Update on the Foot

The top of my foot. You can see 3 of the 4 incisions.

So everyone already knows about my foot from my previous post. This fall semester I came to campus with some foot discomfort, and swelling. But, all of my walking around exacerbated my discomfort, making it extremely painful to put weight on it. Using much wisdom, I went to my podiatrist, who was also the surgeon. He ordered a CT scan, which showed that my original surgery did not work for healing my injury. There were only two options for treatment: 2 weeks of bone stimulation therapy, or surgery. The bone stimulation was a 50-50 chance of success, whereas the surgery would be a 90% chance of healing. After deliberation, I decided for the surgery. The decision was made on a Monday, the surgery happened on a Friday. I was blessed that my school has such a great disability services department, who worked hard to make sure my academics wouldn't suffer too greatly for my injury/surgery/recovery.

Side view. Looks so much grosser than it is... But lots of bruising.

When I shared this news with my friends in the East, they asked for pictures, because apparently if there are no pictures, it didn't happen. I don't know about that. I have the surgical scars to prove that I definitely had the surgery. What was supposed to take 2 hours, wound up taking over 5 hours. The doctor reported, though, that all of the questionable tissue was removed, the plate was fixed in securely, the old screws are gone, and bone graft in place. The x-rays show a complete fusion. Which means, I'm technically healed.

I was ordered to take 4 weeks of no weight baring on my post-op foot, and then 2 weeks using a walking cast/boot. Then I may need physical therapy. Personally, I'm hoping not, because I really dislike having to play the insurance game. But, whatever the doctor orders, I will comply.

The pictures are just before my stitches were removed, and just after the doctor affixed steri-strips over the scars. This is the 2 week mark, after the surgery. I have been healing very rapidly, which the doc attributes to being a compliant patient. I hope that means I won't have many issues when I walk again. I really miss walking.

Sole incision. Its the big one, almost on the ball.

Some of the details of the surgery: The doctor couldn't simply unscrew the screws that were in my foot. In order to remove them, he had to make an incision below the ball of my foot and push them out. It sounds gruesome, but I was under a general anesthetic. As far as I was concerned, he could have been giving me a foot massage, and I still wouldn't have known. Another thing, there was some tissue that he had to remove, which took a little bit of time. The pathologist report showed that it wasn't anything to worry about, just some dead tissue.

Steri-strips, keeper of incisions and wounds

The doctor did an incision between my second and third toe, to put a clamp in and secure the bones that he was putting the plate into. He also cut where the screws came out. The last incision, and by far the biggest, was where he put in the plate. The benefits of this particular method of healing my injury is that he didn't need to move so many of my nerves around. Meaning, there was significantly less inflammation to the nerves on the top of my foot, and it hurts a lot less. I'm also taking a lot stronger pain killers. My doctor advised me that it may hurt a lot more to have this surgery, because he had to take out the screws. I agree, initially it hurt a lot more. But at this point, it hurts a lot less. Because of that, I'm not deferring my semester, and instead will tough my way through it. This was one of those moments that I have a medical background, and am leaning towards that for future career. I really understood what was going on, and was able to ask the right questions.

I kind of resemble a mummy.

I'm most concerned that this one will just come off with a sock.

Tonight's weather is, thankfully, clear skies. I'm praying that the snow will hold off until I'm on my feet again.

Please comment and share this post, should you feel inclined.

Thank you,

The Tallgurrl