Last Thursday I went in for a cast check. If you haven’t had the disturbing pleasure of having a cast taken off, prepare yourself. It is disturbing in the fact that you are about to witness a 3 in. dremel blade, spinning at the speed of light, get within centimeters of your skin!!!!! I was sooooooooooooooooooooooooo tense and holding onto my wheelchair for dear life. Images of those stupid movie trailers about people getting sawed up flooded my head. Yes Phillip, I know I’m a WIMP!!!!! I’ve never been through anything like this, but did witness poor Jessica have this done. What a brave child, she didn’t seem to be as nervous as I was! Although she did stare a whole thru the tech in a manner as to punch his head in if he slipped. I believe he still has burn marks on his head!
OK, so I’ve told you the disturbing part…now the PLEASURE! Yes, the most wonderful, awesome, magnificent, enjoyable feeling of the cast NO LONGER weighing down your legs is the best part of this ENTIRE thing!!! It feels so amazing to have those beastly things off my legs. They feel 110% better!!!!!! Who cares if the hair on my legs are an inch long now!
Doc T. did give me the best news though that the x-rays look just like the perfect ones that I’ve shown you before, and that because I’m missing those little sesamoid bones, the muscle is just weaker and is causing my big toes to turn in on itself toward the second toe. She said this is a typical thing to happen anyway. Doc wrapped my toes with gauze and tape in an adjusted position, and I will be going back approximately once a week to have them re-wrapped and adjusted more until she thinks they are as straight as they are going to get. So, I may still look like a mutant after all! I really don’t care though, as long as I can be active as much as I want and don’t have the pain like I did prior to surgery!!
I’ve given you all this information because some of you out there have responded to me saying how much you need this surgery too. If you are someone that likes details about what and how things are done (like myself), I hope this helps you. Each person responds differently to surgeries such as this, and you will probably surprise yourself at how well you will do in handling it. The key is to be sure you keep on top of the pain meds for the first week or two!!!!! Just because 4 days after the fact you feel pretty good does not mean ANYTHING. Especially if you are taking your pain meds regularly….that is why you feel pretty good! So don’t stop taking the pain meds after four days. Ask your doctor about pain management and follow their advice to the T! Drugs do have their place, as my husband so greatly put it.
If all of this has scared you to the point of saying “forget it”! Ask yourself if it is necessary to put off a surgery that will improve how you feel and what you can do with your family. Right now I feel it has been the best thing I’ve done for myself and my family in a long time.
Here they are without the casts! They look pretty normal don’t they! My second toe is still swells up though and I forgot to ask why just that one swells up. Maybe I'll remember to ask next time.
Wow! You are the 2nd person I've seen with a similar picture. I think this is a sign. I need to have this done, too.
ReplyDelete