well hello there
I've had all this time on my hands the last few weeks, so why haven't I been writing? Question of the year. Or at least the month. Okay, maybe just this week.
So, why all the free time? I got my toes operated on! Finally.
I had surgery two weeks ago, on May 3. A slightly different surgical experience, in a couple of ways. Geez, I sound like I'm a surgical pro, but I guess I have been around the Operating Room a time or two. So, this surgery took place at a really nice surgical center, not at a hospital. The pre/post-op areas have recliners instead of beds, and all of the staff was really, really nice. My nurse and I share a birthday, and my anesthesiologist looked like Santa Claus. I was a bit surprised that the operating gowns were as papery as they were, but I just figured it was because they were disposable.
After getting prepped for surgery, which included a "yes" and "no" marking on my legs to indicate the proper appendage to work on (way to cover your bases!), I walked into the OR and situated myself on the bed. It was COLD in there (typical), so they gave me a warm blanket. But, it was thin, and I was thinking to myself "They said they were going to keep me warm!" The next thing I know, Santa Claus gives me something that looks like a dryer hose with warm air coming out of it. He told me to hold onto it for a minute while he administered my anesthesia. He put the awesome dreamy-time stuff in my IV, and I could feel it right away. He told me to pick out a really nice dream, and then he took the dryer hose, and hooked it into a valve my operating gown - so cool! I had this constant stream of warm air to keep me warm! Of course, ten seconds later, I was completely unconscious, and didn't have much time to fully appreciate how rad that really was.
When I woke up a couple hours later, I had a hella case of the shivers, which is typical with anesthesia and me. They warmed me up and then wheeled me back to my recliner, where Jason was waiting for me. He told me the waiting area was really nice, and that he'd created a foursquare check-in for Lewis-Clark Orthopaedic Associates. Some toast and juice were scarfed down (I hadn't eaten since the night before), and they wheeled me to the exit. Jason chauffered me to pick up my narcotics (hello, hydro), and then took me home where I proceeded to spend the next few days in a bit of a haze.
Thankfully, I had that hydrocodone because, holy crap you guys, bone pain HURTS. Way more than any other muscular pain, or pain from incisions. But, after a few days, the pain lightened up, and I weaned myself off the hydro. I could see how that could be a little too easy to like. I went back to the dr. last Monday, and they changed my dressing and took some x-rays. I'm not sure I was prepared for how ugly my foot was going to look. Swelling, bruising, oh, and FOUR incisions. Yikes.
When they removed my old dressing, my big toe was sticking out almost in the opposite direction of my other toes, mostly because my big toe had a whole bunch of bandaging around it. I could've hitch hiked with that thing! They wrapped it with fewer bandages, and my foot is slowly going back to normal. Which feels weird. I would imagine it's like when you have braces and get them tightened. How it hurts for a bit, but then feels normal.
Have I mentioned I've not been allowed to put any weight on my foot? No walking, no driving, nada. It's been a bit of a tough pill to swallow, because I'm a pretty independent gal, and I don't like being at the mercy of others. I've been able to bathe pretty much every day, and I've even managed a few showers, thanks to some awesome dressing covers my sister sent to me. I prefer the super awesome scooter to clumsy crutches. I go back to the dr. tomorrow - hopefully to get my stitches out! And, I'm also going back to work on Thursday. I've been working half days since a few days after surgery, but I've been able to work mostly from home, which has been nice. I do some work, then take a nap. I do some work, then eat some lunch, then take a nap. I could get used to this :)
Anyhoo, that's about all that's new in my hood. I have a bionic foot now. Sweet.
Oh, and Jason is now the foursquare mayor of Lewis Clark Orthopaedic Associates.
So, why all the free time? I got my toes operated on! Finally.
I had surgery two weeks ago, on May 3. A slightly different surgical experience, in a couple of ways. Geez, I sound like I'm a surgical pro, but I guess I have been around the Operating Room a time or two. So, this surgery took place at a really nice surgical center, not at a hospital. The pre/post-op areas have recliners instead of beds, and all of the staff was really, really nice. My nurse and I share a birthday, and my anesthesiologist looked like Santa Claus. I was a bit surprised that the operating gowns were as papery as they were, but I just figured it was because they were disposable.
After getting prepped for surgery, which included a "yes" and "no" marking on my legs to indicate the proper appendage to work on (way to cover your bases!), I walked into the OR and situated myself on the bed. It was COLD in there (typical), so they gave me a warm blanket. But, it was thin, and I was thinking to myself "They said they were going to keep me warm!" The next thing I know, Santa Claus gives me something that looks like a dryer hose with warm air coming out of it. He told me to hold onto it for a minute while he administered my anesthesia. He put the awesome dreamy-time stuff in my IV, and I could feel it right away. He told me to pick out a really nice dream, and then he took the dryer hose, and hooked it into a valve my operating gown - so cool! I had this constant stream of warm air to keep me warm! Of course, ten seconds later, I was completely unconscious, and didn't have much time to fully appreciate how rad that really was.
When I woke up a couple hours later, I had a hella case of the shivers, which is typical with anesthesia and me. They warmed me up and then wheeled me back to my recliner, where Jason was waiting for me. He told me the waiting area was really nice, and that he'd created a foursquare check-in for Lewis-Clark Orthopaedic Associates. Some toast and juice were scarfed down (I hadn't eaten since the night before), and they wheeled me to the exit. Jason chauffered me to pick up my narcotics (hello, hydro), and then took me home where I proceeded to spend the next few days in a bit of a haze.
Thankfully, I had that hydrocodone because, holy crap you guys, bone pain HURTS. Way more than any other muscular pain, or pain from incisions. But, after a few days, the pain lightened up, and I weaned myself off the hydro. I could see how that could be a little too easy to like. I went back to the dr. last Monday, and they changed my dressing and took some x-rays. I'm not sure I was prepared for how ugly my foot was going to look. Swelling, bruising, oh, and FOUR incisions. Yikes.
When they removed my old dressing, my big toe was sticking out almost in the opposite direction of my other toes, mostly because my big toe had a whole bunch of bandaging around it. I could've hitch hiked with that thing! They wrapped it with fewer bandages, and my foot is slowly going back to normal. Which feels weird. I would imagine it's like when you have braces and get them tightened. How it hurts for a bit, but then feels normal.
Have I mentioned I've not been allowed to put any weight on my foot? No walking, no driving, nada. It's been a bit of a tough pill to swallow, because I'm a pretty independent gal, and I don't like being at the mercy of others. I've been able to bathe pretty much every day, and I've even managed a few showers, thanks to some awesome dressing covers my sister sent to me. I prefer the super awesome scooter to clumsy crutches. I go back to the dr. tomorrow - hopefully to get my stitches out! And, I'm also going back to work on Thursday. I've been working half days since a few days after surgery, but I've been able to work mostly from home, which has been nice. I do some work, then take a nap. I do some work, then eat some lunch, then take a nap. I could get used to this :)
Anyhoo, that's about all that's new in my hood. I have a bionic foot now. Sweet.
Oh, and Jason is now the foursquare mayor of Lewis Clark Orthopaedic Associates.