Used to it

Well, I obviously haven’t blogged in awhile.. mostly because the whole ordeal has just become part of my life and it’s not something “special” enough to blog about.. Don’t get me wrong, it still stinks.. especially that spring has arrived and I want to be outside doing stuff, but the pain is minimal, I can walk again, and everyday is getting better. It’s actually kind of an interesting experience.. like aging in reverse. 🙂

Just to recap and update for anyone going through this..

– injury right before Thanksgiving 2011 (no broken bones, but 5mm displacement) a very large guy stepped on the arch of my foot as I was planting to jump in a basketball game

– surgery on Dec 12th (3 screws) 1 long incision, 3 holes.. Clifford Jeng out of Mercy in Baltimore.. he was awesome for me

– 2 weeks in cast then stiches removed and in removable boot

– 3 months total non-weight bearing, in boot.. crutches(no fun but what can you do), scooter(essential.. get 2, 1 for work, 1 for home) iwalkfreecrutch (non-practical.. for my job had to put on, take off too much)

– screws out on April 4.. one day recovery.. that was a breeze.. i was walking on it the same night in a orthopedic flat sandal

– as of today, I’m still in sandal, but get around fine, minimal pain.. a couple more months of that.. then will start jogging/running by summer

– Basically looking good so far.. hoping to just see gradual improvement and back to old self by the winter.. I’m older (40), but in very good shape and very athletic so have my fingers crossed it will be well enough for me to keep playing sports..

Verdict so far.. It sucked! but you cope and adapt.. and the hard part is over after a few months..

 

 

Pain in the you know what..

This should help with work

Almost 3 weeks since the surgery and the pain is not that bad anymore.. there is a slight ache but it’s bearable.. sometimes it hurts if I twist it a certain way.. The hardest thing is wearing the boot all the time.. it gets hot and it rubs the top of my foot which is sore.. I take it off when I’m watching tv and sometimes when I sleep, which is risky I know, but sometimes I just can’t take it. It hasn’t been a big deal having one foot because I’ve been off work the whole time.. I’ve gotten used to the crutches and I have the scooter thing..I bought the one that doesn’t steer off ebay, and have another steerable one coming that my insurance is paying for.. My insurance also paid for the IWalkFree crutch.. it’s kind of a strap on prosthetic but isn’t very easy to use.. Hopefully it will be easier with practice.

To pass the time.. lots of sleep, Netflix, “Words with Friends” (steveinherndon if you want to challenge).. and buying myself stuff online.. new phone and laptop, not cheap, but oh well..

My foot after 2 weeks under wraps.. not pretty

I also can drive pretty easily with my left foot, can carry stuff with my backpack, and use Peapod to deliver groceries, which was very easy to set up online, just costs a little extra because of fees and tip.

So to sum up.. the whole experience “so far” is not as bad as I thought.. but that being said, I still need to go back to work which will make things much more difficult, I still need to go another 2+ months non-weight bearing which will grow old, and I still need to see the surgery work and my ligament regenerate correctly..

Just got this.. not easy to use but I'm practicing and hoping

Happy New Year’s!

I’ll be on the couch and asleep by 10.. : P

The Aftermath

First off, forgive my writing skills.. my brain has been very foggy since the surgery because of the oxycodone.. but here we go..

Well I had the surgery on Monday the 12th.. lots of waiting, then some more waiting, and some more waiting.. then next thing I know, I’m waking up in the recovery room.. super groggy but no pain.. between the normal pain killers and the nerve block (they deaden your whole leg from the knee down) I didn’t feel anything until almost 10 hours after the surgery..  I will say that the splint I had was very annoying for some reason though, it just felt awkward and unusual so I couldn’t help but twist, pull, and push it.. I know I probably shouldn’t have, but it was beyond me, so I hope I didn’t mess the screws up.. I pretty much was trying to shift my foot inside the splint until it was comfortable, which it never seemed to be until about the 3rd day.. although it’s still annoying

What I woke up to.. not really painful, but still uncomfortable

The doctor informed me the surgery went well and he used 3 screws.. It doesn’t look like the bones are that tight but I’m trusting that he knows what he’s doing. I have to go back to see him Friday the 23rd to check it out and remove the splint.. removable boot after that I think.

When I got home I was weak and tired.. There is no way I could have made it home alone. I wasn’t strong enough, or even clear headed enough to get somewhere. My parents helped me into a spare room at their place and brought me food and drinks, but I more or less went straight to sleep.

Yep.. My foot is screwed!

The next day was the worst.. The nerve block wore off and the pain came on pretty fast and hard. This lasted a couple hours but the oxycodone finally started to control it. The rest of that day was a lot of ache, and grogginess.. not fun..

I spent the 2nd day in bed watching tv.. and my mom bringing me food.. I probably could have survived on my own but it would have been painful so I just let my parents help me out.. 10mg oxycodone every 3 or 4 hours kept the pain away pretty well..

3rd day I was was ready to head home.. keep in mind that I am in good shape, and an athlete.. using crutches, hopping on one foot, or supporting my weight with my arms is pretty easy for me.. for people that are older, or overweight, they will need someone to help them out for awhile as a fall on the bad foot could cause damage and un-do the surgery.. my head was clear and my strength was back to somewhat normal, pain was manageable with meds and elevation..

anyways, I got home, set up the Netflix, got some food, and hit the couch..yippee.. I just got a new phone, Photon 4g, and the update for my Nook, so I have plenty to play with for these couple of weeks at home.

As I end this post it’s Friday the 16th about 6 pm.. The pain comes and goes.. it feels fine when it’s elevated, and 5mg oxycodone every 4 hours or so is enough.. but hurts pretty bad when it’s lowered and the blood rushes down.. My friends are trying to talk me into grabbing a couple beers.. but probably not a great idea.. : P   I am going a little stir crazy though.. not used to doing nothing for this long for sure..

For anyone wondering if they could make it back to work after 3 days, I would say no way, sorry.. it’s not very bad, but definitely bad enough to make going to work near impossible..

If you’re off work, this part isn’t so bad.. laying on the couch, getting up to get food and use the restroom once in awhile is doable.. but I know it’s going to be tough when I have to go back to work in a couple weeks..

That’s it for now.. i’m out

Waiting game..

Surgery date is set.. Monday Dec. 12th

4 screws, 3 months non-weight bearing crutches, 3 months boot.. just as I thought.. not good.

Now it’s all about getting ready.. I need to make sub plans and prepare for my life on one leg. My surgeon made a strong point to explain weight bearing is not an option for 3 months. The screws can loosen, or even come out.. both of which mean very bad news. I try not to think about it but I need to prep my place.. lots of food, lots of ice, installing extra handrails, etc.. yes, I’m very stubborn about asking for help.

Doc even said I should be no weight bearing now, pre-op.. I’ve been trying to use the crutches but that’s a no go at all times. It hurts, I can’t cook, or brush my teeth, stairs are virtually impossible, and I need to carry things at times.. So about 75% of the time I use crutches, the rest I walk in the boot carefully. Basically I don’t know what I’m going to do.. hopefully I’ll get stronger on them, or I’ll come up with some brilliant ideas how to live on them.. not fun to think about.

Not much else to say about it for now.. just limping around and stressed about how this will go..

Made my appointment finally

So I called today, but couldn’t get the head surgeon at Mercy. He’s booked until February. I did get an appointment with Dr. Clifford Jeng from the same clinic however. His bio seems pretty solid so I’ve got my fingers crossed. 

http://www.mdmercy.com/hospitalservices/mediarelations/profiles/jeng.html 

It’s an hour and a half hike to Baltimore, so I hope it’s worth it. I don’t want to take any chances going to someone just because they’re close, even though I’m sure they would be fine.

I’m hoping to hear I only have the one dislocated metatarsal, which would mean only a couple screws I think, but there’s a big gap between 3 and 4 on one of my x-rays, so I’m not that encouraged.

Saw one of my friends posted this to Facebook today.. I suppose looking for a silver lining isn’t such a bad idea at this point..

So all of this could end up being a good thing?? Ummm.. we'll see

Day 3

Not much new today.. still can’t walk on the foot but I’m starting to realize I’m stuck with this bad foot for awhile and this surgery is happening whether I want it to or not. I’m trying to focus on what I need to do to prepare for it. Today I’m cleaning my house, doing laundry, dishes, clearing out old junk, etc.. so I don’t have anything to worry about when I go back to work next week and when I have the surgery, whenever that may be. I also need to start preparing two weeks worth of sub plans, which I hate. I continue to read about other Lisfranc sufferers so I know what to expect and prepare for. Most of the stories are sad ones, but I’m thinking those who have had happy endings don’t bother to write about it on the internet, so I’m factoring that in. Back to work next week should be interesting.

The dreaded crutches.. I'm feeling a love/hate relationship is in our future

Day 2

Finally slept a whole night without pain, but woke up to the same old injured foot. Hurts too much to walk on and it still looks bruised and puffy.

I can walk on it a little but I probably shouldn’t. I need to get into the habit of non-weightbearing so I’m trying to use the crutches just for the practice.. not fun.. hurts my arms and I keep tripping over them.

Found this video suggesting it’s possible to recover to pre-injury athletic ability.. which is hopeful after some of the doom and gloom I’ve found..

Just sitting around watching tv today.. not much else to do but wait for the surgery.. and then a lot of that after the surgery..

Ugghhh.. This sucks! Day 1

• Welcome to my blog about my lisfranc fracture dislocation. If you know anything about the injury it requires a pretty major surgery/recovery..up to 3 months on crutches, 3 months in a boot, and 6+ months of PT. Even after all of that the prognosis is not always good. This about sums up what the injury is: http://www.arthroscopy.com/sp09022.htm  

My x-ray Pre-Op ..Day 2 post-injury.. That 2nd long bone is supposed to be tucked in with the 1st one.. that space is a bad sign.. 5mm separation = surgery for sure 😦 At least my bones don’t seem to be fractured like I’ve seen on some poor folks.

• I’ve seen other blogs on the subject. They were interesting to read and seemed to help the author get through it.. I’m not a blogger, and tend to get angry and give up on things I don’t have to do, so we’ll see how this goes.
• As I begin, it’s Thanksgiving 2011, four days post injury. It happened when a 250 lb. guy stomped my foot playing basketball. I was planting my foot to jump and he stepped on the arch of my foot, basically crushing my arch down.. didn’t feel good.. looks like I’ll never dunk again : (
• I didn’t go to the emergency room the same night because it was late and I had to work the next day. That first night was really bad as far as pain. I tried to ice and elevate for awhile but it hurt too much and it felt better to just leave it down in bed un-iced.. I didn’t sleep much, just moaned in pain, trying to get comfortable. I called and got a sub for my class (I’m a 2nd grade teacher) but still had to go in at 8 to put together work/plans for the sub.
• The next morning, and ever since hasn’t been too bad for pain, except for when I try to walk on it (I keep the ibuprofen handy).. I hobbled to school, in a walking boot I had from when I sprained my ankle years before. I took care of the sub, and explained to whoever saw me what happened. I was able to get a doctor’s appointment so I made it over there at 11:30. The doctor on call checked me out and sent me for x-rays. I had to talk the x-ray technician into doing weight-bearing pictures, which he finally agreed, and they confirmed a 5mm seperation.. luckily no bone breaks, at least that they or I could see. I got some crutches last night and they’re a pain to use but I’m getting better. I will make my orthopedic appointment with someone on Monday because everyone seems to be off tomorrow because of Thanksgiving.
  

  Pre-Op.. Side View Day 3 post-injury.. not great, but better than day 2 due to elevation and icing

• I’ve elevated a lot the past two days and iced pretty often also. My foot looks fairly decent right now and doesn’t hurt except when I put weight on the inside ball of my foot.. I kind of limp on my heel, or use crutches.. My left knee is starting to hurt from all the extra unbalanced stress I’m putting on it so I’m making a point to be careful with that.. i don’t want to save my right foot and screw up my left knee (that’s already had ACL surgery)  : p 
• That’s it for now.. I’m assuming the swelling and pain will continue to diminish, but I know it’s still busted on the inside.. I’ll try to make an appointment with the foot surgery center at Mercy Hospital in Baltimore on Monday (they look very good, but who knows).. It’s going to be a long year 
  

  Pre-Op Top View Day 3 post-injury.. Looks okay, not too bruised and looks like my foot again.. the pinching feeling from the swelling has gone away thankfully.. after surgery it won't look so pretty