Things going as expected - further improvement. I drove probably about 30 miles today with no problems. Walking all day, no swelling. Waiting for the dressing to be removed on Monday.
I would say that walking is actually more comfortable than before the surgery.
19 May, 2012
17 comments :
All comments will be reviewed before appearing on the blog. Usually I am able to review and approve the comments within 1-2 hours of submitting. I will not approve any comments that are offensive, irrelevant, include links to malicious sites, mention names of hospitals or service providers, include direct or indirect advertising of brand products (such advertising can be offered for a fee), or which I deem inappropriate for any other reason. For the avoidance of doubt, I am not allowing any links to any online retailers.
Due to huge amount of spam that I have been receiving since the beginning of June, I decided to request word verification for all comments submissions. Apologies for the inconvenience.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(
Atom
)
Day 8.
ReplyDeleteDrove just fine. Got on the tractor and mowed half of my property (1 hour). To keep my somewhat exposed toes clean, I cut some vents in a couple of small kitchen bags, covered my Frankenstein shoes and tucked them into the top of my socks. Worked a trick.
Feeling great.
Last night I had a shower... sat in the basin of the walk in shower and with my foot hanging out. It was my second shower since the surgery. In bed, I had some prickling and spasming of the foot and had to take Norco painkiller in order to sleep. I woke up around 3am with more of the same discomfort, but opted not to take more meds, so did not get much sleep after that. I am a bit disappointed, because I thought I was done with the pain medication! This morning I was dizzy, but feeling a bit better as the day progresses. Unless I see marked improvement in the next week, I don't know how quickly (or if at all) I will be doing the other foot. I can imagine hip surgery also being a difficult recovery (how would you go to the bathroom?), but foot surgery might be one of the most difficult of all. My poor husband is being such a trooper, working and taking care of me, but I need to get back on BOTH feet already!
ReplyDeleteDay 8 - foot 2
ReplyDeleteDrove today --no problems. Minimal discomfort, toe always worse in the morning before it gets moving and I start stretching the toe. Range of motion already quite good ---I am not afraid to bend and work the toe this time. 12 weeks post on the right foot, swelling gone and feeling quite good...just a little tight. I think the left toe may even recover faster...at least in the range of motion acheived. Soft tissue rehab just takes time.
CR Day 8
DeleteSlept ok, no pills, did my morning exercise routine, hoping I am not putting on (any/too much) weight. (scale is in garage somewhere) I also luxuriated in a nice jacuzzi bath. (first real bath in a week) Did the double garbage bag wrap of my foot and hung it over the side of the tub. This is the start of my 2nd week and I am looking forward to having my somewhat grungy and worn bandaging off (stitches too?) and seeing what the surgeon has to say - have to wait another week. (am wondering about returning to work and legally being able to drive)
Have not needed a pill, I can easily maneuver around the house, (put a bit of weight on full foot for a couple steps), but stick to the heel and side of foot usually. Went to a movie, grocery store and daughter’s volleyball game and walked (hobbled/limped) unassisted - using post op sandal. I am somewhat concerned about the vulnerability of my foot being stepped on or bumped....Kept a grocery cart with me for protection even though husband was carrying the bags of groceries. Got home, put my feet up and had everything done for me from that point on. Feeling no pain. Will tackle another big sorting job tomorrow.
I'm 8 days post op, still walking around in the Frankenstein boot, and it's feeling almost....natural! I have plenty of room inside the shoe, and I'm wiggling my big toe around like nobody's business....without pain!!! I can feel it going up and down like it never did before. I want to tear off the boot, the big bandage and high tail it down to the running trail in my town. Earlier today, I felt little jabs in what must be the incision site. Just annoying is all. But I walked on it and stood on it most of the day. I can't wait for Wednesday, my 10th post op day. Hoping to get this god forsaken boot off, and the stitches removed so I can get back to work and some semblance of a normal life. I did treat myself to a couple of cleaning ladies which was nice. Except they didn't wash the bathroom or kitchen floors. So I did them myself....on hands and knees. No problem. Climbing stairs, showering with the Curad covering. I just wanna RUN!!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm 8 days post op and was finally able to hobble around just a small amount around the kitchen. I had a little bit of pain on the ball of my foot and around the incision sight which made be a little nervous. The other thing I realized is that my ankle hurt as well a little upon hobbling and after further inspection I figured out that it was fairly swollen. Did anyone else have swelling in there ankle? I spend most of my day raised, icing ect.. so I was surprised to find this out. Any thoughts? Also today after I showered (I was on one foot for a while) and crutching around the house I saw my toes turned purple and then put the leg back up on pillows and it went away. Anyone know why?
ReplyDeleteI woke up last night in the middle of the night to use the restroom. I must have put my boot on wrong. I stepped on it and, man, it hurt! I took the boot off and put it back on and all was fine.
ReplyDeleteTook it easy again today. Tonight I went to a talent show. I was up for a couple of hours. I did okay for awhile, but I did leave early. When I got home I noticed that my foot was pretty swollen again so I elevated it and used the CryoCuff again.
I see that other folks are driving now. I'm not going to just yet. I occasionally have some sharp pain in my foot, and pain wakes me at night a fair amount also. I'd like to be 100% certain that I can hit the break hard without flinching if I need to, and I'm not completely sure of that just yet given these pains I get from time to time.
ReplyDeleteMuch the same as yesterday except that I can stand up for a while without the foot swelling up too much. I'm trying to exercise it a bit by walking around the house, trying to walk normally. I don't quite feel confident enough to go far yet and certainly wouldn't want to drive but at least I feel a lot more mobile. As someone else commented, it is interesting how very varied everyone's recovery is.
ReplyDeleteDay 8 for me was wonderful, as my niece, who is a nurse, changed my dressing for me. It was starting to slide off. The stitches look terrific and all seems to be healing well. We are on vacation, so I've been carefully walking to the beach each day with a gallon size Ziploc bag over the dressing to keep it dry and sand free. It looks ridiculous, but gets the job done. Around the house, I just wear a surgical sock over the dressing. I only wear the boot when leaving the house. I'm able to wiggle my toe a little bit and walk fairly normal.
ReplyDeleteStill only doing core workouts, and getting antsy to start running again.....although I know I will have to wait a few more weeks. I'm really looking forward to my appointment in a week to remove the stitches, and get cleared for the pool and bike. Just something to get a little cardio will make me feel "normal" again.
Parsifal, I can't thank you enough for starting this blog and being so thorough with your daily updates. Thank you to everyone else who has contributed as well. It has been so nice to know what to expect along the way!
Runner from VA
I was getting really tired of the dressing so I called the doctor for permission to change it. "Absolutely not" was the response. He advised that the sterile dressing should be maintained for at least 10 days, which put me just a day before our follow-up, so why not just stick with it. I took his advice. Man, my feet smell like... feet.
ReplyDeleteI cooked out on the grill. Mobility has continued to improve a little for both feet. They feel swollen but not painful, but I'm not sure if this is the dressing or actual swelling. No meds at all. All told, I spent probably 2 hours on my feet.
I continue to sleep with my feet elevated. I have discomfort / mild to moderate pain if I wiggle either of my big toes upward. The pull in my left heel seems to be resolving, and I can walk a little while with my boots.
Day 8- my very active day 7 took it's toll. I think i crutched about two hours total yesterday plus the mobility exercises from my doctor (bend two joint to its limit/ to pain for 15 min, 2x day). I had pain in the jont and trouble sleeping in the night and lots of pain today. Stayed home from work to keep foot elevated. I Think work is keeping me from taking adequate care of my foot and foot comes first. Sometimes the foot feels good and pain free but then comes soreness or shooting or sharp pains at times. Pain ranging from 0 to 4.
ReplyDeleteStaying home was the right thing- feeling better at end of day. Mediocre sleep- still soreness and dull pain overnight, but better than previous night.
Stayed off my foot a little more to give it a break from the previous day's activity. It has helped the curious thing is that most of the discomfort is on the side where the little toe is, not the big toe which was operated on. Think this must have something to do with how my foot is weighted in the boot. Just vitamins today, didn't take any anti-inflammatory meds. Still doing yoga deep stretches for at least 30 minutes a day. Got to change the sock out with my own today. Sleeping today was a little better without the boot. Got off by a day. Should be back on track now.
ReplyDeleteFinally broke out that shower boot I got from the doc yesterday or the day before and tried using it, it worked out good! I was original afraid of using it the dang hole I had to stick my foot in was so little I was scared I was going to hurt myself! It sure beats the hell of of duct taping garbage bags too my foot! LOL!
ReplyDeleteI also broke out the 392 Challenger w/ the manual transmission. Hell I should have drove that before driving my 20yr old automatic f-150 pickup. I had to put so much pressure on the brakes on that thing I wound up using my left foot for them and my right for the gas! The Challenger is only about a year old and has those fancy Brembo brakes, you hardly even have to touch them!
I also replaced the bandage on my foot with just a big oversized bandaid. My dressing kept slipping off trying to get in and out of the shower so I wound up switching it out! Sure is a lot more comfortable although I'm still wearing the big shoe, got 3 more days till I go back to the doc and get these stitches removed, that will be nice, looking forward to wearing some regular shoes!
OK, so this afternoon marked the one week anniversary of my cheilectomy. How am I doing?
ReplyDeleteIts been pretty easy to be honest, primarily because I have been off work and there has rarely been more than a few hours when either my partner or daughters have been in the house to help as needed.
The news from the last couple of days is that I can wiggle my toe and I can walk without crutches. I first tried walking unaided yesterday – and have only done a little – but it feels fine. I still use the crutches nearly all the time because a) it is doctor’s orders, b) it is much faster getting around, and c) it maintains enough residual sympathy for my teenage daughters to make me the occasional cup of tea :-)
Day 8.
ReplyDeleteI got a Hoka trainer on. Toe moving more, but I’d like another 50% though.
Got out to watch my daughter at a gym comp.
Definitely better today, but need to keep my foot up regularly.
I’m currently on day 8. I am due for my post-op follow up on day 10, Monday to have the stitches removed. My diagnosis was osteoarthritis with severe degenerative joint disease. 100% devoid of cartilage on the metatarsal head. Yesterday I felt some pain and removed the dressing and gauze to see how things looked. I noticed the dried blood made the gauze rough and it had chafed the wound, so there was some fresh blood. Seems like the post-op shoe causes some friction over the stitches. I applied aquaphor over the incision, along with a fresh gauze. Today since I learned how how to replace the gauze, I took my first shower and replaced it again. More aquaphor. Small amount of spotting on yesterday’s gauze. I haven’t felt much pain overall. It’s swollen, so I’m icing it again now. I’d say the only pain I feel is similar to a stinging sensation you get with a scratch, and bending it up has a slight sore feeling.
ReplyDelete