Last (?) update on feet

Today I went to see Dr Brunet because I was worried about the healing process. My right foot is still uncomfortable and often swollen, bruised or numb.
He reassured me (us, really, Neil and Mary Ann were there, too) that this is a normal process, perhaps a bit slow, but not unusual. It can take more than a year to adjust and this has only been 5 months.

He recommended good solid running/walking shoes (no more Crocs) and wearing shoes at all times, even in the house (Birkenstocks, etc.), and socks of course. Such a fashion plate!

Also gave me a prescription for orthotics and recommendation for a good place to get them.

He showed us the before and after x-rays again, and thoughtful Mary Ann took a picture. No more x-rays today, though. On the left, both feet before any surgery. You can see why I needed it!
On the right, Dr Brunet's work. The pins at the top (X) are gone now, by the screws at the base remain.

Patience is the watchword!

My pretty toes at Jilly's wedding. and finally, the feet today, with my bronzed toenails from my first fancy pedicure.

 

Venturing Out!

Today I drove the car (my first drive!) to the Parkdale Market and bought some herbs and flowers.  I took my cane but I went cast-less.
Then I planted my purchases.
Probably enough activity for a while, but it feels pretty good!
Yesterday and today I wore the black crocs instead of the blue ones; less cutting across the swollen part.
Whee! Freedom!

But the skin on my feet is kind of itchy, so I'll soak them soon.

I see Dr. Brunet on Tuesday... maybe the last time!

Toes out!

I've been walking around some without my cast. Dr Brunet said Crocs would be good after a while, so that's what I was wearing today. A little sore at times, but I'm taking it easy.

June 1, more progress

I feel so free today!
I was able to do some gardening yesterday, wearing the AirCast and leaning here and there.
I walked around a bit barefoot--just inside the house--and felt things were going well.
Today, I'm actually wearing 2 shoes! Crocs, as recommended by Dr. Brunet.  My foot is still slightly swollen, and a bit tender, but I have feeling in pretty much all areas, and it works well. Hooray!

Toes in the Sunshine

Okay, so not quite in the sunshine, but out on the front porch, enjoying the breezes and flowers from my new recliner.

And I can walk around barefoot a little bit! Gently, and using the walker when it's more than a few steps, but progress is being made. I am up to about 20 minutes walking/standing with the cast on, before it begins to ache.

By June 10, I should be good to go!

Last Cast

So, on Tuesday, May 20, I went to the Plaster Room and the X-Ray, and it was decided that I could graduate to an AirCast, which I had to pay for. It does work very well to protect my toes, and I can take it off to let the toes wiggle, to bathe, and to massage my swollen foot. Pretty slick!

I also can put the right foot down, gently, but I don't do much of that. When I'm going barefoot to the bathroom (from my own bed: I moved upstairs on Tuesday!) I use the walker, but I don't have to hop anymore; I can just shuffle. The end is near!  Final graduation should be June 10. 

How long is a week?

It's very long when you're waiting for two weeks to be over!

Laura give my hidden toes a little trim, to get rid of flaky skin and perhaps psoriasis. They aren't very itchy, but they did feel better once she was done. Her Mother's Day gift! (besides the flowers, card and Super Mom badge)  She thought my toes looked pretty grotty, so she took a picture to show me.
 (That was Before she did her work on them)

I won't see the doctor and plaster techs until a week tomorrow... seems like forever!

This cast is much looser than the previous one; it started looser and just keeps on giving me more wiggling space. I am wiggling my toes as prescribed. I have put the foot down abruptly on a couple of occasions--usually when tripping-- and it hurts! Otherwise, it does not hurt, but it feels clammy and sometimes scratchy around the "pins".

Cast # 3

This is Week 3 since the surgery.
Another 2 weeks has gone by, so it was time to change the cast. It was getting a bit sloppy on the inside and a touch ratty on the outside.
Doctor Brunet had a look at it and said it was doing well. I thought it looked kind of gross. The incision is a bit crusty, and one of the pins can't even be seen, but the nurse snipped the stitches so they can dissolve.

The cast is the same as last time, in fiberglass, covered up. No weight-bearing yet.

Next time they'll take x-rays and remove the pins. Maybe I'll be allowed a little weight, or maybe that will be the next time. 

I took a picture of the bare foot today. It's nice and straight, but what a scar!

My left foot is feeling a bit beat-up these days. Mostly the skin, not the bones. Have had to soak it in Doak Oil a couple of times, and I'm trying to give it lots of care.

Double Trouble

This week has been mostly boring in the foot department.

Sunshine!

I did get out in the sunshine one day.

I have figured out that one croc flip flop is a good enough support for my hopping (left) foot. Of course, I get to wear socks and crocs (in my case, just sock and croc of course) because crocs, wonderful as they are, encourage the psoriasis on my soles.

The right foot is reasonably comfortable in its lighter cast, and is able to wiggle a bit. I am wiggling my toes often, as directed by Dr. Brunet. The whole foot moves around a tiny bit, too. Sometimes I feel rough or scratchy things inside, but the doctor warned me there were some long pins that might cause that.

My right little toe is still invisible from where I sit, but I can feel it when it wiggles or when someone checks for me. Trouble is, there is considerable flakiness under and around that toe. Psoriasis strikes again, or so I assume.  I put Dovobet on it or get someone else to (Laura the Fearless, for instance), and get some relief from scratching with a QTip, and removing some of the crud. Yuck.

I got out on Sunday with Rachel. We used the wheelchair and had a tour around an artisan's craft show. Tonight Neil and I are going to a play at the Gladstone and then out to dinner! Whee!

A change of cast and time to wiggle my toes

Yesterday I went to the Plaster Room and had the first cast removed, my foot inspected, and a new one applied. The technician was charming and efficient and the doctor was pleased with his work and my healing.

On Easter Sunday, Rachel, Cole, Beatrix and I did some decorating.

On Monday, Laura  took a picture of my toes so I could see them.

And she added her freehand map of France:

The technician (Martin) carved around most of the artwork, but did not give it to me, after all.
I have the pictures, which is better.

Here is my foot, from my angle:

And from Neil's:

 

Doctor Brunet admired his stitching and bone-adjusting, and said it was coming along well.

The psoriasis on my shin had faded away, so that was good. No need to be itchier.

 

Then Martin wrapped it all up in layers and applied fiberglass (Ms. CanoeFoot!) and we were good to go. Georgeanne was a valuable driver and navigator.

 

Here's the foot at home:



It hurts a little more now, because the angle has changed, but the cast is lighter and that makes me more nimble. I got my own breakfast (yogurt and cereal) using the wheelchair, and that worked fine.

I go back in 2 weeks for a new cast and a look at progress. In the meantime, no weight-bearing and no bathing. But I am supposed to wiggle my toes as much as as I want!

Days in the sunroom

April 16

April 17

On the left is my foot when I first got home from the hospital. Nice neat tensor bandage around the end. (The very end is open and my toes are available for touching.)

After a day or so, the capping bandage had been mussed up a little, and I had given up on long pants. 
In the second picture you can see how high the cast goes--nearly to my knee.

You can also see that I am well-equipped with a walker, my computer and my favourite chair, as well as pillows to keep my foot elevated. I also have my cell phone and the landline right at hand. And the Sirius radio with a remote control.

Doing very little makes me incredibly tired. When I do get up to hop to the bathroom or to watch TV, my left leg and my arms say, "Whoa! What's happening?" And my right leg is very, very heavy!

About the only thing I'm doing really well is sleeping. Both an afternoon nap and a good solid night. Nope, not enough pain to keep me awake at all, and that's with just Tylenol 3 and Naproxyn. Haven't had to resort to the opiates. Yes, it hurts, but it's an ache with a kind of twinge, so it's quite bearable.

Neil is taking on the burden of household chores as well as moving his office to home, as scheduled earlier. He skipped two days of trial-watching in Montreal to be home with me, and may miss some more next week.  I'd like our daughters to come by and help...maybe on the weekend. He keeps me fed, and fetches a few things, but is not very conversational.

Bored and uncomfortable

This is my second day in the anchor cast. Think cement shoes for the mob.
Neil has been looking after me, fetching a wheelchair, groceries, etc. and doing all the household stuff. I can't carry anything around by myself... not enough hands or feet.
My foot is twinging some, as the injected freezing wears off. Not as smooth a system as last time, but I guess it will be okay.
I'm sure it will be worth it in the end. And anyway, I'm committed now!

Big news on the foot front

I'm surprised and excited and a bit nervous.  Tomorrow I'm getting my right foot done! It is a bigger operation than I had on the left-- more bones to be realigned.  And a more thorough rest... a bigger cast and no weight on the foot for 6 weeks.

I had my first meeting with Dr Brunet yesterday (Monday) and he explained what he could do. Then he offered me the cancellation spot for Wednesday!

The operation will be done in Kemptville, out of town. Neil has decided to come home from Montreal 2 days early (tonight) so he can take me to the hospital and otherwise take care of me. Very sweet. I had Laura lined up to take me and Sue to bring me home, but I won't need them after all. Although I will need friends and minders from time to time, I'm sure!

Left foot doctors, right foot doctors....

Well, there has been change but no progress. The surgeon Dr. Gartke wanted to send me to for my right foot problems does not want to take me. His name was Laurent, it turns out, and he is more interested in ankles!
So now I'm being referred to Georgeanne's favourite orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Brunet.  I think I've been here before, because I asked my GP to refer me to him several years ago, but I could not get in.
Heaven knows when I'll get to see him or get anything done. In the meantime, my foot gets worse.

Complicated bones

I went to see Dr Gartke today. She thinks my left foot is healing slowly but making progress. I told her the right was feeling worse these days, so I had that x-rayed, too, and she confirms it is getting worse. So bad, in fact, she doesn't want to do the same operation as on the left. Something more is required (bones to be fused) and she will send me to a colleague instead. I've already forgotten his name, (Labelle, Lalonde, Laurent....?) but I know he works at the General. I have to go to Dr Gartke's office to pick up today's x-rays before I see him. I also have to go back to Dr Gartke in August to check up on the left foot (but no x-rays needed this time).
She says I have noticeable arthritis in my feet, so fusing a bone won't make much difference.

She was mostly concerned for my memory today be cause I couldn't remember details about our last visit, and I couldn't remember my dermatologist's name or the one I gave up on previously.

Sun, sand and surf

My week in Key West around Nov. 1 was both good and bad for my feet. As usual, sun and water improved my psoriasis. But not as much as I would have liked. When I saw Dr. Dossetor in December, she changed my prescription, saying the Dovobet was too strong for my shins and was thinning the skin too much.
Besides swimming, I did some walking, lots of standing, and lots of bicycling in Key West. It might have been a little too soon for the biking (although the flat landscape was wonderful!), because Dr. Gartke said my foot bones had not healed as straight as they should have, or as they apparently had on the last x-ray.


I took my dermatologist's advice and went back to the land of sunny weather and salt water. This time, it was Mexico's west coast, where we visited our son and went diving. The sunshine did good work on my itchy shins and rough feet. Changing to the new cream had already made a difference to my shins in December.
As for the mechanical issues with my feet; here's the situation. The left foot, with its straightened toe bone, is getting more and more solid all the time. There are very few twinges anymore, and it seems to work well. I go back to see the orthopedist, Dr Gartke, in March. The right foot, however, is often sore and weak. I am looking forward to getting it straightened out, too, although I may have to keep the cast longer this time.