and Flo came over last night to give Sack her birthday present and he and I looked at it. I will have to continue stabilizing the drum when it spins.

Sack's production of "Snow White" is tonight!

A Week and One Day After Surgery

I've made a lot of progress since I last posted! I am wearing Crocs only now! Hopefully I'll be able to wear tennis shoes tomorrow! I'm putting a bit more pressure on the front of my foot now, too. There's still a little bit of tingle/discomfort, though. I'm glad that I took the pain pills for only 2 days and one of those days was the day I had surgery!

One strange thing that has happened to me is that I was getting sweaty and then cold on Saturday and Sunday. Like I had a fever but I didn't. Every now and then I get that weird feeling when I turn my head and eyes at the same time, like when I was trying to get off of Zoloft. I really don't like that. I'm hoping it's a side effect of being under general anesthesia.

I get the (4) stitches out tomorrow and I'm dreading it. Ew! However, I'm hoping he will let me take pictures and/or video it. That will give me something to think about. The "thread" used is heavy and thick. That scares me.

I remembered another thing that happened in the OR. The nurse had a strap on top of my waist (?) and was buckling it. I thought of how it looked like someone putting a saddle on a horse and I told her that. I know she was on my right, the nurse anesthetist was behind me and the surgical assistant was to my left at my feet. It was a big room, from what I remember. I also looked up what they gave me out in the hall that made me reeeelaaaaax. Versed. Pronounced "ver-said". There's something else in with it, too. At least that's what an anesthesia website said. I read propofol somewhere, too. EW! Michael Jackson!

So, I'm thankful I'm doing so well. I've read a lot of horror stories on the internet.

Day Four. 11 AM.

Missed yesterday because I was thinking about getting ready for the 9 hour adventure that was going to Nashville to eat and see "Wicked". I used the crutches the whole time and today my hands are hurting! I thought I had put the post-op shoe in the van but I didn't. I wanted it after getting so tired of the crutches. We ate at Cheesecake Factory and the floor was slick. I had to just limp. I felt so silly on the crutches when I can really walk decently with the shoe. We left at 3:45and got home at 1. I thought for sure I would sleep non-stop but I got up once to go to the bathroom and then DH came in making a lot of noise and then, when he left, he left the bathroom door open a little bit and it was bright in the room. My 3 canker sores on the inside of my lower lip are hurting worse than my foot! UGH! Can't believe I have 3!

Today our SS class is having a fish fry and then there's an exhibition game at WKU afterwards. Actually, we'll have to leave after just an hour or so. I so don't want to go. I'm just so tired of limping and my foot hurting not to mention my lip hurting. DH is at choir practice, then Sire has a game at Phil Moore, then a WKU football game, then fish fry and finally, basketball game. I'd be glad to not do any of it. I'm also tired of my foot being cold.

Last night my foot was hurting like someone was touching it with a needle and pushing it in just a little bit. Not so much aching. I can't move my toes around like you would normally do to wake them up and get the blood flowing. I hope that in a couple of weeks I'll be so glad I had the surgery.

Day Two. 8 PM.

Here's what my foot looks like!

Today I've been drug-free. Well, hydrocodone-free. Took 2 Advils at breakfast, lunch and supper. I'm contemplating taking the harder stuff before bed but my foot isn't really hurting, so I guess I won't.

I took a shower after I took the ACE bandage off. There was another wrap made out of cotton and then there was a bunch of gauze under that. I put 2 small Band-Aids on the incision and then put a sock on. So now it's a little bit warmer. I washed dishes and DH was so surprised that he put them away! We got the top of the washing machine put back on and washed a load of clothes. I drove to McDonald's and got supper for me and Sack. It wasn't really very good. I think my foot is swelling so I have it propped up again.

I edited some video we took in Florida and some video/pictures of my foot. I'll finalize the Florida video but not the one of my foot because I want to continue taking pix of it and add to it.

Day Two. 10 AM.

Well, I slept good! Don't think I woke up any during the night! Woke up at 6:40 and realized I might need to try to get Cobb up but I heard her in the kitchen before I got up the gumption to get up. Then, I went back to sleep until 7:15 or so! Sack got up late and, of course, said it was my fault when she knew I wouldn't be able to help much. It was raining hard when it was time to leave and Sire didn't really want to drive her but I insisted and finally he saw the light.

I took the bandage off! All of them! The stitch is ug-lee. My 2nd and 3rd toes are bruised. I was surprised. Little bit of bruising on the top of my foot. Can't imagine what it's going to look like when it all heals. Now, however, I don't really want to get up. I was walking pretty good before, with the ACE bandage on it. I need to take a shower!!! I don't really want to stand on 1 foot in the shower, though! So, I thought I might take a bath and keep my foot/leg out of the tub, but that's a lot of work, too, and I don't really think I'll get as clean in the bathtub. It feels weird to move my toes now that they are naked. I really don't think I'll be moving them very much at all until the stitches come out. I just wish I knew how long I'll need to take pain medicine whether it be hydrocodone or Advil. Hydrocodone seems like overkill. I just don't know!

Last night I inhaled a bit of water and got choked. Well, not choked like I needed the Heimlich Maneuver, but just coughing it out. I really and truly think it is because I had that tube down my throat for the airway during surgery. Gosh, it just seems like such a big ordeal just to take out that nerve! I've been thinking, "What have I gotten myself into".

Day One. 9 PM.

I just took a whole pain pill and 1 Advil. My foot is beginning to hurt. My mind has been clear all evening so now it's going to get foggy. I hope I sleep all night tonight. I'm so tempted to take the ACE bandage off but I guess I'll wait until tomorrow. I think there's a sleeve under the ACE bandage. I just wish I knew what to do and how to do it! I can walk on my heel pretty good now. I don't think I'll be able to do that with a shoe (any shoe) on. I've had on these clothes since yesterday morning! I think I look good in it, though. It's my yellow/orange NIKE shirt and navy blue gym shorts that have a wide, white stripe at the bottom. And NIKE sock, of course. Notice that "sock" is singular! I guess I'll walk on my heel from now on unless it hurts. Or, maybe, after I take off the ACE bandage, I'll need the crutches. See? This is why there were written instructions on what is best to do!

I finally got one video done. I started to upload it to youtube but it said around 500 minutes to send! I need to put it on a dvd, for sure. Since the video editing software I downloaded worked so good, that's what I'll do tomorrow. Also, editing pictures. I ordered 33 on walmart.com that I had sent a while back. I've GOT to get these pictures and videos done!!

I hope I have good news on my next post!

Day One. 6 PM.

I'm feeling like I'm not in a "fog" as much and, fortunately, not in a lot of pain. I took half a pain pill and 1 Advil after lunch. That made me sleep for a while. I still feel a little weird but not nearly as much. I'll probably eat soon and take a pain pill before I go to bed. I don't want a repeat of last night. I can put weight on my heel and walk without the "shoe". It's a little different to put weight on my heel with the shoe on. It's like the ACE bandage rubs a little bit on either the bandage over the stitches or over the stitches themselves. So, I sort of don't want to move it too much. I wish there had been a sheet of instruction for what to do with my foot. Like, wiggle your toes as much as possible, or manually bend your toes back and forth, or put increasingly more weight on your foot (heel or front of foot) as the day goes on. I'd like a schedule to follow instead of just, "see how you feel" to determine how much you can do. I don't know if it's bad for my foot if I put too much weight on it or what! Walking with the crutches is so much easier than I thought it would be. It's like, since I HAVE to walk with them, it feels better. I've been letting my left foot touch the floor when walking with them instead of holding it up. So, there's just a little bit of weight.

Day One. 4 PM

Took an antihistamine for the itching. It wasn't too bad to begin with but I didn't want it to get worse. I ate my regular lunch and then later I laid down and slept for a while. Sire came home and hollered his famous, "Hey, How ya'll doin'?" and startled me. He startled me again when he left. Cobb came home and I was sitting up and awake and I got startled again when she came in. I had just been up to use the bathroom and get some 3 Musketeers in the freezer. My foot was turning blue! I hadn't been up that long! I'm dying to eat the 3 Musketeers but I'll have to stay in the kitchen in order to eat each one frozen.

Mr. Cat is a little bit afraid of my crutches! It's cute. Except for when I'm going to feed him. Then, he puts up with them. I sure wish he'd come sit in my lap the way he did to DH when he had his colonoscopy. Still don't understand why I have these bruises/sore spots. When I scratch my head, it's right on the bruise.

I had hoped to edit pictures and videos while sitting on the couch. But I couldn't find the video editing software to put on the laptop. So I d/l a trial one. I made a rough draft and it's been saving it as a wmv file for a few hours now! I don't know what that means. It could be better than EMC9 and be better quality or it could be that it just takes forever and it's not any better. It's just a 10 minute video. I didn't make any text on it; it was just a test. I shouldn't have put all those video clips in it.

I thought I had already mentioned this, but my dad has prostate cancer. Both sides. He went to the dr. Monday and they both really like him and said that since it's slow growing, something else would kill him before the cancer would. Not sure what he's going to do but he's been tired lately and taking a lot of naps and the radiation will make him even more tired. Today my mom called to see how I was and she was all nervous because their crackpot neighbor called from a mental hospital and needed some papers from her house. She also said my dad was sick with Lady Di and a fever so she called my sister to help and she got Jake to come over to go with her. I called later to see how that went and she sounded more normal except that when she called the neighbor in the mental hospital she said she didn't need it instead. So, she was a little ticked off.

Can't believe how fast this day has gone. I had really hoped to get somewhere with these videos and pictures. Maybe later.

Day One. 9 AM.

I didn't sleep real good last night. I woke up about every hour. The pain in my foot is what woke me up even though it wasn't really all that bad. I finally realized that I needed to take a pain pill. It didn't help like it did during the day yesterday. I think part of the pain was because my foot wasn't propped up like it should have been. I just put the shoe on and walked to the bathroom and it was hard. I like the crutches better. I didn't think I'd like the crutches because it takes so long to go somewhere but it's better than hopping/limping. So, I've had my regular, good breakfast and I've taken a pain pill. At first I didn't think I would be groggy but now, an hour later, it is making me a little bit groggy. But I wanted to get caught up on this, mail, facebook, WWF, etc. before I close my eyes for a while.

Some things I didn't expect were bruises (or, it feels like bruise; I haven't looked at it yet) 1) under my chin, 2) on my chest and 3) on the back of my head. I'm wondering if 1) the nurse anesthetist put too much pressure when she "cocked" my head back and pulled up on my chin really hard, 2) maybe they set something on my chest that was real heavy and 3) my head was on a hard surface and not on a pillow. I keep forgetting to look in the mirror when I'm up. When Sire gets up I have a few things I need him to do, including looking to see if these are really bruises. Oh, and I also have a place on the inside of my lower lip on the left side. I'm glad it isn't a fever blister.

I just don't know if I need to be wiggling my toes or not. It hurts more than yesterday to do so. It seems like wiggling them would help healing because it would increase blood flow (even just a little), but I don't know.

I've been itching a little bit. That probably means I shouldn't take hydrocodone. That happens to my mom. No rash or anything but it's annoying having to scratch so much. That may have been what woke me up so much.

TTYL

Almost Bedtime

I've managed to stay awake until 9:40 and am about to go to bed. Someone on fb said to wait I needed it because it would give me "weird sleep" and cause bad dreams. And I believe it, too because earlier, as I was sitting up on the couch, I was drifting in and out of sleep and was having "dreams" that were weird. Seemed strange to dream when I could hear things going on around me. Anyway, my last pill was at 4:30. I ate 4 Ores at 8:30 thinking I would take the next pill then but decided not to take it. I just can't decide when to take the next one. Probably will wait until the middle of the night. I'm not really having any pain right now, just a little bit uncomfortable with the ACE bandage so tight. So, we'll see what happens in the next 12 or so hours!

Ten Hours Post-Op

Okay, so now it's been about 10 hours. I've slept a little. I've eaten Mickey D's. I've watched "Little House on the Praire" and now I'm about to watch "The Amazing Race" since I didn't get it all recorded Sunday night. I still feel sleepy but I can't go to sleep yet. This afternoon has dragged on. When I woke up I thought I had slept over an hour but it was only about 30 minutes. My foot started to hurt a little but it felt like the Ace bandage was too tight. It was time for a pain pill so DH got supper for me and I took it and feel better now. I'm sort of looking forward to having the house to myself tomorrow but I'd like someone here to get things for me and to have someone to talk to about my pain and stuff like that. Like, just talk to them about what I've done and what to do next. Sack hasn't been in a very polite mood. She's all mad about not knowing what to write down on her science homework. She's been doing cartwheels in the family room and making me nervous.

I've known this all along, but now, being in the situation firsthand, I believe it even more: call and/or visit friends who have had surgery and offer to help them. Like, if someone came over to bring food or just to see how I was, it'd be WONDERFUL if they said, "I'm going to wash those dishes in the sink for you." Or something along those lines. Just anything.

I'm having trouble keeping my eyes open. I'm typing this while the first 15 minutes of "TAR" runs. That's where my VCR got switched to Disney Channel. I feel sleepy and not sleepy at the same time. Like, I can carry on a normal conversation but I think I could also konk out. Oh, and walking on crutches is going well. I think I want to use them just to be safe.

Oh great! A student just came and I told her we weren't having piano today. I was sitting here halfway watching TAR and opening and closing my eyes. I heard the door open and close a little over and over and thought it was DH coming in from setting the sprinklers in the yard. I finally looked to see what he was doing and saw her. I had to stop and think, "This is Tuesday. I usually teach piano on Tuesdays. It's 6:30. This girl is usually here on Tuesdays at 6:30." I said, "Oh, hi. We don't have piano today because I had surgery. Tell your dad my email said Tuesday November 1". I was afraid this might happen because this family didn't come last week. I just wish the house had been dark and the door had been closed. Surely they suspected something when they saw the lights were off in the piano room.

Okay, so I've just eaten 6 mini Tootsie Rolls and they have picked me up!

Six hours post-op

About 6 hours after having a general anesthesia and going under the knife and I'm doing great! Dana and Tom came to see me before I was wheeled back. I was a little overwhelmed by the OR waiting area because I was lying there alone and it wasn't a very attractive and started to cry. Finally a nurse assigned to me came to introduce herself and noticed the tears. She comforted me and then a friend (and also the mom of one of my stuents) came to see me and hugged me. I didn't like the way my IV felt and I was cold. When I awoke in recovery, I was real sleepy and didn't want to wake up or talk but the nurse was right there next to me and I felt like I had to be polite and make small talk. She got me some ice and so that was good. I went to the next room and DH met me there. I ate some crackers and drank water. I wasn't in there long and then it was time to go home! We went to Rite Aid and then Target. I laid back in the van and it felt so good. By the time we got home I was a little hungry and ate some bread and milk and took my pain pill. It's Lortab. I laid down on the couch and put the eye mask on while DH ate lunch with Sack. My mom came over during that time. When DH got back from lunch, he said he'd go to Wal-mart and Kroger. Sire came home during that time and left for basketball practice soon after. I ate a few fun-size 3 Musketeers and they were so good! Frozen, of course. I've used the crutches and they are much easier to use now that I really need them. I'm thankful for that! Sack will be home soon. I hope she's not ticked off about me not being able to take her to school this morning. I hope to have some pictures up soon. Oh, I have a post-surgical shoe on. The sole is white and the upper part is black with 2 velcro strips. My toes are showing. I dread the feeling coming back in my foot. :(