So, last week, I drafted a nice little update post, which Typepad apparently saw fit to not retain. I was annoyed enough to not write again until now.
In any case, I'm now 3.5 weeks post-op(!) from my flat foot reconstruction surgery: the repair of the posterior tibial tendon tear itself (which is what started this whole thing), endoscopic gastrocnemius recession (cutting & lengthening of the Achilles tendon), a medial sliding calcaneal osteotomy (cutting off the heel, shifting it, & pinning it back on to recreate an arch in my foot), and a cotton medial cuneiform osteotomy + graft (cutting a bone in my mid-foot and inserting a cadaver bone graft), also to help recreate the arch. While it's still too early to predict the final outcome, the surgery and first few weeks of recovery have been, while scary and difficult, much better than I'd hoped. I was home the day of surgery, completely off pain meds after only 5 days, and out of my original cast & dressing and into an Aircast boot after a week. I've been able to get out a few times for things other than appointments with my surgeon (dinner, grocery shopping, a movie). I've even made simple meals or food items a few times.
Sure, I'm a bit bored, since I haven't been able to leave the house in over a week because of icy or snowy pavement conditions. I spend the majority of my days in bed, simply because in our one-bathroom, two-story house, it's what's closest to the bathroom. If I'm downstairs in the living room, my slow crawl up and down the stairs makes peeing a ten minute, gotta-plan-it endeavor. I've had some nasty nerve pain in my heel that messed with my sleep. I've had crazy-making incision itching. Taking off the boot and wrappings to shower stresses me out because I don't want to bump anything. Simply getting myself from the front door to the car tires me out. But I've had so much support from family and friends, I have plenty of tv and books and internets to keep me occupied, and I know this mobility challenge is short-term. In 2.5 weeks, at my next follow-up appointment, I hope to be given the go ahead to begin weight bearing on my foot, getting me closer to freeing up my hands and making many things easier.
Here we have my foot in its cast and dressings, just a few days post-op; my tricked-out knee walker at my dad's house on Super Bowl Sunday (streamers, bag, & cup holder courtesy of my friend Trina; beer can courtesy of my thinking-they're-hilarious dad & brother); and my fabulous Aircast boot.
Here's part of how I'm staying sane - iPad, Roku, gifted entertainment, chocolates, and making sure I find something awesome about every single day. (many thanks to Stinky, jaycee, librarysarie, KnitsAndThinks, and two more awesome friends who shall remain nameless [I'll call 'em L and J ;)]) Not pictured: the DVD boxed set of Undeclared or the Wii game from The Husband. :)
Also a lifesaver? My beloved Tervis tumbler with lid - I can actually carry this, full of water, while crutching! Hooray for hydration!
I've become somewhat accustomed to carrying a backpack, since that is the only way for me to get items up and down the stairs right now. I'm using this one, to remind me of stress-free vacation time:
For the curious, one week post-op photos of my foot are here and here. I didn't want to embed them to save the squeamish. ;-) It's far less swollen these days - I can see my ankle bone again, but the incision sites are still fairly gruesome and very, very tender.
All in all, I'm not doing too badly. I've been released to work from home last week and this week, and I go back physically next week. I'm allowed to drive (though I haven't yet [see: icy pavement]). I have enough mobility to be left on my own for a good portion of the day. My physical limitations are frustrating, but I'm working hard at giving myself perspective on the duration and severity of those limitations. I think I'm going to live!
