Thursday, July 2, 2009
recovery log 2
Just got home from bandage change appointment with my podiatrist, which came with interesting information. He said that when they got into the big toe joint, they found a sizable chunk of bone loose in the joint. Once it was removed, the flexibility was improved, so they removed the rest of the spurring and did some magic on the joint to prevent further spurring, but didn't need to make the cut in the first metatarsal. This means I will have a quicker recovery. Yay! They also repaired my big toe so that it points forward instead of slightly out, which will help with my pesky ingrown toenails. Overshare? Perhaps, but oh well. So that's the latest. Later!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
recovery log
No late-breaking news, just another post about the surgery now that I'm a little more coherent.
The surgery went smoothly. I was in "twilight" for the surgery, so I drifted in and out of consciousness during the procedure. There was no pain, as they used a local block to numb my limb. I remember hearing a saw-like device and thinking it was like being at the dentist for a filling. (how weird is that?) When it was over, they had me walk to a post-op room, where I got a warm blanket and snacks until my ride arrived to take me home. The doctor cam in and talked a little about how successful the surgery was. He was able to manipulate things so that the first metatarsal bone allows free movement of the joint without having to cut through the bone and screw it back together, which means my recovery will be that much faster. He also removed the bone spurs on the top of the joint, and straightened out the tip of my big toe. (Not a problem having to do with hallux limitus, but has been causing me troubles with my nails getting ingrown, and he had time to do it because the other part went so well, so he did it.)
Once home, I began to de-numb, so I started on my pain meds, which have been great for me. No nausea or anything. Starting this morning, I decreased my dose a little so that I have some more hours where I'm not so sleepy. There is some achy pain, but nothing too horrible. I have this nifty machine that hooks up to a pad inside the cast boot that pumps ice water; keeping my foot nice an regulatedly cool and comfortable. Kudos to whomever invented it! In this photo you can see the tubes that connect the pad to the cooler:
On another note, I have had a great few days for another reason... My dear friend, Chris, came to stay with me for a few days before and after the surgery. He arrived Friday and (sadly) left this morning. Also, Justin came Saturday and Sunday to hang out and help with food prep for the days where I am hobbled. All told, we had a great time bumming around Oly and eating and cooking. My house feels very quiet today...
The surgery went smoothly. I was in "twilight" for the surgery, so I drifted in and out of consciousness during the procedure. There was no pain, as they used a local block to numb my limb. I remember hearing a saw-like device and thinking it was like being at the dentist for a filling. (how weird is that?) When it was over, they had me walk to a post-op room, where I got a warm blanket and snacks until my ride arrived to take me home. The doctor cam in and talked a little about how successful the surgery was. He was able to manipulate things so that the first metatarsal bone allows free movement of the joint without having to cut through the bone and screw it back together, which means my recovery will be that much faster. He also removed the bone spurs on the top of the joint, and straightened out the tip of my big toe. (Not a problem having to do with hallux limitus, but has been causing me troubles with my nails getting ingrown, and he had time to do it because the other part went so well, so he did it.)
Once home, I began to de-numb, so I started on my pain meds, which have been great for me. No nausea or anything. Starting this morning, I decreased my dose a little so that I have some more hours where I'm not so sleepy. There is some achy pain, but nothing too horrible. I have this nifty machine that hooks up to a pad inside the cast boot that pumps ice water; keeping my foot nice an regulatedly cool and comfortable. Kudos to whomever invented it! In this photo you can see the tubes that connect the pad to the cooler:
On another note, I have had a great few days for another reason... My dear friend, Chris, came to stay with me for a few days before and after the surgery. He arrived Friday and (sadly) left this morning. Also, Justin came Saturday and Sunday to hang out and help with food prep for the days where I am hobbled. All told, we had a great time bumming around Oly and eating and cooking. My house feels very quiet today...
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
success
The surgery went well. I'm resting at home with my fancy ice pump in my boot, and happy pills to keep me comfortable. I'll blog more later. Just wanted to say I'm still alive...
Thursday, June 25, 2009
awol
Apologies for the lacking in posting lately... I would say there's not much to say, but I just haven't been feeling like posting it all lately. I don't know how else to 'splain it. Sorry!
One thing of note, I have surgery scheduled for Monday morning at 10:30am. It's been a while since I posted about my feetsies, so here's the rundown: I have hallux limitus in both feet, but the right foot is much more severe than the left, so it's getting surgery first. The doctor assures me that it is a simple surgery, and all will go well, and that my big toe joint will have better flexibility than ever, which means easier walking. (It's at about 50% mobility now, which makes walking a serious pain.)
Here's a nice video to explain it (with no blood, just computer imaging):
Here's a link to a more graphic video of what they will do for those strong of heart and stomach. (I haven't watched this, but my friend Abby thought it was very informative and interesting.)
Also: here are some photos of my foot pre-surgery:
In the above photo, you can see the "dorsal bunion", caused by spurring on top of the bone. Below is a photo of the amazing inflexible toe. That is how far it will flex when I push on it. That's it. Try walking on that, friends:
So there it is. Depending on how I feel after the surgery, I may be posting more or less often. Only time will tell...
One thing of note, I have surgery scheduled for Monday morning at 10:30am. It's been a while since I posted about my feetsies, so here's the rundown: I have hallux limitus in both feet, but the right foot is much more severe than the left, so it's getting surgery first. The doctor assures me that it is a simple surgery, and all will go well, and that my big toe joint will have better flexibility than ever, which means easier walking. (It's at about 50% mobility now, which makes walking a serious pain.)
Here's a nice video to explain it (with no blood, just computer imaging):
Here's a link to a more graphic video of what they will do for those strong of heart and stomach. (I haven't watched this, but my friend Abby thought it was very informative and interesting.)
Also: here are some photos of my foot pre-surgery:
In the above photo, you can see the "dorsal bunion", caused by spurring on top of the bone. Below is a photo of the amazing inflexible toe. That is how far it will flex when I push on it. That's it. Try walking on that, friends:
So there it is. Depending on how I feel after the surgery, I may be posting more or less often. Only time will tell...
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
spider adventure!
If you're not into spiders, don't keep reading. Just enjoy this cloudy picture:
Wasn't that nice? So, I was leaving my house the other day and I saw this:
and kinda spazzed out a little. Being from California, I'm quite used to black widows and such, but this bad boy was HUGE! So, I called my friend Abby, who likes spiders and is from Washington, so these things aren't so new to her. She bravely caught the grody thang:
then promptly took it a step too far:
Ew! Gross! But so nice to have it out of the house/garage. Also good to know, it was a giant house spider, not a hobo spider. So, if it were to have bit me, it would just have been a bump, and not a huge lesion. Good. To. Know.
Wasn't that nice? So, I was leaving my house the other day and I saw this:
and kinda spazzed out a little. Being from California, I'm quite used to black widows and such, but this bad boy was HUGE! So, I called my friend Abby, who likes spiders and is from Washington, so these things aren't so new to her. She bravely caught the grody thang:
then promptly took it a step too far:
Ew! Gross! But so nice to have it out of the house/garage. Also good to know, it was a giant house spider, not a hobo spider. So, if it were to have bit me, it would just have been a bump, and not a huge lesion. Good. To. Know.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
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