16 (almost 17) Weeks Post-op

When I looked into my crystal ball prior to my ankle replacement surgery, I saw at least six months of pain, blood, sweat, and tears.  I thought that I would have many mountains to climb before I reached my "peak" so to speak.  No, I didn't intend to rhyme, but it works, at least for me. :)  What I mean is, I never thought that at nearly seventeen weeks post-op, I would be where I am today.  I never dreamed that in a million years, I could feel this good now.  It is astounding, to say the very least.

Sometimes I get sad, when I read about the trials and tribulations of those who have undergone the same surgery that I have.  I often wonder why I have been so lucky... why I have been so fortunate. I wish that they could get to tell the same story that I do. I know that when all is said and done, they are all okay, and feeling better... it's a different experience for all of us.  One thing I do know, is that I had a LOT of people praying for me....goodness sakes, my aunt is a sister and she sent her prayer request out to 350 people in her congregation!  That on top of my family and friends.  I believe in the power of prayer, more than ever now, as I have no other explanation for my success, other than of course, my most amazing surgeon, Dr. Jeffrey Johnson.  Much of my freedom from pain MUST having everything to do with his handy work, his precision.  In my mind, he is like family to me.  I will never ever forget him.  In six months, we get to meet again. Our appointments post surgery have been  lighthearted due to my outward happiness..... I often wonder if Dr. Johnson really grasps the positive impact he has had on my life.  Surely my bear hug was clue, but does he know??  Does he know that he gave me my life back?  I'll be sure to remind him in December.

Before my surgery the pain got so bad that I didn't even want to get out of bed, because I didn't want to face it for another day.  Heck, sometimes I didn't even get into my bed and slept downstairs in my chair because I didn't want to deal with the pain of going up the stairs.  I was depressed and didn't want to go anywhere or do anything.  I was consumed by guilt because I couldn't be the best mother to my children, or the best wife to my husband.  It was a downward spiral in the truest sense of the word.  My pain consumed me, and sucked away my life...literally.  I'm putting this into words because I know there is someone out there who will google this blog, read it, and find relief in knowing that they are not alone.  I felt like I was alone....until I Googled.  Thank God for Google, and Yahoo, and Bing.  Pain is horrible, but we can beat it.  Know that, believe that. 

What have I been doing since my last post...hmmmmm.  A LOT!  We have been spending many hot days at the pool and I am now able to flutter my right foot which is huge.  I wasn't able to a few weeks ago, it hurt too much, now I flutter away with my freestyle stroke and it feels perfectly fine!  The feeling is like waking up and stretching, that good ahhhhh feeling.  That's how I felt when I fluttered....I can swim!  Uh, I've been cleaning my house, going up and down the stairs no problem...but when I want help, I feign pain.  Just kidding. I can do it.  We went to a festival for the 4th of July, I walked around just fine, on very uneven terrain, for a long time. Eventually I swelled so I sat down.  I've been to the mall with my girls and have been fine, if I can mall it with my daughters I can do anything! In a nutshell, I am experiencing life as usual....which is very unusual for me.

On a scale from 1 to 10 on pain I would give myself a 0 to 1.  Occasionally at night I get what I call random nerve firings, which I attribute to nerves waking up.  I expect to feel them for a long time, as nerves are slow to heal, and many were put to sleep during surgery.  It makes me jump, but then it's gone.  Occasionally I feel some pain in my inner ankle area, but nothing to write home about.  Generally if I feel pain, it is short lived. So yes, life is good. My limp is almost gone...  I have a spring in my step. Everyday I wake up and remember that I can just stand up and walk.  Life is good.

It's always a thrill for me to see that I have readers from all over the world!  Thank you to all of you, I hope that you have learned that ankle replacement surgery is an option for you.  If you have any questions, please feel free to email me, you can find my email address in my profile. 

Thank you to the United States, Germany, Canada, United Kingdom, Singapore, South Africa, Finland, France, Australia, Sweden, Greece, Ireland, Brazil, Venezuela, Vietnam, British Virgin Islands, Russia, New Zealand, Slovenia, Poland, Latvia, Philippines, Peru, Italy, Denmark, Netherlands, India, Hong Kong, Norway, Hungary, Bulgaria, Malaysia.....  and to EVERYONE who has taken the time to listen to my story. 


Best Always,
Suzanne