I am not going to worry anymore! NO MORE WORRIES! Why? Because I've decided to accept the fact that my surgery has been a success! I selected an excellent surgeon who did a stellar job, and I look forward to June 6th, when I can tell Dr. Jeffrey Johnson, face to face, how much he has changed my life! He's got a great big hug coming his way. To top it all off, my worries have melted away, because something funny happened at PT yesterday....the hammer dropped, literally.
Yep, I'm leaving my worries behind, because Nick, my PT, dropped the hammer. He dropped it on the floor, and proceeded to teach me a new strengthening exercise! All I could do was laugh. Nick wondered what was so funny, so I explained my hammer dropping fears to him. So there you have it, in my mind I have accepted this as the official hammer drop, and I have allowed my fears and apprehension to fly away into the sunset. I call my new exercise, HAMMERSIZE. 
Tomorrow is my last physical therapy appointment. I will surely miss it, but will continue to exercise at home and at the gym, to strengthen my new ankle. Yesterday Nick measured my dorsi flexion, we saw a 2 degree improvement. Two more tiny degrees to happiness. It is at 12 now, and the goal is get it anywhere from 10 to 15. Tomorrow he will measure my plantar and will write a letter, describing my progress, which I am to give my surgeon on June 6th.Today I ventured out to the supermarket sans my boot, for the very first time. I was very protective of my ankle, can't imagine if someone slammed into me with their shopping cart...I shudder to think. Anyway, I walked around for about 20 or 30 minutes and gathered just a few things, and all went well. My ankle, or the muscles surrounding it, feel a bit tired out, and I am swollen, but there is no sign of pain. I'm not ready to walk the mall or the amusement park or anything of the sort, but that will all come in due time. This is still a gradual process.
I will continue this journey with high spirits, and blissfully forge ahead in anticipation of all the wonderful surpises the future holds.
Best,
Suzanne
Suzanne, I continue to be amazed at your fortitude and gutsy forays like "pioneering" into the grocery store today. I hope you armed yourself with the hammer to bop anyone who dare bang your new ankle. Bang and Bop, I say. Were you wearing regular sandles? and once again, no pain?
ReplyDeleteIn the '60's I had hammertoes surgery and also surgery to flattened the top of my foot. My foot had been reattached in emergency surgery by the head of orthopedics at UIowa,
Dr.Carrol Larson, one of the greatest generation of orthopedic surgeons) after most of it was ripped off in a car accident in 1962. The result was after a few months I began to feel tingly sensations in the nerves regenerating which heralded regaining feeling in my foot. I ended up with a size 3 1/2 shoe size foot instead of my normal size 6. Even today my foot and ankle are "jumpy" and ticklish because of nerve damage. I wear custom made oxford type shoes or as the coblers used to call them "orthopedic fashion shoes" (can you top that for an oxymoron?) My little girl, Amy (age 2 1/2 years at the time) observed, "Are those daddy's new party shoes?" I call them my big black shoes. I laughed when they were actually fashionable for a couple of years. I have waited since 1962 for a new ankle so I it works.
Love,
TAR Lady K
I HOPE it works!
ReplyDeleteKay, I loved your comment! Let me post your blog posts here, I would thoroughly enjoy reading about your journey... Bang and Bop, love it!! So sorry about the accident though, what difficult times you've faced. Now you bring that cute little size 3 1/2 foot over here to St. Louis and lets go for long walk together!
ReplyDeleteI would like nothing more than to stroll in the shadow of the Arch with you and test drive our new ankles.Thank you! Meanwhile, back at the ranch.....
ReplyDeleteI have had cast problems and currently a weird tingly like rush of a sensation in the back of my ankle which emanates toward the middle and bottom of my foot, usually occurring when I exhale strongly. Nothing medical they say because my toes are pink and perfused with blood. What then? I also feel as though i am walking on something hard around the edge of my heel. This is my fourth cast.
On Tuesday they will put me in an airboot, about a week early. Normal check up was to be on June 6. I scrambled to get transportation on short notice.
My question is how do you like your airboot in comparison with the cast? and do you have any thoughts on the rush of sensation in my foot which is often times painful. My voice says OWWW! and my foot jumps!
After a visit to the ER for BP last week and to the internist today I think I will have my meds and BP under control. Whew!
Have a great weekend.
from the TAR Lady K
Sounds like your progress continues by leaps and bounds and glad you are testing limits with your ventures like quick grocery store runs!
ReplyDeleteRemember those motorized carts are still there if you need 'em. Heck even I get worn out after a stroll around the hard floors of a Walmart or a Target!
xo
Do tell, what is the Hammersize exercise? Do you seize it in your toes and pick it up? I cannot imagine even after looking at your pics.
ReplyDeleteTAR Lady soon to get the boot!!
Hello Kay! Finally getting back to some of your questions...
ReplyDeleteYes, I wear regular sandals now, but they are the Columbia brand, most comfortable things ever. Honestly I prefer bare feet but that is not recommended.
The tingly-like rush sensation you are having, sounds to me, like something that would be within the normal realm of pain/experience at this point in recovery. That is my UNprofessional opinion, and I am puzzled as to why it happens when you exhale strongly. Will you be seeing your dr tomorrow when you get your boot? I hope so, you can ask him, perhaps he'll clear up any concerns.
The heel discomfort you are experiencing, the hard edge feeling, sounds totally normal, again, in my UNprofessional opinion. I had the same discomfort that you describe, and then when I walked w/o my boot it felt as though my heel had been bruised.
Just think, our ankles were like construction zones...literally. They were hammered, sawed, drilled, you name it. Nerves were pushed around, tendons were moved, so on and so forth. Hence, some odd feeling nerve and tendon pains are likely to creep up you every now and again. Nerve damage takes a LONG time to heal, I have tinglys on the top of my foot and expect to have them for a couple of years.
I love my Aircast in comparison to my cast. Primarily because it can be removed!! Actually, I found my Aircast to very comfortable. If you get your boot tomorrow and you find that you don't like it, please be sure to try others. There are lots of opinions out there, but I love my Aircast.
Hammersize... is when I bang and bop! :)
Actually, I place the inside of my foot on the outside of the handle and push my knee in. Then I place the oustside of my foot on the inside of the handle and push my knee out. It produces a nice stretch, I hope that makes sense!
Good luck tomorow!
Is Aircast a brand name airboot?
ReplyDeleteYes, there should be a apparent medical reason for this sensation in my foot. I have had the tingly sensation when my foot was regenerating nerves and feelings in 1962. That was a hallejulah moment. I will interested to know if it continues after the cast is removed.
Yep, Aircast is a brand. I happen to love mine, it has two pouches on the inside that you can inflate and deflate from the outside, with a little bulb that comes with it. If you need more support you just blow it up more. I've heard people complain about it, but I found it to be very comfortable and supportive.
ReplyDeleteKay, hopefully you will have less discomfort once your cast comes off. Will you have to sleep in your boot?
Suzanne, I am so proud of you and your progress! You give me so much inspiration and hope that I can be where you are in a couple of months. I think it's great that you went grocery shopping. That's something many of us haven't been able to do in a LONG time without pain.
ReplyDeleteI've been working on my blog a little bit and think I have it set where you can see the Comments. Try it out and if it still doesn't work, let me know.
Anyone else, feel free to come over and write your experiences. That will only enhance my dreams of a pain-free future!
Blessings,
Jan