Our year anniversary (My Ankle and I)

A year ago, I decided to be brave and hike Mount Katahdin (see above).  It is a huge mountain in northern Maine in Baxter State Park.  I didn't think I would be able to do it and multiple times wanted to turn around.  Right when I was almost to the top of that hellish mountain, above tree-line with the summit in view, I was pulling myself up over a rock and heard and felt a memorable pop in my ankle.  I immediately sat down and started yelling for my husband.  I took off my boot to make sure no bones were popping out, wrapped my ankle in my bandana, and put my boot back on and tied it as tight as it would go.  When I got up and tried to walk on it it kept popping.  So I had to slide down the entire mountain on my rear.  After crying and cursing my way down the mountain, with my husband having to catch me in the steeper areas, I made it down.  I had a giant hole in the butt of my pants (of course I chose pink underwear that day) and my hands were bruised and scuffed up, but I made it down.

I swore I would never hiked that mountain again.  This weekend, a year after the initial injury, we drove up to Baxter and my husband hiked up Katahdin, but I chose to take a more leisurely hike.  But still I was able to hike!  There were hills and uneven surfaces and even exposed roots I had to navigate around, but I did fine.  It was a great feeling!  Being able to be outdoors again and go places you can only get to by hiking in is a wonderful experience.  I am grateful for that and happy to be doing so well.  Maybe in a year or two when I have a little more confidence in my ankle, I will hike to the top of Katahdin!  Never say never right?

Why no Physical Therapy?

I just realized it has been almost a month since my last post.  Well that is for many good reasons!  First I have been out enjoying the last days of warm weather up here in Maine.  I have kept myself very busy between walks, trips to visits friends, trips home for a wedding, and camping trips.  I consider myself completely healed.  I had to cancel my check up with my doctor, because I had missed work two weeks in a row for my traveling :), so I do not go back until the end of the month.  But everything is doing remarkably well.  I probably will not post much more after this.  I promise to get a picture up of my scar.  I think it looks really good.

So I thought I would spend a bit of time discussing my doctor's reasoning for not making me go through any Physical Therapy.  At a wedding I was at last weekend I was talking to my friend who is a Physical Therapist about my surgery and I admitted how happy I was I didn't have to go through any PT.  So my doctor does not prescribe PT for most of his patients.  For most of the ankle injuries he deals with, he puts you in a cast for 8 weeks and orders to be non-weight bearing.  This 8 weeks allows the injury to heal completely.  Then after the cast is removed, he wants you to walk.  His reasoning for not ordering PT is he says after the cast is removed and you start to walk again, the ankle swells, gets red, and hurts!  Physical Therapists are trained so when they see that, they make the patient slow down and rest and stop whatever they were doing that caused that.  My doctor said that is going to happened, and you have to simply push through it.  He doesn't want the PT to slow down your walking again.  I will be honest, walking again hurt like hell.  It was hard, but I was so happy to walk again so I just did it.  Luckily I also had Vicodin that he prescribed :).  When I told my friend my doctor's reasoning, she seemed offended.  But agreed that she could see his point, and obviously it worked for me.  But she said she could see it not working for many patients who baby it or find it hard to really push themselves, and I do agree with that.  I am not saying PT is bad after this surgery, but this was just my doctor's reasoning.  Honestly, I was happy not to have to go through any PT, its a pain in the ass.  I went through it for over 10 weeks for my ACL repair.  So I was thrilled when I didn't have to go through it again.  Obviously, my doctors method worked for me and works for his patients.

My surgery was on June 21st, 2010.  Today is October 8th, 2010.  You do the math on what week I am on, I tried and stopped.  I am so happy to be walking again and back to normal.  I have been going to the gym and working out again.  Today I am going to swim some laps, which I am very excited about.  If you have to go through this surgery, it sucks, I will be honest.  However, it is worth it.  I am so glad I had it done and it is fixed.

Walk for 2 hours straight??? Yes I can!!!

Last night I went on a walk on the trails in the woods behind my house.  They are really nice trails that go on and on.  My friend had been away all summer so we had a lot of catching up to do.  So we just kept walking and walking, at a fairly brisk pace too.  By the time we got home, I looked at the clock and noticed we walked for a full 2 hours.  We had to of walked at least 5 miles.  I was shocked!  Best part, my ankle felt great.  I iced it for awhile after, but it felt so great.

I am amazed sometimes by this all.  I keep meaning to post of picture of my scar.  Its so swollen sometimes at night when I remember to take a shot, it makes me not want to capture that moment.  One morning when it is nice and normal looking I will snap a shot of it.  It looks great.  Crazy that a couple of months ago it had staples holding it all together.

I am glad this is all behind me.  I am also glad I really pushed myself those first few weeks after having the cast off.  It really hurt, and was frustrating at times with how slow I had to walk.  But it was worth it!

Still swollen, but still walking!

3 weeks ago today, was my first day of walking after being in a cast for 8 weeks!  Walking is still going well.  I walk with almost no pain.  It almost feels like normal.  I do not limp, unless I have overdone it or don't have good shoes on.  The swelling has gone down, but it still gets pretty swollen.  When I get home from work it is huge.  But I try to ice it and elevate it at least once a day.

I even went to the rec center yesterday.  I wanted to do a little more than just walking, but I am afraid to do too much.  I noticed its hard for me to get on my tippy toes.  I think that is due to flexibility and strength.  So I have been trying to work on my calf muscle.  It is amazing how much muscle tone has come back.  My legs almost look equal!

Last weekend, I spent two days at the beach.  It almost made me forget that I spent the majority of my summer in a cast.  I am very happy and grateful to be doing so well.

Everyday Gets Better - Week 10 Post Op

I have had a great end to my summer.  Even though I was on bed rest and in a cast for the majority of summer, these last few weeks have been great.  My parents came up for a visit and we rented a camp (for you non-Mainers, that is basically a cabin in the woods or on a lake).  The camp was on a beautiful lake on the blue hill peninsula.  It was a great visit with my parents and made me forget at times about this whole ankle incident.

At times, when I walk my ankle is fine and I walk like a normal person would.  I have even had coworkers comment on it.  However, there are times when it is stiff or sore and I notice a limp.  There isn't much pain in the ankle.  My knee at times can hurt, I think it is just getting use to moving again.  The swelling does get bad.  At work I try to put my leg on my desk when I can, but I have been getting so busy that I usually am unable to elevate it until I come home.  It is really stiff in the morning and when I get up it takes a few steps until I am able to really walk on it, but every morning does get better.

Walking is getting better as well.  Over the weekend I really wasn't able to track my mileage.  But last night I walked 2 miles on a gravel trail and through the woods on an uneven trail.  For me that is huge.  Not the mileage, but the uneven surfaces.  When you walk on uneven surfaces, your ankle stretches and moves in ways it doesn't on flat surfaces.  But I was confident walking there.  My speed when I walk is somewhat normal, I don't walk really slow like I did the first few days.  I am hoping to get up to three or four miles by the end of the week.  I really wish I could swim laps in a pool, by my doctor said not until my next check up. 

The swelling in my ankle is the worst when I come home from work.  Surprisingly, walking does make is swell but not as bad.  When I take my shoes and ankle sock off after walking, my ankle looks so funny.  But I will just elevate it or wrap it up and the swelling eventually goes down.

Everyday does get better.  

Where would I be without Vicodin?

I am still walking!  I did a lot today but am paying for it.  Today I cleaned the house and did some laundry. Surprisingly I actually missed doing that the past eight weeks.  This afternoon I went for a walk.  Instead of driving to the trail I decided to walk.  I also thought Tylenol would suffice for the pain, I was wrong.  I managed to walk about a mile and a half.  I noticed I moved more fluidly if that makes since.  I didn't feel like I was hobbling as much.  However, it started to hurt.  I regretted not taking the Vicodin.  But I called a friend to chit chat and take my mind of the pain.  Before I knew it I was back home and able to elevate my leg with a nice cold ice pack.

After today, I was really grateful that my doctor prescribe more pain meds.  At first I didn't think I would need them.  But it is painful to start walking again.  I could see how the pain could be intimidating and make me want to stop or dread walking again.  So if you reading this and going through the same ordeal, ask for drugs!  The worst thing your doctor can say is no, and perhaps suspect you are a junky.  But seriously, pain meds exist for a reason.  Pain is not good for our bodies.  If I was relying simply on Tylenol to get me out and walking, I could see it slowing me down.  My doctor said the more I walk, the better the pain and swelling will get.  But the pain meds are wonderful at the end of the day and in the morning when it hurts the most and is the hardest to move.

I plan on walking more and more.  I might try getting my walk in during the morning, in hopes that it will be easier than in the afternoon.  I am just grateful to be walking again.

Just Walk It Off - Day 2 of Walking

I had an excellent day!  I started my day by working in the garden and potting and repotting some houseplants and patio plants.  It has been something that I haven't been able to do, and it was a gorgeous day so I was outside all day.  I even worked in the garden a bit.  But that was more difficult and harder with my ankle.  Because I wasn't walking much and mostly standing, I wrapped my ankle to help with the swelling.  Before I started in the garden, I came in and elevated it a bit and iced it.

Then, I went for a walk.  I ended up walking for over an HOUR!!!!!  I drove to a trail that is flat and paved.  I had my sneakers on and did not have it wrapped.  At first it was uncomfortable, but I just walked it off and even picked up a little speed.  I am not sure how far I walked, definitely over a mile if not two.  I ended up calling a friend I haven't talked to in awhile, so I just kept walking and talking.  It felt great!!!  The more I walk, the better it feels.  My calf muscle is sore, and I have been trying to stretch it out.  I am shocked I am walking this well.  Last week I couldn't even put pressure on it.  I am going to keep pushing myself, it hurts and is hard to do, but I want to walk more and gain back my strength.

I have discovered that I experience the most pain or discomfort right when I wake up, or after I have had my ankle resting.  It just gets really stiff, and my heal hurts when I start walking.  But the more I walk and move around the quicker the discomfort goes away.

Now that the cast if off, I have found that a reusable ice bag has been the best way to ice it.  I have those gel packs, but they don't stay cold very long.  These ice bags are great.  I just put some water and ice in them and keep it in the frig or freezer during the day when I want to quickly grab it to ice it for a few minutes.  Plus it lays on the ankle really nicely and covers most of it.  I found the bag pictured above at Wal-Mart , by the ace wraps and other ice packs.

Now time to rest the ankle so I can do more walking tomorrow!!!!

Walking is hard!

The first step out of bed this morning was hard.  I needed to use one crutch just to make it out of my room and down the hall to the bathroom.  I followed the doctors orders and popped a Vicodin.  As my husband said "What a nice way to start the morning".  But honestly, the pain meds worked.  I noticed it helped me walk more naturally and ignore the pain.  The more I walk the better it gets.  When I sit down for a few minutes and try to get up and walk, it is much harder.  But it is sooooo nice to be walking again.

I drove to work this morning.  I have to admit, this is the first I have broken my doctors orders.  He said wait 10 days.  In my defense, my husband is out of town, so it was drive or take a cab.  I also tested things out in the driveway before pulling out on the road.  Driving is easy. 

But when I went to park for work, I purposefully parked far away.  Its a walk from the parking lot to my building anyway, but I wanted to push myself a little more.  I even left my crutches in the car and carried my bookbag and a bag of books to my office!  Then I even walked over to the library on campus to return books, and took the long way back.

When I walk, it is slow, and hurts around my heel.  But the more I walk, it feels like everything is stretching out and learning how to work again.  Its sounds crazy, but I even think my muscle has started to come back.  I walk very slow and try not to limp and to walk as naturally as possible.  Its only 10 am, but at lunch I am going to go for a long walk.  Have I said how nice it is to be walking!!!!!! 

For shoes, I am wearing my chaco sandals.   Chacos are the most amazing sandals ever!  I have around 5 pairs, all different styles and have worn them for years.  The ones I am wearing look like the ones below, only more colorful.  I put a bandage over my incision so it doesn't get irritated.  But these sandals are great to walk in.  Plus they are great for after this surgery because you can adjust the straps with the swelling.  I started to put a tennis shoe on today.  But my poor foot has been imprisoned for 8 long weeks, it wants to breathe!  Plus it was kind of uncomfortable to wear the sneaker.  I started to wrap up my ankle to help with the swelling for today.  But my doctor said it was unnecessary, he said it will swell no matter what I do, and the wrap could prevent my ankle from moving naturally when I walk.  But I do recommend these sandals for after surgery or for anyone.  I love Chacos!

This weekend I plan on running errands, doing a little shopping, and walking more!  My goal: 2 miles by Sunday.  Think I can do it? 

Goodbye Cast and Crutches! I can walk again!

Today went wonderfully!!!  I am walking.

Today I discovered that after having a leg in a cast for 8 weeks it gets kind of gross :).  After they took the cast off and I was waiting to see my doctor, I was appalled by the look of my leg.  My hair had managed to grow an inch long.  Dead skin was all over the place.  The scab from the incision was dark and crusty.  The saddest thing was my skinny leg that was about the size of my arm.  It was gross looking.  But I managed to walk that pathetic looking leg right out of the doctors office!  I even took it to the beach.  Now it is shaved, exfoliated, moisturized, and with a new tan.

My doctor told me everything has healed great.  He wants me to walk as much as possible and said that is the only way things will get better.  He told me it will hurt, get read, swell up, and be hard to do, but not to let that stop me from walking.  He even gave me more pain meds because he said he didn't want the pain to interfere with my walking.  He wants me to stop using the crutches completely in 5 days.  He said I could lose them today if I was comfortable with it.  He told me to walk until it hurts too much.  Take a five minute break, then walk some more!  He also said limping does not count.  I was hoping he would let me swim, but he said not yet.  I am not allowed to soak the incision or use any ointments or lotions around the incision because infection is still a risk.  If I am out in the sun I have to keep it covered so it won't burn.

Walking is weird.  Its not really painful.  In fact, the most pain is at my heel.  My ankle just feels really stiff.  Like it hasn't move in 8 weeks :).  Walking on pavement is easy.  Walking in the grass and gravel is a little harder.  Walking in the sand right now is ridiculously hard.  I left the doctors office with my chacos on and a sock on the bad foot.  They were really easy to get on and off, and they don't bother my incision.  When I walk with the crutches I use more of a natural step.  When I don't, I limp.  Tomorrow and over the weekend I plan on walking alot!  I want this to get better and I want to feel active again.

My incision wound looks really good.  There is still a little scab at the top, but I think it looks great.  Its not as big as I remember it being.  I don't mind scars too much.  In fact, the book "Little Bee" has a great quote about scars.  "Scars are beautiful because they are proof we survived"  I thought that was a great quote to go by.  I will survive this!

Tomorrow is the Big Day - Cast Off!!!

I go in tomorrow to have my cast removed!  I will be able to walk again!  It has been a long 8 weeks, but I am really excited to get my cast off for good.

I am almost afraid of what my poor right leg is going to look like.  It is definitely hairy, I have been picking away dead skin so I am sure it will badly need moisturized, and the muscle is pretty much gone.  I will have to take a picture to compare my legs.

I have been testing out my leg in the cast.  Today I stood on the cast without my crutches.  I have also been semi walking with the crutches just to try and remember how.  This is going to be exciting.

My appointment is early in the morning, so we get to spend the day at the beach after.  I am really excited for that.

So close!

In 5 days I will have my cast removed FOREVER!!!!  I am ready!  I thought this week back at work would make me feel better because I would get out of the house.  Honestly, it was nice to get out everyday, ALL day, but it was hard at the same time.  Getting ready to go into work in the morning with a cast and crutches is difficult.  Somedays I just felt I looked like a slob.  Its hard to do your hair, find something to wear, and get ready for the day hopping on one leg and holding onto crutches.  But I am almost there.

My leg is ready to be free.  I haven't been taking much Tylenol at all (I am sure my liver is enjoying that!).  My cast is getting looser and I am wiggling my foot around more and more.  The other day on my way into work it was raining out.  They just waxed the floors in the hall outside of my office.  When I came around the corner, my crutch slipped and I started to fall.  It was in slow motion, I was thinking... I could fall and look like a fool and I haven't even made it to my office yet, or I can catch myself with the bad leg.  So I caught myself with my bad leg.  I just was standing there, my one crutch on my right side doing nothing, the other on the floor.  I kind of feel against the wall too and have a huge bruise on my arm.  BUT, it didn't hurt!  Then I kept going thinking I slipped in a puddle so I just kept going, and slipped again and had to catch myself with my bad leg for the second time in under 30 seconds.  It was the combination of bottoms of the crutches being wet and the shiny waxed floors.  But it was fine and my leg didn't hurt.

I have even noticed when I sleep, I have been sleeping normal again.  Up until the past week, I have been sleeping on my back with my leg elevated on the special pillow.  Now I sleep on my stomach and side, and it almost feels like normal.  When my incision hits the side of the cast it isn't tender or sore.  One gross thing though is I can tell there is a lot of dead skin on the bottom of my foot.  That is going to be gross when the cast comes off.  The hairy leg is going to be cute too.  8 weeks without being shaved!

This weekend I am taking it easy.  My first week back at work really tired me out.  In the end it was good to be back.  I only had one minor breakdown :).  When I work, I crave Diet Coke.  I need it or some form of caffeine for the second have of the day.  Luckily we have a coke machine right next to the elevator.  Well on my second day back, the coke machine disappeared!  They must have taken it out for repair or something.  So I was really bummed about that.  Then on Friday, I was running late and looking for what to pack for lunch.  All we had was PB&J, which I normally really like, but after 5 days in a row it gets old.  So while my husband was driving me into work, I had a minor breakdown and was crying because I can't make it over to where the Food Market is on campus, and they took the coke machine away, and I am having PB&J for the 5th day in a row and have no form of caffeine to get me to the end of the day.  He ran out and got me a wonderful sandwich and 2 Diet Cokes, what a great guy!  Hopefully that was the last breakdown I have due to this surgery!

Back at Work!

Today is my second day back at work.  I am doing pretty well I think.  After 6 weeks of doing nothing, I was a little worried.  Luckily it is still the summer time so there aren't many students on campus to assist.  But there is plenty of desk work.  I have my chair at the highest setting and have my leg either propped up on my desk or next to me on a chair.  This weird position though is making my lower back hurt, so I don't know how long I can sit like this.  I might just have to give in and let my foot dangle a bit.  I am getting around fine at work.  I use a bag to carry anything I need.  Tomorrow I might venture over to the building next door for lunch.  It will probably be the furthest distance I have traveled on crutches.  I wonder if I will make it :).

After work yesterday I could tell everything was really swollen.  So I elevated my leg for the rest of the evening.  There wasn't any pain though, just swelling.  I only have a little over a week until I have my cast removed and I am able to walk again!  Its a little scary thinking they just take the cast off and tell me to walk.  I am very curious as to how I will do.

Coming down the home stretch!

Staying busy...

In 13 days I will be rid of this cast and hopefully walking again!  Today was a busy day for me.  I started a new book "The Help", so far I can't set it down, highly recommend.  I sat outside in the sun for a bit and read.  Then I managed to make pickles, with a little bit of my husbands help, but I pretty much did all of the work.  We have a garden and this year have had so many cucumbers.  So I made about 8 big jars of pickles!  Then I proceeded to make zucchini bread.  Wow, now I am very tired and my toes are very swollen.  I will need to keep my feet up for the remainder of the evening and take it slow.  But I was so proud of being able to do all of that and not feel like crap!

20 More Days to Go...

Earlier this week I got a little bored and decided to paint my cast.  I must say I am please with how it turned out.  My painting skills really only involve flowers, so I painted some flowers on it.  I get a new cast on Monday, and I will probably paint that one too.  It just adds a little something I suppose.

Things are still going well.  I noticed I no longer have to take Tylenol every 4-6 hours, I just take it now before bed and if I feel any pain during the day.  Yesterday I had a minor breakdown.  My husband has had class all week and has been busy.  I went to get something for lunch and everything I wanted either we didn't have or it was too hard for me to make.  Then there was something I wanted to clean up and couldn't.  It just becomes frustrating.  I have done a few things to try and make myself more independent.  I just get so sick of asking my husband to do everything, I feel like a nagging wife.  He doesn't mind, but I miss being able to do the simple things.  So here are some things I have managed to do with crutches!

Vacuum - With a dog and a cat, the hair piles up!  I managed to push the sweeper down to the room, sit on the bed, and vacuum the floor.  It was great, I felt so good after being able to do it.  

Laundry - Our washer is upstairs, but the dryer is downstairs in the basement.  Our basement is old and grungy and the stairs are scary.  In the summer I like to hang the clothes up outside, but I am not even going to attempt that with crutches.  I have my husband bring the clothes downstairs, and then I can put them in the washer.  I ordered a drying rack so I can hang the clothes up to dry in our living room.  I can fold too.

Easy things to make for food - My husband will leave a bowl filled with cereal for me out on counter in our kitchen.  It is right next to the fridge, so I can easily get milk and fill up the bowl.  It is a low counter so I can sit right there and eat!  I have also managed to make things like PB&J, sandwiches, and salads. The other day I even make brownies!  

I really miss being able to simply walk and do something or drive and get something.  But, today I realized I only have 20 days until the cast comes off.  I am currently 34 days post op or something.  I have one more week at home and then I am able to go back to work, so the worst is definitely over with!  

4 Weeks Down!

Four weeks ago today I had my surgery.  It is amazing how fast the time has gone.  It is nice to know that four weeks are behind me, but also frustrating to know I still have four more weeks of this.  However, next week I go back in for a new cast and I believe they will release me from this inactive state I am stuck in and will let me to move around more.  I intend on going back to work on August 2nd (2 weeks).  I have a feeling once I start back up at work the remaining 2 weeks will go even faster.

Yesterday I realized how much the internet occupies my days.  The other day I found myself not even being able to close my laptop while watching a movie.  Or sometimes I watch a movie online and surf the internet at the same time.  I hope this surgery doesn't make my brain turn to mush.  The first few weeks I was really good about reading.  I was reading about a book a day.  Now I am reading a book a week.  I find myself checking facebook every 10 minutes and being annoyed that no one has changed their status or added anything of interest.  Ebay has been a good friend.  My recent purchases have been Nintendo games for $2.  TIP: Do not keep your credit card by your bedside when being laid up for a few weeks.  Not good.  I have found that I justify my purchases because I feel bad making my husband go and get things for me, so just order it online of course!  Here is a list of my most frequented websites...

Facebook, Kayak.com, hotmail, gmail (no idea why I have so many emails), cnn.com, netflix, blogger.com, ebay, steepandcheap.com, amazon.com, weather.com. 

My laptop has been a huge lifesaver for this recovery time.  However, I wonder if I would be doing more productive things with my time if I didn't have it.  Maybe I will make a goal tomorrow to only check my computer 5 times, and have a time limit of 10 minutes each time.  I will let you know how it goes.  The video below cracked me up and I felt is very true.

Health Insurance!

I do not understand Health Insurance.  Why do they have to make things so complicated?  In my mind, if you are insured, you should be covered, that simple.  Unfortunately it is not that simple and I am convinced that Health Insurance companies are the devil and do not care about one's heath at all and instead only care about making money.

Currently I am still on my graduate student health plan.  Prior to even visiting my surgeon I checked to see if he was in-network.  Of course with my luck he was not.  So I asked the podiatrist I saw to refer me to another specialist in hopes that I could find one that was in-network.  He did and of course that specialist was also out-of-network.  After several phone calls to my insurance company, I was told it would be ok because my policy states that if there I can not find a doctor within a 50 mile radius that the doctor I see will be treated as in-network.  So great, right?  In the midst of all of this, my insurance company informs be that foot operations are not covered and they use the phrase "subluxation of the foot".  Well this confused me as well because I had "subluxation of the peroneal tendons".  The foot and ankle are relatively close and I feared that for some reason this would not be covered now.  No one at the insurance company wanted to confirm that the foot and ankle are separate and not to worry until I called one day at the doctors office prior to getting x-rays demanding a clear answer.  A nice woman told me the feet and ankle are separate and not to worry.  Great!

Next thing I know, I am getting a letter in the mail asking me to state how the injury occurred, when it occurred, and where.  So I sent that information in.  Then I get a claim letter for the first doctors appointment with the surgeon and they did not treat it as in-network.  So I called my insurance company again probably for at least the 20th time.  They transferred me to someone else, who said I should have seen an orthopedic surgeon closer to home who was in-network.  After arguing for quite some time she finally looked up my call history and could see how many times I had called and saw that someone did in fact tell me it should be treated as in-network!  HA!  After that she waived her magic wand and said ok it will be treated as in-network and apologized.  Then she was extremely nice to me and I started to feel somewhat bad for being so bitchy on the phone.  Then she said she wasn't sure if the hospital would be treated as in-network.  I no longer felt bad for being bitchy.  I told her I didn't know I could control what hospital my doctor could preform surgery at.  She said I couldn't, so I then asked her why I would be responsible for paying that.  I am still waiting to hear the final answer on that one.

So my question is, why did they make it so complicated?  Prior to surgery, I was worried so much about the cost of all of this that I was in tears.  Its stressful enough knowing you have to have surgery and are going to be laid up for 8 weeks, why can't insurance companies make things easier for you instead of more complicated?

I am hoping when I start my new job my insurance will be much better and not as difficult to work with. This was pretty ridiculous.  I honestly think health insurance should be a right and not a privilege.  I am lucky in that my insurance is going to be footing the majority of the bill.  But I still feel the need to bitch about this experience because it was so irritating.

Monday will be my half-way point!  Almost done!

A Day at the Beach!

My cast was already too lose after the second day, so we had to go back to the doctor's office this week to get another cast put on.  The hassle of it all is that my doctor's office is over two hours away!  However, there are many lovely beaches around Portland, and I love the beach, and my husband loves to surf.  There happened to be good waves that day, so we got our stuff together and spent a day at the beach!

We visited Popham Beach, which is my favorite beach in Maine.  They have beach wheelchairs, so my husband was able to push me out to the beach.  I plopped down in a beach chair and my husband used a laundry basket and two pillows to keep my leg elevated.  It was perfect!  It did get a little warm and I was jealous of everyone able to go swimming in the ocean, but it was still wonderful to get out and get some sun and enjoy the beautiful ocean.

After the beach we went to my doctor's office and I got a new cast.  It is much tighter and more of my toes are sticking out now.  I might get adventurous today and give myself a pedicure.  The incision wound still looked good and they said everything looked great.  I have been a little paranoid about getting a blood clot.  I read someone's blog who got a blood clot and have been worried about it since.  I asked the nurse who was putting my cast on what to look for in case I do get one.  She said most people have them and don't realize it.  However, she said she has worked there for over four years and has only seen 2 patients get blood clots.  She said both patients were being noncompliant and were walking on their cast when they were suppose to be non-weight bearing!  Goes to show you how important it is to follow the doctor's orders.

In two weeks I will go back to get a new cast put on, and hopefully they will release me so I will be able to get out of the house more and go back to work!

Also, I have a new tip to share in regards to showering/bathing.  I have started taking baths.  I have found it is really easy to sit on the edge of the tub, then with my back facing the other side of the tub I reach my arms back to the opposite side of the tub and just lower myself in.  Unfortunately, I can't sit back and relax because our tub is facing a wall, therefore I am not able to hang my leg over the right side of the tub.  But it is nice just to be able to do it.  I don't see myself attempting to shower.  The idea of taking a shower with crutches doesn't sound so great, plus I am not very graceful, so I can easily foresee me slipping and falling.  The tub is great though!

3 Weeks Down!!!!

Tomorrow will be 3 weeks or 21 Days (sounds better) since my surgery.  I am still on bed rest, and keep my leg elevated for the majority of the day.  The doctor told me at my last visit that if I keep up the good work and keep it elevated I will be released and will able to go to work and move around more.  I am able to get up and down the stairs much more easily and spend more time downstairs than up somedays.  My toes still turn blue and it becomes painful if I am up on my feet too long, but everyday the pain and swelling is less.  It is amazing how much better the cast feels in comparison to the splint.  It is so much lighter and makes crutching around much easier.  However, my cast is already very loose.  I was told this would happen in a few weeks time.  But I called the day after I got my cast because I could stick my hand down my cast where my calf is (great for itching).  I was afraid it might be too loose and I am terrified of hurting my ankle or getting an infection.  The nurse I spoke with told me to go through the weekend to see how it felt.  She said a loose cast can become irritating to the skin and it can be bad if it rubs against the incision.  So Monday I will probably go down for a new cast which sucks because its a 2+ hour drive.  So we are thinking about going to the beach in the morning since we will be driving all the way down to Portland Maine.  There is a beach with sand wheelchairs and I am thinking if I keep my foot elevated the whole time, the beach and sun will do me good?  I am probably a little deficient in Vitamin D since I have been indoors so much the past 3 weeks.  What do you think?  If we go I will let you know how it goes.

Sometimes I get on these "Poor Me" kicks where I think about how much this sucks.  I will watch my husband walk around the house and be able to do things I cannot because I am on crutches.  But I recently have been thinking about all of the people who cannot walk for the rest of their lives, or who always have to rely on crutches or a cane.  I try to keep that in mind and remember that this is only temporary and in a few weeks I will be walking again and life will go back to normal.  I need to start realizing how fortunate I was to have insurance and to be able to have surgery to fix my problem so that I can be active again.  We just had a friend over who was telling me when he broke his leg he had a cast on his entire leg!  That would suck!

Today is my husbands and my first anniversary!  We were married last year in Camden, Maine.  Because I can't really go anywhere we have decided to stay home and we are going to cook some lobsters and have a nice dinner!  We had a lobster bake for our wedding, so I suggested starting a tradition of having lobster for every anniversary.  :)  Sounds like a wonderful tradition to start!

Staples Out! Split Off! Purple Cast On!!!

Today I went in for my first post op appointment.  It has been 18 days since my surgery.  Having the splint taken off felt so nice.  I was able to move my ankle around a bit and wiggle my toes.  The incision wound looked really good.  It was swollen but not too bad and there wasn't any bruising.  After having the splint taken off the nurse removed my surgical staples.  They look like real staples and weren't very comfortable to have removed.  Luckily my doctors office told me to take a percocet prior to coming in.  After the staples were taken out the nurse wiped off my leg and toes with rubbing alcohol.  She didn't clean around the incision.  I was surprised there wasn't more blood around the incision wound, there wasn't any really!  After that, I had x-rays taken and the doctor came in to see me.  Both the doctor and nurse told me how good everything looked!  They said they could tell I have been following orders and not over doing it.  I will go back in a few weeks and have another cast put on and then on August 12th, I will have my cast removed and will be able to walk!!!!!  Until then I will be on crutches and not allowed to put any weight on it.

The first photo is with staples, the second is with them removed.

It feels so great to have the splint off and the new cast on.  The fiberglass cast is so much lighter and less bulky.  Its really amazing.  I am still going to stay around the house and keep it elevated.  I am following my doctors orders.  I think that is so important.  I could see how tempting it would be to go out and do something right now, but I want to keep the swelling down and I want it to keep getting better!

16 Days Down!

So this begins my 16th day after surgery on my peroneal tendons.  I am doing much better and able to get around the house more.  Tylenol has been sufficient for my pain, and I have become a pro on crutches.  Tomorrow I go in for my first post op appointment.  I will have my staples removed and a new cast put on. I am really looking forward to seeing my incision wound and getting a new cast put on.  This splint it hot and heavy!

I waited until summer to have this surgery done.  It was kind of my only option.  It really sucks though :).  I live in Maine and it has been unseasonably warm.  Perfect weather to go to the beach or go swimming.  But I am stuck indoors which is hot!  So if you can choose when you want to have your surgery, I would do it during a season where you don't mind being inside.

My biggest complaint with my ankle is the swelling.  You really have to keep it elevated or it swells right up.  It feels like it is going to explode sometimes.  If I am on my feet for 5 minutes, it becomes extremely uncomfortable.  I am looking forward to that going away.

One other struggle with this surgery is how you lose your independence.  You really need someone around to help you get a bowl of cereal, or do certain things for you.  Luckily my husband is on break and he is around and very helpful.  But its nice to be able to do a few things by yourself, so here are my newest tips...

-Make sure you have a Nalgene water bottle.  These are easy to fill and you can hold it by the loop with you crutch back to bed or the couch.

-Have popsicles around!  I read this in someone else's blog and it has been a huge help!  It is a sweet treat that you can grab yourself and take with you.  Plus they just taste good.  I recently got Edy's Blueberry with Acai.  They taste really good and have antioxidants, which is important while you heal!

-Use a little backpack or shoulder strap bag.  This way you can take things with you around the house.  It is extremely helpful.

- Here is a picture of my splint.  Really looking forward to a cast.  You can see the foam pillow the hospital gave me.  It has been a lifesaver.  During the day I put another pillow on top to get more elevation.  If you doctor doesn't give you one of these, I recommend going out and finding something similar.  My leg never falls out while I am sleeping and I get more elevation than using a stack of bed pillows!

Other Great Blogs...

I have found some other great blogs from people who have shared the same experiences with their peroneal tendon surgery.  I like these blogs because they are positive and won't scare you about having this surgery!

http://thesabins.com/category/the-trouble-with-tendons/

www.dreamingfullcircle.com

http://peronealtendonsurgeryblog.blogspot.com/

http://www.runnersworld.com/community/forums/injury-prevention/injuries/just-surgery-peroneal-tendon/.0
- This one is great because it shares many stories.

If I find others I will share them!

Ways to kill time...

So now I am on day 11 after having surgery on my peroneal tendons.  Things are still going well.  I am being really good about staying in bed and resting and having my leg elevated.  The pain is not too bad.  I take Tylenol every 4 hours.  I do start to feel a little pain or soreness once the Tylenol wears off but it is nothing excruciating.

For the most part I stay in bed.  We only have one bathroom and it is upstairs so it is just more convenient.  I do go downstairs about once or twice a day.  My ankle starts to hurt and swell as soon as I move around, so I try not to be on my feet for more than 5 minutes.

Well I thought I would give some tips on how to kill time.  It can be difficult to sit around all day but I have found some ways to do it without losing my mind!

Read! - I have chosen some books that are in a series so that I immediately want to pick up the next one to see what happens.  I started and have almost finished the Twilight saga by Stephanie Meyers.  I am almost finished with the last one and they are pretty good.  I have also started a series by Steig Larrsson.  I read the Girl w/ the Dragon Tattoo and have ordered the other 2.

Netflix! - I ordered DVDs and watch somethings instantly on my computer.  You can watch the series 24 instantly.  This is a great and suspenseful show to get into.  I have seen some of the seasons but not all, so I am catching up.

Scrapbooking-

Work - If you can work from home

Nintendo :)

I try not to nap during the day.  It is very easy to do, especially when you are taking the stronger pain meds.  However, I have been sleeping really well at night and I think that is because I haven't napped.  It is uncomfortable to sleep because you have to sleep on your back with your leg elevated, so I am very grateful that I can manage to sleep well!

Day 5 and 6

Things are still coming along for me.  Yesterday I had a minor break down.  I was trying to get back into bed and there were a couple of boxes and things in my way.  It was late, I was tired, and I was annoyed I couldn't simply pick them up and move them.  So I threw I minor tantrum with my crutches and was throwing things across the room.  Then I trip and caught myself with my bad ankle!  Not good.  It seems to be doing fine though so I am sure everything will be great.  My husband Dan, said he will always remember that vision of me throwing things around with my crutches.

I have really gotten into the Twilight saga books and Dan picked up a couple of Nintendo games.  So the days have been flying by.  I haven't gotten too antsy yet.  It isn't comfortable to move around, and it always feels better having my leg elevated so I don't mind too much.  I made it downstairs yesterday (first time in a week).  Once I was down there I realized everything I needed was upstairs and I wasn't really missing out on anything.  So I went back upstairs.

Post Surgery Tips

Day 1 - Not too bad. Took my Percocet religiously and kept my foot elevated. The hospital gave me this big pillow that my leg sits in. Its amazing how much better it feels when it is elevated. The nerve blocker wore off so the pain increased. I iced behind my knee which helped a lot. TIP: use the ice packs made to go in coolers, the rectangular shaped ones. They stay cold really long and fit perfectly behind the knee. Ice really helps with the pain.

Day 2 - Pain a little worse. Perfected going to the bathroom with only one leg :). Also managed to make the bed. These little things mean so much!

Day 3 - Tried to ease up on the Percocet a bit. Tylenol and ice worked well during the day. (My doctor said no IB Prophen because it prevents healing) The pain seems to be the worse in the evening. TIP: Try to save your Percocet for night, especially when you sleep! I went ahead and asked the doctor for more pain meds, I think it will be something less strong.

Day 4 - Feeling a lot better. Figured out a way to take a weird bath. I had surgery on my right leg. So I was trying to figure out how I could shower. It is really important not to get the cast wet to prevent infection. So I folded a towel in half length wise and laid it on the edge of the tub. I ran water in the tub with soap. Then I sat on the edge of the tub with my bad leg propped up on the edge with a towel over it and the other leg in the tub. Then I used a washcloth and bathed myself. It felt really good after I was done and was easy. I did it all by myself too! Now my big dilemma is whether I should take the time to shave my one good leg or just let it go :). I am hoping to get downstairs either today or tomorrow. I have been stuck upstairs since Monday, really wishing we had a toilet downstairs!

Other Tips... I read that Vitamin C is good for healing so I have been taking that. Also, elevation seems to be so important. It really feels better when it is elevated. When I have to get up it, I feel more pressure around my ankle instantly. Also make sure you have someone around to take care of you. I am lucking to have had my husband around. You can't cook, get water, do anything! The first two weeks are the most important to have someone around. My husband Dan has been so wonderful and helpful!

Surgery Day!

My surgery took place at Mercy Hospital in Portland, Maine. My doctor was Dr. Pomeroy. I was really impressed with the hospital facilities and all of the staff there. Everyone was so nice, and everything went very smoothly. My surgery was scheduled for 2:15, so I had to be at the hospital at 12:15. I signed in and was taken back. They immediately had me change and get in bed while they started an IV and began to get me ready. The anesthesiologist came back to discuss what he was going to do. He gave me a nerve blocker in the back of my knee and put me completely out during surgery. Prior to surgery the OR nurse came and spoke with me. I had my contacts out but my glasses on. She let me keep them on in the OR and took them off after introducing me to everyone in the OR. I am blind without my glasses so its nice that they were thoughtful about that. I woke up after surgery in the recovery room with a giant Splint/Cast on my leg. The nurse put my glasses on and gave me some ice. I started to wake up and they gave me crackers and juice. It was about 3:00 and I wasn't allowed to eat all day so the crackers were awesome!

I reacted well to the anesthesia and felt fine after surgery. I wasn't in any pain at all. By 4:00 I was dressed and ready to go home! I had no idea I would feel that fine and be that coherent. I was able to talk on the phone with my sister and mom and even my husband was in shock I was doing so well.

We made it home and picked up some Thai food for dinner. I then made my way upstairs. This was interesting. The best way to get upstairs for the first time for me was to sit on my butt on the stairs, and push myself up each step with my arms and one leg while my husband was holding my leg with the cast. I took my Percocet and was out and slept great! I made sure to set my alarm in the middle of the night to wake up when it was time for me to take more Percocet.

A Few Tips Prior to Surgery

My Surgery was on Monday June 21st. Here are some pre-surgery tips I can give that made my experience a little easier...

1- Make a list of things you want to do before surgery, remember you won't be able to walk on two legs for about 8 weeks.

2- Lay out clothes to wear for at least one week after surgery.

- This has been very helpful. My husband has had to do EVERYTHING for me. So I appreciate anything I can do by myself. Getting dressed is one of them. On my dresser I have a stack of comfortable clothes, including underwear. This way I can pick out what I want to wear and get dressed by myself.

3- Get your room (or wherever you plan on being for the majority of the time) ready and stocked.

- For me this was our bedroom. We only have one bathroom and it is upstairs (16 stairs to be exact). So I made our bedroom my hangout spot. I stocked up on plenty of library books, which are all in a giant llbean bag next to my bed. I also plugged the phone charger and macbook charger right next to the bed. I brought up the DVD player and got a TV for the bedroom. I also have all of my medicine, vitamins, and most importantly PAIN PILLS! on my bedstand.

4- Join Netflix and Pick out some good books!

- We were already Netflix members, but movies do kill a lot of time. I also made a list of books I have been waiting to read and got them from the library.

5- The day before your surgery RELAX!

- I was a little anxious right before my surgery. So we spent the day at the beach and it was perfect!

So I decided to start a blog...

Back in October of 2009, I busted my retinaculum ligament which holds your peroneal tendon in place (see picture). Basically my tendon was rolling over my ankle bone, which wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world. I kept avoiding going to the doctor at first thinking it was just a sprain, and then finally being a little scared to go to the doctor knowing surgery was more than likely the only solution. I finally got the courage to go to the doctor and was referred to a specialist at the New England Foot and Ankle Specialists down in Portland, Maine. I was told surgery was needed and that I would be in a cast for about 6-8 weeks!

So I decided to blog about my experience with this. It was hard to find information on the web about this surgery. I found some personal experiences from other who have had to go through this, but their experiences were so negative and awful sounding that it really scared the shit out of me. So I have decided to write this blog in a positive fashion and provide tips for those who have to go through it and to allow people a little laugh at some of the things I have to deal with for the next 6-8 weeks.