First Pre-Op Appointment

Yesterday I had my first pre-op appointment. This one was with the PA at the Foot and Ankle Center. I got last minute questions answered and got all of my prescriptions for after surgery. It sounds like this surgery will be a cake walk compared to the last one! Let's hope so!

The PA said that there is a fluid pocket around the hardware in my heel, which is what's causing the pain. Interesting - I hadn't heard that before. No matter though, the screw is coming out and the fluid should go away and so should my pain. She said I would be put under and the surgery would only take about 5 minutes for them to back the screw back out of my heel. Awesome! I got my prescriptions for my antibiotic and pain killers to take after surgery, as well as an anti-nausea medication in case I need it. They went over my allergies to meds, etc. I even got my post-op shoe to wear! I get to wear that instead of a boot this time. I am not allowed to walk or drive for at least 5 days after surgery, and should be off my feet and on crutches for 7-10 days. I will have a big dressing on again that can't get wet and won't be removed until my post-op appointment a week after surgery.

We talked a lot about how the pain would be nothing compared to last time. That sounds amazing to me. I WAS IN SO MUCH PAIN LAST TIME! And for a long time, too. I can't even accurately describe the amount of pain I was in after surgery - it was just so intense and so bad. I honestly felt like if I ever have children some day, I could do it without drugs after this surgery pain. But then again, I also know I don't deal with pain well... But relatively less pain than last time, YAY!! The main reason I have to be off of my foot is so that the incision will heal. So I am planning things to do while I'm in bed again. I'm getting out the ice machine and lots of pillows to elevate my foot on. Knowing that it will be a short time I'm stuck in bed helps. It's more like a mini-vacation this time - with an end in sight! Sounds good to me!

Time to drink some milk! I'm loading up on my calcium so that my bone is ready to heal quickly since it will have a screw-sized hole left in it after surgery!

Reconstructed Ankles Don't Like Walking on Sand

I got to take a little vacation to the beach! We go to Outer Banks, NC of course!

Nags Head, NC - Jeanette's Pier

I have been avoiding the sun this summer because of my scars. In fact, this swimmer went to the pool for the first time this summer on vacation - August 4th. It hurts my swimmer's heart to say it, but it's true. But surgery scars don't like the sun! Especially if I want them to fade. To go out I layered my sun tan lotion - a layer of SPF 15 Scar Zone, a layer of SPF 45 lotion, a layer of SPF 50 from a lotion stick, and then just to be safe a layer of SPF 45 spray lotion. Then most days I sat with a towel over my foot too. But the biggest discovery of vacation was that my ankle doesn't like walking on sand. It's just not strong enough yet.

The first day we went to the beach there was really strong undertow and I almost fell over just standing on the edge of the water. It was like I couldn't stay standing in the sand. Walking down the beach was hard too. Everyday it felt like my ankle was getting a really hard workout. And maybe that was a strengthening exercise it needed, but it was painful and exhausting just going to the beach. I can't wait to get back to "normal" someday! I feel like I have just missed so many things that I want to do or things that should be normal or easy are just so difficult.

Despite the workout my ankle got, I had a wonderful and relaxing vacation. Being on the water just does something for my soul. I need to move to live on a beach or lake of some sort. Any suggestions?

Another Surgery: The Screw is Coming Out

I went back to the surgeon at the end of July and found out what we had expected: my heel has healed so the screw can come out. And my doctor thinks we should take the screw out to eliminate that pain. I will still have pain at the site where the tendon was transferred, he said. That might take another 6 months to heal. But taking out the screw will eliminate the bone pain (which we think is the main problem now) and then if I still have pain, at least the screw will not be the cause of it.

I was of course a little bit wary of having another surgery. And of course the week that I went to the doctor my ankle/heel was feeling better with little pain. I thought maybe it just needed more time to heal. So I spent a few days thinking about it. Ok, agonizing over it. Was it the right thing to do? Why was it feeling better this week? How painful had it really been before? Did I have time in my schedule for it? (Yes, this is a legit concern!) I calculated how much leave I had, determined when was the best time to have it to take the least leave, and got it all approved and scheduled the surgery - and of course the three other appointments that go with it.

So surgery to remove the screw from my heel is scheduled for Thursday, August 30 in the afternoon. I can't walk on it for 7-10 (preferably 10) days after surgery. I won't have to have a cast - I will have a post-op shoe. And I should use crutches (I want my scooter back!!), which of course means I will use my grandmother's walker again, and probably not leave the house unless I really have to. Even after all that time on one leg, I am just not good at getting around on one leg. It's not easy! I will only need "a little bit of sleepy medicine," as my doctor says, which hopefully means I will have less of a reaction to coming out of it. (I don't know if I've ever confessed it on my blog before, but when I woke up from the first surgery I was panicked and crying. I've heard that whatever emotion you're having before you go under gets intensified, and I was really anxious. Surprise, surprise.)

So think of me on August 30th! Hopefully this will finally end my pain and allow me to get back to "normal" and back on track with my life!