I almost feel too ashamed to write this post. I am a very bad blogger. When I was reading other people's blogs before my operation, I noticed that most of them stopped around six months, had the occasional entry after that if you were lucky, then stopped without notice.
I swore that would not be me.
And yet...the last time I wrote on this blog was six months after my operation and now it is well over a year since I had it done and I haven't updated since.
In mitigation, I have thought of you. I took pictures of my feet when I went on holiday last June, and of shoes I've bought, and I've composed posts in my head.
But you guys can't read my head. So I'm sorry. Especially as I see I have had 43,000 views and get around 2,000 a month and there has been nothing new for anyone to read.
No doubt you're all on tenterhooks wanting to know how my scars are, what shoes I'm wearing, and did the bokey nail ever get sorted?
I keep intending to do proper, backdated updates in chronological order, but I now realise that isn't going to happen, so what you're getting instead is a general update here, and then more detailed ones in no particular order as I find the time.
So, in general my feet are awesome! My scars are just thin silver lines that are barely visible. I am so incredibly pleased about this as for a long time they were still pink and looked like they might stay a dark purple, but they have completely faded now and look great.
My toes aren't straight. I did do a post where I was worried about this, but I think it's just my natural foot shape - either that or very strong muscles and tendons which insist on doing their own thing. So my big toes gently bend towards my other toes, but there is no bunion bump, the toes go a lot straighter when I'm standing on them than when they are in repose, and they look like totally normal feet, which was the aim after all.
I have no pain. None. My feet did used to get tired and sore but that hasn't happened for months now. I can be on them all day and they are completely OK. I did get my osteopath to massage them last time I went, but I think all feet need a little TLC occasionally, and it's nice to get a foot massage (the hubby hates feet so won't be offering this side of eternity).
As for shoes, this is the disappointing part. I will do a post on shoes, but in a nutshell, I can't wear high heels at all, I can wear low ones only for an hour or so and if they have a strap to hold my foot in and I walk really slowly, and I get a lot of pain under the balls of my feet if I try.
Currently I'm living in flats and flat boots (depending on the weather) and looking forward to getting my pretty sandals out in summer. I use my orthotics as much as I can (not in heels or sandals) and mostly I still wear the spacers, too, although I probably don't need to.
Any my toenail? Well, I got a treatment from the GP that you paint on your nail. I wasn't always great at remembering to do it, and expected it to take years to sort out, but by Christmas (so within six months of starting treatment) it was healed! I now have a totally normal toenail again. Which is a result.
So that's my whistlestop tour update. I will post better updates in more detail, with pictures, but at least this is something, huh?
I do read all your comments, even if I don't always reply (bad blogger, again) so do post me messages and I promise I will get better at blogging again. I was just too busy enjoying the freedom of happy, pain-free feet :)
Showing posts with label pedicure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pedicure. Show all posts
Wednesday, 19 March 2014
Monday, 27 May 2013
25 weeks - toenail drama
This post might seem a bit out of the blue, because having looked back over the blog it seems I haven't really talked about this very much, but I think that is because previously it didn't seem a big deal.
Way back when my casts came off at seven weeks, I talked about how my left middle toe was very very painful, red and swollen in this post. I thought it had been crushed by the cast a bit and so wasn't overly concerned.
I did raise it with my surgeon in my email to him, and his reply, which I posted here .
Basically he said: "I am sorry to hear that your left middle toe is very red and if it is clear that the plaster has been rubbing then I am sure this will settle quickly. If, however, it continues to be uncomfortable I might suggest you ask your GP to see it."
Now, I feel rather let down by this. I think that if he or one of his colleagues did not feel they wanted to look at it, they should have told me to make an appointment with my GP.
As it was phrased, I felt the subtext was: "Hey, silly patient, it's fine, stop worrying about nothing. But if you are a total hypochondriac, go and pester your GP and waste his precious time."
I certainly didn't feel encouraged to go and see my GP to get it checked out, and so when I continued to have problems with it, I didn't even talk about it on here, so convinced was I that it was nothing.
Well, more fool me.
It did start to become clear that the toenail had been damaged, but after reading up on runners' forums about toenail loss it seemed to be a minor cosmetic issue that would eventually resolve when the broken nail grew out and a new one appeared beneath.
So when, in the bath one day, the old one came off, and I could see a small new one below, I thought it was all sorted.
Then, when that new one became discoloured, I wasn't overly bothered as I had read that sometimes bad damage to the nail bed took a nail or two to resolve.
Well, a few weeks ago I was concerned enough to try and get an appointment with my GP. The nail was white and thick, and obviously lifting off the nail bed *boke*. My appointment is tomorrow but I have now self-dagnosed with the help of Dr Google, and it is clear that the original damage and infection have resulted in a fungal nail infection which is now very well established.
Of course, had I not been made to feel that I were being a hypochondriac, then I would have gone to the GP earlier, and got treatment earlier. Fungal nail infections are notoriously difficult to treat, and to make matters worse, most treatments can't be carried out while breastfeeding or when pregnant or trying to conceive.
I currently tick one of those boxes, will soon be ticking two, and hope that shortly I'll be ticking a different two.
Does that make sense? Basically I breastfeed the Little Lady and we are going to TTC (try to conceive) as of next month (I know, I know, TMI!) and hopefully will soon be pregnant.
So I can't treat it!
Well, there are some home remedies I might try but I'll see what my GP says when I finally get to see them tomorrow (yes it took about two weeks to get a simple appointment).
I am really upset and cross and feel so let down. If Mr Nugent had just said "go and see your GP about your toe" then I could have had help so much earlier, before it got this bad. And now, my feet are still ugly and horrid, because while the toes are straight, my toenail is grimsville.
In fact, today I pulled the second dead toenail off and underneath is just soft nail bed and white stuff, which I assume is the fungus *double boke*.
The strong of heart may enjoy the following pictures. EVeryone else should scroll to the bold part quickly.
...
...
off you go, squeamish ones
...
...
...
Ok, here we go then. Here is my bokey toenail before I pulled it off.
You can see that it looks white and a bit fringed around the edges. And I can tell you that it was just held on by virtue of being tucked under the skin at the edges. It was so easy to just prise it off gently.
This picture shows what it looks like now, sans nail.
My poor toe! It looks all gammy and grim. The white stuff does scrape off a bit but I'm worried about transferring the fungus to my fingernails, so only did that a bit before realising it was a bad idea. I think I should probably try and remove it if I can, but the skin is tender.
The next two are shots of the toenail that came off. It's really just a nail remnant, and it is very white.
Top:
And underneath:
I chucked it in the bin before thinking I should have taken it with me to the GP so they can test it, but I bet they wouldn't have anyway.
Squeamish people return here.
My Googling has found that a lot of people swear by the following home remedies for fungal nail:
1 - vinegar
2 - gentian violet
3 - Vicks Vaporub
4 - tea tree oil
Those are in no particular order. Now, as gentian violet is often touted as a remedy for nipple thrush (the things you learn as a breastfeeding supporter!) I can see that it might work on toe fungus too.
Vinegar is very popular, and as I have white vinegar in the cupboard, I may well have a go at that. I'm very intrigued by Vicks Vaporub and would love to know if anyone has tried it.
The only good thing about my nail having come off is that it is easier to get at the fungus which would otherwise have been covered by it, so I'm hopeful that perhaps in the month I've got available before we TTC, I can at least get the fungus on the retreat, and then I can stop using any prescribed treatment (as the Little Lady is nearly four and feeds about once a day, I won't bother telling the GP I'm breastfeeding and I know they won't ask as they won't expect it at this age) and get going with the vinegar (or Vicks).
I'm still really fed up about this unexpected side effect of the surgery though.
Way back when my casts came off at seven weeks, I talked about how my left middle toe was very very painful, red and swollen in this post. I thought it had been crushed by the cast a bit and so wasn't overly concerned.
I did raise it with my surgeon in my email to him, and his reply, which I posted here .
Basically he said: "I am sorry to hear that your left middle toe is very red and if it is clear that the plaster has been rubbing then I am sure this will settle quickly. If, however, it continues to be uncomfortable I might suggest you ask your GP to see it."
Now, I feel rather let down by this. I think that if he or one of his colleagues did not feel they wanted to look at it, they should have told me to make an appointment with my GP.
As it was phrased, I felt the subtext was: "Hey, silly patient, it's fine, stop worrying about nothing. But if you are a total hypochondriac, go and pester your GP and waste his precious time."
I certainly didn't feel encouraged to go and see my GP to get it checked out, and so when I continued to have problems with it, I didn't even talk about it on here, so convinced was I that it was nothing.
Well, more fool me.
It did start to become clear that the toenail had been damaged, but after reading up on runners' forums about toenail loss it seemed to be a minor cosmetic issue that would eventually resolve when the broken nail grew out and a new one appeared beneath.
So when, in the bath one day, the old one came off, and I could see a small new one below, I thought it was all sorted.
Then, when that new one became discoloured, I wasn't overly bothered as I had read that sometimes bad damage to the nail bed took a nail or two to resolve.
Well, a few weeks ago I was concerned enough to try and get an appointment with my GP. The nail was white and thick, and obviously lifting off the nail bed *boke*. My appointment is tomorrow but I have now self-dagnosed with the help of Dr Google, and it is clear that the original damage and infection have resulted in a fungal nail infection which is now very well established.
Of course, had I not been made to feel that I were being a hypochondriac, then I would have gone to the GP earlier, and got treatment earlier. Fungal nail infections are notoriously difficult to treat, and to make matters worse, most treatments can't be carried out while breastfeeding or when pregnant or trying to conceive.
I currently tick one of those boxes, will soon be ticking two, and hope that shortly I'll be ticking a different two.
Does that make sense? Basically I breastfeed the Little Lady and we are going to TTC (try to conceive) as of next month (I know, I know, TMI!) and hopefully will soon be pregnant.
So I can't treat it!
Well, there are some home remedies I might try but I'll see what my GP says when I finally get to see them tomorrow (yes it took about two weeks to get a simple appointment).
I am really upset and cross and feel so let down. If Mr Nugent had just said "go and see your GP about your toe" then I could have had help so much earlier, before it got this bad. And now, my feet are still ugly and horrid, because while the toes are straight, my toenail is grimsville.
In fact, today I pulled the second dead toenail off and underneath is just soft nail bed and white stuff, which I assume is the fungus *double boke*.
The strong of heart may enjoy the following pictures. EVeryone else should scroll to the bold part quickly.
...
...
off you go, squeamish ones
...
...
...
Ok, here we go then. Here is my bokey toenail before I pulled it off.
You can see that it looks white and a bit fringed around the edges. And I can tell you that it was just held on by virtue of being tucked under the skin at the edges. It was so easy to just prise it off gently.
This picture shows what it looks like now, sans nail.
My poor toe! It looks all gammy and grim. The white stuff does scrape off a bit but I'm worried about transferring the fungus to my fingernails, so only did that a bit before realising it was a bad idea. I think I should probably try and remove it if I can, but the skin is tender.
The next two are shots of the toenail that came off. It's really just a nail remnant, and it is very white.
Top:
And underneath:
I chucked it in the bin before thinking I should have taken it with me to the GP so they can test it, but I bet they wouldn't have anyway.
Squeamish people return here.
My Googling has found that a lot of people swear by the following home remedies for fungal nail:
1 - vinegar
2 - gentian violet
3 - Vicks Vaporub
4 - tea tree oil
Those are in no particular order. Now, as gentian violet is often touted as a remedy for nipple thrush (the things you learn as a breastfeeding supporter!) I can see that it might work on toe fungus too.
Vinegar is very popular, and as I have white vinegar in the cupboard, I may well have a go at that. I'm very intrigued by Vicks Vaporub and would love to know if anyone has tried it.
The only good thing about my nail having come off is that it is easier to get at the fungus which would otherwise have been covered by it, so I'm hopeful that perhaps in the month I've got available before we TTC, I can at least get the fungus on the retreat, and then I can stop using any prescribed treatment (as the Little Lady is nearly four and feeds about once a day, I won't bother telling the GP I'm breastfeeding and I know they won't ask as they won't expect it at this age) and get going with the vinegar (or Vicks).
I'm still really fed up about this unexpected side effect of the surgery though.
Thursday, 31 January 2013
Progress report 8 weeks 2 days, VIDEOS!
I was walking down the stairs yesterday when I had a bit of a revelation - that I was WALKING DOWN THE STAIRS!
Sounds dullsville but it was the first time I have managed the stairs without having to put my heel down first, and without needing to put one foot down, then put the next foot on the same stair, like a child does.
This was so exciting I felt that pictures just wouldn't cut it. No still picture could possibly convey the amazingness (yes, it's a word) of me walking down the stairs. So I did a video.
And then I got carried away and did a few videos for you, of my exercises and walking, and just a general look at my feet and scars.
So...all the words today are in the videos, here for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!
(By the way, don't my toes look fantabulously straight in that opening still!)
I'll tell you what, though, it takes at least half an hour for each one to upload to YouTube, so it's definitely not an option for a quick update. The third one took over 90 minutes to upload!
Let me know if you like them - leave me a comment here on the blog. If videos are popular, then I can do more. No weird requests please!
Sounds dullsville but it was the first time I have managed the stairs without having to put my heel down first, and without needing to put one foot down, then put the next foot on the same stair, like a child does.
This was so exciting I felt that pictures just wouldn't cut it. No still picture could possibly convey the amazingness (yes, it's a word) of me walking down the stairs. So I did a video.
And then I got carried away and did a few videos for you, of my exercises and walking, and just a general look at my feet and scars.
So...all the words today are in the videos, here for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!
(By the way, don't my toes look fantabulously straight in that opening still!)
I'll tell you what, though, it takes at least half an hour for each one to upload to YouTube, so it's definitely not an option for a quick update. The third one took over 90 minutes to upload!
Let me know if you like them - leave me a comment here on the blog. If videos are popular, then I can do more. No weird requests please!
Sunday, 27 January 2013
Toe spacers and pedicures
I noticed yesterday that the pink toe spacers that my surgeon made from putty for me, when he changed my casts in week 2, were feeling a little loose.
I especially felt that when I was standing my toes were spacing out wider than the spacer, leaving it floating between them.
My guess is that now I am putting weight on my feet, my toes are moving further apart due to that pressure, which is obviously a good thing, but it's making the gap between my toes bigger than the spacers.
So I wondered how useful they were really being?
My desire is to have toes that are as straight as possible, and while I don't know anything about the mechanics of the recovery, I assume that although the bones themselves are surely set in place now, the tendons and muscles are still learning their new positions and movements, so this might be a window of opportunity to continue to improve the positioning.
I could be completely wrong, in which case any medical people reading, please let me know!
Anyway, I wanted to replace the pink spacers with wider ones to help encourage my toes into the best possible position.
I had a Google to see if I could get some of the putty, as making my own custom spacers felt like the best option, but I couldn't find a source and I wasn't entirely sure what I was looking for.
So then I searched for "toe spacers" but soon found that some places call them "toe separators" which to me sounds more like those things you use when you paint your toenails, like these (note the slight bunion bump on the side of the foot and the tight spacing of the big and second toes! Even models have bunions!):
What I wanted was these:
Credit: Amazon
They come in different sizes, although they don't specify how wide they are so it's not easy to compare. Those ones are pretty good value, but I wanted some new ones asap, so I sent the hubby to Boots and he got me these:
Sorry, I took the spacers out before I took the picture. You can see them on the Boots website here.
They are more expensive than the ones on Amazon, but then Amazon doesn't pay for a retail unit, or even the right amount of tax, plus I wanted them today rather than having to wait. And hey, we get Advantage card points too!
So, hubby got them after church today, and I wasted no time in testing them out.
I think they are wider than the pink ones. They definitely feel it. I could handle them being wider, but I think I can probably wrap some lambswool or cotton wool around them to add a bit of width and customise them to suit me.
The observant among you will notice I did my pedicure last night - bubblegum pink base with a gold and dark pink dotted flower on each big toenail. I love nail art but am still a complete amateur so all I can manage are dots or tips.
Anyway, one thing I have noticed today with all this in-out-in-out-shake-it-all-about of spacers is that when I don't have them in, my big toes are noticeably closer to my second toe than when the spacers are there.
I'm not entirely happy about this, and am hoping I will be able to ask my surgeon about it when he comes back to me on my other questions.
Although I do remember reading an American surgeon's site where he said he never does women's toes totally straight as they then find it hard to wear fashionable shoes afterwards, because most shoes (men's or ladies' in my opinion) have an angled toe box.
So maybe that's applicable to me?
Anyway, I took some pictures to show the difference:
The top two pictures I did without moving my feet on the pouffe, so you can use how much paattern is visible as a guide to how much the toes have moved. I'm afraid the last one was a standalone picture but you can still see that they are definitely not as straight as when the spacers are there.
You can click on the pictures to see larger versions, and underneath you should get a tickertape of all the pictures in the post, so you can click on them to run through the sequence, and if you flick between the first two you should see the toe move!
In case you just want the pictures bigger, then here they are again, larger.
Right. In the interests of being thorough, I also took some while standing with my weight through my forefoot. I thought that might make a difference. Again, I kept my feet in the same position so you can use the pattern as a guide.
Standing didn't seem to make a difference. There is definitely movement once the spacers are taken out.
I've got to admit, I'm a bit disappointed. I thought the idea was to make my toes straight, and I'm concerned about the bunions coming back if my toes bend in a bit. It's definitely something I want to ask Mr Nugent about.
In case all this staring at my feet has made you forget what normal feet are supposed to look like, here is the Little Lady's adorable foot.
As you can see, her big toes almost tilt the opposite way to mine - her feet haven't yet been put under undue pressure by shoes (I always get her brand new shoes that have been fitted properly by a trained fitter).
I intend to write about natural foot shape another time, but as this post is all about spacers, I'll leave you with pictures of a couple of products that some people swear will help keep your toes in proper alignment.
I haven't any experience of them myself, nor do I know anyone who uses them, but I plan to investigate further once I'm fully recovered.
We have the toe stretchers (aka Yoga Toes TM):
Credit: Amazon
And these are the separator socks:
Credit: Amazon
And finally, the bunion splint:
Credit: Amazon
Ok, so those look a little like an instrument of torture, but I have read that some people think they are brilliant. Obviously, nothing can correct an existing bunion except surgery, but I think this splint and the other separator devices could probably help negate the pressures of shoes, if worn regularly and over a period of time.
Worth thinking about, anyway.
I especially felt that when I was standing my toes were spacing out wider than the spacer, leaving it floating between them.
My guess is that now I am putting weight on my feet, my toes are moving further apart due to that pressure, which is obviously a good thing, but it's making the gap between my toes bigger than the spacers.
So I wondered how useful they were really being?
My desire is to have toes that are as straight as possible, and while I don't know anything about the mechanics of the recovery, I assume that although the bones themselves are surely set in place now, the tendons and muscles are still learning their new positions and movements, so this might be a window of opportunity to continue to improve the positioning.
I could be completely wrong, in which case any medical people reading, please let me know!
Anyway, I wanted to replace the pink spacers with wider ones to help encourage my toes into the best possible position.
I had a Google to see if I could get some of the putty, as making my own custom spacers felt like the best option, but I couldn't find a source and I wasn't entirely sure what I was looking for.
So then I searched for "toe spacers" but soon found that some places call them "toe separators" which to me sounds more like those things you use when you paint your toenails, like these (note the slight bunion bump on the side of the foot and the tight spacing of the big and second toes! Even models have bunions!):
What I wanted was these:
They come in different sizes, although they don't specify how wide they are so it's not easy to compare. Those ones are pretty good value, but I wanted some new ones asap, so I sent the hubby to Boots and he got me these:
Sorry, I took the spacers out before I took the picture. You can see them on the Boots website here.
They are more expensive than the ones on Amazon, but then Amazon doesn't pay for a retail unit, or even the right amount of tax, plus I wanted them today rather than having to wait. And hey, we get Advantage card points too!
So, hubby got them after church today, and I wasted no time in testing them out.
I think they are wider than the pink ones. They definitely feel it. I could handle them being wider, but I think I can probably wrap some lambswool or cotton wool around them to add a bit of width and customise them to suit me.
The observant among you will notice I did my pedicure last night - bubblegum pink base with a gold and dark pink dotted flower on each big toenail. I love nail art but am still a complete amateur so all I can manage are dots or tips.
Anyway, one thing I have noticed today with all this in-out-in-out-shake-it-all-about of spacers is that when I don't have them in, my big toes are noticeably closer to my second toe than when the spacers are there.
I'm not entirely happy about this, and am hoping I will be able to ask my surgeon about it when he comes back to me on my other questions.
Although I do remember reading an American surgeon's site where he said he never does women's toes totally straight as they then find it hard to wear fashionable shoes afterwards, because most shoes (men's or ladies' in my opinion) have an angled toe box.
So maybe that's applicable to me?
Anyway, I took some pictures to show the difference:
The top two pictures I did without moving my feet on the pouffe, so you can use how much paattern is visible as a guide to how much the toes have moved. I'm afraid the last one was a standalone picture but you can still see that they are definitely not as straight as when the spacers are there.
You can click on the pictures to see larger versions, and underneath you should get a tickertape of all the pictures in the post, so you can click on them to run through the sequence, and if you flick between the first two you should see the toe move!
In case you just want the pictures bigger, then here they are again, larger.
Right. In the interests of being thorough, I also took some while standing with my weight through my forefoot. I thought that might make a difference. Again, I kept my feet in the same position so you can use the pattern as a guide.
Standing didn't seem to make a difference. There is definitely movement once the spacers are taken out.
I've got to admit, I'm a bit disappointed. I thought the idea was to make my toes straight, and I'm concerned about the bunions coming back if my toes bend in a bit. It's definitely something I want to ask Mr Nugent about.
In case all this staring at my feet has made you forget what normal feet are supposed to look like, here is the Little Lady's adorable foot.
As you can see, her big toes almost tilt the opposite way to mine - her feet haven't yet been put under undue pressure by shoes (I always get her brand new shoes that have been fitted properly by a trained fitter).
I intend to write about natural foot shape another time, but as this post is all about spacers, I'll leave you with pictures of a couple of products that some people swear will help keep your toes in proper alignment.
I haven't any experience of them myself, nor do I know anyone who uses them, but I plan to investigate further once I'm fully recovered.
We have the toe stretchers (aka Yoga Toes TM):
And these are the separator socks:
And finally, the bunion splint:
Ok, so those look a little like an instrument of torture, but I have read that some people think they are brilliant. Obviously, nothing can correct an existing bunion except surgery, but I think this splint and the other separator devices could probably help negate the pressures of shoes, if worn regularly and over a period of time.
Worth thinking about, anyway.
Sunday, 20 January 2013
Mmm. Footfetti.
Today I was trying to get a good look at my feet beneath the casts, to see just how horribly scaly they are.
I was pulling at the edges of the bandages to try and peek under the cast, which, by the way, is pretty impossible even for someone as flexible as me, when I made a discovery.
Footfetti.
Yes, I've made that up. But let's say I've coined it, like Shakespeare, because isn't it a great word? It totally describes what happened: a load of flakes of dead skin from my feet came floating out of the cast as a released the bandage edge, like confetti at a zombie wedding.
Almost beautiful. And yet, not.
I nearly took a picture but figured peole might read this while eating lunch. Imagine instead a pile of very large flakes of dandruff. That's pretty much it.
Oh yeah, I am SO looking forward to the state of my feet on Tuesday.
Two sleeps to go!
I was pulling at the edges of the bandages to try and peek under the cast, which, by the way, is pretty impossible even for someone as flexible as me, when I made a discovery.
Footfetti.
Yes, I've made that up. But let's say I've coined it, like Shakespeare, because isn't it a great word? It totally describes what happened: a load of flakes of dead skin from my feet came floating out of the cast as a released the bandage edge, like confetti at a zombie wedding.
Almost beautiful. And yet, not.
I nearly took a picture but figured peole might read this while eating lunch. Imagine instead a pile of very large flakes of dandruff. That's pretty much it.
Oh yeah, I am SO looking forward to the state of my feet on Tuesday.
Two sleeps to go!
Friday, 18 January 2013
Day 46: Feeling fed up and frustrated
I am so utterly fed up with my casts. It's been nearly seven weeks now and I am very ready for them to come off. Had Christmas not got in the way, they would have come off three days ago, so it's especially annoying to still be in them.
They are due off on Tuesday (day 50) but currently the whole of the UK is under an amber weather warning and around six inches of snow, which will sound laughable to readers in colder climes (Hello Canada! Hello Russia!) but that's about as much snow as it takes to cause major disruption over here.
So that may mean I can't even have them removed on Tuesday.
I'm hoping that my surgeon lives near to the hospital and as the roads will be gritted, I'll do everything I can do get there myself, but there is a possibility that it won't happen.
The casts are pretty uncomfortable now, due mainly I think to my feet being far less swollen now so the casts are able to move up and down on my feet a bit. They're also quite hot, which you'd think would be a good thing in this weather, but actually I find them too hot, especially at night, and end up hanging my feet out from under the covers in a bid to cool them down.
Also, I feel like what my feet really need is a good massage. I am longing to be able to rub in some cream and gently ease out the tension in them, not to mention getting to grips with the awful dry skin!
From what I can see, my feet are going to peel like banana skins once the casts are off. My toes are already cracking and flaking, and my heels are so dry that if I perch them on the sofa, afterwards there is a fine coating of what looks like sofa dandruff left behind. Grimsville.
I know, I'm making jokes again, but it's the only way I can deal with it. I have completely hit the wall.
Yesterday I made tea for the Little Lady and my friend's little boy, who is one. It didn't take long - just some boiled carrots, gnocchi, and a tomato sauce made by reducing a tin of plum tomatoes with a dash of bouillon and herbs.
But afterwards my feet were hurting from just that small amount of standing, and overnight I developed a sharp stabbing pain in the joint on my right foot, which might be unrelated but equally might not.
I've had the pain on and off throughout today, and of course I'm now worrying something is wrong, so it will be a real relief to see new X-rays on Tuesday, assuming we have no more snow.
And if we do? Well, I just might have to cry. Or cut them off myself, if I get too desperate.
They are due off on Tuesday (day 50) but currently the whole of the UK is under an amber weather warning and around six inches of snow, which will sound laughable to readers in colder climes (Hello Canada! Hello Russia!) but that's about as much snow as it takes to cause major disruption over here.
So that may mean I can't even have them removed on Tuesday.
I'm hoping that my surgeon lives near to the hospital and as the roads will be gritted, I'll do everything I can do get there myself, but there is a possibility that it won't happen.
The casts are pretty uncomfortable now, due mainly I think to my feet being far less swollen now so the casts are able to move up and down on my feet a bit. They're also quite hot, which you'd think would be a good thing in this weather, but actually I find them too hot, especially at night, and end up hanging my feet out from under the covers in a bid to cool them down.
Also, I feel like what my feet really need is a good massage. I am longing to be able to rub in some cream and gently ease out the tension in them, not to mention getting to grips with the awful dry skin!
From what I can see, my feet are going to peel like banana skins once the casts are off. My toes are already cracking and flaking, and my heels are so dry that if I perch them on the sofa, afterwards there is a fine coating of what looks like sofa dandruff left behind. Grimsville.
I know, I'm making jokes again, but it's the only way I can deal with it. I have completely hit the wall.
Yesterday I made tea for the Little Lady and my friend's little boy, who is one. It didn't take long - just some boiled carrots, gnocchi, and a tomato sauce made by reducing a tin of plum tomatoes with a dash of bouillon and herbs.
But afterwards my feet were hurting from just that small amount of standing, and overnight I developed a sharp stabbing pain in the joint on my right foot, which might be unrelated but equally might not.
I've had the pain on and off throughout today, and of course I'm now worrying something is wrong, so it will be a real relief to see new X-rays on Tuesday, assuming we have no more snow.
And if we do? Well, I just might have to cry. Or cut them off myself, if I get too desperate.
Wednesday, 2 January 2013
On vanity, with pictures
Spending all this time in bed has done nothing for my glamour quotient, I can tell you.
Unwashed hair scragged back into a ponytail, bare toenails poking dully out from bandages, no make-up, outfits consisting of tracksuit bottoms at best, pyjama bottoms at worst - something had to give.
The problem with being in the casts and bandages for so long is that my feet have inevitably got a bit manky. Not being able to soak them, or exfoliate, coupled with the constant pressure on my heels whether I'm lying down with my heels on the bed, or walking around on my heels, has left them looking really dry.
I also had a peek under the bandages the other day and eek! I had read that the skin would be dry and scaly but oh my goodness! It's like I've become half lizard. Yuck.
And it is so hard to do anything about it right now.
If you can stomach it, here are some pictures of my dry heels.
This is the left heel. This one is the better looking one, if you can imagine that.
And this is the very scaly right one.
Ugh!
I am itching to soak them and get rubbing with my foot file, but I can't. So I tried putting loads of body butter on them. I like Dove pro-age nourishing body butter, it smells nice and is easily absorbed and also not too pricey.
This is the heels after:
Left
Right
As you can see, they do look better, but it hasn't really lasted and feels a bit like plastering over the cracks.
If you're wondering what the black spot is on the side of my heel/ankle, it seems to be some kind of bruise. I have them on both feet and they appear to be fading very slowing. I assume they were caused by a clamp during surgery but I don't actually know.
For New Year, I went to a friend's party. The hubby drove us there and I hobbled in on crutches and then spent the whole night on the sofa with my feet up on a crate of beer! Good times.
I actually ended up really sore after that evening. I got ready as quickly as I could, but even sitting on a chair to do my make-up made my feet painful, so even before I had left the house I was in a lot of pain and it was really hard to walk.
When I got home again, they were horribly swollen and I had to use pillows overnight to elevate them while I slept and try and reduce the swelling.
I'm obviously not really ready yet for doing very much, which is quite frustrating.
I did look glam for my night out though:
My friend came round and helped my dye my hair, and then I did some experimental blue glitter eyeliner wings on my eyes.
Finally, I made sure my feet weren't left out and gave them what I call a Dorothy pedicure - red glitter!
I took that picture on New Year's Day, and you will notice I even managed to force my casts through the legs of my slim fit jeans! Hurrah! I can wear decent clothes again. Wouldn't want to try it with skinnies though.
Unwashed hair scragged back into a ponytail, bare toenails poking dully out from bandages, no make-up, outfits consisting of tracksuit bottoms at best, pyjama bottoms at worst - something had to give.
The problem with being in the casts and bandages for so long is that my feet have inevitably got a bit manky. Not being able to soak them, or exfoliate, coupled with the constant pressure on my heels whether I'm lying down with my heels on the bed, or walking around on my heels, has left them looking really dry.
I also had a peek under the bandages the other day and eek! I had read that the skin would be dry and scaly but oh my goodness! It's like I've become half lizard. Yuck.
And it is so hard to do anything about it right now.
If you can stomach it, here are some pictures of my dry heels.
Ugh!
I am itching to soak them and get rubbing with my foot file, but I can't. So I tried putting loads of body butter on them. I like Dove pro-age nourishing body butter, it smells nice and is easily absorbed and also not too pricey.
This is the heels after:
As you can see, they do look better, but it hasn't really lasted and feels a bit like plastering over the cracks.
If you're wondering what the black spot is on the side of my heel/ankle, it seems to be some kind of bruise. I have them on both feet and they appear to be fading very slowing. I assume they were caused by a clamp during surgery but I don't actually know.
For New Year, I went to a friend's party. The hubby drove us there and I hobbled in on crutches and then spent the whole night on the sofa with my feet up on a crate of beer! Good times.
I actually ended up really sore after that evening. I got ready as quickly as I could, but even sitting on a chair to do my make-up made my feet painful, so even before I had left the house I was in a lot of pain and it was really hard to walk.
When I got home again, they were horribly swollen and I had to use pillows overnight to elevate them while I slept and try and reduce the swelling.
I'm obviously not really ready yet for doing very much, which is quite frustrating.
I did look glam for my night out though:
My friend came round and helped my dye my hair, and then I did some experimental blue glitter eyeliner wings on my eyes.
Finally, I made sure my feet weren't left out and gave them what I call a Dorothy pedicure - red glitter!
I took that picture on New Year's Day, and you will notice I even managed to force my casts through the legs of my slim fit jeans! Hurrah! I can wear decent clothes again. Wouldn't want to try it with skinnies though.
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