Ah well, all my promises and good intentions of the last post almost a year ago were in vain. I'm still a bad blogger. But hey, I've had a lot going on. Like what? I hear you ask. Well, I had a(nother) baby and if that ain't a good enough excuse for not updating then I don't know what is.
The little man was born July 28, weighing 6lbs 15oz, and totally perfect. He came into the world in our living room in front of his excited big sister, who has been his most adoring fan ever since. Despite all the worries to do with the Factor V Leiden, thanks to the heparin shots the pregnancy was totally fine apart from one unexplained bleed probably caused by the thinners.
Of course, pregnancy took its toll on my feet. All women experience feet that swell, ache and generally change shape in pregnancy (and afterwards) and mine are no exception. He is now six months old and I do get achy feet, because I spend a lot of the day standing up with him in the sling, either getting him to sleep or just getting on with things.
Have I managed to wear heels at all? Sadly, no. I have tried a few times but they HURT. Big time. Not in my joints but the balls of my feel burn because I'm just not used to it and I'm not sure I can take going through the pain in order to build up a resistance again.
I wear flats because they're practical for my lifestyle, and as I only ever want to wear heels occasionally, if I go out, I just get a taxi, sit down a lot, or even take flats to change into. This week it's my 40th birthday (how did I get so old?!!) and while I really want to wear heels at my party (oh hell yeah I'm having a party!) I will probably end up in a pair of flats by the end of the night. Not least because I will be wearing my baby boy in the sling for a lot of it and he is heavy now - 15lbs.
So that's where I am right now. Not much has changed and I don't expect it's going to now, so I think heels are just down to whether I want to try and learn to wear them again, but other than that it's been the best decision I ever made - pain-free, pretty feet that are no longer disfigured or embarrassing.
I do intend to post occasionally, but generally my story is done, I think. Good luck to anyone undergoing this surgery, and do let me know how you get on. I love to read your comments and messages.
Showing posts with label practicalities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label practicalities. Show all posts
Saturday, 17 January 2015
Monday, 27 May 2013
21 weeks - approaching normality
HUGE APOLOGIES! I thought I'd published this but it was still in my drafts. Sorry! I think I was going to add some pictures, but instead I'll just get this posted and do pictures for you another time. I do have videos I've been doing but I have so much trouble getting them uploaded to YouTube I may give up on them. Anyway, hope this is still useful/interesting and I'll get writing more I promise.
*should have been published a month ago, whoops*
It's been three weeks since my last update, and I'm now 21 weeks post-surgery.
Last week I picked up my new, custom, orthotics from the hospital. That marked the end of my hospital appointments at the Royal Berks, apart from when I need the orthotics replacing in about two years' time.
The orthotics are as slim as they can make them. You can see from the picture that they are really thin, but the curve of them where they support my arch and heel means that they push my foot up, which means I need to be careful what kind of shoes I wear.
I am working on a post looking at shoes, but basically my orthotist would like me to wear big, clunky shoes with very rounded toes, either completely closed or with a wide strap, and generally pretty ugly.
So far I've found I can wear my orthotics in my flat ballerinas, which have a rounded toe, because although they have no strap they grip the back of my heel and my heel doesn't slip out of shoe when I walk, which is often a problem with very open shoes.
I also wear a pair of sporty styled shoes with two velcro straps over the foot.
As the weather warms up, I probably won't wear the orthotics as often as I should, because you cannot wear them in sandals, but I do make sure that I am conscious of my foot positioning and pronation, and I hope that will be enough to make up for it. I'll definitely wear them all winter.
Right now, I can't wear them the whole time anyway. The orthotist told me I had to build it up by wearing them for half an hour the first day, then an hour the next day, and two hours the next, and so on.
I find they do make my feet and legs ache, because the muscles are adjusting to the new positioning, so I'm still working on increasing the time. I can't wear them in the house unless I wear shoes inside, and I usually wear slippers, so it's taking me longer to build the time up, but I think that's OK.
I also saw my physiotherapist again. I know Ed has been reading the blog, so "Hello Ed!" *waves*
I had to admit I've not been doing my exercises as much as I should have been, because they make me hurt, so I have promised that over the next month I will do them regularly, and wear my orthotics, and hopefully when I go again he will discharge me.
I did go back to yoga and have done two sessions now. Surprisingly, it wasn't as hard as I expected.
During my recovery I have been making sure I did foot exercises, and calf stretches, and I found I was no where near as stiff as I thought I'd be. My teacher, Minna (who also reads this so "Hi Minna!" *waves again*) does try to tell me to take it easy but I like to push myself and I never do anything that is painful.
As expected, it was a challenge to roll over my toes to go from all fours into downward dog, for example, but I either do it one foot at a time, or I do both together but put a lot of my weight onto my hands and arms.
Over time, it will definitely get back to normal, I'm sure.
I am actually really pleased with my recovery; with my range of motion and with my lack of pain. I know I've worked hard on my recovery but I also feel very lucky and blessed.
I do still have the problem with my toenail on my left foot, but I can now see that there is a new nail growing under the old one, and the old one is growing out, so in six months that is going to be back to normal. It's irritating, but a temporary annoyance.
So there we are! I'm still doing my exercises, building up my general stamina for walking and standing, and sometimes overdoing it a bit! Some days I'm fine, some days my legs and feet really ache, but the progress is in the right direction and soon, in terms of medical appointments, I'll be flying solo!
As usual, please ask any questions or make any comments below.
*should have been published a month ago, whoops*
It's been three weeks since my last update, and I'm now 21 weeks post-surgery.
Last week I picked up my new, custom, orthotics from the hospital. That marked the end of my hospital appointments at the Royal Berks, apart from when I need the orthotics replacing in about two years' time.
The orthotics are as slim as they can make them. You can see from the picture that they are really thin, but the curve of them where they support my arch and heel means that they push my foot up, which means I need to be careful what kind of shoes I wear.
I am working on a post looking at shoes, but basically my orthotist would like me to wear big, clunky shoes with very rounded toes, either completely closed or with a wide strap, and generally pretty ugly.
So far I've found I can wear my orthotics in my flat ballerinas, which have a rounded toe, because although they have no strap they grip the back of my heel and my heel doesn't slip out of shoe when I walk, which is often a problem with very open shoes.
I also wear a pair of sporty styled shoes with two velcro straps over the foot.
As the weather warms up, I probably won't wear the orthotics as often as I should, because you cannot wear them in sandals, but I do make sure that I am conscious of my foot positioning and pronation, and I hope that will be enough to make up for it. I'll definitely wear them all winter.
Right now, I can't wear them the whole time anyway. The orthotist told me I had to build it up by wearing them for half an hour the first day, then an hour the next day, and two hours the next, and so on.
I find they do make my feet and legs ache, because the muscles are adjusting to the new positioning, so I'm still working on increasing the time. I can't wear them in the house unless I wear shoes inside, and I usually wear slippers, so it's taking me longer to build the time up, but I think that's OK.
I also saw my physiotherapist again. I know Ed has been reading the blog, so "Hello Ed!" *waves*
I had to admit I've not been doing my exercises as much as I should have been, because they make me hurt, so I have promised that over the next month I will do them regularly, and wear my orthotics, and hopefully when I go again he will discharge me.
I did go back to yoga and have done two sessions now. Surprisingly, it wasn't as hard as I expected.
During my recovery I have been making sure I did foot exercises, and calf stretches, and I found I was no where near as stiff as I thought I'd be. My teacher, Minna (who also reads this so "Hi Minna!" *waves again*) does try to tell me to take it easy but I like to push myself and I never do anything that is painful.
As expected, it was a challenge to roll over my toes to go from all fours into downward dog, for example, but I either do it one foot at a time, or I do both together but put a lot of my weight onto my hands and arms.
Over time, it will definitely get back to normal, I'm sure.
I am actually really pleased with my recovery; with my range of motion and with my lack of pain. I know I've worked hard on my recovery but I also feel very lucky and blessed.
I do still have the problem with my toenail on my left foot, but I can now see that there is a new nail growing under the old one, and the old one is growing out, so in six months that is going to be back to normal. It's irritating, but a temporary annoyance.
So there we are! I'm still doing my exercises, building up my general stamina for walking and standing, and sometimes overdoing it a bit! Some days I'm fine, some days my legs and feet really ache, but the progress is in the right direction and soon, in terms of medical appointments, I'll be flying solo!
As usual, please ask any questions or make any comments below.
Saturday, 16 February 2013
Two hospitals, one day, and three orthotics.
Thursday was a busy day, and not just because it was Valentine's Day and I was sorting through my large pile of cards from admirers for the best part of the morning.
Lol.
Actually, I did end up with three cards - one from the hubby and two from the Little Lady, bless her - but I was busy because I had two hospital visits.
The first was at the Royal Berks to the orthotics department. You may remember I'd asked to be referred when I had my casts off, and the appointment came through very fast.
It turns out that it came through too fast, and I have to go back in a month, but I did have a full appointment anyway.
I saw someone called Emma. I'm not sure what her title was because I didn't catch it (does anyone ever? They just rush their name and title at you as soon as you walk in and I'm lucky if I remember their name) and she isn't listed on the department's web page so I can't look her up.
What can I say about her? She was young, probably mid to late 20s, she was Scottish...oh yes, she nearly crippled me.
Obviously she needed to examine my feet, but she took hold of my left big toe, grabbed it and then YANKED it up towards the ceiling!
I nearly hit her!
It was so painful, but she didn't feel the need to apologise. She just carried on.
I did ask her to be more gentle, and we managed the rest of the examination without incident, although afterwards she said "I thought you were going to assault me". If I had, I'd only have been returning the favour!
I wasn't very impressed with Scottish Emma, which is a shame as we share both a name and a heritage, but she told me all about how bunions are not caused by anything at all, and are not only purely genetic (that bit's true) but "just happen". Hmmm. Not what almost every other medical professional will say, but she certainly seemed to believe it.
Another medic to add to my "do not believe" list I guess.
I came away with some insoles for my shoes, with added-on bits supposedly making them a bit more tailored to my feet.
When I go back they will see whether I need custom-made ones, which was what they were going to make for me this time but can't. The ones I was given cost £50 while the custom ones cost £150, so I imagine they'll try to avoid making some for me if possible.
This is what they look like.
The coloured bits are the added-on sections.
And this is the box, in case you're interested. Emma told me that it is cheaper to buy them direct from Talar so if you want to get some then this is the box to look for. I had a look on their website and am not sure which ones are mine exactly, but they definitely are cheaper direct.
Emma told me to wear them for short periods and build up to a full day because the foot has to get used to a new position. I figured that I am a) not walking much and b) getting used to new foot function anyway, so I'd just wear them whenever I wear my trainers.
That appointment done with, and a new one booked for next month (at which I hope I get someone else), I went to my local hospital in the afternoon for a physio assessment.
Townlands Hospital is a cute community hospital which has been saved from closure numerous times, although much of it has been shut down, including the maternity unit. These days if you want your child to be born in the town then you have to have a home birth (which is exactly what I did, although not for that reason).
We still have one building left, which houses the minor injuries unit (like a mini A&E, very useful) and the physio department, plus X-ray facilities, and other things such as clinics. My first appointment with Mr Nugent was at Townlands; it's an excellent facility to have.
Enough eulogising!
My appointment was with Ed. Unlike the RBH physio bit I went to while on Hunter ward, which was like a storecupboard, Townlands has a large room filled with equipment, although there was only Ed and me there.
We chatted about my history and operation, and Ed had a look and tested my mobility.
Sadly, because nobody measured my mobility before my op, we don't really know how much I have lost. Ed says there's no 'normal' so it's impossible to say, which is a shame really.
But what I do have is the ability to bend my toe 35 degrees, which is about two-thirds of what Ed can achieve, so I'm not doing too badly. I am pretty hypermobile, so I probably had much more than that, but average will suit me fine.
Apparently my toes are weak and stiff, but that's only to be expected really. Thankfully, Ed approves of all my exercises (see here and here) and just added in one more, which uses an elastic band (very high-tech!) as a resistance band for my big toes.
Basically I have to use the band to pull my toe in one direction, like towards me, then use my toe to push against that the other way, then swap and do it in the other direction. This will build up my strength in my toes.
Ed also had a look at my orthotics, and devised me a different one, for my most painful foot. It's a short-term fix for my pain when walking. The idea is that my other toes are lifted up so that when I propel off from my toes the big toe doesn't have so far to travel.
In the short-term this will help me learn a new gait or way of walking that is correct, as at the moment I'm tending to either walk stiffly, or to propel off the side of my foot.
This orthotic looks like this:
It's basically made from thin foam board (probably not the proper name for it) like the stuff you can get for crafts, and some cut up pieces of that padded sticky stuff (also not the proper name) that you can get from Boots, like this.
All very Blue Peter, but it does work.
One thing you might notice is that it has been cut to my actual foot shape. Yes, that is my actual foot shape! Amazing. I'm so pleased.
I see Ed again in a couple of weeks. Our goals are to maximise mobility and minimise pain, so we shall see if we can manage it.
Ed did say he might read the blog, so if you are reading Ed, then hello!
Lol.
Actually, I did end up with three cards - one from the hubby and two from the Little Lady, bless her - but I was busy because I had two hospital visits.
The first was at the Royal Berks to the orthotics department. You may remember I'd asked to be referred when I had my casts off, and the appointment came through very fast.
It turns out that it came through too fast, and I have to go back in a month, but I did have a full appointment anyway.
I saw someone called Emma. I'm not sure what her title was because I didn't catch it (does anyone ever? They just rush their name and title at you as soon as you walk in and I'm lucky if I remember their name) and she isn't listed on the department's web page so I can't look her up.
What can I say about her? She was young, probably mid to late 20s, she was Scottish...oh yes, she nearly crippled me.
Obviously she needed to examine my feet, but she took hold of my left big toe, grabbed it and then YANKED it up towards the ceiling!
I nearly hit her!
It was so painful, but she didn't feel the need to apologise. She just carried on.
I did ask her to be more gentle, and we managed the rest of the examination without incident, although afterwards she said "I thought you were going to assault me". If I had, I'd only have been returning the favour!
I wasn't very impressed with Scottish Emma, which is a shame as we share both a name and a heritage, but she told me all about how bunions are not caused by anything at all, and are not only purely genetic (that bit's true) but "just happen". Hmmm. Not what almost every other medical professional will say, but she certainly seemed to believe it.
Another medic to add to my "do not believe" list I guess.
I came away with some insoles for my shoes, with added-on bits supposedly making them a bit more tailored to my feet.
When I go back they will see whether I need custom-made ones, which was what they were going to make for me this time but can't. The ones I was given cost £50 while the custom ones cost £150, so I imagine they'll try to avoid making some for me if possible.
This is what they look like.
The coloured bits are the added-on sections.
And this is the box, in case you're interested. Emma told me that it is cheaper to buy them direct from Talar so if you want to get some then this is the box to look for. I had a look on their website and am not sure which ones are mine exactly, but they definitely are cheaper direct.
Emma told me to wear them for short periods and build up to a full day because the foot has to get used to a new position. I figured that I am a) not walking much and b) getting used to new foot function anyway, so I'd just wear them whenever I wear my trainers.
That appointment done with, and a new one booked for next month (at which I hope I get someone else), I went to my local hospital in the afternoon for a physio assessment.
Townlands Hospital is a cute community hospital which has been saved from closure numerous times, although much of it has been shut down, including the maternity unit. These days if you want your child to be born in the town then you have to have a home birth (which is exactly what I did, although not for that reason).
We still have one building left, which houses the minor injuries unit (like a mini A&E, very useful) and the physio department, plus X-ray facilities, and other things such as clinics. My first appointment with Mr Nugent was at Townlands; it's an excellent facility to have.
Enough eulogising!
My appointment was with Ed. Unlike the RBH physio bit I went to while on Hunter ward, which was like a storecupboard, Townlands has a large room filled with equipment, although there was only Ed and me there.
We chatted about my history and operation, and Ed had a look and tested my mobility.
Sadly, because nobody measured my mobility before my op, we don't really know how much I have lost. Ed says there's no 'normal' so it's impossible to say, which is a shame really.
But what I do have is the ability to bend my toe 35 degrees, which is about two-thirds of what Ed can achieve, so I'm not doing too badly. I am pretty hypermobile, so I probably had much more than that, but average will suit me fine.
Apparently my toes are weak and stiff, but that's only to be expected really. Thankfully, Ed approves of all my exercises (see here and here) and just added in one more, which uses an elastic band (very high-tech!) as a resistance band for my big toes.
Basically I have to use the band to pull my toe in one direction, like towards me, then use my toe to push against that the other way, then swap and do it in the other direction. This will build up my strength in my toes.
Ed also had a look at my orthotics, and devised me a different one, for my most painful foot. It's a short-term fix for my pain when walking. The idea is that my other toes are lifted up so that when I propel off from my toes the big toe doesn't have so far to travel.
In the short-term this will help me learn a new gait or way of walking that is correct, as at the moment I'm tending to either walk stiffly, or to propel off the side of my foot.
This orthotic looks like this:
It's basically made from thin foam board (probably not the proper name for it) like the stuff you can get for crafts, and some cut up pieces of that padded sticky stuff (also not the proper name) that you can get from Boots, like this.
All very Blue Peter, but it does work.
One thing you might notice is that it has been cut to my actual foot shape. Yes, that is my actual foot shape! Amazing. I'm so pleased.
I see Ed again in a couple of weeks. Our goals are to maximise mobility and minimise pain, so we shall see if we can manage it.
Ed did say he might read the blog, so if you are reading Ed, then hello!
Monday, 14 January 2013
Another day, another pair of shoes (with pictures)
With just a week to go before I get my casts off (eight more sleeps!) I thought I'd share with you the extremely unattractive velcro shoes I've been wearing since the operation, the really quite unattractive trainers I've had to buy to wear for the next however-many weeks, and the simply beautiful heels I hope one day to be able to wear.
First-up, the velcro beauties. I've had to wear these all the time since the operation. They have a hard solid sole that doesn't bend, to protect my joints as they heal.
They are black, fasten with velcro, only come in one orientation (there's no left and right, each shoe is exactly the same) and are frankly awful.
As you can see, they are particularly clunky and in my opinion they don't even fit! My toes hang over the end so they feel really vulnerable.
I cannot wait to be rid of these.
Originally I planned to spray paint them a metallic blue and then paint the soles red as a cheeky nod to Louboutin. But the spraying needed to be done outside, so I had to ask the hubby to do it...nuff said.
Anyway, as of next Tuesday I'll be able to wear trainers.
Many of you might be thinking "that's great". That would be people who like trainers. I hate them.
I am still seething at having had to spend my money on a pair of trainers, and although I tried to find the most attractive pair I could (attractive trainers, surely an oxymoron) I'm not happy. It's partly because, obviously, I can't try them on.
This is them.
I think they are maybe just about bearable.
Let's have a closer look at the metallic details.
I am a little concerned that they are too narrow in the forefoot, but luckily I bought them from Schuh who have a 365-day returns policy! As long as they are in saleable condition, I have a whole year to send them back. So when I go to the hospital next week I'll also take some other trainery things and the surgeon can choose what he thinks is best.
Worst case scenario: he says no to all of them.
Then I'll just wear the velcro beauties home and get ordering more from Schuh! At least I'll be able to try them on by then.
And lastly, here are the aspirational shoes for the future, my £16 Next bargain beauties.
Aren't they lovely?
Let's just have a close-up of those adorable sequins.
I'm looking forward to wearing them - maybe for Regatta in July. Well, it's good to have a goal.
First-up, the velcro beauties. I've had to wear these all the time since the operation. They have a hard solid sole that doesn't bend, to protect my joints as they heal.
They are black, fasten with velcro, only come in one orientation (there's no left and right, each shoe is exactly the same) and are frankly awful.
As you can see, they are particularly clunky and in my opinion they don't even fit! My toes hang over the end so they feel really vulnerable.
I cannot wait to be rid of these.
Originally I planned to spray paint them a metallic blue and then paint the soles red as a cheeky nod to Louboutin. But the spraying needed to be done outside, so I had to ask the hubby to do it...nuff said.
Anyway, as of next Tuesday I'll be able to wear trainers.
Many of you might be thinking "that's great". That would be people who like trainers. I hate them.
I am still seething at having had to spend my money on a pair of trainers, and although I tried to find the most attractive pair I could (attractive trainers, surely an oxymoron) I'm not happy. It's partly because, obviously, I can't try them on.
This is them.
I think they are maybe just about bearable.
Let's have a closer look at the metallic details.
I am a little concerned that they are too narrow in the forefoot, but luckily I bought them from Schuh who have a 365-day returns policy! As long as they are in saleable condition, I have a whole year to send them back. So when I go to the hospital next week I'll also take some other trainery things and the surgeon can choose what he thinks is best.
Worst case scenario: he says no to all of them.
Then I'll just wear the velcro beauties home and get ordering more from Schuh! At least I'll be able to try them on by then.
And lastly, here are the aspirational shoes for the future, my £16 Next bargain beauties.
Aren't they lovely?
Let's just have a close-up of those adorable sequins.
I'm looking forward to wearing them - maybe for Regatta in July. Well, it's good to have a goal.
Sunday, 13 January 2013
Classified?
The thing I've noticed about the NHS, apart from the unreliable quality of care and general shabbiness of its buildings, is that it operates on its own version of the need-to-know basis.
Usually that means you get to know only that which you need to know, at the time you need to know it.
My experience of the NHS is that they operate more by telling you only some of what you need to know at the time you need to know it.
Which I guess is why I have no idea whether, at the moment, I am allowed to walk around lots on crutches, or if I'm supposed to walk only a bit, and whether it's OK to walk without my crutches (which I have been doing because I'm very stable now).
Today I was at a first birthday party (doing an entertainment slot of action songs, I love doing kids' parties!) and one of the guests was an orthopaedic theatre nurse. The last party I went to I met someone who works in healthcare as well. I seem to be attracting these people right now!
Anyway, this lady told me I should be "completely non-weight-bearing for six weeks".
Really?
"Oh yes," she said. "The bones in the foot are very small and they need to heal."
So now I'm totally confused.
Am I supposed to be resting still? My surgeon just told me to elevate my feet when I'm sitting but he didn't say how much sitting I should be doing.
I thought I was erring on the side of caution by mostly not walking anywhere, but now I wonder if I shouldn't be doing that?
The orthopaedic theatre nurse lady did say it was OK to be using crutches, so I'm thinking maybe I should just be keeping my weight off the front of my feet, and if so, I'm probably OK as I have been mostly doing that. (Apart from a few exploratory times when I've put my weight down through my whole foot. And to be honest, it's felt fine.)
Hopefully that hasn't done me any damage.
But how much easier would this process be if I'd been given some actual information, and comprehensive information at that?
Usually that means you get to know only that which you need to know, at the time you need to know it.
My experience of the NHS is that they operate more by telling you only some of what you need to know at the time you need to know it.
Which I guess is why I have no idea whether, at the moment, I am allowed to walk around lots on crutches, or if I'm supposed to walk only a bit, and whether it's OK to walk without my crutches (which I have been doing because I'm very stable now).
Today I was at a first birthday party (doing an entertainment slot of action songs, I love doing kids' parties!) and one of the guests was an orthopaedic theatre nurse. The last party I went to I met someone who works in healthcare as well. I seem to be attracting these people right now!
Anyway, this lady told me I should be "completely non-weight-bearing for six weeks".
Really?
"Oh yes," she said. "The bones in the foot are very small and they need to heal."
So now I'm totally confused.
Am I supposed to be resting still? My surgeon just told me to elevate my feet when I'm sitting but he didn't say how much sitting I should be doing.
I thought I was erring on the side of caution by mostly not walking anywhere, but now I wonder if I shouldn't be doing that?
The orthopaedic theatre nurse lady did say it was OK to be using crutches, so I'm thinking maybe I should just be keeping my weight off the front of my feet, and if so, I'm probably OK as I have been mostly doing that. (Apart from a few exploratory times when I've put my weight down through my whole foot. And to be honest, it's felt fine.)
Hopefully that hasn't done me any damage.
But how much easier would this process be if I'd been given some actual information, and comprehensive information at that?
Wednesday, 2 January 2013
A post on pain at day 30 (or four weeks, or one month)
I think I last properly posted about pain levels a week after surgery. At that point I was still on lots of drugs but not experiencing any pain to speak of. After two weeks I had the casts replaced, came off the painkillers on my surgeon's say-so, and still didn't experience pain.
In the last two weeks though, things have changed.
I don't know much about healing, but my theory is that the body concentrates on the deepest level of injury first, and then moves outwards. So I'm guessing that the first bit of healing that happened was my bones.
Now my body seems to have turned its attention to my incisions, and to the tendons and flesh around the joint that was cut and moved.
I say that because over the last couple of weeks the soreness and tenderness around my incisions has become quite painful. Most of the time my incisions feel scratchy in a painful way, and also itchy.
I also find that moving my feet causes pain deep inside them, like a dull throb, as though there's a big bruise inside, which actually, there is.
I haven't gone back on any painkillers, although it has crossed my mind, mainly because it isn't *that* bad, and I think that a bit of pain prevents me from overdoing things.
I see that as a good thing, because I don't want to jeopardise my recovery in any way, and I'd rather be temporarily frustrated now than permanently frustrated with my feet later.
But I am surprised at how little I can do even now. I had thought that after a month I'd be moving around the house quite a bit, able to cook and do a bit of housework, but half an hour of my feet being down and they are swollen and sore.
In fact, the last few days they've been sore all the time, even when lying in bed.
I am seriously thinking about hiring a mobility scooter because the hubby has to go back to work (he is working from home this week) and I can't see how I am going to get the Little Lady to preschool on my crutches.
I don't feel able to keep her safe at all, and although I have lovely friends who have offered to help, I don't want to impose on people too much.
I really am counting down to having the casts off now, although I suspect that then I'll be in a different kind of pain from trying to learn to walk again.
Well, I guess I did know this was a slow process.
In the last two weeks though, things have changed.
I don't know much about healing, but my theory is that the body concentrates on the deepest level of injury first, and then moves outwards. So I'm guessing that the first bit of healing that happened was my bones.
Now my body seems to have turned its attention to my incisions, and to the tendons and flesh around the joint that was cut and moved.
I say that because over the last couple of weeks the soreness and tenderness around my incisions has become quite painful. Most of the time my incisions feel scratchy in a painful way, and also itchy.
I also find that moving my feet causes pain deep inside them, like a dull throb, as though there's a big bruise inside, which actually, there is.
I haven't gone back on any painkillers, although it has crossed my mind, mainly because it isn't *that* bad, and I think that a bit of pain prevents me from overdoing things.
I see that as a good thing, because I don't want to jeopardise my recovery in any way, and I'd rather be temporarily frustrated now than permanently frustrated with my feet later.
But I am surprised at how little I can do even now. I had thought that after a month I'd be moving around the house quite a bit, able to cook and do a bit of housework, but half an hour of my feet being down and they are swollen and sore.
In fact, the last few days they've been sore all the time, even when lying in bed.
I am seriously thinking about hiring a mobility scooter because the hubby has to go back to work (he is working from home this week) and I can't see how I am going to get the Little Lady to preschool on my crutches.
I don't feel able to keep her safe at all, and although I have lovely friends who have offered to help, I don't want to impose on people too much.
I really am counting down to having the casts off now, although I suspect that then I'll be in a different kind of pain from trying to learn to walk again.
Well, I guess I did know this was a slow process.
Friday, 28 December 2012
Let's get practical
I know that at the moment, most of my readers are friends and family, or people who 'know' me off various internet forums (hi everyone! *waves* and apologies to those who are disturbed that I have a real name! lol).
But I started this blog mainly with the intention of it being helpful to people planning to have bunion surgery, because a lot of what I knew in advance about the recovery period was gleaned from blogs.
So this post is probably only really of interest if you are going to have bunion surgery, or a friend or relative is. But of course, everyone is welcome to read!
I found that my surgeon and hospital did not give me any information on how the recovery process would go, or what I might need to make it easier. If you go private, or live in a country where you have to go private, you might get a better level of information, but if you are NHS, you may well find this really useful.
So here are the things I think you need to know, or need to get.
THINGS YOU NEED TO GET
* A beany lap tray (or two). These are so useful, for using a laptop in bed, eating meals in bed, writing things in bed, you get the picture. Or even as a kind of table to have next to you on the bed. You definitely need one. I borrowed two.
* A pouffe or high footstool. For elevating your foot when you're able to get out of bed. Get one as high as you can, or add pillows/folded blankets to make it high enough. Your feet should be higher than your hips ideally. This also has the advantage of marking you out as needing special care, and even small children seem to honour that (well, a bit, anyway).
* A wheelchair. Not absolutely vital, but if you'd like to be able to leave the house before you can walk on crutches, or if you'd like to go further than you can walk on crutches, then a wheelchair means you can be pushed places. I used mine to go to the Little Lady's nativity play, which I would otherwise have had to miss. I got mine from the Red Cross.
* A decent pair of ergonomially designed crutches. Another thing that's not absolutely necessary, but they are much more comfortable than the NHS ones. I imagine you can get them from the Red Cross, although I borrowed mine.
* A toilet frame. Another Red Cross item. I've already said in another post how much I have valued this piece of equipment. It has enabled me to go to the toilet by myself, which is vital for dignity. Without it I would have had to have someone lift me on and off the toilet.
* A large pair of soft socks. For keeping your toes warm when/if you go outside. You can buy fleece things on the LimbO website but they are a tenner (!) and of no use afterwards. You could always make a fleece toe cover, but socks are easier. I bought a supersoft thermal pair in a size larger than my usual one (6-11 when I am a 6).
* Lots of pillows. For elevating your feet and propping yourself up. I use three behind me and about four for my feet, plus a rolled-up duvet tied to keep it rolled. Yes, it is a lot!
* Lactulose. We covered this before but both anaesthetics and codeine cause constipation. Lactulose is a gentle way to resolve it. Nuff said.
* Help at home. There is no way you will manage on your own, even if you have batch-cooked and/or live on ready meals or takeaways. You will get tired easily, you have very limited mobility, it is not going to work. Try and organise someone to be with you 24/7 for at least four weeks (ideally more), or for someone to come in to do mealtimes and cleaning if that isn't possible. If all else fails, employ a cleaner and cook. Seriously. Do not try to do it yourself.
* A TV in your bedroom (if you don't have one already). I hooked up an old computer in our bedroom so I can watch catch-up TV. I haven't used it all that much, but I prefer it to watching TV on the laptop, and it's nice to have it available.
* Waterproof cast covers if you want to be able to shower (or you can strip wash at the sink instead). If you do want to shower, I suggest you might also want a waterproof chair to sit on while you do it. Personally, I haven't bothered with showering but am just washing at the sink. My surgeon recommended LimbO covers, but at £15 each, I decided to live without. YMMV.
* Mobility scooter I think I'm going to hire one of these when the hubby goes back to work. I can walk with crutches a little now but as I have the Little Lady, I'm concerned I won't be able to keep up with her or keep her safe. With a mobility scooter, she can sit on my lap while we ride into town or to preschool. I definitely think it will give me more freedom than I would otherwise have, and would enable me to go shopping.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
* You will need help washing your hair. If you don't want to be a greaseball for nearly two months, then you will need to get help to wash your hair. The way I have found works best for me is to sit on a chair next to the bath. I sit on the chair sideways with my back facing the bath and then lean back on the edge of the bath, which I pad with a folded-up towel. You will get wet! Get a friend or loved one to wash your hair for you. If you prefer (and I do) they can just wet and rinse it while you do the actual shampooing and conditioning. This does make the back of your neck hurt so sitting up at points throughout is helpful.
* You will have to strip wash. Before I had my casts changed, I sat on a chair at the sink, then washed with a flannel. I am lucky enough to have a tilting wall mirror so I could see my face to wash it, but you could use a standalone mirror, like a shaving mirror. Now I have the smaller casts, I am able to stand at the sink instead of sitting.
* You will have almost no concentration. Before I had the operation I thought I could spend my recovery time knitting, writing and generally catching up on things. But I have found that I can't concentrate on things for too long, so have spent most of my time surfing the net, reading magazines (even books are beyond me!) and doing only things that I can spend small amounts of time on. This is not the time to decide to write that novel, IMO.
There are probably more, and I'll edit and add to this post as they occur to me or as I encounter them. Feel free to add your own in the comments.
But I started this blog mainly with the intention of it being helpful to people planning to have bunion surgery, because a lot of what I knew in advance about the recovery period was gleaned from blogs.
So this post is probably only really of interest if you are going to have bunion surgery, or a friend or relative is. But of course, everyone is welcome to read!
I found that my surgeon and hospital did not give me any information on how the recovery process would go, or what I might need to make it easier. If you go private, or live in a country where you have to go private, you might get a better level of information, but if you are NHS, you may well find this really useful.
So here are the things I think you need to know, or need to get.
THINGS YOU NEED TO GET
* A beany lap tray (or two). These are so useful, for using a laptop in bed, eating meals in bed, writing things in bed, you get the picture. Or even as a kind of table to have next to you on the bed. You definitely need one. I borrowed two.
* A pouffe or high footstool. For elevating your foot when you're able to get out of bed. Get one as high as you can, or add pillows/folded blankets to make it high enough. Your feet should be higher than your hips ideally. This also has the advantage of marking you out as needing special care, and even small children seem to honour that (well, a bit, anyway).
* A wheelchair. Not absolutely vital, but if you'd like to be able to leave the house before you can walk on crutches, or if you'd like to go further than you can walk on crutches, then a wheelchair means you can be pushed places. I used mine to go to the Little Lady's nativity play, which I would otherwise have had to miss. I got mine from the Red Cross.
* A decent pair of ergonomially designed crutches. Another thing that's not absolutely necessary, but they are much more comfortable than the NHS ones. I imagine you can get them from the Red Cross, although I borrowed mine.
* A toilet frame. Another Red Cross item. I've already said in another post how much I have valued this piece of equipment. It has enabled me to go to the toilet by myself, which is vital for dignity. Without it I would have had to have someone lift me on and off the toilet.
* A large pair of soft socks. For keeping your toes warm when/if you go outside. You can buy fleece things on the LimbO website but they are a tenner (!) and of no use afterwards. You could always make a fleece toe cover, but socks are easier. I bought a supersoft thermal pair in a size larger than my usual one (6-11 when I am a 6).
* Lots of pillows. For elevating your feet and propping yourself up. I use three behind me and about four for my feet, plus a rolled-up duvet tied to keep it rolled. Yes, it is a lot!
* Lactulose. We covered this before but both anaesthetics and codeine cause constipation. Lactulose is a gentle way to resolve it. Nuff said.
* Help at home. There is no way you will manage on your own, even if you have batch-cooked and/or live on ready meals or takeaways. You will get tired easily, you have very limited mobility, it is not going to work. Try and organise someone to be with you 24/7 for at least four weeks (ideally more), or for someone to come in to do mealtimes and cleaning if that isn't possible. If all else fails, employ a cleaner and cook. Seriously. Do not try to do it yourself.
* A TV in your bedroom (if you don't have one already). I hooked up an old computer in our bedroom so I can watch catch-up TV. I haven't used it all that much, but I prefer it to watching TV on the laptop, and it's nice to have it available.
* Waterproof cast covers if you want to be able to shower (or you can strip wash at the sink instead). If you do want to shower, I suggest you might also want a waterproof chair to sit on while you do it. Personally, I haven't bothered with showering but am just washing at the sink. My surgeon recommended LimbO covers, but at £15 each, I decided to live without. YMMV.
* Mobility scooter I think I'm going to hire one of these when the hubby goes back to work. I can walk with crutches a little now but as I have the Little Lady, I'm concerned I won't be able to keep up with her or keep her safe. With a mobility scooter, she can sit on my lap while we ride into town or to preschool. I definitely think it will give me more freedom than I would otherwise have, and would enable me to go shopping.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
* You will need help washing your hair. If you don't want to be a greaseball for nearly two months, then you will need to get help to wash your hair. The way I have found works best for me is to sit on a chair next to the bath. I sit on the chair sideways with my back facing the bath and then lean back on the edge of the bath, which I pad with a folded-up towel. You will get wet! Get a friend or loved one to wash your hair for you. If you prefer (and I do) they can just wet and rinse it while you do the actual shampooing and conditioning. This does make the back of your neck hurt so sitting up at points throughout is helpful.
* You will have to strip wash. Before I had my casts changed, I sat on a chair at the sink, then washed with a flannel. I am lucky enough to have a tilting wall mirror so I could see my face to wash it, but you could use a standalone mirror, like a shaving mirror. Now I have the smaller casts, I am able to stand at the sink instead of sitting.
* You will have almost no concentration. Before I had the operation I thought I could spend my recovery time knitting, writing and generally catching up on things. But I have found that I can't concentrate on things for too long, so have spent most of my time surfing the net, reading magazines (even books are beyond me!) and doing only things that I can spend small amounts of time on. This is not the time to decide to write that novel, IMO.
There are probably more, and I'll edit and add to this post as they occur to me or as I encounter them. Feel free to add your own in the comments.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)