Positive – My #WOTW
By Jeannette | August 25, 2017
Finally we’re at the tail-end of this week, a week I’ve been both dreading and looking forward to, at the same time.
This time last week I was in a right old state, nerves about my operation on Monday and lack of sleep were playing a part. I must have averaged about two hours a night in the five days or so leading up to the op and joked that, for the few hours I was under, I’d be getting a rest.
So, here we are, with my gigantic cotton bud foot:
My word for the week could easily have been “pain” because it was very hard to get the pain relief under control for the first couple of days, really hard.
It’s much better now but I have to keep remembering to take the tablets when they’re due and not delay taking them as the foot seems okay – because it very quickly becomes apparent it isn’t!! I know if I haven’t had the foot up enough as my head sings to me and my foot feels like it’s really swelling up under the bandages.
It does all seem more positive than last time though and that’s my word for the week.
Firstly, because we haven’t had the post-op complications of a foot that wouldn’t stop bleeding and a mega mega period (sorry TMI). General anaesthetics seem to bring on a cycle for me and it has again this time (grr) but it’s more manageable. I’ve no doubt that that the other foot operation will bring on one after that, so I’ll be prepared.
And then there’s what’s exactly been done, it HAS to achieve a better and pain-free result, surely.
So, that’s (how I imagine) my foot under all its bandages.
The surgeon rectified the metal work on the inner of the foot and he went into my existing scar, then broke and fused my big toe with more metalwork, then broke and realigned the second toe in, with a wire (metal “stuff” in purple, affected areas in green).
It doesn’t sound pretty and I’ll bet it doesn’t look pretty, I would think I’ll end up with five scars on each foot (as he’ll be doing the same to the other foot).
I can’t remember if the wire comes out or whether it gets chopped back, either way metal detectors are going to love me in future, aren’t they?!
It could be worse, though. The more specialist surgeon could have said “no” and then I’d be left with all the nerve pain in both feet and the inability to walk any distance without my feet screaming at me or finding any comfortable footwear. That, tbh, has been the hardest thing this year, knowing that last October’s operation could have gone better and feeling like I’ve spent 10 months since then feeling down about it and in pain. Visually my feet have looked awful too (not just the scarring) so I’ve been reminded every time I glanced down.
So, positive then, just because…
D gave me a lovely Get Well card, she’s a cutie!
It’s not ideal happening in the school holidays but it’s helped that T and D understand why this and the future remedial operations need to happen and that hopefully, all will be well and healed for next summer!
How’s your week been?
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