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!

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. 

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.

Fourth week in the cast

It's starting to get tedious.
Also, I'm wearing the edges of the cast down through "normal" activities.
Showering at the cottage this morning was not as much fun--or as dry for my foot--as the last time. There wasn't any sunshine, and I was sloppier about positions, etc. I thought Neil would come and scrub my back, but he was busy with other stuff.  The cast got damp on the bottom, but I dried it with the hair dryer and it seems okay. Then I stuck it into another plastic bag, put on the boot and went to see the Sundance Festival at Maberly. A small festival, but getting around was not great for someone whose foot is slippery and a little sore (also the right leg got tired of doing all the work.).
Pain? Nothing that feels like bone problems. Just rubbing at the edges of the cast and itching, burning sensations from time to time. It may be the psoriasis asserting itself. It's hard to keep my sticking-out toes clean enough, and my heel and arch are pretty flaky.

Walking around, sort of

I can get around quite well now, and haven't needed the lovely cane Roy Flett made for me very much. But it certainly helps on rough ground and "long" walks. That's about 3 short city blocks, or a store witihout a shopping cart.
The cast rubs on my toes and, of course, my right leg compensates in peculiar ways for my left foot's unusual stiffness. But while I had some pain and twinges last week, all seems to be much calmer this week. It hurts most when I'm in bed: I think it's because my brain is mostly unoccupied then and the effect is like poking at a sore tooth.
I am a little concerned about my skin under the cast. Sometimes it feels very hot, other times rather slimy or cold, and sometimes --rarely--it itches. Walking with a bare heel exacerbates the calluses and cracks, so I have been basting it regularly with Doak Oil (which has been discontinued! oh, no!) when I soak the right foot. And I have it wrapped in a piece of old t-shirt, after I put on the Dovobet. So the exposed part is doing pretty well, although a bit flaky.
My right foot is okay, but the footwear that provides the most balanced height for both feet is a Croc, which doesn't provide support and which irritates the skin on my heel. So it's socks and Crocs, or, more accurately, sock and Croc, for the right, and bare toes, the cast, a wrapped heel and the cast boot on my left.  What a fashion statement!

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.

July 4 at the lake. My feet are improving, as long as I wear socks and use lots of vaseline and not too much of the stronger stuff.
The secondary effects of having bad feet, which include bad knees and extra weight gain and general indolence, are starting to subside.
Right now, though, Neil is working hard at raking leaves and I--though feeling guilty--do not wish to join him. I got a big blister on my hand afer an hour's raking yesterday and my feet were starting to react, too.
Swimming is great: I get off my feet and my backside; my legs, knees and arms get some exercise wthout too much strain; and the water is good for my skin. Win, win, win. And even the hike up and down the hill is not as bad as it could have been.

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 !!!