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The Big Reveal!

The following images are graphic. Viewer discretion is advised.

I went to my first post op appointment today. I was so excited! I couldn't wait to see how my NEW FOOT looked. It is super rainy today so I had to wrap my foot up in a plastic bag before getting to the car. 

Once we got to the building my husband let me out and I scooted my way inside. This knee scooter is the most amazing thing ever! I love it. After checking in and waiting to be called back we were shown to a room. I sat in the big green chair and the nurse began to take my vitals. She asked how my pain was doing and I told her that I was doing really well. She told me that I was going to get to see my foot for the first time and that after she took the bandages off we were going to get new x-rays. I was a ball of nerves people! Like I have never passed out but this was really close to being my first time. I started taking the pictures but as she got further and further under the gauze I had to had the camera to my husband. I was about to faint. There was a lot of blood from the procedure done on my great toe's bunion. The other procedures didn't look like they bled too bad. After the bandages were off I was in TOTAL SHOCK! This foot belonged to someone else. This was not MY foot. I was freaking out! It looked like my little toes had been beheaded and then sewn back on my foot! I couldn't believe how raw it all looked. I kept looking at my husband hoping that he was having the same reaction. I think he just thought the whole thing was really neat. I was so disappointed. My foot looked fat and swollen. It was covered in a blue hewed bruise. And the incisions were intense. I'm telling you all of this now so that if you don't want to look this is your chance out of it.

 

After the bandages had been taken off, the nurse wheeled me into the x-ray room to take post op x-rays. She asked me to try to flatten out my foot as much as possible. Man, that was tough. I got it done and we were back in the room in no time. I couldn't take my eyes off my foot. It was just so wow.

 These are my x-rays. The picture on the farthest left is the post op picture and the picture next to it shows what my feet looked like before I went in for surgery. Here are some better pictures.

 This is it. My new foot in all of it's glory. You can see the three metal pins in my three middle toes. If you look close enough you can also see the screw that is holding my great toe together. Crazy! Look how straight they look in the pictures!!!

 To go from this to what they are now is incredible.

 I thought that after the x-rays were taken I would get my foot rewrapped but that was not the case. The nurse told me she had to take the strips off as well and replace them with new ones before she could wrap my foot up. Y'all, I was so glad my pump was still pumping that amazing local anesthetic down to my foot. I felt hardly any pain when she did this but after I could feel a burning sensation around my little toe and little toe side. Man alive!

I was told that this bleeding is normal.

I made it through the hard part!!! Now to have my chat with the doctor.

And here she is, in all of her glory, four days after surgery.

I was told to begin to move my great toe back and forth at the joint that was broken. OUCH! As much as I really don't want to do this it will help keep my toe mobile and reduce scar tissue. Scar tissue = pain later down the road.

Sutures come out in ten days!

I'm a happy girl while my pump still has meds in it! All done!

3 Days, 6 Hours After Surgery

 

Everything is going very well. I was able to bump my little ball back down to 2 ml today. That should really help me make it to GA for the holiday. 

I was finally able to get cleaned up today. I called the doctor office yesterday to ask if I could take a bath with my catheter in and the nurse said she would call me back. Well I think he was so shocked that I would even ask that he called back personally. He said "You did not just ask if you could take a bath while your catheter is in."  To which I replied "yes". He told me to take a guess at what the answer was. I said no. He then asked me to take a guess as to why. I said, because water might leak into the catheter. He said yes. Then I asked why my toes were burning at night and he let me know that it is from nerves regrowing. I'm like oh well that is comforting, this burning is TOTALLY normal. Good to know. I talked to him about a few other things like bending my ankle and my heel feeling like it was broken to which he replied all was normal. I'm like well that is just great all this crap is normal. Totally made it feel better. So today I got in the bath by laying backwards and leaning my head back with my foot hanging out of the side. The bath was not filled up with water so that it wouldn't hit the catheter site. My husband washed my hair and I was able to take a little sponge bath. I laid out on the bed and hung my head over one side where my mom was able to blow dry my hair. Talk about feeling like a new person. IT WAS MAGICAL.

 

(This is to remind you of what the catheter looks like. No it is not the kind that goes to the bladder. It pumps a local anesthetic to a nerve behind my knee to keep my foot numb.)

  Tomorrow I go in for my post op appointment. This should be fun. I expect to get to see my before and after x-rays. YAY! I can't wait to see my new foot. I can't remember if he will change the bandages (I was a little out of it when the surgery was over). I hope I get to see what it looks like. If I do get the chance to see what is under all the wrapping paper I will definitely take lots of pictures so you guys will be kept in the loop. Keep in mind they will be graphic. Use caution (Lilly I'm thinking of you here). 

I used my scooter for the first time today. Man was it hard to bend my knee, not painful just very unfamiliar and weird. I think between my leg being swollen and me being freaked out about moving my catheter that is in my knee I had a few mental hurdles to jump. Never the less, everything went smoothly. Crutches are definitely faster, but I like that on the scooter I can take a break and my arms are not work out after walking across the room. 

THREE DAYS DOWN!

 

The Time Has Come The Walrus Said...

(say hello to my nurse, isn't she so attentive?)

Pain...lots of pain today. Sorry no picture with this post. The toes do not  look like they have changed very much. I tried turning my pump down yesterday from 4 ml to 2 ml. This went well for about half of the day. I then started to feel like my little toes were being put closer and closer to a fire. They kept getting warmer and warmer. I would get a very intense sharp sting through what felt like the incision site and then it would dissipate with a little time. I was dying! To all of you who wrote a blog about your bunionectomy, you never said it would burn! I then put my pump up to 6 ml and took a strong Tylenol pill to help me go to sleep.

Now let's talk about my heel. My heel feels like it is broken. Maybe not broken but definitely like someone has sliced my achilles tendon in half. It burns too! I also get slight cramps in the arch of my foot and across the top part of my foot near my ankle. I think my tendons are tired of being stretched but I simply do not have the strength yet to bend my ankle up. It just lays out kinda in a point. I tried to move it this morning and I could feel it pulling my incision on one of my little toes. OUCH! 

So here I am, laying once again in the reclining love seat counting down the minutes til I can take one of those lovely Tylenol pills again to put me to sleep for an hour and a half.

Gosh, this is the life!

 Say hello to my BEST FRIEND!

This has kept my pain at bay.

This little ball of awesomness is linked to that little filter and then it goes to the regulator. I get to pick what my take home pump puts out. After surgery I had a really good nerve block that lasted until I went to bed. I then turned on my pump to 4 ml per hour. Now I have gotten brave and I turned it down to 2 ml per hour. This has really helped my ankle not feel so bad. I don't feel a lot of pain but every now and then my four little toes start to feel not so well. I like to describe it being like playing in the snow for a long time and when you come inside and the heat kinda burns your toes, that is what it feels like.

My doctor has told me to rest, rest, rest. I have definitely been doing that! Naps are my second best friend to this on q ball. I have noticed that I feel kinda nauseous, but it hasn't been that bad. 

Well, that's all I have for you today folks!

 

 

Surgery Day Pictures

They only gave me one sock to wear and I was totally feeling photogenic before they made me the human pin cushion. Haha, lack of sleep will make a comic out of anyone.

 

I had the worlds best people with me today. My mom is my best nurse ever. My husband is such an amazing supporter. They were so awesome! I can't thank them enough. I was all gowned up and ready for my IV. Ha! Ready. 

 Yea, so a lot happened before this picture. The nurse cam in to start my IV and to take blood. They had to make sure I wasn't prego. She couldn't get blood from the IV in my left hand. OUCH! So another lady came in to take blood from my right arm. That hurt like crap! I cried. The next step was to get my nerve block. My husband and mom had to leave the room and two anesthesiologists came in to use ultra sound to find the nerve. They marked my leg with a pen, gave me a shot of feel good stuff in my IV ( I felt GOOD) and then numbed the area. Once it was numb they put a needle in to guide the catheter by and right past my nerve. They put it right past it so that if it pulled out a little it would still work. I cried...again. The doctor came in and wrote on my foot and the wait for numbness began. My mom and husband were able to come back and wait with me. I was as you can see, out of it. The bottom picture is of the catheter in my leg. 

 He drew a smiley face.

 I don't remember a lot of this part.

 They began to wheel me out, I cried. They took me back to the OR and I remember big lights, them moving me to the operating table. It was tiny. They had my feet hang off the end and they strapped my arms down, gave me oxygen. When they did something with my IV, I think put meds in I screamed, it hurt so bad. They told me to breath and calm down. I was like I will punch you in the face! They gave me more meds and there I went off to lala land.

 I woke up in AGONY! Not from my foot, but my leg and my throat. They intubated me and that never feels good. Apparently my leg hurt because the tourniquet was on my upper thigh. OUCH CARLIE. I finally got meds to help right away and my husband and mom came in. After I woke up I was able to get packed up and sent home. I just woke up from a nap and now I am waiting till my nerve block starts to wear off before I turn my "onQ" local anesthetic pump on. It is hooked up to my catheter in my leg. This bag should last 2-3 days.

Talk to you soon.

Down the Rabbit Hole I Go.

Well, they bumped me up about an hour to 5:10am, so here I am awake at 4:13am , in Wonderland, getting ready to take the big plunge. I am freaking out people, like seriously. I got it all under control, under all of that I am losing my mind. I have also NEVER WANTED A GLASS OF WATER MORE IN MY LIFE! I think I will get my husband to bring me a bottle when I wake up. I feel so prepared! I picked my mom up from the airport last night and finished prepping for today. She brought me these awesome superwoman pajamas to wear to surgery! Heck yes I am gonna be stylin and profilin. I told my mom that she had to take lots of pictures so that I could catch you guys up with everything that went down. Pictures explain way better than I can. Well, here I go, AHHH! My foot will never be the same!

Say Hello to My Perty Feet!

Today was awesome! I went to get a over the top pedicure. Oh my gosh, it was crazy. I have never had a wax foot bath until today. They put my feet in these plastic bags that had melted wax in them. The wax was squeezed in the bag all over my feet, as the wax cooled it hardened. I was also given a massage with smooth hot rocks. Oh my goodness gracious, when he rubbed my feet between those rock I almost went to buy smooth massage rocks when I left. That felt so freakin good. That pedicure was exactly what I needed today to help me relax and de-stress before the big day. I did not get my nails painted (I have to have no polish in case they need to check my oxygen flow to my toes). Tomorrow is my last day of work. I seriously think the two lunch tables I watch will need therapy. They were all clingy today oh wait, I seriously mean clingy. They were grabbing for my hands and arms, they would get up and hug me, I was like guys! I will be here tomorrow. I will be sad to leave those little monsters but I will also enjoy getting to sleep in on more than just the weekends. After I get off work Vera (my 7 month old Yorkie) and I will drive down to get my mom from the airport. I have mixed feelings about seeing my mother. I love her and I am super happy to see her, but her being here means we are really down to the wire. 

I recieved my phone call after work from the hospital telling me that I have to be at registration at 6:00am. I'm like holy cow I gotta wake up early. They asked me TONS of questions and when they came to the smoking tobacco part I was proudly able to say that I have never inhaled (intentionally) tobacco. Then she asked me about alcohol and I was like, yes I drink. She asked beer or liqueur, I was like (cringe) liqueur. She said how much and how often. That was when I felt like an alcoholic. I replied softly, a glass of wine every other night. Haha, I felt so judged. Not by her but I guess by myself. I waited till it was legal for me to drink, but I still have the mentality of a minor when it comes to it I guess. Lol.

So here I am, getting ready for one of my last PEACEFUL nights of sleep. Tomorrow will not be peaceful I promise. I already feel sick from nerves.

Look at my cute feet! Pedicures do wonders!     

And the Genie Gave Her Three Wishes...

I made it through Monday's work day. Only two more days of work left. Today I had to put my leave into the school's system to get a sub to keep my kidos movin forward until I have healed up. I still don't know how I will be able to do lunch duty when I get back. Oh well...one day at a time.

I still do not have a whole lot to update you on right now. I have planned my "last supper" though. My mom will come here the night before my surgery and when she gets in we are gonna go to Olive Garden for a fun filled night of endless soup and salad. It truly is the little things that make life better. I also found out that my scooter has shipped! Whoo! See? The little things. Love them!

I find myself looking at my foot more and more. It's like..I know that in just a few days my foot will never be the same. Haha, I actually worry that I wont like my new foot. How crazy is that!?! I wish I could see what it will look like a year from now when the stitches are gone, the pins are gone, the boot, gauze, wraps, and tape are gone. How bad will my scars be? Will I regret this or will I wonder why it took me so long? I wish I could know what to expect. One thing that never changes with all of the research I do on this procedure is that everyone is different. No one recovers the same. What will my pain be like when the nerve block wears off? Will it just be uncomfortable? Will I scream in the middle of the night when my foot starts to throb? Everyone tells me that the pain will eventually subside, but still, I will go through pain and I have no idea how bad it will be for that fraction of a time in my life. I wish I could fly. Yep, you read that right, fly. I always picked that wish growing up so if I only had three that one would definitely be on the list. Feet would kinda be pointless then right?

Last Weekend...Over

Well the weekend has come to an end. Now to return to work and keep busy until surgery day. I have almost finished packing for the holiday trip back home. I feel like I have an eternity but in reality I am down to to wire here. The house is almost completely ready for me to be out of commission. Not a whole lot to talk about today, just looking forward to this getting done and starting recovery! 

Hello surgery week!

Playing Cinderella is Not Fun.

 Today I spent most of the day cleaning my house and getting my recovery room set up. I decided to use our spare bedroom to recover in seeing as I will be more comfortable in a bed than on a couch. It will also be very beneficial to be int he same room as my mom, yelling throughout the house is not much fun. Now on to the cleaning, laundry is a beast! I really have to get all of my laundry done by tomorrow or else I will be running out of clothes very soon. I have dusted the house, made the spare room's bed, washed my work clothes for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, began packing for the trip back to Georgia, vacuumed the spare bedroom, cleaned the bathroom mirror, washed the windows, and washed dishes. Whew! 

I also ordered this little baby! The doctor is giving me crutches, but let's face it...this a) looks way cooler, b) looks way easier, and c) will totally be useful when I race my husband through the isles in Walmart! Hopefully it arrives before we head home for Thanksgiving.

To blow off a little steam and to let my little girl get some fresh air, we went to the dog park not too far from my house. I will really miss getting to watch her run around and play with the big dogs for a while. Her papa will have to take her while I recover. One more day to enjoy the weekend! 

One Last Mad "Tea" Party

I totally only have six days left until I go under the knife....the saw...the drill...and so on and so forth. Is it weird that the tourniquet is freaking me out more than the actual incisions? For real, that thing freaks me out...they are stopping the blood to my foot! Anyways, tonight was my last big social hour hoo ha before I am out of commission for a little while. It was a blast and my friends are great to help me relax and not think about this thing for about six hours. Now to try to get some sleep before I begin weekend packing for the trip home and prepping the house for the event! 

GOODNIGHT ALL!

If the Shoe Fits!

So I am a lover of tanning beds...yea I know it's not good for your skin, but I love having that summer glow all year long. Seeing as I will not even be able to walk on my foot for two weeks I saw no point in continuing to pay for this luxury. It is official...i froze my account for a couple of months. Sad day. 

Now that that tangent is over I can go on to the important stuff. SHOES!

Say hello to my babies. These five pairs of shoes pretty much are me in a nutshell. I love my shoes and they hate me. Yep, that's right...I have yet to find my perfect pair of shoes, you know the ones that don't make your feet feel like they are broken. Those unachievable shoes are MY "glass slippers". I am trading in these beauties for this...

Seriously...? This thing looks like a black chunk of rubber. It is surprisingly light. Notice the slightly higher heal. VELCRO BABY! Whoo hoo! Lovin it. You have no idea how bad I want to redecorate this thing! I'm talkin glitter, sparkles, the works.

Surgery is now only a week away!!!

 

  

I'm Tweedle Dee'ing and Tweedle Dum'ing my thumbs...

Not a whole lot has happened today. It was another day at work, another evening relaxing, resting my poor throbbing feet. I started looking at fitness instagram pictures and MAN let me tell you that is one quick way to sink into a low mood. I so want to get up and get my body back to where I had it before, but I see no point seeing that all my work will go down the drain as soon as I have surgery. I also canceled my tanning sessions (gonna be kinda hard with a foot that is all kinds of torn up). I will miss having a bronzed glow...

Wow, this seems so low and in the dumps. I am happy, I am so glad to get this done so that when I run I don't have to deal with this intense "oh my god my foot is breaking" feeling ten minutes into the workout. I am so excited for the results! This is only a small blimp on the timeline of life! YA! 

(picture above was at Disney World when I was about eight or nine, notice those awesome kick butt Esmeralda shoes!) 

 

DOWN TO SINGLE DIGITS! 

Only nine days till surgery.

Today was the first day back at work since the three day weekend. Running around for eight hours helped keep my mind busy. The downside of running around for eight hours is that my feet are throbbing! I feel this sharp nerve pain every now and then. This little sweet reminder really helped remind me why I am going to go through with this. 

I have begun planning my vacation on the couch for two weeks. My mother will be flying in before the surgery to help take care of me (yes, I have the worlds best mother). She will stay with my husband in the waiting room during the hour and forty-five minute procedure and then be my nurse when my husband is at work. 

I still haven't posted a picture of the boot I will be wearing. You can't really see what it looks like in the bag so I might just wait until after surgery day to post a picture. I might seem silly but I don't want to take it out of the bag lol. 

Well it has been a long day...only nine more to go.  

Holy Cow

I went to the appointment today. Man alive was it informative. I was given all of the "could happens" and had to sign off on all of the paperwork . The nurse also gave me my boot that I will need to bring with me on surgery day. I think that is kinda weird, like why even take the risk of someone forgetting the boot on surgery day. After the nurse left the room the doctor came in to give his sh-peal. He then went over the day of the surgery schedule for me. We will get a  call a couple of days before surgery day to get the time of the procedure. (I thought this was weird, why can't they tell me now?!?) I was told not to eat anything after midnight and not to wear toe nail polish (if they need to check for oxygen the polish will interfere with the sensor they put on my toe). He also told me that I would be given a blocker behind my knee, this will numb me from my knee down (sorta like an epidural for a woman going into labor). The blocker should last between 48-72 hours. I was ecstatic to hear this. He instructed me to put ice packs on my calve instead of on my foot to avoid the ice from sweating and getting my bandages wet. This will lessen the chances of infection. I am also NOT ALLOWED TO MESS WITH MY BANDAGES. Duly noted. He let me know that I need to do three things, rest, rest, and rest. When I told him that I would be traveling in the back of a car five days after surgery he told me good luck. Haha, oh boy. I also asked him if my shoe size would change, he gave me a chuckle and said of all the patients he has seen over the years, none have asked that question. He then told me no, my foot size will not change that much. He told me that my pins will be flush with my skin and that I will not put weight on my foot for two weeks. That was the pretty much the gist of the appointment. At the end the doctor handed me my paperwork and sent me on my way to have my labs done. Yep, the time had come to get stabbed. Now, I hate pain, HATE IT, and when I walked through that door to have them poke at my arm my heart could have beat right out of my chest. How on earth am I going to go through with this major surgery when I freak just by getting blood drawn. Ugh! I almost made my mind up to call the doctor the next day and cancel my appointment. BUT, I realized that this will last a short time, while doing nothing would ensure I feel pain for the rest of my life. 

 

So, here I am..dreading the day where I turn over all control and let them cut me open and break my bones. Oh, I did ask about having the incision done on the side of my foot rather than on top (cosmetic purposes of course). He let me know that there is a nerve that runs along the side of the foot (hello that's why my feet feel pain all the time) that after surgery patients come back complaining of pain. Messing with this nerve is what causes all of that, so, it is frankenfeet after all. Oh well. Ten days people, TEN FREAKIN DAYS! AHHHH