Week 19- Day 134

Began letting go of this blog because I didn't think many people were reading it, but I've gotten a few comments and decided to get back on. I'm finally walking on my own! No crutches, no boot. Dr. D gave me the OK last week to walk in sneakers, sandals, and even wedges! I'm in zero pain, and for the most part feel great with the exception of a limp I've acquired since not walking on my left leg for so long. Dr. D said it will eventually go away as I build the muscle up again. I hope it does because it sure isn't attractive!

Here is what my foot looks like now:

I've been using Bio Oil as well as Cocoa butter and Aquaphor for my scar. With the exception of a little redness here and there, it seems to be looking great. I'm regaining the ability to bend my toes but they haven't been able to fully bend on their own quite yet. 

I now place my left foot beside my right one and can't wait to finally look down at 2 normal looking feet. I am taking a break in between feet to give my left one some more time to get back to it's original state. I also need to get back to having a normal life again. This handicap one is a bit overwhelming. I have a whole new respect for those in a more permanent situation. IT IS NOT EASY.  

Week 13- Day 96

Here's another updated photo of my brand new beautiful foot. 

My scar is healing beautifully and Dr D says if I continue taking care of it the right way it will be barely noticeable in due time. I started physical therapy this week to help speed up my ability to walk. The shooting pain in my heel has been slowly decreasing and I'm able to bear more and more weight everyday. I'm using a boot but I am hoping to be down to my Draco shoe and eventually in my sneakers in no time. The exercises my therapist has given me are already working a great deal and I am able to move my foot around more freely without hesitation or pain. My only true obstacle at the moment has been moving my toes around. They are very stiff and unless I move them with my fingers, they hardly bend on their own just yet. Next week is another follow up with Dr D. Hopefully he'll be happy with my bone growth and the pin will come out! 

Week 12- Day 89

So I made it through week 1 of my second surgery. Unfortunately, I haven't had the privilege to stay home and rest, so back to work I went by day 3 of post op. The pain was pretty bad and I was still incredibly sore. I spent the entire day at work wishing I was at home resting. By the end of the week, I was experiencing a great deal of itchiness which is a sign of healing. During my 1st followup, Dr. D advised me that I yet again contracted an infection, which explained why I was in more pain than I should've been. I was immediately put back on antibiotics and he also gave me a boot so that walking would be a bit easier. I didn't write about it before, but during my surgery Dr. D had to insert a pin into the side of my foot because he still wasn't too pleased with my bone growth. I am to have this for another 2 weeks or so. Needless to say, this entire process has been a long and EXTREMELY frustrating one. For some reason, my recovery is taking way longer than it should and I'm slowly beginning to lose my mind. Being so limited in everything I do is taking it's toll, and trying to walk is painful because I've developed muscle atrophy from not using my leg in so long. Bearing weight has been an extreme challenge and I'm looking into physical therapy to help speed up the process. Dr. D inserted a cortisone shot into my heel to help with my weight bearing which worked great for a day or so, but I am still experiencing trouble. Granted, this pin is mostly what's making it so hard. Anytime I try to adjust my foot into a comfortable position, the pin gets into the way and I feel super discomfort. Below are some photos of my foot now. At first my swelling was pretty obvious, but it's died down a great deal over the last day or so. 

Week 11- Day 78 SURGERY DAY!

The day has finally arrived! Removal of my external fixator was yesterday and I was scheduled for surgery at 3:30pm.

Waiting almost half of the day to go in was pretty nerve wrecking, not to mention I was STARVING (You are not allowed to eat after midnight the day prior). Before I knew it, the moment had arrived and I was taken into the operating room.

I woke up in a fair amount of pain but was immediately given medication to make me feel more at ease. I was also forced to walk my first steps across the room with a cane which was pretty emotional considering the fact that I haven't walked in almost 3 whole months.

Unfortunately, once I got home, the anesthesia began to wear off and the pain along my incision line started coming right back. I was prescribed percosets and anti inflammatory pills; however, although it seems to calm the pain down, it still resides. I am taking my time with the weight bearing because although Dr. D gave me permission to walk, I am afraid I will irritate my fresh womb. Sometimes I'll use the cane to walk, other times I'll use my crutches. I am trying not to over do it.

I believe my follow up appointment is in one week in which the magic reveal will occur. Hopefully I will be able to supply some photos of my after. SO RELIEVED TO BE CLOSE TO THE FINISH LINE!

Week 9- Day 60

Pretty shitty day yesterday. Went to my follow up appointment and was told I had ANOTHER 2 more weeks to go. My foot is looking great (which I should be thankful for), and my bone growth is definitely progressing but Dr. D would feel a lot more comfortable if I grew a little more to prevent losing any length once the fixator is removed.

To say I was disappointed and upset is an understatement, but I know the decision was made with my best interest in mind. Well, March 24th is now my new scheduled surgery date. Here's to hoping for a quick 17 days!

Week 8- Day 58

Well, an entire month has passed and I've been making more and more progress every day. My days are subjective. Some are good, others are bad. I find that if I am off my feet , I have a much better day than those where I am walking (better yet, CRUTCHING) all around the house and/or office. This is where I stress how incredibly important it is to keep your foot elevated as often as possible. If I leave my foot down for too long, I am instantly incredibly swollen by mid to the end of the day. After my last infection, I was prescribed a different antibiotic (which worked), but unfortunately about a week or 2 later, it came back. This one was probably one of the worst ones I've had since surgery. I actually was swollen more than ever, and thick yellow puss as well as blood was seeping out. The pain was one of the worst, and I began to get really worried.

I was prescribed once again, a stronger antibiotic and the infection went away within the following 2-3 days. During my next followup, Dr. D cleaned up a lot of the dry crust from the infection (gross, I know. It also hurt when he was cleaning the scab off). He then proceeded to apply a purple antibiotic which would help heal and continue to fight the infection off. 

Only downside was my last X-ray which showed little to no bone growth. I was praying to have this thing off by now considering that the surgery is considered to be an 8 week process, but I was told by my Doctor that another 2 weeks was needed with the fixator to ensure my foot was ready to have the device removed. Needless to say, the ride home was NOT a good one; however, I have been making it a point to use my bone simulator as FREQUENTLY as possible. I have also been extremely on top of taking my calcium vitamins and I am even drinking milk way more than I usually do. LOL. I am so desperate at this point, I will do almost anything.

I guess you could say I am at the home stretch, and as exciting as that is...it is taking an EXTREME mental toll on me. At work, I am restricted because I am still on crutches. At home, I am restricted because I am still on crutches. My social life has pretty much become non existent, because I am on crutches. I feel like a prisoner in my own body and it is driving me insane. After the infection cleared up, I woke up one day feeling like I could try and apply weight on my foot. To my surprise, I felt little to no pain and was able to take my first steps in 3 months. I became a little overwhelmed with emotion, because I had missed walking so much. It was literally as though I was learning how to walk all over again, because the muscles in my leg are completely limp from not being used for such a long period of time. This weekend I took another shower in which I thoroughly focused on cleaning my foot and incision area very well. A lot of my scabbing peeled right off and I was able to take some dry blood, purple ointment residue, and dry puss right off. 

my foot is beginning to look almost normal again

much of the scabbing from the incision on my toe has come off leaving little to no scarring (thank God)

A normal 5 straight toed foot!!

As frustrating as this process has been, being able to look down and seeing a normal foot is so exhilarating. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine the day would come. Unfortunately, I have to do this ALL OVER again for my right foot, but seeing the final product on my left one will surely give me the boost to do the 2nd. My next follow up appointment is tomorrow morning. I will be advised on when the fixator will be removed. I am PRAYING SO BADLY for it to be next week. I want to get back to my life again. 

Week 4 - Day 28

Received some great news from my Doctor during my 3rd post op followup. I am officially done turning! After only 2 weeks, I reached full length and no longer need to turn. Its pretty surreal looking down and seeing a normal 5 straight toed foot. Now it's just a matter of my bone healing before the fixator can be removed. :)

Last week, I noticed my foot was starting to get very irritated. My incision was red and purple and yellow ooze was beginning to come out of it. I became alarmed and texted a photo to Dr. D who immediately arranged for me to come in for an emergency visit. Thank goodness, it was nothing too bad. I had just developed another infection. He prescribed me stronger antibiotics and the matter cleared up rather quickly. Other than that, he pointed out that I was still healing beautifully and I was even beginning to show signs of callus growth in my bone gap! Below is a photo of how it looked with the infection for anyone pursuing this surgery. Yes, it is gross...but you must always be attentive to ANYTHING alarming and inform your Doctor right away in case it could be serious.

The pain has seemed to calm down drastically since I stopped turning. I am still incredibly uncomfortable ( I mean, I have a device sticking out of my foot), but for the most part I am sleeping better and its becoming a bit more tolerable. 

Since I have gotten the OK to wet my foot, I've been making it a point to clean it thoroughly and softly. I use DOVE for Sensitive Skin to wash it and use a Q Tip for the hard to reach spots. The incision on my ankle which Dr. D took a bone graph from also has healed up nicely (as shown above). I still have the purple residue from the ointment he used during my last followup visit, it's quite hard to wash off. Other than that, all seems to be going well. My bone simulator has been starting to bother me lately, I get shooting pain in the area where my 4th metatarsal bone is. Dr. D suggested I give it a break for a couple days, but it's normal. He also suggested I take D3 K2 vitamins daily to speed up my healing process. 

I am feeling good for the most part. I just pray for a continued speedy recovery because this handicap life is not for me. I will strongly warn anyone pursuing this, that ALOT OF PATIENCE IS NEEDED. I will admit, I have had quite a few breakdowns recently because of how emotionally draining this process is. I have been very limited in almost everything I do. Everything is so much harder when you lose the use of one of your limbs, especially your foot. I am very independent and having to depend on others has been the biggest challenge for me in all of this. I have to keep reminding myself that this is only temporary, and my results will be everlastingly great.