Almost 11 weeks post surgery

My foot is getting better. I am still walking with a limp but my foot isn't that sore, my big toe just isn't strong enough to push off with. I've been out of the boot for 3 weeks and am able to do low impact exercises so I'm being using the elliptical 3-4 times a week. I really want to run but know my foot isn't ready for that yet. I hope I get to run again. I keep telling myself that "where there's a will there's a way."  

The incision is healing nicely but there is a blister on it and is very painful to walk on. The pressure on top of my foot looks way worse than the incision sadly. 

I still am buddy wrapping my big toe and first toe together to help the big toe to heal in the right place. 

The ouchie blister

Post Op Appointment

The incision

I finally got my bandages off yesterday (2 weeks and 2 days post surgery) and got to see the incision. It's about an inch and a half and had 5 stitches. The stitches came out pretty easily, only one hurt a little coming out. My foot looked pretty gross after getting the bandages off. I have some huge pressure sores from them. The incision creeps me out to look at but also kind of cool. My doctor said everything looks pretty good and normal and he is happy with where I am at. I can start some massaging near the incision to break up scar tissue and help healing. I also am suppose to buddy tape my big toe to my pointer toe  my next appointment isn't for 4 more weeks. Sadly I'm still in my boot for that time. It's nice to be mobile but it's hard to walk on your heel for a long time or distance. I can also start using the recumbent bike if it doesn't hurt my foot and other exercises, so I'm excited to get moving again. 

Pressure sores

Second week of Recovery

Well the doctor told me no traveling for 6 weeks after surgery but I had already booked a flight from Minneapolis to Naples, FL to visit my dad for Christmas.  He told me the risks and that it would swell up a lot and be pretty painful.  He was right, it didn't feel good at all.  But I did get some perks.  I flew Sun Country and reserved a wheelchair because even though by now I can walk on the boot (still non weight bearing) and use crutches, it is exhausting and slow and hard to carry anything.  I got to skip the line to check in, go to the front for security, got moved to a bulkhead aisle seat, and was the first to board the plane.  I felt really silly in the wheelchair but knew I needed it to rest my foot.

It has been nice recovering down in Florida, but I'm not allowed to get the incision wet, so no pool or beach.  I was/am pretty bummed I wouldn't get to enjoy the pool or go to the beach but I don't want to mess up my recovery.  My foot feels a lot better this week, but my big toe and pointer toe are still weird to the touch and tingly.  My foot is sore in many places on top and I'm not sure why.  I have gotten a few pressure sores from the bandage and how tight it was and the rubbing, etc.  I can't wait till the post op appointment to get my stitches out and get new bandages. 

I'm still icing my foot as much as I can because my foot is still swollen and I've been upright a lot more this week.  The first 3 days I used the crutches a lot more and the rest of the week I really just hobbled around on my boot.  I have a really hard time moving my big toe.  It is bandaged up pretty good with guaze on the back and the ace bandage I think to keep it more stable but I try to move my big toe and it is so so hard to move even a little bit.  I spent a night crying because I was convinced it wasn't moving at all and the surgeon hit the nerve and my toe would never move again.  I know, over reaction, but this is scary to me.  I am able to move my toe, but it takes lots of concentration and it is very little, sometimes it makes my foot hurt where the incision is.  The doctor said the big toe joint after surgery would be really stiff and he is right.  I'm just worried that when I fell a week post surgery on the steps outside my apartment that I messed it up.  I think my big toe got caught and bent backwards and the joint has been really sore since.  I am anxious to see my doctor in a few days to see where I am at recovery wise and ask my 8 thousand questions. 

I can't go in the pool but still enjoyed the sunshine and heat in Florida

The top of my food has some pressure sores from the bandages, downside to not being able to change em for two weeks. Only two days left until I get to see what the incision looks like, how many stitches there were and get new bandages. 

First few days of recovery

Day 1
The day after surgery I was still numb from the ankle down and it felt weird, it was still hard to get around on crutches and keeping my foot off the ground.  After 4pm the nerve block started to wear off and I've never been in such pain before. 

Day 2
I hardly slept the second night post surgery because I was in such pain.  My mom felt so bad there wasn't anything she could do to help me.  I called the doctor today to tell them how much pain I was in and they told me to take another oxy until the pain got better.  It was the worst pain ever and the pain meds made me nauseous, I couldn't read, watch movies, or crochet.  All I could do really was try to sleep.  The pain meds made my vision blurry and made me dizzy but I couldn't handle the pain.

Day 3
Still really bad pain this morning but by the afternoon the pain was getting a little better.  A friend came over to watch movies and I ended up just napping because the tv was blurry to me.  I went to get my hair cut that night and there was stop and go traffic which sadly made me throw up.  It was not a pleasant day.  I also had my first shower this day.  I bought a waterproof foot cover that I highly recommend.  It is called drypro.  It sucks all the air out of the boot.  I've used it many times now and haven't gotten my foot wet.  I have read about other people's surgeries and how they were able to change their dressing daily and clean out the incision.  My doctor told me I couldn't touch the dressing or look at it until my two week post op appointment.  I see pros and cons to both but I am following my doctors orders (even though it is really hard to not take a peak). 

Day 4
Finally a little light at the end of the tunnel.  I didn't have to take as many pain meds today and wasn't feel as dizzy and out of it.  I had a surprise birthday party for a friend that night and it was really nice to see my friends even though I felt out of it.  I've been icing my foot at least 3 times a day and it actually feels really good when I ice it.  The surgery center gave me a wrap that I can put an ice pack in, they gave me two ice packs for it as well. 

Day of surgery (Pre & Post-op)

I forgot to add that I'm an Elementary Physical Education Teacher and I'm on my feet moving and shaking all day (best job ever).  So that factored into my decision because the pain was now effecting my job and I was having pain at work even though I was wearing my $550 orthotics. 

I went to work for 3 hours before my mom picked me up to go to the surgery center.  I was numb all day.  I had to be there 90 minutes early for pre-op and the whole time I wanted to get up and jump out the window.  They put the IV in my hand and that hurt and was really unpleasant up until I went into surgery.  I met with the anesthesiologist next and he talked about how they were going to give me a nerve block and I wouldn't be able to feel my foot after surgery and for probably up to 24 hours later.  I saw the needles and fluid and asked for my mom to come in early and be there with me for the shots (I HATE shots).  My mom is an RN and knew what they were doing and who doesn't want there mom there for their first major surgery?  The shots were unpleasant but I was given some meds through the IV.  They were going to put me under sedation as well.  I got to see my doctor once more before the surgery but I was already freaking out so much inside.  I knew it was the right thing to do but it's a hard decision because I could live without having it.  I cried going into the OR but then I was out and woke up as they rolled me into post-op.  I skipped phase 1 recovery (still not sure what that was, something with how I woke up so fast after surgery).  My foot was pretty painful after surgery and they gave me another nerve block but I still was in a lot of pain, so it actually took 4 nerve blocks to get me completely numb and without pain.  My post-op didn't go as well as planned, I get nauseous from the pain meds so it took almost 2 hours before they could discharge me.  I almost had to be admitted because my blood pressure was dropping so much, but luckily I was able to go home with my mom.

That first night I slept alright, I wasn't in pain but it was weird that I couldn't feel my ankle or foot and using crutches while being under pain meds was difficult.  But it wasn't horrible that first night. 

Here are X-rays of my foot before and after surgery! 

Backstory and deciding to have surgery

I'm starting this blog late (always a procrastinator) but thought I would share my experience of having a fibular sesamoidectomy on my right foot.

Backstory:
January 1, 2014 - I decided this was the year I get my life back in order and finally drop all that extra weight.  I started out with eating better, counting calories and doing the elliptical, after I started some weight I started to run again in March.  By May I was addicted again (I ran cross country for 10 years from 1994-2004 and ran a lot until about 2007) and was running 5k after 5k.  In June I decided to sign up for the Chicago Half Marathon as a new challenge.  In July I started to have pain in my right foot when I was running, it was annoying and irritating but I kept on running.  My longer runs got longer and the pain got worse and lasted longer.  Soon it hurt every step I took.  In August I went in to see an orthopedic doctor and they did x-rays and ordered me to have an MRI.  They told me I had sesamoiditis and gave me a prescription to get orthotics for my feet.  I got them, they helped but they felt weird so didn't run in them.  I did the Half Marathon in pain but my adrenaline helped a lot.  I went back in and was given a cortisone shot and took 3 weeks off running, I started running again and the pain came right back (it didn't work :-/ )  My doctor said I could stop running forever, run in pain and maybe get injured more, or have the bone removed.  I went in for a second opinion and was told them same thing.  I liked this doctor more and decided to schedule surgery with him, he was an MD and the other doctor was a podiatrist. 

Ever since I went to the doctor the first time I have been freaking out at the word "surgery" and have gone back and forth so many times on whether to do it or not.  I love running, it is my favorite thing to do and I was/am terrified I might never run pain free again.  What if the surgery doesn't work?  What if they hit the nerve and I lose feeling in my foot?  What if my toe curls out funny?  What if I still run with pain or worse more pain? What if I never can run again?  You can see where I am going?  So even until the last minute I wanted to back out. 

August & October X-rays of my foot