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 vanity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vanity. Show all posts
Saturday, 17 January 2015
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.
Monday, 25 February 2013
12 weeks! Moans and milestones.
Wow! Today is a special day. It is the 12-week "anniversary" of my operation. Is it me or has that three months gone slooooooowwwwwwwly?
I'll start with some positives.
I'm still able to drive and finding it gets easier, although sometimes if I have to use the clutch too much it makes my foot hurt. But it is so nice to have the freedom that driving brings.
Other than that, there's been nothing major. I'm still doing my exercises, which I still need to photograph/video for you, and still hobbling around.
That's my moan - that my left foot is still very painful following being yanked by Emma of orthotics, and I've decided to put in an official complaint about her as I feel she's set my recovery right back.
I limp on that foot and it is still extremely painful along the top of the foot, in a line down the centre of the toe and along the foot itself.
I've noticed that whereas a few weeks ago I was thinking about how to move or do things, I am now doing things without thinking.
While that is definitely progress, it does mean that sometimes I do something my feet don't like - and they really let me know!
I'm continuing to massage my scars every day, and they still look much as they did a few weeks ago.
In fact, I can see now why so many bunions blogs start to peter out around this stage of recovery.
There just isn't much to say!
That, and life begins to get busy again as you get back to normal and there's less time for blogging.
But I really do want this to continue to be a resource for people, so I'm determined to carry on blogging and updating you.
Tomorrow I go back to the hospital and I'm hoping to see Mr Nugent. If I don't get to see him I plan to ask for another appointment so that I can.
As I have very little to say, I thought I'd leave you with some pictures of my feet in socks, with the spacers in and without, so you can see the difference the spacers make, and the shape of my feet with no orthotics or spacers.
They're not quite as straight as I hoped, but I still think they're pretty good!
Here they are with the spacers (taken in daylight):
And without (using flash):
Remember, if there's anything you want to ask me, or ask me to write about, you can message me via the comments section below each blog post. I love to hear from my readers so feel free to write me a comment. I try and reply to all comments, although it may take me a few days.
I'll start with some positives.
I'm still able to drive and finding it gets easier, although sometimes if I have to use the clutch too much it makes my foot hurt. But it is so nice to have the freedom that driving brings.
Other than that, there's been nothing major. I'm still doing my exercises, which I still need to photograph/video for you, and still hobbling around.
That's my moan - that my left foot is still very painful following being yanked by Emma of orthotics, and I've decided to put in an official complaint about her as I feel she's set my recovery right back.
I limp on that foot and it is still extremely painful along the top of the foot, in a line down the centre of the toe and along the foot itself.
I've noticed that whereas a few weeks ago I was thinking about how to move or do things, I am now doing things without thinking.
While that is definitely progress, it does mean that sometimes I do something my feet don't like - and they really let me know!
I'm continuing to massage my scars every day, and they still look much as they did a few weeks ago.
In fact, I can see now why so many bunions blogs start to peter out around this stage of recovery.
There just isn't much to say!
That, and life begins to get busy again as you get back to normal and there's less time for blogging.
But I really do want this to continue to be a resource for people, so I'm determined to carry on blogging and updating you.
Tomorrow I go back to the hospital and I'm hoping to see Mr Nugent. If I don't get to see him I plan to ask for another appointment so that I can.
As I have very little to say, I thought I'd leave you with some pictures of my feet in socks, with the spacers in and without, so you can see the difference the spacers make, and the shape of my feet with no orthotics or spacers.
They're not quite as straight as I hoped, but I still think they're pretty good!
Here they are with the spacers (taken in daylight):
And without (using flash):
Remember, if there's anything you want to ask me, or ask me to write about, you can message me via the comments section below each blog post. I love to hear from my readers so feel free to write me a comment. I try and reply to all comments, although it may take me a few days.
Sunday, 17 February 2013
Wobbles and worries
Something I know from previous times I've had surgery that alters my appearance, is that at various points along the road to recovery I end up having moments of severe anxiety.
I'm sure this is just a normal part of the process. Having surgery is a major thing in itself, but add in the fact that you want certain results from it, both functional and aesthetic, and there is huge potential for worry.
My main aim with having my bunions done was to end the pain, but I also wanted to get rid of the unsightly bumps on the sides of my feet, and have pretty feet that I wasn't ashamed of people seeing.
I've had a couple of moments of worry, one of which is happening now, and they are both about the same thing - are my big toes really fixed or are they bending back over?
Now, you've seen the pictures, so you know that in reality the toes are much straighter than before. But I have times when I think they are shifting back over again. And there are times when it really does look like that, but then I wonder what other people's feet look like, and I reckon mine, now, probably look like most people's.
Or at least, most people who habitually wear shoes. It wouldn't be helpful to compare my feet to unshod peoples', which look very different (and presumably much more like all feet should naturally look).
As you can see, the shod foot looks like what we would call a 'normal'foot, whereas the shoe that hasn't worn shoes (quite possibly, ever) has more spread-out toes. I'm going to revisit this in a blog post at some point; I find the whole barefoot movement facinating and very appealing.
Anyway, what's been happening is that occasionally I look at my feet (first thing in the morning and in the bath are particular flashpoints) and think "oh my goodness! Look at my toes!! the big toes have gone back to where they were before! They're touching my second toes! It's all gone wrong!" and I feel like crying.
I'm sharing this only so other people who have this surgery will know that this reaction is normal and to be expected. It is also not rooted in reality.
Here's some pictures to show you what I mean.
When my feet have been resting for a while without the spacers, such as overnight, or in the bath, they tend to look like this.
Which does look horribly like the big toes have moved back toward the other toes. However, this picture is of the feet in mid air, not on the ground, plus some of what is happening is that the other toes have moved into a straighter position now the big toe is not constantly shoving them over to the side, so filling the space I've grown accustomed to seeing next to my big toe, especially when I have the spacers in.
Here is the foot placed on the ground.
I don't think the actual toe placement is any different, although the right one may have moved slightly, but being on the ground somehow makes the big toe look straighter, so my theory is that the pressure from the floor alters the shape of the rest of the foot. (And yes, I do seem to be holding my left foot at a funny angle, it's probably because it hurts, thanks to Emma of orthotics.)
And here are my feet after I walked (well, limped) around the living room, then stood still.
It's a subtle difference between this picture and the first one, but the toes have spread out slightly from the weight on them and the action of walking, and they look much more how I would want them to look (although never as straight as with the spacers, sadly).
So, I hope this shows how wobbles and worries are just that, and shouldn't be taken too seriously.
And if all else fails, I just have another look at my before picture.
Yep. Surgery definitely worked!
I'm sure this is just a normal part of the process. Having surgery is a major thing in itself, but add in the fact that you want certain results from it, both functional and aesthetic, and there is huge potential for worry.
My main aim with having my bunions done was to end the pain, but I also wanted to get rid of the unsightly bumps on the sides of my feet, and have pretty feet that I wasn't ashamed of people seeing.
I've had a couple of moments of worry, one of which is happening now, and they are both about the same thing - are my big toes really fixed or are they bending back over?
Now, you've seen the pictures, so you know that in reality the toes are much straighter than before. But I have times when I think they are shifting back over again. And there are times when it really does look like that, but then I wonder what other people's feet look like, and I reckon mine, now, probably look like most people's.
Or at least, most people who habitually wear shoes. It wouldn't be helpful to compare my feet to unshod peoples', which look very different (and presumably much more like all feet should naturally look).
As you can see, the shod foot looks like what we would call a 'normal'foot, whereas the shoe that hasn't worn shoes (quite possibly, ever) has more spread-out toes. I'm going to revisit this in a blog post at some point; I find the whole barefoot movement facinating and very appealing.
Anyway, what's been happening is that occasionally I look at my feet (first thing in the morning and in the bath are particular flashpoints) and think "oh my goodness! Look at my toes!! the big toes have gone back to where they were before! They're touching my second toes! It's all gone wrong!" and I feel like crying.
I'm sharing this only so other people who have this surgery will know that this reaction is normal and to be expected. It is also not rooted in reality.
Here's some pictures to show you what I mean.
When my feet have been resting for a while without the spacers, such as overnight, or in the bath, they tend to look like this.
Which does look horribly like the big toes have moved back toward the other toes. However, this picture is of the feet in mid air, not on the ground, plus some of what is happening is that the other toes have moved into a straighter position now the big toe is not constantly shoving them over to the side, so filling the space I've grown accustomed to seeing next to my big toe, especially when I have the spacers in.
Here is the foot placed on the ground.
I don't think the actual toe placement is any different, although the right one may have moved slightly, but being on the ground somehow makes the big toe look straighter, so my theory is that the pressure from the floor alters the shape of the rest of the foot. (And yes, I do seem to be holding my left foot at a funny angle, it's probably because it hurts, thanks to Emma of orthotics.)
And here are my feet after I walked (well, limped) around the living room, then stood still.
It's a subtle difference between this picture and the first one, but the toes have spread out slightly from the weight on them and the action of walking, and they look much more how I would want them to look (although never as straight as with the spacers, sadly).
So, I hope this shows how wobbles and worries are just that, and shouldn't be taken too seriously.
And if all else fails, I just have another look at my before picture.
Yep. Surgery definitely worked!
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.
Friday, 25 January 2013
Recovery without casts - the first few days
Well, the first night after the casts came off was agony. Not in my big toes, but in my left middle toe.
When the casts were removed, I noticed that toe was very red. It seemed like it had been crushed by the cast over the previous five weeks and when I touched it, it felt bruised, so I decided in my wisdom that what it needed was a massage.
Bad idea.
Massaging it sparked off agonising pain that continued for hours. I took two codeine at 2.15am but they didn't seem to do anything, and by 3.15am I was nearly crying, and wanting to bang my head against the wall to distract myself from my toe.
I must have fallen asleep eventually because I woke up in the morning and thankfully it had stopped hurting, but I haven't dared touch that toe since! I have asked Mr Nugent on email about it, in case I should see someone.
In fact, today (Friday) is three days after the casts were removed and the toe has a purple spot on it in the middle of the red, so I think my bruising/crushing theory is probably right. I guess it's just going to take time to heal.
Here's what it looked like yesterday (Thursday) two days after the casts came off.
You can see how sore and inflamed it is.
The day after the removal, the Little Lady went to preschool so I spent the day rubbing cream into my feet, especially on the scars, and trying to manage to put my weight fully through the forefoot.
It felt really sore and tight, especially around the incisions, and I was amazed at how little flexibility I have right now.
Yesterday, I put my trainers on (no pictures, I can't bear it!) and walked the Little Lady to and from preschool at both ends of the day.
What is a mere 0.4 miles, and takes five minutes at adult pace or around 15 minutes at child pace, took me TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES.
And I had to go back again as well. So it was just under an hour for drop-off, then I rested until it was time to fetch her, and did just under an hour of shuffling again.
Big mistake.
My feet swelled up, were very sore, and today my legs and hips are aching like I ran a marathon! Crazy.
It doesn't help that my right toe spacer feels lumpy under the next toe, and when I walk (shuffle) it is painful as it digs in. I've emailed Mr Nugent to ask if it's OK if I cut it down a bit to try and stop that happening as I need to be able to put my weight through my foot.
I have some pictures I took yesterday of my scars. All the dead skin has come off now, and although they are still very dry and need a lot of cream, they're pretty much back to normal skin-wise.
Here they are looking great.
Look at those straight toes! *big grin*
And have a look at my scars! I am beyond delighted with how they are looking.
I am so pleased. Obviously they are still pinky red right now, but they are so thin and neat! Mr Nugent has done a fantastic job and I can tell that when they do go silver they will be hardly visible.
I know that's a bit of a vain concern, but it is important to me tthat my feet look as normal as possible in future.
The only thing I'm disappointed about right now is how little range of motion I have in my toes, but that's for the next post.
When the casts were removed, I noticed that toe was very red. It seemed like it had been crushed by the cast over the previous five weeks and when I touched it, it felt bruised, so I decided in my wisdom that what it needed was a massage.
Bad idea.
Massaging it sparked off agonising pain that continued for hours. I took two codeine at 2.15am but they didn't seem to do anything, and by 3.15am I was nearly crying, and wanting to bang my head against the wall to distract myself from my toe.
I must have fallen asleep eventually because I woke up in the morning and thankfully it had stopped hurting, but I haven't dared touch that toe since! I have asked Mr Nugent on email about it, in case I should see someone.
In fact, today (Friday) is three days after the casts were removed and the toe has a purple spot on it in the middle of the red, so I think my bruising/crushing theory is probably right. I guess it's just going to take time to heal.
Here's what it looked like yesterday (Thursday) two days after the casts came off.
You can see how sore and inflamed it is.
The day after the removal, the Little Lady went to preschool so I spent the day rubbing cream into my feet, especially on the scars, and trying to manage to put my weight fully through the forefoot.
It felt really sore and tight, especially around the incisions, and I was amazed at how little flexibility I have right now.
Yesterday, I put my trainers on (no pictures, I can't bear it!) and walked the Little Lady to and from preschool at both ends of the day.
What is a mere 0.4 miles, and takes five minutes at adult pace or around 15 minutes at child pace, took me TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES.
And I had to go back again as well. So it was just under an hour for drop-off, then I rested until it was time to fetch her, and did just under an hour of shuffling again.
Big mistake.
My feet swelled up, were very sore, and today my legs and hips are aching like I ran a marathon! Crazy.
It doesn't help that my right toe spacer feels lumpy under the next toe, and when I walk (shuffle) it is painful as it digs in. I've emailed Mr Nugent to ask if it's OK if I cut it down a bit to try and stop that happening as I need to be able to put my weight through my foot.
I have some pictures I took yesterday of my scars. All the dead skin has come off now, and although they are still very dry and need a lot of cream, they're pretty much back to normal skin-wise.
Here they are looking great.
Look at those straight toes! *big grin*
And have a look at my scars! I am beyond delighted with how they are looking.
I am so pleased. Obviously they are still pinky red right now, but they are so thin and neat! Mr Nugent has done a fantastic job and I can tell that when they do go silver they will be hardly visible.
I know that's a bit of a vain concern, but it is important to me tthat my feet look as normal as possible in future.
The only thing I'm disappointed about right now is how little range of motion I have in my toes, but that's for the next post.
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.
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, 6 January 2013
Shoes! (with pictures)
Anyone who knows me, knows I love a good shoe. I think until I had the Little Lady I was, to paraphrase John Lewis, never knowingly in flats.
I adored heels. I am a woman who once threw out 40, yes, FORTY, pairs of shoes and STILL had 70 pairs left. That is how much of an Imelda I am.
I have shoes in the porch cupboard, shoes in the spare room, a whole cabinet in the bedroom devoted to shoes, and still yet more shoes in my wardrobe. I wouldn't be surprised to open a kitchen cupboard and find a pair (especially not having seen the state of the kitchen this morning! Eek! My husband is definitely NOT a clean freak).
So when I was offered a VIP slot for the Next Christmas sale, I kinda had to go have a look, and of course none of the clothes I liked had been reduced but there were a number of pairs of super-cute shoes just crying out for a new home.
So far, only two of the three pairs I ordered have come. I also did order a lovely dress which I'm hoping will arrive in time for my birthday. It's sparkly and glam and only really a Going Out Out dress, which usually I don't buy because I rarely go Out Out these days, but it was cheap and it has small sleeves (rare on a nice dress) and, and...
Anyway, so I thought I'd share with you the two pairs I have received so far. Now, I know I won't be wearing these any time soon. I'm thinking maybe next winter they will get a chance to be on my feet. I have no intention of rushing my recovery, but at £16 a pair - yes, that's right, just £16 a pair - I figure that if they end up not fitting I can just sell them on.
The first pair I think might be OK before winter. They are a mid heel, and fairly wide, with a strap over the front for security (we all know that open court shoes, or pumps for my American readers, make you use your toes to keep them on), and they are just the most funkalicious leopard print on ponyskin too! (Actually, it is probably cheaper cow hide, but it has a lovely hairy feel.)
Look at that darling cone heel!
I know they're pointy, but I reckon that occasional wearings won't be too bad. I've definitely read that other people who've had this surgery can wear normal shoes later on, and if I am careful I'm hopeful I won't have to sell on my entire shoe collection.
The other pair are a bit naughty really. They are high, too high really for operated-on feet, but they are silver teamed with nude croc! I mean, who could resist? Add in an ankle strap (one of my weaknesses) and a peep toe (another one) and I could not refuse these shoes if you paid me.
Beautiful, huh?
I'll share the other pair with you as soon as they arrive later this month. Suffice to say: high banana heel, nude suede, cross-over peep toe detail...
I adored heels. I am a woman who once threw out 40, yes, FORTY, pairs of shoes and STILL had 70 pairs left. That is how much of an Imelda I am.
I have shoes in the porch cupboard, shoes in the spare room, a whole cabinet in the bedroom devoted to shoes, and still yet more shoes in my wardrobe. I wouldn't be surprised to open a kitchen cupboard and find a pair (especially not having seen the state of the kitchen this morning! Eek! My husband is definitely NOT a clean freak).
So when I was offered a VIP slot for the Next Christmas sale, I kinda had to go have a look, and of course none of the clothes I liked had been reduced but there were a number of pairs of super-cute shoes just crying out for a new home.
So far, only two of the three pairs I ordered have come. I also did order a lovely dress which I'm hoping will arrive in time for my birthday. It's sparkly and glam and only really a Going Out Out dress, which usually I don't buy because I rarely go Out Out these days, but it was cheap and it has small sleeves (rare on a nice dress) and, and...
Anyway, so I thought I'd share with you the two pairs I have received so far. Now, I know I won't be wearing these any time soon. I'm thinking maybe next winter they will get a chance to be on my feet. I have no intention of rushing my recovery, but at £16 a pair - yes, that's right, just £16 a pair - I figure that if they end up not fitting I can just sell them on.
The first pair I think might be OK before winter. They are a mid heel, and fairly wide, with a strap over the front for security (we all know that open court shoes, or pumps for my American readers, make you use your toes to keep them on), and they are just the most funkalicious leopard print on ponyskin too! (Actually, it is probably cheaper cow hide, but it has a lovely hairy feel.)
Look at that darling cone heel!
I know they're pointy, but I reckon that occasional wearings won't be too bad. I've definitely read that other people who've had this surgery can wear normal shoes later on, and if I am careful I'm hopeful I won't have to sell on my entire shoe collection.
The other pair are a bit naughty really. They are high, too high really for operated-on feet, but they are silver teamed with nude croc! I mean, who could resist? Add in an ankle strap (one of my weaknesses) and a peep toe (another one) and I could not refuse these shoes if you paid me.
Beautiful, huh?
I'll share the other pair with you as soon as they arrive later this month. Suffice to say: high banana heel, nude suede, cross-over peep toe detail...
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.
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.
Wednesday, 19 December 2012
Freedom is a new cast.
Ah! The sweet, sweet joy of being freed! The deep blue of the living room carpet! The brighter daylight through the front room windows! The smooth exapnse of the kitchen floor!
Yes, dear readers. I have been downstairs. T'was a momentous occasion.
Obviously, I had to go down the stairs in order to go to hospital yesterday. I didn't abseil out of the Little Lady's bedroom window.
But when I got home from hospital, I scuttled straight back upstairs again, to my cosypit nest where I've been very happy hibernating from the cold this last fortnight.
See? It's all set up for me. Who wouldn't want to be there?
But today I had a friend come round for a cuppa and I thought 'why not entertain downstairs?'.
Why not indeed, verily and forsooth? (Sorry, I'm in a funny mood today. Must be all this freedom.)
Employing the 'puppet crab' method, I edged sideways down the stairs, clinging onto the bannister. Classy and graceful, as always.
I ditched the crutches because I have found that I can walk around as long as take weird high steps (because I can't bend my feet). It's a bit like powerwalking only it is very very slow. And hilarious to watch. Kudos to the hubby for not laughing.
My friend and I sat in the living room, my feet perched on a borrowed pouffe (thanks Hannah!) and it was nice to be out of the bedroom.
So nice that I had lunch at the kitchen table. I know! Living dangerously is my second hobby.
But sadly, after a couple of hours my feet were objecting. Despite the surgeon telling me to continue to elevate them, I forgot while I had lunch, and that short period - around half an hour - of them being down was enough for them to swell.
I could feel the casts getting tight, the incisions throbbing.
So I scuttled back upstairs to my lovely pit and took some paracetamol and ibuprofen. I also remembered to do my heparin injection and damn that stuff stings when you're not on codeine!
So freedom is great, for sure, but I think too much of a good thing can be dangerous. Maybe I'll ease myself back into the world slowly.
Yes, dear readers. I have been downstairs. T'was a momentous occasion.
Obviously, I had to go down the stairs in order to go to hospital yesterday. I didn't abseil out of the Little Lady's bedroom window.
But when I got home from hospital, I scuttled straight back upstairs again, to my cosy
See? It's all set up for me. Who wouldn't want to be there?
But today I had a friend come round for a cuppa and I thought 'why not entertain downstairs?'.
Why not indeed, verily and forsooth? (Sorry, I'm in a funny mood today. Must be all this freedom.)
Employing the 'puppet crab' method, I edged sideways down the stairs, clinging onto the bannister. Classy and graceful, as always.
I ditched the crutches because I have found that I can walk around as long as take weird high steps (because I can't bend my feet). It's a bit like powerwalking only it is very very slow. And hilarious to watch. Kudos to the hubby for not laughing.
My friend and I sat in the living room, my feet perched on a borrowed pouffe (thanks Hannah!) and it was nice to be out of the bedroom.
So nice that I had lunch at the kitchen table. I know! Living dangerously is my second hobby.
But sadly, after a couple of hours my feet were objecting. Despite the surgeon telling me to continue to elevate them, I forgot while I had lunch, and that short period - around half an hour - of them being down was enough for them to swell.
I could feel the casts getting tight, the incisions throbbing.
So I scuttled back upstairs to my lovely pit and took some paracetamol and ibuprofen. I also remembered to do my heparin injection and damn that stuff stings when you're not on codeine!
So freedom is great, for sure, but I think too much of a good thing can be dangerous. Maybe I'll ease myself back into the world slowly.
Tuesday, 18 December 2012
The big reveal! Sort of. With pictures.
So. You're all here for The Grand Unveiling, yes? The big reveal. The moment of "ta-daa".
Well, I'm sorry to disappoint, but the hospital visit wasn't quite what I expected.
Yes, the casts were removed, and yes, there are pictures of my feet, but they were quickly wrapped up again and put in new casts which I have to keep on for another four weeks. I know! I thought it was a long time too!
So, we get another Big Reveal in a months' time. Or actually, in five weeks' time because for some reason my next appointment is January 22, just the day before my birthday (hint, hint).
But you want to know all about today, no?
My lovely hubby drove me and the Little Lady to the drop-off point, then parked the car while I laboriously crutched my way through the hospital to the reception to meet him, and to catch the 'buggy bus' to the clinic.
It took me ages to get there - it's the longest I've 'walked' since the operation and I was pretty exhausted. I was glad to get on the buggy bus to go to the clinic.
I checked in, and was sent off to be irradiated.
As I went into the X-ray room, the technician, who looked younger than me, said "Oh you've had both done! I didn't think you could have both at the same time."
It turned out that she had had one bunion done in February this year, although not by Mr Nugent, and she needed the other one doing but "can't afford another six weeks off work".
That's one reason I had mine done together - the recovery is slightly more awkward because you don't have even one good foot, but once it's done, it's done.
The technician had metal screws in her foot, whereas my pins will dissolve, so we had slightly different procedures, but she showed me her foot and how straight her big toe is now, and I started to get a little bit excited about seeing mine.
She did two X-rays of each foot, sent them through to Mr Nugent, and I went back to the clinic where he was waiting to enact the reveal.
First, Mr Nugent cut off the bandages, and then he simply wiggled and slid the casts off my feet. I did brace myself for some pain but it was actually just really tickly! I'm not good with having my feet touched so it was hilarious.
I was pretty amazed by how my feet looked. They are so thin! Now the lump of the bunion has gone my whole foot shape has changed. Yes, I know that's the point but I just could not envisage it until I saw it. It's incredible.
There wasn't much time to take pictures, because as soon as they were uncovered, Mr Nugent was making some toe separators out of quick-hardening putty (which the Little Lady was pleased to note was pink) and then wrapping my feet up again in some fluffy padding, before putting a new cast on.
He then taped bandages over the cast, just like before, and there we were. Done.
"The X-rays look good," he said, almost as an aside. And that was it.
Actually, there was a teensy bit of gossip but I'll share that on another post. This one is all about me!
So here we go with the pictures. The initial rating on the Grimometer is zero.
In this first one, Mr Nugent has removed the cast from my right foot and is making the putty toe separator by moulding it between my toes and letting it harden. You can see that he has cut the bandage on my left foot, and it is hanging loose round my ankle.
In this next one, he has removed the cast from the left foot, and the toe separator on the right is hardening. This gives you a real idea of the new shape of my feet. They are amazeballs!
My left toes look like I'm holding them funny, but that's just how they were. I was too scared to wiggle them! I guess once I'm back in shoes and walking around they'll start to settle down.
So here are both feet with new toe separators. You can see the fading arrows on my feet from the surgery, and the slight tan I appear to have is the yellow antiseptic stuff they paint onto you prior to operating.
If you've been waiting for the grimometer warning, here it is. The next few pictures show my steri-strip stitches. I don't personally think it looks that grim, but I'll give it a 5/10 rating. If you want to avoid them, I suggest scrolling to the very bottom then slowly working back up till you see a picture of my feet wrapped in fluffy stuff. Stop there and read from that point.
Here's a small break so you don't unexpectedly see the pictures of the stitches. Off you go squeamish ones!
...
...
OK, those with strong stomaches still with me? Here we go!
So these are the steri-strip stitches on my right foot. The incision is getting on for three inches long. In this one, the new shape of my foot looks like it might be Roman (see this post) which is interesting. I guess the Greek shape had only appeared because of my bunions making the big toes look shorter, because of the angle they leant at. And it means the Little Lady does have my feet, so I'll have to make sure I look after them.
Another angle of the same foot. That's Mr Nugent lurking in the background.
The left foot's stitches. There's a bit more blood here, which might be why this one has been slightly more painful.
...
...
The next photos are back to zero on the Grimometer scale. Squeamish people can rejoin the post here.
All wrapped up in fluffy padding and waiting for a new cast.
And here they are back at home in the new casts. They don't look much different, but actually the circumference of each cast is just over an inch less than the old ones, which shows how much swelling there was immediately after surgery.
I don't think my feet are swollen at all now. They certainly didn't look it today.
I think they looked amazing, and I am so excited to get them properly unwrapped in five weeks' time!
Well, I'm sorry to disappoint, but the hospital visit wasn't quite what I expected.
Yes, the casts were removed, and yes, there are pictures of my feet, but they were quickly wrapped up again and put in new casts which I have to keep on for another four weeks. I know! I thought it was a long time too!
So, we get another Big Reveal in a months' time. Or actually, in five weeks' time because for some reason my next appointment is January 22, just the day before my birthday (hint, hint).
But you want to know all about today, no?
My lovely hubby drove me and the Little Lady to the drop-off point, then parked the car while I laboriously crutched my way through the hospital to the reception to meet him, and to catch the 'buggy bus' to the clinic.
It took me ages to get there - it's the longest I've 'walked' since the operation and I was pretty exhausted. I was glad to get on the buggy bus to go to the clinic.
I checked in, and was sent off to be irradiated.
As I went into the X-ray room, the technician, who looked younger than me, said "Oh you've had both done! I didn't think you could have both at the same time."
It turned out that she had had one bunion done in February this year, although not by Mr Nugent, and she needed the other one doing but "can't afford another six weeks off work".
That's one reason I had mine done together - the recovery is slightly more awkward because you don't have even one good foot, but once it's done, it's done.
The technician had metal screws in her foot, whereas my pins will dissolve, so we had slightly different procedures, but she showed me her foot and how straight her big toe is now, and I started to get a little bit excited about seeing mine.
She did two X-rays of each foot, sent them through to Mr Nugent, and I went back to the clinic where he was waiting to enact the reveal.
First, Mr Nugent cut off the bandages, and then he simply wiggled and slid the casts off my feet. I did brace myself for some pain but it was actually just really tickly! I'm not good with having my feet touched so it was hilarious.
I was pretty amazed by how my feet looked. They are so thin! Now the lump of the bunion has gone my whole foot shape has changed. Yes, I know that's the point but I just could not envisage it until I saw it. It's incredible.
There wasn't much time to take pictures, because as soon as they were uncovered, Mr Nugent was making some toe separators out of quick-hardening putty (which the Little Lady was pleased to note was pink) and then wrapping my feet up again in some fluffy padding, before putting a new cast on.
He then taped bandages over the cast, just like before, and there we were. Done.
"The X-rays look good," he said, almost as an aside. And that was it.
Actually, there was a teensy bit of gossip but I'll share that on another post. This one is all about me!
So here we go with the pictures. The initial rating on the Grimometer is zero.
My left toes look like I'm holding them funny, but that's just how they were. I was too scared to wiggle them! I guess once I'm back in shoes and walking around they'll start to settle down.
If you've been waiting for the grimometer warning, here it is. The next few pictures show my steri-strip stitches. I don't personally think it looks that grim, but I'll give it a 5/10 rating. If you want to avoid them, I suggest scrolling to the very bottom then slowly working back up till you see a picture of my feet wrapped in fluffy stuff. Stop there and read from that point.
Here's a small break so you don't unexpectedly see the pictures of the stitches. Off you go squeamish ones!
...
...
OK, those with strong stomaches still with me? Here we go!
...
...
The next photos are back to zero on the Grimometer scale. Squeamish people can rejoin the post here.
I don't think my feet are swollen at all now. They certainly didn't look it today.
I think they looked amazing, and I am so excited to get them properly unwrapped in five weeks' time!
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