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.
Showing posts with label Gartke. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gartke. Show all posts
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Thursday, March 6, 2014
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.
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.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
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.
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.
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Bunion surgery and recovery
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| My feet at Mallory Square, after walking across Key West, January 2013. |
Today, it hardly hurts, but I think my vigorous garden and patio weeding operations (mostly seated or leaning) did some skin chafing with the cast. But it's okay.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Less than a week...
I'm going for bunion surgery on August 7. Two or three days of bed rest, then 6 weeks in a cast, then 6 weeks of limited exercise. I hope it is worth it.
I got the shoes worked over by the shoe specialist: they make me taller by about a centimetre, and they are very heavy. They can be hot to wear, and rather dorky sometimes, when I'm a tourist, but they do help my feet and hip work better.
My psoriasis is pretty calm, since it's summer, and remains more pronounced on my shins than on my feet.
Will report after surgery.
I got the shoes worked over by the shoe specialist: they make me taller by about a centimetre, and they are very heavy. They can be hot to wear, and rather dorky sometimes, when I'm a tourist, but they do help my feet and hip work better.
My psoriasis is pretty calm, since it's summer, and remains more pronounced on my shins than on my feet.
Will report after surgery.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Internal and external updates
Internal
Footbones
Well, I have been to the orthopedic surgeon to find out about getting my bunions fixed. And I'm going to get the first one done this summer! After they break the long toe bones and realign them, they put you in cast for 6 weeks. Then there's 6 more weeks of gentle motion, and after that, things should get to a new normal. She also prescribed a shoe-fix to help the metatarsals, expecially in my right foot. My new shoes at are at the shoe expert's now. I'm getting the left bunion done first, because the bunion there, although less pronounced than the one on the right foot, accounts for more of the pain in that foot.
External
And the skin?
I have nearly no psoriasis on my feet, except below the ankle bone on my left heel, mostly. But it has been all over my shins all spring. Flaming red, bumpy shins are not nice in shorts weather! It's fading a lot on the left leg and a little on the right. I just keep treating it with Dovabet and the tarry-salicylic cream, and Vaseline if it gets too itchy between doses. I think I've kept it under control: no infections anyway. I have an appointment with Dr. Dossetor next week, so we'll see what she says.
Footbones
Well, I have been to the orthopedic surgeon to find out about getting my bunions fixed. And I'm going to get the first one done this summer! After they break the long toe bones and realign them, they put you in cast for 6 weeks. Then there's 6 more weeks of gentle motion, and after that, things should get to a new normal. She also prescribed a shoe-fix to help the metatarsals, expecially in my right foot. My new shoes at are at the shoe expert's now. I'm getting the left bunion done first, because the bunion there, although less pronounced than the one on the right foot, accounts for more of the pain in that foot.
External
And the skin?
I have nearly no psoriasis on my feet, except below the ankle bone on my left heel, mostly. But it has been all over my shins all spring. Flaming red, bumpy shins are not nice in shorts weather! It's fading a lot on the left leg and a little on the right. I just keep treating it with Dovabet and the tarry-salicylic cream, and Vaseline if it gets too itchy between doses. I think I've kept it under control: no infections anyway. I have an appointment with Dr. Dossetor next week, so we'll see what she says.
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