The months progressed and I had told myself that I would not go for the big surgery until the pain got so bad it was interfering with my quality of life. By November I decided I didn't want to continue on with my condition so the big surgery was scheduled for November 29. (the day after Thanksgiving) By then my other foot was beginning to have the same symptoms as the other which was a horrible thought to know I needed two surgeries.
The big surgery was called a "achilles restructure" plus some other medical phrase attached to it. What he did was detach the tendon from the heel bone, slice off nearly an inch of bone, reattach the achilles tendon and take the tendon from my big toe and wrap in front of the achilles to give it extra strength.
All of this was an outpatient procedure but had to spent about three extra hours in the recovery room because my oxygen level wasn't where it was suppose to me. But I soon arrived home wrapped in a splint knowing that I would get a cast in six days. Plus could not put any weight on it so we purchased this scooter instead of renting because of my projected longterm use.
I got along nicely until the 5th day when I woke up with pain on my right side of chest and little bit hard to breath. I was somewhat nauseous and a little bit clammy. I figured since I had not blown into that blue blowing device they always send you home with I probably had pneumonia which might have been a better option than what I had. I spent two days in the hospital with a small blood clot on my right upper lobe and was told by two different doctors I was lucky to be alive. It was kinda scary. Chelsea took me to the ER around 2:00 pm followed by Gretchen around 4:30. Alvin was busy with year end finals so he arrived about 9:00. Cody came after his work as well. I was fine and satisfied to spend the two days there.
Dr. Freed, my foot doctor, was totally surprised when he heard about me. Such a nice caring guy. He dose not make hospital visits I understand but was at my bedside the next afternoon and planned to come back the next day if I didn't come home. I assured him he did not need to come back but I went home anyway and saw him in his office two days later to get my cast.
I don't like cast that are written on but knowing I was going to get it replaced every week I let them write on the first one. The reason I went every week was because he wanted to check on the wound.
Being Christmas my second cast was a candy cane.
That cast didn't last very long however because I got it soaked one night when my plastic bag I used to cover when I took a bath had a major hole. I am not kidding it was soaked so went the next day to get a dry one.
So, for the next three weeks I went every Monday for him to clean the wound. It was pretty ugly. Actually pretty "gross". Sorry!
It has been a long hard six weeks of misery. It seemed every week something else would go wrong. In one week I fell off the scooter twice. (once right in front of the doc) I know I have a long recovery ahead but very optimistic that the worst is over! The bad part being once my right foot gets completely better the left foot needs to have the same procedure. My doc just said today he has gotten gray hair over this one. Will he even agree to do the next one . . . time will tell!
