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. 

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.

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!

We went to Paris, Looking for Buffett...

 

 

I walked quite a lot in Paris, as one does!  I would have liked to walk more, but my feet objected. Still, they held up pretty well, and only gave me a big pain one night. I took quite a lot of Advil over our 4-day weekend. My new cane was very useful, especially on the cobblestones, and especially for getting nearer the front of lines.

 



My left ankle got swollen, as did the whole foot, but as the picture shows, it is not far from normal. The old callusses finally sloughed off, and no new ones formed. The psoriasis stayed very calm. On the right foot, however, with its still-crooked toe, I got a big blister just at the base of my big toe. Had to pop it (cleanly, of course) to be able to walk the next day.

All in all, not bad for 10 days out of a cast.

After the cast came off

Bunion surgery and recovery

My feet at Mallory Square, after walking across Key West, January 2013.

 This is my left foot after bunion surgery. I had to stay entirely off it for 2 days (counting surgery day, August 7, nearer to 3 days). Once the nerve block was used up and removed, yesterday, Friday, August 9, I was able to walk, although it was more difficult last night than this morning.
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.

January in Florida

I am in Florida, sunny Florida, and so my skin problems are greatly diminished. The bone problems (bunions, etc.) are no better.
Hooray for sunshine!

These are my feet after walking across Key West to Mallory Square.

Sore feet (bunions)

I have been buying shoes and experimenting with socks.
Winter seems to have damaged my feet: there are strange red spots in some places, and callusses and blisters forming on my inner left heel and the bunions on both feet, but worse on the left.
I am heading to Bonaire next week, so hope to be barefoot, underwater, and/or exposed to sunshine.
I see Dr. Dossetor at the end of May.

The picture is from October 18, 2010.

Salt water and sunshine did my feet a lot of good. Even though I did more walking than usual while in the DR, the feet were very good. I managed to scrape my heel on a limestone rock when we went swimming in a cavern, though, so there is still something sore. And while there I had a big blister on my left big toe, and a smaller one on the end of my middle toe (also left), but they resolved themselves. I was careful to use my creams and socks, dorky as I felt some of the time. Towards the end, though, I was going barefoot in my sandals some of the time, and not suffering.

relapsing a little

I did something foolish, which didn't seem serious at the time, but I guess it was.
On Saturday, I walked around for a couple of hours in my sandals (with the new orthotics) WITHOUT SOCKS.
Now I have 2 or 3 cracks, mostly on the right foot, and am trying very hard to make them go away.
I have soaked in Doak; I have spread Vaseline and the other treatments in patchwork configurations, so as not to thin or irritate the sore bits.
I have not stopped wearing socks, except in the bath, for days and days.

AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH !!!