It’s been one week since my foot surgery. Like many things
in life, in some ways I can’t believe how fast it’s gone, and in other ways, it
has seemed like an eternity. I have nothing to compare my recovery to, no
reference point, but it seems like it is going well. During the first couple
days post-op, I felt like I would never walk normal again. Limping the few feet
from the bed to the bathroom was tremendously difficult. And I couldn’t imagine
giving up the crutches and walking only with the boot, as the doctor suggested.
But yesterday I had my first post-op visit and dressing change.
The nurse assured me my foot “looks good” (I don’t know about good, but I agree
it’s not as ugly as I imagined it would be), and I’m recovering well. She also
strongly encouraged me to start walking. More. Without the crutches. She said the longer I wait to start walking in the boot, the longer I'm going to be in the boot. Well, that got my attention.
So, I’ve been working on that. I’ve been bearing some weight
on the foot while still using the crutches. I’ve started only using one crutch.
And I’ve taken a few steps here and there with no crutches. Surprisingly, it’s
not as painful as I thought it would be. Not at this point. Now a day or two
after surgery was a different story. With the slightest pressure, it felt like
my foot would shatter. But now, mild discomfort, at the most. And I’m
progressively cutting back on the pain meds.
Today, I’ve made two trips down the driveway to the mailbox.
Several treks through the living room and out to the kitchen. And one out to
the backyard to rescue a mockingbird ensnared in the wire mesh covering the
blueberry bushes – he’s smart enough to figure out how to get in, but can’t get
back out again.
I’m feeling optimistic. Two more weeks, and I get the
stitches out (I was surprised to see there were only about five! I imagined
more.)
I hope no one minds me posting this photo. I know some of my
readers are squeamish. But I want to document my progress. Really, it’s not as
bad as I expected. The purple looks like they highlighted it in magic marker,
but it’s actually bruising. And any day now, I’m going to re-paint that
toenail.
3 comments:
Angie,
I hope your foot heals quickly. You are in my prayers.
Michele
I'm so glad to hear that it is healing. And there you are, caring for other creatures - rescuing birds despite your own condition.
Thanks, Michele! And yes, CHM, it's so very hot out there. I worried he would die if left trapped out there in the sun with no water.
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