Day 22 - Post Surgery (First 1/2 Day Back to Work)

Yesterday I concentrated on saving my feet for the impending day at work today. I made sure I did not overdo the standing/walking and kept up on the elevation and ice. I even picked out my clothes last night and got to sleep at a decent time.

I woke up at normal time for my workout and was dropped off at my office door at 7:20 AM. I had pre-arranged for a plastic moving crate to be placed under my desk yesterday so I had something sturdy to rest my feet on. I had also planned which door to enter of my building that was closest to the elevator and the break area so I could get my morning water filled before I went to my desk.

All in all everything worked out well. I worked from 7:30 AM to noon at my desk, and the rest of the day on my couch. I have to say it took about 1/2 the morning for me to figure out how to get my feet and chair positioned comfortably. I found out that I had to take my boots off, because my knees were locking out without a pillow to cushion the underside of my legs. I am going to bring in a pillow to keep at my desk this Friday, which should really help. Once I was in my socks I put my feet on my coat for a cushion and finally was able to get comfortable enough not to think about my feet or legs!

I have a photo of me in my boots, before I slipped them off:

I am still struggling with quite a bit of swelling and soreness, more in my left foot than the right. Here's a photo of my sock feet tonight. I think you can see the swelling where my bunions USED to be....these should eventually be almost completely flat...when the swelling is gone, that is.

Tomorrow is another day of work from the couch for me.

PS - check out the new FB page to connect with others at Bunion Surgery Recovery - Chats, Q&A's, and Connection:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Bunion-Surgery-Recovery-Chats-QAs-and-Connection/266239080090146

Day 20 - Post Surgery 19 Days

How exciting is that? I am 19 DAYS POST SURGERY! Just 2-1/2 weeks to tennis shoes. I might need to start counting down the days in the title instead of counting up! :)

Yesterday we slept in, still making up for missing sleep from our midnight black Friday shopping. Had a nice breakfast and started in on all the indoor decorations. My husband has been back to being a good helper, which I really appreciate. :)

All the boxes were brought up and I started with instructions on the order: first the tree branches, then the lights, then the garland and last all the ornaments. Our youngest was home to assist dad with the application of ornaments. I pretty much sat on the couch with my feet up, provided as little direction as I could stand and passed them the ornaments to hang. Afterwards I began my room-to-room swap of regular items on the mantel, table top, etc. for the traditional lit garland, stockings, candles and santas. This is the part I had to do myself, finding just the right spot for everything.

We also went to meet with our small group for a couple of hours where I was able to keep my feet up on the stools in the kitchen or on the couch in the living room. Boy did it feel nice to get out of the house for a couple of hours!

This morning I was back at my workout, after having taken the last few days off since Thanksgiving. Felt good to strain and sweat a little. Showered, ate my bowl of cereal and got to work. Had over 100 emails after being out on Friday. YIKES! Didn't anyone else take off?!

Tonight I made dinner, homemade turkey noodle soup, and fresh baked bread. I'm pretty ok with standing 15-20 minutes at a time a few times a day, but when I do this I make sure I also keep my feet up and ice enough the rest of the day.

The last accomplishment tonight was running to two stores to pick up a couple more Christmas presents. They both had wheel chairs, so at least I didn't have much walking and we were home in an hour, so not the three hour excursion I had the other day.

All in all, another successful day in my book!

Day 18 - Post Surgery

Today is Saturday, which would traditionally be the day I make up a dinner menu for the week and get the grocery shopping done, but I won't be shopping anytime soon yet, so I have to rely on my husband. He typically "signs up" for a couple of the week night meals and tells me what he wants to make. I typically look in the freezer to see what I have left in there and make my meals around what is currently in the freezer first, then based on the weather and our activities each week. Can you tell I am an organizational freak?! Guess that's why I love my job as a project manager so much - LOL!

So this is week three that my husband does the grocery shopping without me and it is SO HARD not to say, how come you got that brand, or that's not what I wanted, or that's not what I meant or wasn't that expensive, when he comes home with several items I wouldn't have choosen. Wow, is it hard giving up on these things that we type A personalities just love to control, isn't it?!

I've been trying to feel useful even though I can't do anything on my feet. I've found that going back to work, now that I've completed my second week from the couch, was probably the best decision I could have made. I feel very accomplished after having put in a good 8 hours of work.

Yesterday I caught up on several months of photo posting onto my online photo website and got all my photos selected and ordered for my family albums. I also created and ordered our Christmas cards and wrapped all the presents that we have bought already. All the photos should be here by next weekend and I will be able to get the albums updated and the Christmas cards out. Things I can do with my feet up - YEA!!

So, my feet? Well they really didn't like my 3 hr shopping excursion when they were down in the wheel chair for such a long time. I've had increased swelling and soreness - especially in my left foot. I've been extra careful over the last two days to keep my feet up and iced to get back to where I was. For the good news, the incision on my right foot is healing very nicely. It is much less sensitive and the scabbing really seems to be going away. My left foot, again, a different story. It is still red and sore and scabby. This is the foot that was weaping a little about a week ago. The doctor told me to be aware that my two feet will NOT heal the same and not to be surprised when one looks, feels or reacts different than the other. People who only have one foot done at a time, of course have nothing to compare the other foot to. Those of us that get two done at a time have a constant comparision sitting inches away!

The big event of the day was trying to go to church. I have not been back in three weeks, since the weekend before my surgery. We love our church and missed it, but it is a VERY BUSY church - I think 10,000+ people/weekend (www.hopewdm.org) so I did not feel up to navigating through all the people at our normal Sunday morning service. Tonight we decided to try one of the Saturday evening services, which traditionally are less croweded and it worked out great! I was able to put my feet up on the chair next to me for the whole service. It sure felt good to be back! :)

Day 17 - Post Surgery

Bet everyone's wondering how the big Thanksgiving feast went!? Just so happens our 16 year old gonna-be-a-chef someday didn't have to work until 5 PM and was more than happy to help prepare the side dishes with my instruction.

Had him make the stuffing and help me stuff the bird. Last week in his culinary arts class they made Paula Dean's turkey dinner, but they didn't put stuffing in the turkey, just seasonings. He was surprised when I pulled stuff out of both the stomach and neck cavities - LOL - said he was pretty sure they missed the parts in the neck cavity at school. Next we put together the green bean casserole and the cheesy potatoes and put them in the refrigerator. My husband got the table set and carved the turkey. Everyone was happy with their short list of chores and did most of the clean up after I got the left overs put away!

The rest of the evening I spent with my feet up and on ice, in preparation for the possibiity of joining my husband for Black Friday shopping at midnight. The new plan was to go to just a couple of stores, one where he'd go in while I waited in the car, the second we thought would have a wheel chair and that I could roll around through the store and help with the shopping.

First store, goes off without a hitch and we are on the way to the second. They do have one wheel chair just inside the door, which I promptly sit in and start wheeling myself around. Well, I was obviously crazy to think there'd be room in a store on Black Friday for a wheel chair. The lines through the store were double wrapped down most of the aisles within the first half hour of us getting there, which made it impossible for me to get from one place to another. Surprisingly, people were nicer than I expected. I have heard many people say that people do not look them in the eye when they are in a wheelchair or they pretend to not see them. For the most part, people were nice and let me through or go first. I ended up getting in that LONG line and waiting while my husband got the items we wanted and piled them up in my lap and in a large store bag. Some nice young ladies in front of me, holding a spot in the line for their aunts that were shopping, were nice enough to help me move our large bag every time my spot in line shifted forward a few feet. This went on for 1-1/2 hours!! By the time we got to the check out line, we were done shopping and I had enough. It was the longest time my feet were not elevated, since I had surgery.

Just added this picture I remembered I took at the checkout line - LOL!

By the time we got home - around 3:30 AM we were hungry and tired. Had a snack and brought my ice pack to bed with me to ice my feet while we fell asleep. :) Today, I have done almost no standing or walking. I am icing and keeping my feet elevated. I'm not going to lie, my feet were really sore last night and I know I definitely over did it! We did however, get some REALLY great deals and got most of our shopping done, so all's good! :)

Day 15 - Post Surgery

Started the day with a STANDING shower, bare feet and all, and lived to tell about it! I have been able to get my feet wet for over a week now, but I'd been sitting instead of standing in the shower, afraid of all kinds of things - slipping, twisting, dropping something on my feet. My feet have been feeling stronger and less sensitive so I decided to stand up and give it a shot. WooHoo! Success and no more sitting in the shower!

I ended up putting a little vaseline on my feet - all over - and throwing footies on before bed last night. Seems to have helped quite a bit with with the dryness of the incision area. Part of the incision weaped a little bit today and stuck to my sock, so I want to be careful and not put anything but vaseline on it right now until the scabs are gone and the skin is healed up.

Got my last day of work in for the week. I think I've been really good about sitting around and keeping my feet up. Not as good with the ice - only 3 times a day. The swelling hasn't changed much - top of foot and toes, but the black and blueness really changed today, spreading down my left foot.

I took a photo but it really doesn't do it any justice. The skin on my foot looks like the foot of the dead person with the sheet over it on CSI!

Now for four wonderful days off. I'm feeling comfortable about Thanksgiving dinner now. Hubby is making the pumpkin pies as I type. I will make up the cheesy potatoes and green bean casserole and pop those in the refrigerator in the morning, then rest, then I will get the turkey in the oven, then rest, then I will supervise getting the rest of the sides ready and the table set...I will then assist in putting everything out, eat and rest all night while others clean up. I think this is a doable plan. I also have the Christmas list almost done and a husband who's willing to run to the store(s) at midnight if we decide it is worthwhile. All is working out! :)

Hope everyone has a blessed Thanksgiving with their loved ones!

Day 14 - Post Surgery

Hard to believe it's been 2 weeks to the day since I had my surgery! Wow the progress! I can hardly believe how far I actually am compared to where I thought I'd be at this time.

- All the little steristrips have officially fallen off (some of the dangling ones had a little help), as of today.
- My mobility in my boots seems to get a little better each day.
- I am showering barefooted and doing a little barefoot walking around the bathroom in the morning and to the bathroom in the evening.
- My swelling and black & blue toes are slowly getting better.
- I am in my second week of 8 hour workdays (from the couch) and no longer need a nap to get through the day.
- I have been doing non weight bearing exercise almost every day starting the day after surgery.

Two weeks from tomorrow I will be completely out of boots and in tennis shoes. Hard to imagine except when I think about what has been gained in the last two weeks!

Here's today's pics of the feet, showing what the healing incisions look like and what's left of the swelling and black & blueness.

Question for anyone who's reading that has experience in treating scars - is there something I should be putting on the incision area yet (lotion/oil/etc) or should I be waiting until all the scabbing is gone and the skin is clear?

Last, I thought I'd head in to work a couple of days next week, however I forgot to mention this to my doctor when I saw him last week. A friend was shocked by this concept and asked if I had my "doctor's permission" to go back already? Huh? I hadn't even thought to ask. So this morning I leave a voice mail asking if this makes any sense to plan for on week three post surgery? When I put it this way, I think in reality this might not make sense yet. We'll see...

Day 13 - Post Surgery 12 Days

I missed my first daily post yesterday for a couple of reasons: 1) didn't feel like I had much new news 2) was pretty busy 3) had company for dinner/evening and was too tired.

I bet you're wondering what the heck I could be so busy with sitting around in my moon boots?! Well, yesterday morning my husband and I had a bright and early appointment to meet a realtor to look at a townhome for our son/family who will be returning to the states in early January after being gone for about six years now. He is a Marine and has been serving with his familiy in Okinawa for the past three years or so, and previously served in Hawaii, with two tours in Iraq. He started recruiter school about 4 weeks ago in San Diego with the hope of getting stationed in/near Iowa. He got his orders for Des Moines last Thursday and now we are assisting with the house hunting. ANYWAY, we spent about 30 minutes walking through the house and taking photos. Afterwards I can home, put the feet up and iced as I was still a little tired and swollen from overdoing on Friday evening and this didn't help.

I tried to spend the most of yesterday with my feet up, searching for housing on the computer from my chair and ottoman. We had much needed company that brought us dinner Saturday evening (love company bearing food!) and was able to keep feet up pretty good all evening.

Couple of things I've noticed. My feet a more swollen than I thought, I just hadn't looked at them from the right angle. They are really swollen on the bottom at the pads of my feet. I am at the point where I can feel pretty good than overdo, which doesn't really take much and is very difficult to judge. Interestingly my toes are STILL black and blue, which I still can't believe how long that is hanging on.

Another thing that I noticed is that some sadness/depression has started to kick in because of my inability to be more active and do for myself. I am very independant so asking for help is very difficult, no matter how necessary for me right now. I get the impression my husband is also a little tired of me not being able to do more and doesn't smeet to quite get that my feet are suppose to be up still, which leads me to do a little more for myself and to help out more than I probably should.

With the holidays coming up I am coming to realize that a good part or none of the shopping will actually be done by me. I think it would be a very bad idea to try and navigate the very busy stores with my two boots as I am afraid to death someone could step on my feet accidently, as you can't see my feet standing in a line (if I could even stand that long!). I'm also a little worried at this point about Thanksgiving dinner and the Christmas tree. Both of which happen primarily by me with a little help from others. I am sure it will all work out. Just having my own little pity party right now.

This morning to try and make me feel a little better I painted my toes! :) Maybe if they look more normal, I will feel better? Haven't had too much chance to test this theory as I have socks on and ice on them, but plan to take a "gander" at them later and spend a couple minutes enjoying my new beauties! LOL!

Enough for now. A friend is coming over to keep me company while I show her how to create an online photobook and later for dinner my oldest, his wife and grandson coming for the highly requested family favorite, calzones.