Made it through another 1/2 day of work on Friday. Work hasn't turned out to be much of an issue while I am sitting at my desk. Arranged the perfect little moving crate thing on wheels under my legs that slides in and out with my chair so I can comfortably reach my keyboard and my legs stay elevated. The only problem is that I have to take my boots off at my desk, otherwise my legs are too uncomfortable. So, everytime I need to get up from my desk I have to put both boots on, then take them off when I get back to my desk. I am also a little more tired on working days, due to the extra walking. Next week I plan to work two full days and three full days the following week. My feet are definitely not as swollen and sore as they were last week, perhaps because I've tried to get them elevated above my heart 1-2 times each day now?
I have started walking around the house a little more just in my sock feet, instead of wearing my boots. I am pretty cautious depending on who's around me and what they are doing...especially if the boys/husband are screwing around I really keep my distance. Unfortunately, I can't protect myself from ME!
Yesterday morning I actually dropped the remote control on my left foot -- right on the bone where the incision was. That had me doing some pretty good swearing under my breath! Then this morning, I was rushing around before church in sock feet, even going up/down the stairs and on one of the times up I stubbed by left big toe into the stairs! Are you kidding me?! My left foot again. That darn thing can't catch a break. This time no swearing....just tears to my eyes. STUPID me. I really need to SLOW down when I don't have my boots on. Clearly I am feeling better every day and it's getting easier to forget that my feet are still tender.
Here's today's pictures. The first is a before and the second is after at almost four weeks. You can see they're still pretty puffy/swollen, but definitiely going to be nice and straight when the swelling is gone!
Here's a photo of my incisions. The right foot is definitely further along. The left foot towards the bottom of the incision is still pretty sore. I think from the increased swelling, this foot it is taking longer to heal.
Looking at the calendar I realize I am now 10 just days to tennis shoes and driving, so life is good!
Hi Deb, I have enjoyed reading your blog and Julie's blog. I can guarantee that you are helping a lot of people. I wish that I were able to read your posts before my surgery in March 2011. I don't have a Facebook account, so I posted about my surgery on Julie's blog on her Dec 1 (DAY 14) entry. It was very long, so I published it in 3 parts. Unfortunately, it published out sequence, but you will quickly find Parts 1, 2, and 3.
ReplyDeleteLove your blog. Best, Donna
Hi, Donna - glad you are enjoying our blogs. I will check out your story over in Julie's blog.
ReplyDeleteDeb, your feet look so good! And the color is back to normal. I can't wait until I no longer see black and blue toes! Nice job slowly getting back to work! And don't worry the next 10 days will fly by now!! Don't you hate those little toe benders. It makes me wonder how many times we used to stub our toes/feet but not even pay a bit of attention to it. The things we take for granted hey! Hope your weekend was great! And soon your son will be home!!! Julie
ReplyDeleteHi Deb, I have not been able to upload Part 1 of my story on Julie's blog, so some of the details of my story were lost. I have bunions on both feet, much worse than yours. I had a Lapidus fusion and bunionectomy on my right foot. My doctor only does 1 foot at a time and requires 1-year recovery before he will operate on my left foot--I think that you are a brave woman to do both feet at once!
ReplyDeleteI don't remember the brand name of my walking cast boot, but it looked like this Tall Swede-O Walking Cast Boot: http://www.scriphessco.com/products/swede-o-walking-boot-tall/725-0008/?sourcecode=SHNEXTAG
If this shows up on your blog, perhaps I can post Part 1 of my story here, Donna
OK, for Deb and Julie and for anyone else who is reading their blogs, here is the Part 1 of my story. Parts 2 & 3 were published on Dec 1 (DAY 14) on Julie’s blog (http://downsbunionnews.blogspot.com/2011/12/day-14-two-weeks-since-surgery.html) -- Donna
ReplyDeleteHi Julie and Deb, I have enjoyed reading your blogs. I have bunions on both feet, much worse than Deb’s. I had a Lapidus fusion and bunionectomy on my right foot. My doctor only does 1 foot at a time and requires 1-year between surgeries.
Before the surgery, my doctor advised me to get a knee scooter (aka knee walker or roll-about), and I think that was the best advice that I received or that I can give to anyone considering bunion surgery. The doctor wanted me to be strictly non-weight bearing for the first 6 weeks, and the only other option was crutches--ugh. It was cheaper to buy a used scooter from a medical supply rental company then to rent for 6 weeks. I paid $200, but you can sometimes buy nice used knee scooters on Craigslist for $50-$100 dollars. This was a personal expense, as my medical insurance covers crutches but not knee walkers. I will keep for it for a year to see if I do the other foot, then donate it to a non-profit group that provides medical equipment to those in need.
On the day of surgery, my check-in, pre-op, and recovery at the hospital were as others have described, with the exception that my foot was cleansed and disinfected in the surgical suite by the surgical team after I was asleep. My first 72 hours of post-surgery recovery at home were also as others have described. I took Colace capsules and fiber tablets regularly, starting immediately post surgery, to try to avert the constipation of the pain medication. Also, I started the pain medication immediately post surgery. It was prescribed as 1-2 tablets every 4 hours as needed for pain, so I started with 1 tablet every 4 hours, although I didn’t really need it the first day. Pain was intense on Days 2 and 3, after the surgical bloke wore off, and then 1 tablet every 4 hours wasn’t enough. Instead of increasing the pain medication to 2 tablets every 4 hours as directed, I took 1 tablet every 2 hours, producing a more constant level of pain medication in my blood stream. This dosing regimen didn’t cause the drowsiness and queasiness that I got when I took 2 tablets taken at the same time, and the pain never came back between doses. People who have just had surgery should try this dosing trick. I stopped the pain meds on Day 4. I didn’t ever need Alleve.
I was not allowed to go up-and-down stairs for 6 week, so I took up residence on the foldout couch in our basement rumpus room. It has direct access from the driveway, and it has a bathroom with shower, in other words, heaven on earth for a post-op patient. We have a large flat screen TV in the rumpus room, and my husband installed NetFlix, Comcast, and Apply TV. I spent my days watching old movies, Rachel Ray, The View, The Talk, and Oprah, while I worked from home on my laptop. Whew! End of Part 1 – Donna
I looked at your boot, and it is very similar to mine. http://www.scriphessco.com/products/swede-o-walking-boot-tall/725-0008/?sourcecode=SHNEXTAG
ReplyDeleteMine is this brand/style, just a little shorter.
Hi Deb, I was finally able to post Parts 1A and 1B of my story on Julie's blog on Day 13 (Nov 30) Set up Bunion Surgery Recovery Chat, Q&A. These parts have details about my surgery, knee scooter, pain meds, and life in the rumpus room. Of course, once I posted Part 1, I found all the typos (bloke/block, saloon/salon, etc), but you ladies know that I didn't go to the bar to wash my hair! Also, I didn't return to the office until Week 5, not Week 4, but I stayed on top of everything via my laptop and teleconferences -- Donna
ReplyDeleteHi,Donna - I love the typos, they make the blogs even more fun to read - LOL! Thanks for sharing. I will check out Parts 1A & B.
ReplyDelete