Friday, November 19, 2010

Day 3 After Surgery - Making Progress

So I feel like I'm very lucky. I'm able to get around OK on my own (the two or three times I get up to use the bathroom). I made my own breakfast this morning and my own tea!! I hopped around on one foot and used one crutch to balance myself, but it worked out pretty well. I was a sweaty mess by the end of it - and it might not look like much, but I was impressed!



I'm not in a lot of pain, which I am sooo thankful for! I'm going to guess it's because there wasn't an actual tear, so there isn't that to heal. I'm hopeful I may have a shorter recovery, although the doctor won't be able to tell me either way until my follow up on the 29th. I took a tylenol with codeine this morning at 7, but haven't taken anything since...and I'm feeling fine. Haven't been keeping up with the icing today, but have to kick that in the rest of the day!

I'm actually having more difficulty with whatever muscles I'm using to keep my leg elevated when I'm hobbling around on my crutches. So tiring. Another day almost down though! Starting to get bored already!!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Day 2 After Surgery

I've had a big day already. I showered and got dressed all on my own - and it only took 1/2 hour (including time to brush my teeth)! Aunt Ginny did help me wrap up my leg, but everything else I did on my own. Let me tell you, I've never had to work so hard to get my underwear on!! Geez. But this was a big deal for me, especially since I'll be home alone all day tomorrow for the first time since my surgery.

I have everything I need within reach: My personal laptop, work laptop, Blackberry, hand lotion, pills, drinks, Liar's Poker (the book I'm currently reading) crutches on the ground beside me...



This morning I organized my photographs on my external hard drive and computer, went through and tagged a bunch of photos on Facebook, and I'll probably go through and upload more photos to Facebook next. Big day, I know. This is my life for the next week or so!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Day 1 After Surgery

Surgery went well. The good news (and maybe the bad news) is there was, in fact, no tear. There was however, inflammation that they were able to remove. Because there wasn't a tear, it looks like my recovery may not be as long as originally anticipated! :)

I asked if they would take pictures during surgery and got a big F-U, so I have no gory photos unfortunately. (Awww, frowny face)

They did a nerve block which was the coolest thing ever. They stuck needles in the back of my knee and once they found the nerve, my leg started twitching uncontrollably (and that's how they know they have hit the nerve). What made it more awesome was the fact that I didn't feel a thing...until the middle of the night.

I was on cloud 9 after surgery (aside from feeling like puking momentarily). No pain and pills that knocked me out. Woohoo. If post-op was like that every day, I'd recommend surgery to everyone. But alas, the nerve block wore off around 1:30 and the pain in my foot woke me up. I went from pleasure to pain in 2 seconds it seemed like. I tried to go back to sleep for a while but ended up getting up to get my pain pills. It turned out my mom had given me the pills for nausea and not the tylenol with codeine. That was a relief, because I was in a lot of pain and thought the tylenol just wasn't cutting it. It does take a while for the tylenol to kill the pain, so I'm pretty much at 1 every 4 hours.

The good news about waking up from the pain was that I got to remove the knee stabilizer. So great to be able to bend my knee again! Easier to get around with bending my knee and having feeling in it. But it does require a lot of effort to get up and get around. More effort than I anticipated, even though I am more alert than I had expected. 



My foot all bandaged up....there's a splint and dressing around my foot and leg, then ACE bandage around that. It's about twice as wide as my other leg. Won't be able to take dressing or bandage off until November 29th when I go for my follow up. Looking forward to that - and seeing my Fred Flintstone foot! Brutus is afraid of my scary foot and crutches. At first he thought I was playing with him then he just ran. lol.

My mom is staying with me today and then tomorrow my Aunt Ginny is staying with me. Friday I'll pretty much be on my own, no Brutus even. :( At least I have a nice view from the couch.


May be hard to see, but I've got a view of the mountains with their autumn foliage and a nice blue sky with happy little clouds today. :)

Now to go watch more Grey's Anatomy, then on to Sons of Anarchy. Finally getting to catch up on my shows! 16 and Pregnant is on the list too...it's like crack, I can't get enough!!

Monday, November 15, 2010

Day Before Surgery...last minute prep

It’s the day before surgery. Today I ran around trying to do things I won’t be able to do for a while. Dropped off my (beautiful) dress for Amy’s wedding to get altered so I won’t trip on it as I hobble around on my crutches, got my two prescriptions filled and picked up the wash I’m supposed to use tonight and tomorrow morning on the surgery area, did my laundry, put together my Medline Bath Bench for the shower, shaved my left leg for the last time, uploaded Amy’s shower pics, wrapped up some things for work, and downloaded as many torrents as possible, and I’m now watching Grey’s Anatomy online and drinking my last beverage before my surgery – a cup of decaf green tea.
I’m trying not to freak out…I think I’m doing pretty well, considering.  
I did a dry run of how I’ll shower, get up the stairs (butt-up, butt-down – thanks Betsy!), and how I’ll get around in my dress at the wedding while on crutches.
Schedule for tomorrow: I get up around 7, mom will be here to pick me up. I'll shower effortlessly for the last time for a while. We’ll drive down to Wilmington and admit me to the surgical center, doc will operate for an hour or so, hopefully find a tear, repair it, and send me home. It will be a very long drive home and I’m just hoping I do not get sick. I’d like to spend my birthday not throwing up, particularly while in a motor vehicle. Just saying.
I had to re-write my surgeon’s initials on my foot tonight - it was fading. J Probably a good idea to share a picture of my pre-op, non-Fred Flintstone foot. I’m sure I will look at it longingly after tomorrow. (Feet are uuuglllyyyyy) Well, I have to go wash my foot and get some sleep.



I will see if I can get the doc to take some pics for me during surgery! And I will try and update as soon as I can post-op (within a day or so).

Friday, November 5, 2010

Expectations for Post-op

I finally decided to call my doctor and get some answers to my questions. Since I've never had surgery before I had SO many questions. Here's a recap of some of them.

Q: Will I be able to take care of myself after my peroneal tendon repair surgery? 
A: Have someone stay with you for at least the first few days. It will be very difficult to get around and you will be on some heavy duty pain killers. Mom is taking care of me day after, Aunt Ginny the following. Could probably use a babysitter on Friday too.

Q: How will I shower?
A: Cover your bandages in a plastic bag so they don't get wet. I'm going to order some of these Duro-Med Clear Protectors

Q: But how will I stand in the shower if I only have one good leg?
A: Get a chair you can keep in the shower so you don't have to worry about falling over and hurting yourself. Betsy says Ikea has a $10 stool that works well - on the list.

Q: Will I be in a cast after peroneal tendon surgery? 
A: It will be bandaged up - a lot. Put your two legs together. That's how wide your injured leg will be with all the bandages around it (no joke!). At first follow-up appointment (2 weeks after surgery), you'll get a boot that goes up to your knee. I still have mine from when I had tendonitis - SCORE!

Q: I have a wedding to go to two and a half weeks after surgery, will I be able to get around OK? 
A: Yes, you should be able to get around, using your crutches. They make a knee walker you can buy, where you put your weight (bad leg) knee and push yourself around with your other leg. I don't think I'll be spending hundreds of dollars on one of these things - aside from the fact that I'd be pushing myself all over the place like a little kid (or me) on a shopping cart. Probably not a good idea.But nice to know there are other options for mobility.

Q: Will I have to keep my leg elevated after surgery?
A: Yes, you will want to keep your leg elevated as much as possible to prevent swelling.

Q: My post-op follow-up appointment is 2 more than hours drive from where I'm living. Will I be OK to drive that far just under 2 weeks from the date of surgery? 
A: You'll have to play it by ear. You might want to have someone lined up to take you. You should be able to get by with just tylenol by that point. If not, you won't be able to drive. In addition, you may not be able to keep your foot in the same position for that long a period of time. By then, you should have a sense of whether or not you will be able to tolerate it. Fingers crossed! Otherwise, I'll have to leave REALLY early and make lots of stops to elevate my foot. It's not like I'm driving an SUV, it's a little sports car, wondering how I'll even get my leg in the car if it's going to be wrapped up that big...!

Q: Will I be able to fly after my peroneal tendon surgery?
A: Yes, not immediately following surgery, but after a few weeks, you should be fine to fly. YAY! May be able to get in a trip in December after all!

Q: How long will I be on crutches? 
A: Atleast 6 weeks. You will start going through physical therapy and will start gradually putting weight back on that foot. We'll want to let the tendon heal up really well. 6 weeks is December 28th, maybe by New Year's I'll be able to put weight back on my foot! Have to keep reminding myself to do everything the best I can, following their directions 100% so I don't prolong the rehab. I really want to be mobile again!!

I'm anxious to get my surgery done. I'm not too nervous, but not I'm not looking forward to the post-op pain and overall discomfort. I remember when I had lasik done, I couldn't rub my eyes or get them wet in the shower. It was for like a week or something, but it sucked. All I wanted to do was let the shower water run down my face and give those eyes a good rub! But I didn't. 

I just want my foot not to hurt everyday (and ultimately would be sooo happy to be able to run again and wear my heels - but those are aspirational at this point!). Right now, I'm sitting (have been sitting most of the day) and it is really tender just touching the skin over my ankle where the tendon runs. Sucks. But that's why I'm getting my surgery. Won't be much longer. 10 more days!


Monday, November 1, 2010

Goals for my surgery

When I start to think of how painful and long my recovery will be, I find it helpful to remind myself why I am having the surgery.

1. To not be in pain EVERY DAY. (and to be able to sleep, sit, walk, etc. without having to try and get in a position that doesn't aggravate the injury)
2. The possibility of being able to run again!! ...and hike, climb, walk on uneven terrain...!
3. To prevent the injury from getting any worse. When I think about how inconvenient (disruptive) the post-op is going to be, I have to remember if I completely ruptured the tendon, it would be much urgent and at least I was able to wait a few months to schedule this and do it when it is convenient for me.
4. Playtime with my boston terrier Brutus!
5. Enjoy traveling and exploring new cities, without having to take a bottle of ibuprofen with me everywhere!
6. To walk through the airport from one terminal to the next without wimpering - and without being run down.
7. Swimming!!
8. Dancing all night long and not worrying about anything other than my feet and legs being sore the next day! (not that I've done more damage to my peroneal tendon!)

Thursday, October 28, 2010

T Minus 18 Days...and counting

I'm just over two weeks away from surgery day! I'm a little nervous about all the uncertainty surrounding the post-op. How long will it be before I can get around easily? How long will it be before I can fly again? Am I going to be able to walk down the aisle at my friend's wedding and enjoy myself the entire night or will I be sitting on the sidelines? 


I've tried to figure out how my foot got so bad. I was reading one of the forums on Runners World and found out that people with high arches, who have had a tendency to roll their ankles and had sprains may be more likely to have issues with their peroneal tendon. BINGO! That's me! That's me!


My injury back story:


In 2002, while moving offices, I was carrying a box out to my car and stepped off the curb wrong, rolled and sprained my ankle. In a matter of hours, it blew up pretty bad and ended up being sent to the hospital by my employer. Since then, I rolled my ankle a few times, but nothing major. Then in 2008, I was diagnosed with peroneal tendonitis after some pretty intense workouts. I went through physical therapy and must have been released too soon because after a short time, the pain came back and I found myself back in PT. 

Fast forward to 2010 and my foot was really bothering me still, but it was different than before. Instead of feeling the strain I felt when I had tendonitis, it just felt like the bones weren't sitting right, or something was off. So I went to a new orthopedic surgeon and they sent me back to PT, which was a waste of time and money. No matter what we did, it hurt it more. So, I went for another MRI. It looks like I have a tear in my peroneal tendon. My peroneal tendon tear feels like someone is digging razor blades into the area surrounding my ankle - not really what I'd like to keep experiencing. 

I can't walk for long periods of time and can't do the physical activities I'd like to be doing. For a while, I was getting pretty depressed because I was getting discouraged by not being able to run. I was gaining weight and instead of going to the gym and doing what I could, I just did nothing. So about two months ago, I finally got myself together and went back to the gym. I'm not able to do any of the cardio exercises, but lift weights and do floor exercises, keeping the pace up to get some kind of cardio benefit. I'm just really trying to watch what I eat because I'm sooo nervous about the complete (anticipated) lack of activity I'm going to experience after the surgery. 


After reading the forums, I feel like maybe I underestimated the post-op (how much pain I might have, how immobile I might be...). I guess only time will tell. I don't go to see my doctor again until a few days prior to surgery, so I'll have all my questions bottled up (and unanswered) until then!