Waiting for Gustav

I know it has been a while and lots of things have gone on. No crutches has been great! I haven't had to use them at all. In fact when I am at home I walk around without my boot. I feel like that is a good way to get some strength back. I am still going to PT twice a week and it really is great. My foot doesn't hurt anymore when I am done so that is definitely a positive. We tailgated this weekend for a little while and it didn't bother me at all. I walked around a lot and danced some and I didn't have any residual pain so I was very happy about that. I was supposed to go to my doctor on Tuesday morning but I am guessing that is not going to happen with the crappy ass hurricane that is coming our way. I am just hoping that it is not as bad as has been predicted. We are starting to get rain now and we are under a tornado watch until 7am. I guess getting an extra day off of work is not so bad! Honestly I'd rather go to work than have a damn hurricane. We are staying in our apartment because we have Roy, Max, Coletta, and Tabasco staying with us. I know that's a lot of people in a little apartment, but we are making it work. We have plans for just in case there is a tornado and also if we have to get out of here in a hurry. HOPEFULLY that does not happen! We are keeping a close watch and I am predicting we are going to be up most of the night. The wind really hasn't started blowing a whole lot yet, but I know it is coming. They are predicting 24 hours of tropical storm force winds. So we are bracing for the weather and starting our hurricane party!

NO MORE CRUTCHES

So again it has been a while, but we've been pretty busy. I have now been walking completely free of the crutches for almost a week. Sometimes it is still painful depending on how much I move around in the day, but I am SO glad to be free of those things! I don't even walk with them anymore when I don't have my boot on, which is not very often because that is my ONLY restriction from my Dr. My PT has told me to get in the pool as much as I can. I think that is what helped me to get off the crutches. We were in Destin last week and I spent most of my time in the pool because I couldn't go in the salt water, not that I would have been able to get close to the water without my boot on, but I REALLY think that is what did it. I didn't have to worry about how much weight I was putting on it and I was able to do exercises that I couldn't do out of the pool with my foot. I think walking in the sand perhaps helped too. That was hard as hell! So considering I do have the luxury of a pool I am going to start using it more. Hopefully that is a luxury I won't have much longer. We are STILL on the hunt for a house and it is STILL extremely frustrating, but I am trying to remain positive about it. I still have lots of pictures of the foot to post but I am just lazy right now. Classes start in a little over a week so I won't be able to be lazy for too much longer!

I just walked free of the crutch!

My nephew is in town and he is staying with us this weekend. So far we are having lots of fun. We went down to the pool this morning for about an hour. It was entirely too hot. When we got back Brandon was leaving to go get a few things at work done because of course the Brewery Reps are going to be in town when we are at the beach this week. Anyway, I was in the kitchen making some mac and cheese and I turned around and walked into the laundry room...no crutch...not even thinking about it! I was so excited, I couldn't really believe it. I have been walking most of this week with only one so I guess that has REALLY made a difference. I did tell my PT last week my goal was to be off the crutches for Destin and that might actually be a real possibility now! I am still a little unsure and I don't think I am ready for being without the crutch period, but I am getting close!

Back to the Doctor

I had PT yesterday and it was not a very good experience. It was a zoo in the place. There were about 25 people there four therapists and three assistants. I wasn't getting the attention I felt like I needed from my PT so I was pretty unhappy. When I fell because I put too much weight on my foot because obviously the little assistant didn't know what she was doing it got worse. I decided that morning appointments are not going to be what is good for me this time around so I am switching to afternoons. Tomorrow is my first one so we will see how it goes.
I went back to my doctor today so he could check my incision because in two places it actually opened a little bit again. He said it didn't look like I had an infection but he put me on another round of antibiotics as a precaution. He also told me for the time being I can't take baths that I have to take showers and that I have to go back for him to check it in a week. This poses only a slight problem. It is back to the maw maw shower seat. I used it only for leverage tonight and it wasn't so bad. I am not supposed to walk without my boot according to my doctor, but my PT has me doing exercises to shift my weight without my boot so I am a little confused. When I mentioned that to my doctor today he looked a little concerned. I may mention that to my PT tomorrow, although I feel like the weight bearing exercises are really helping. I am trying to walk around with one crutch most of the time. It is a little awkward and I sort of look like a weeble wobble, but hey, they say they don't fall down so...

6 Days of Freedom

I know I should have posted Monday when I got the stupid thing off, but I was not in a very good mood that night and then got very busy with the week and weekend so here goes...

Monday morning I was thrilled to pieces. I couldn't wait to go to the doctor. So I FINALLY get to my appointment and my doctor's nurse is on vacation so things were ten times slower then they regularly are. He ended up cutting the cast off himself...wish I would have thought to bring my camera and take pictures of that. Anyway he did more x-rays, made me stand on it, put a boot on my leg and sent me on my way. The longer I sat at my desk Monday the worse it got. My foot was throbbing. It was not a very good afternoon. Definitely not what I had hoped for. Went to PT on Tuesday and after that sort of felt rejuvenated. I just have to be patient and realize that it is not going to happen over night. The foot was very stiff and from the new pressure on my foot... I know this is gross but... my incision began to drain. It wasn't terribly gross it is just my body trying to make a scab. See the steri-strips that were on the incision from the time I got the stitches out three weeks ago were still over it. My doctor told me not to pull them off that they would fall off. In the bathtub that night (which was absolutely wonderful and sort of gross at the same time from all of the skin flaking off) they came off and pulled off the scabs over the small areas that weren't completely healed. Every muscle, tendon, and nerve is screaming at me wondering what the hell I am doing! I do have pictures to share of my legs the day I got the cast off. They are a little freaky. The muscles in my right leg are like jello. I got a few exercises to work on at home and an appointment to go back on Friday morning. So I diligently worked on my exercise as much as I possibly could. My visit on Friday was very encouraging. When I walked in the door my PT instantly said "Good job, you are putting more weight on it" and then later she told me that when she stretched it that it was not as stiff as it was on Tuesday. Yea me!! I got a few new exercises to help me become full weight bearing on it. I am still relying on my crutches which really frustrates me, but I just have to keep in mind it will all come with time.

We went to New Iberia for Ashley and Allan's wedding on Friday night. My foot was very swollen and I was having quite a bit of pain. I am guessing most of it was because it was SO swollen. I tried to stay off of it as much as I could, but we ended up going to dinner with everyone and I got pretty drunk. Saturday morning luckily the swelling was down significantly. The wedding was GREAT. We had a blast and I did a little dancing in place! The foot actually did really well. I was very happy. We hung out with everyone at the hotel afterwards and drank more. We got up around 10 this morning and came home. Today the swelling is almost non existant. I can actually see veins on the outside of my foot again. Hopefully that is a positive sign as well and I won't have as much swelling in the weeks to come. My next PT appointment is early tomorrow morning so we'll see how that goes.

Tomorrow's the big day!!

Things have been pretty boring. I go to work, I come home, I sit, and Brandon waits on me. It is getting old for both of us, but it is done tomorrow. Although I don't foresee running a marathon this week but I should be able to have use of my hands when I walk so it should be easier AND I won't have to hop up the stairs!!!

9 DAYS TO GO!!

I am getting quite antsy about getting the cast off. I can't wait to be able to put both of my feet on the ground again. Things have been going well this week. I FINALLY have no more swelling in my toes. I actually have wrinkles in them again.
We looked at a house this week and fell in love with it made an offer and it turned out someone beat us to it. We were really bummed and now we are secretly hoping that the deal the owner's accepted falls through. Is that bad to hope for that??
Other than that things have been pretty boring. Brandon and I are slowly getting frustrated with each other but we keep reminding ourselves that this is temporary...even though I still have my left foot to do. The good news is I am not dreading it as much now as I was at the beginning of this. It is easier to get around on the crutches now, of course because it is almost over. The muscle soreness has gone away but it is still not very easy to get up the stairs. That is part of the reason we are searching for a house. There is no way I am going to have my left foot done as long as I still have to climb stairs everyday!

12 DAYS

So I now have 12 days left with a casted foot and truthfully I am a little concerned about walking on it after 6 weeks of not walking on it. I am really concerned how it is going to feel and I am afraid therapy may be grueling. I will just have to deal with it though! We are going to look at a house tomorrow and I am wondering how I am going to get around and view the whole house, but I will just have to make that work too. This will be my first full week of work since the first week of June so I will probably exhausted come Friday kinda like I was last Friday. We went to the big 4th party at Chuck's house and I was just not happy. Not because of the party but because I really couldn't have fun like everyone else was so I was a little bored and hot and just like rings get tight with the heat so do casts... but I survived and the foot it still attached and still casted and I am having a VERY hard time thinking that I have to do this all over again...

He's Giving Me Two!!!

it's been a relatively busy week. went to the doctor monday got the stitches out and a new green cast that has been annoying me VERY much so far. he said the foot looks great. it is healing just the way he wants it to. oh yeah when i fell the other day i broke my little toe...go figure. since i went on a monday and my official day to get my boot was a wednesday he decided that i could get the boot two days early!!! i know it is only two days, but i told him he has no idea what two days does for me. that's two days less on crutches!! i have some pictures of the cut that i will have to post. they are cool and a little icky at the same time. We have a big 4th of july party tomorrow hopefully all goes well and i don't hurt myself by drinking!!

Cast off tomorrow!!

I am THRILLED to say that my stitches come out tomorrow and the red cast comes off. I of course will get another cast but I will be down to 3 weeks!! I am guessing this will be the last cast I will have before the walking boot. We shall see...

Cast TWO

This is my lovely second cast. Not so heavy or awkward or uncomfortable. I have had this for two weeks. I will get it off tomorrow and my stitches will be taken out also.

Cast ONE

So this is the first cast the day after surgery. Very heavy, very uncomfortable, but I only had it on for five days so it didn't turn out to be so bad after all.

More Views

You can see the bone better from the side view, but you can also see in from above. Again this is my left foot, but the right WAS exactly the same...

Pictures...FINALLY

This is my left foot. I forgot to take a picture of my right one before surgery, but you can get the idea from this. I am not sure if you can actually see the "extra bone" but you should be able to tell in the next two.

2 Down 4 To Go

So i have been a little busy with going back to work and recovering from work when i get home in the evenings. things have been going pretty good. my shoulders have been bothering me from the crutches, but somehow i seem to be getting used to it. today and yesterday in the later part of the afternoon my foot has really been bothering me at work. maybe it is too much moving around. it has been in a throbbing mode lately and shooting little pains. i was sort of expecting it because naturally i was warned about the pain.
...just waiting for my next Dr visit. it turns out it may be a little earlier than i thought. i was coming out of the bathroom earlier and the next thing i knew i was on the floor. i landed with all of my weight on my toes and i ended up on the floor face down. i am not really sure what happened. i guess i lost my balance. i am really concerned that i may have done something to hurt my foot, but it is not hurting any more than it has been in the last few days so i guess we'll wait till morning to see. Candace told me i should call my doctor in the morning and let him know what happened. she's worked with him and knows how particular he is so she said i'd probably be best giving him a call. i am trying not to worry about it after all they do put a cast on for protection so hopefully it did its job. i know my foot did not move i am just concerned about the weight i may have put on it. i just don't want this fall to prolong my recovery. i am in a serious countdown to getting rid of these crutches so i don't want anything to happen that will possibly make me have to be on them longer.

TGIF

This week turned out to be pretty rough. it took a lot more out of me going back to work then i thought it would. i could hardly stay awake today. this morning i tripped and put a little weight on my foot which hurt quite a bit for quite a while. i ended up leaving work early. but i think everything is ok. it feels like it has been feeling so i don't think i hurt anything. brandon has been so great. he has been doing absolutely everything. i am so thankful that i have him to take care of me!



i now have four weeks and four days left on crutches and one week and two days left with my red cast and my stitches. my doctor also told me when i was there last that we were going to work on moving my foot the next time i go and i am a little nervous about that. i am going to try to remember to bring my camera when i go to get my stitches taken out for documentation...
it actually seems to be going by a lot quicker than i though it would. i believe once i get into my walking boot it will be smooth sailing. although i am sure there will be some pain involved with physical therapy but i am sure i can get through it.

i am a little worried about how i am going to maneuver at orientation on the 10th. hopefully there won't be too much walking around and i'll manage.

that's all for now

Back to Work Yesterday

and it was a rough one. whew! getting around on crutches is a lot harder than i ever thought. it takes so much strength. i am definitely going to build some upper body strength! can't say that bothers me. i came home got in bed and crashed for about two hours. i am in the count down though. only four weeks and five days left on crutches! yea! small victories...
second day was not so bad, i have to say that i learned from the first one not to try to do so much. i moved rolled around today instead of walking around. at least tomorrow is friday and they two days of just rest!!

Early Doctor Visit

I woke up EXTREMELY frustrated with the stupid cast on my foot and the fact that my toes were still turing purple so I called my doctor and he said to come see him. So he took the funky cast off and i got to see the cut. It was pretty grody looking. I've got eleven stiches and will have them for two more weeks. I now have a nice little red cast on my leg that is about 40 pounds lighter than the last! I also got to see the pictures of my foot during surgery. It was really disgusting but pretty interesting. He had the big hunk of bone he removed in tweezers in picture. ick! oh well, i am on the road to getting better and so far today the foot feels good.

Backwards Father's Day

today has been ok. my dad came to visit me for father's day. i know that's backwards...

i attempted the stairs today. it turns out it is A LOT of work. i think i will do better once i get more practice. i have discovered something in or a part of the cast is really bugging me. it maybe because i have began spacing out my pain medicine more and i can actually feel my foot bugging me. i don't know. this thing is just SO awkward. my toes still turn really dark when i stand up and that really concerns me. i am thinking i am not going to wait until the 25th to go to the doctor. i may move it up to friday because he said i could come as soon as ten days after the surgery. i guess we will just see how the week unfolds.

The Day Started Well...

I got up this morning and took a shower like a normal person... with a bag taped to my leg and half of my body hanging out of the shower! but still it felt wonderful. i moved around a little more today but the toes are still turning purple when i am up for too long. it makes me wonder how long they are going to do that. i have yet to attempt the stairs again and i am really not sure when i am going to try. i am sort of scared of hurting myself. the foot is not feeling too hot at the moment. i am sitting in the bed with it propped up and iced down and if feels like i have a 45 pound weight sitting on it! i am not doing well with not being able to do things for myself. i guess it is part of my control freak"ness" taking over. brandon is doing very well. he is doing EVERYTHING i ask him to do and i am very bitchy at times. i have tried not to be today with it being his b-day. 11 days till i get this heavy ass thing off my leg and a new one put on...