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Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Leadership

We were promised some cooler weather. I'm not happy with the reality. It did cool down a little after dark but not enough to hint at fall weather.

I did watch the debates Monday night. I'm amazed at the people that proudly proclaim they didn't watch them. These are the same people that will post their political views on Facebook. They repost memes they find, repeat sound bites they glean from Fox News Channel and can not extrapolate o
on their convictions. Yet they didn't have time to watch the debates between the two candidates?  Those that did watch came with their own convictions and it didn't matter much what they watched; what they heard and how truthful it was. The ridiculous behavior of the possible future leader of the free world mattered not to them.

I'm appalled that our country might be represented by a crude, brash narcissistic unapologetic grand standing candidate. This man cannot hold a polite discussion. The 50 times he interrupted his opponent with rude remarks could have been stopped by the moderator. It wasn't. His opponent kept a cool demeanor, ignoring his rudeness. This man is proposed by his party to lead this country in interactions with foreign leaders? I can predict his attitude will not enhance any relationships yet I hear people proud of their support for this man. They will vote their party line no matter what he does or says. 
I'm looking forward to the end of this election season. Though the male candidate is entertaining, he is scary.
Let the election process work this out. I'm constantly watching.











Monday, September 26, 2016

September Ending 2016

Season 3 of The Good Wife plays across my TV screen. This part of my life is spent binge watching television shows that I had neglected. I scroll through the offerings on the menu and select shows that have won multiple awards by the movie and television industry. Recommendations from friends and acquaintances have also helped steer me to what I'll select.

Left foot summary of yesterdays activities. In a word, lots of SWELLING. The pain corresponds to the amount of swelling so I strive to monitor and decrease that amount. Elevate, elevate, ice and elevate. This leaves me with not much time to catch up on all that house work I wanted to get done.

My plan has changed. I'll take one room at a time and work with many interruptions and just be grateful I'm not on crutches or the knee walker. I do have to remind myself that even with the pain and the swelling, I'm able to be more mobile then during the pre and post surgery time. I'm appreciative, relieved and still working on developing patience.
Another bright spot..FALL is here. As I struggle to draw in a deep breath in the heavy wet humid oxygen supply that surrounds us; as the temperatures climb into the 90's, I chant "Fall is here..Fall is here."
We are promised a cool front in a few days. They (weather person) is promising dry cool air. I'm so ready to see the last dying breaths of summer. Summer is not a place you want to be while in the deep south.
It's time to get Carrie to the bus stop. She has stayed with me all weekend except for a few hours when she went to her house to visit with some friends that came to see her.
I like it when she is with me Nothing but improvements here. I'm content.




Saturday, September 24, 2016

10 Days Gone

Now 10 days post cast removal and the improvement is phenomenal! Most of the pain is gone. I am not wearing the CAM walker. A pair of backless shoes with a thick sole does the trick. I'm still trying to take breaks and use ice packs throughout the day. The swelling continues after I have been up walking for a while but I'm not complaining. I've made it through the painful part of weight bearing.

Next week the temperatures are forecast to drop to a bearable 80 degrees with night time lows in the upper 70's and I'm so ready to get out of the heat and humidity. My foot should be well on it's way to mending and I'll be able to enjoy the fall and winter months here. I had this surgery in August as it's the month that I hide away in my house. The temperatures are brutal in August and September. I planned on being "foot healthy" by the time the temperatures started dropping and it appears it will be as planned!

This has been my little update to the foot experience 2016!


10 Days Gone

Now 10 days post cast removal and the improvement is phenomenal! Most of the pain is gone. I am not wearing the CAM walker. A pair of backless shoes with a thick sole does the trick. I'm still trying to take breaks and use ice packs throughout the day. The swelling continues after I have been up walking for a while but I'm not complaining. I've made it through the painful part of weight bearing.

Next week the temperatures are forecast to drop to a bearable 80 degrees with night time lows in the upper 70's and I'm so ready to get out of the heat and humidity. My foot should be well on it's way to mending and I'll be able to enjoy the fall and winter months here. I had this surgery in August as it's the month that I hide away in my house. The temperatures are brutal in August and September. I planned on being "foot healthy" by the time the temperatures started dropping and it appears it will be as planned!

This has been my little update to the foot experience 2016!


15 minutes of Painless Movement

That's right folks! I've now advanced to "pain free BEFORE swelling". I have a  few luxurious moments, maybe even minutes that feet on floor and a slow walk to the kitchen is pain free! I've just slipped out of bed, darkness wraps the room at 0600 hrs. Me feet explore the floor beside my bed to find my backless slippers. I wiggle my feet into them and then take a huge breath. I'm prepared for the pain of standing. Cautiously I recruit all my muscles to move into a full weight bearing stance on my feet.
Imagine my sweet surprise when the left operative foot did not send shooting spike like pain through my foot. One step, then another around the darkened room while holding on to the bed frame waiting for the pain to surprise attack. Nothing. I don't want to stumble into anything and contemplate turning on my cell phone flashlight to find my way to the door. The husband sighs softly in his slumber and I don't want to disturb him. He has his own sleep issues so I try to be as quiet as possible.
Down the hall and to the kitchen, stepping lightly and still pain free. I'm so excited.  This is progress. It has been nine days now since the cast came off. Nine days of walking and 7 of them  excruciatingly painful.
This is why people go to rehab. I refuse rehab. I can force myself to do what it takes to get back to normal. I can force myself to do the painful steps, the painful stretches and the painful balance exercises. If you can't do this, then rehab is a must for you. The physical therapist will encourage, guide and then even insist that you do the painful part of rehabilitation. I can do this to myself. I'm very motivated to get well and get this behind me.
At this time, I will explain the "pain free walk" I had from the bedroom to the coffee pot. I have been in bed all night. The foot has been elevated with an ice pack before sleep. The foot has minimal swelling in the early morning so my pain in minimal. I'm sure by this afternoon after hours of up and down walking the swelling will return and along with it the pain.
I'm alright with that. At least this morning pain free 15 minutes gives me incentive and lets me know I'm moving in the right direction with this surgery and rehab!
I'm going to get up and gingerly put that foot down with weight on it and walk to the kitchen for another cup of coffee.  I'll note how much time passes before the pain returns and I know it will. I'm pumped! I see actual full mobility in my future!!

15 minutes of Painless Movement

That's right folks! I've now advanced to "pain free BEFORE swelling". I have a  few luxurious moments, maybe even minutes that feet on floor and a slow walk to the kitchen is pain free! I've just slipped out of bed, darkness wraps the room at 0600 hrs. Me feet explore the floor beside my bed to find my backless slippers. I wiggle my feet into them and then take a huge breath. I'm prepared for the pain of standing. Cautiously I recruit all my muscles to move into a full weight bearing stance on my feet.
Imagine my sweet surprise when the left operative foot did not send shooting spike like pain through my foot. One step, then another around the darkened room while holding on to the bed frame waiting for the pain to surprise attack. Nothing. I don't want to stumble into anything and contemplate turning on my cell phone flashlight to find my way to the door. The husband sighs softly in his slumber and I don't want to disturb him. He has his own sleep issues so I try to be as quiet as possible.
Down the hall and to the kitchen, stepping lightly and still pain free. I'm so excited.  This is progress. It has been nine days now since the cast came off. Nine days of walking and 7 of them  excruciatingly painful.
This is why people go to rehab. I refuse rehab. I can force myself to do what it takes to get back to normal. I can force myself to do the painful steps, the painful stretches and the painful balance exercises. If you can't do this, then rehab is a must for you. The physical therapist will encourage, guide and then even insist that you do the painful part of rehabilitation. I can do this to myself. I'm very motivated to get well and get this behind me.
At this time, I will explain the "pain free walk" I had from the bedroom to the coffee pot. I have been in bed all night. The foot has been elevated with an ice pack before sleep. The foot has minimal swelling in the early morning so my pain in minimal. I'm sure by this afternoon after hours of up and down walking the swelling will return and along with it the pain.
I'm alright with that. At least this morning pain free 15 minutes gives me incentive and lets me know I'm moving in the right direction with this surgery and rehab!
I'm going to get up and gingerly put that foot down with weight on it and walk to the kitchen for another cup of coffee.  I'll note how much time passes before the pain returns and I know it will. I'm pumped! I see actual full mobility in my future!!

Friday, September 23, 2016

Haglund's Deformity..it's an Update

This is a post strictly for personal reference. It appears that my surgery in August 2016, though it was the SECOND time for this type of surgery, was one that I was ill prepared to survive! I had this same surgery in 2010 on my right foot. I should have remembered what it entailed but apparently I have a great skill recently discovered, to forget pain and the time it takes to heal. I've been most impatient and yes, even angry, following this surgery on my left foot.

Browsing through my posts on the 2010 surgery, I realized there was not much difference in this recovery period except for my attitude which sucks. Ask my husband. He will verify that I have been quite the bitch, moody and impatient and whiny. I should be embarrassed to even admit this but..truth is truth. I am what I am.

Today is 8 days post cast which kept me immobilized for six weeks, hereby known as "the bitchy whiny moody weeks". The husband was quite wonderful, waiting on me. He cooked. He cleaned and he tried to stay out of my way.

This post is to record the 8 days it took for the pain to finally cease from putting weight on my left foot. Finally I don't cringe and whimper and I just want to record this in the event I grow a third foot that might need an Achilles tendon repair. Hopefully enduring two of these surgeries will carry me through to the end of my life.

I still have pain but nothing like the first seven days of trying to walk on this foot. Granted, I have pushed the recoup time to the limit. The first seven days were to be light weight bearing followed by the second week post cast to a little more weight and finally into the third week of walking with full weight bearing. I've scrunched that time up into 8 days. I'm wearing a boot as much as possible. The surgeon wanted that boot on whenever I was up and about. I haven't obeyed those orders entirely.

The swelling comes and goes. I do want to note the swelling. Ice packs are applied when I'm laying around...but swelling is to be expected since I'm 7weeks and 3 days post op and out of the cast only 8 days.
That's it..Just a blog for my memory. I'll forget these details so I want to record them before that happens.

Haglund's Deformity..it's an Update

This is a post strictly for personal reference. It appears that my surgery in August 2016, though it was the SECOND time for this type of surgery, was one that I was ill prepared to survive! I had this same surgery in 2010 on my right foot. I should have remembered what it entailed but apparently I have a great skill recently discovered, to forget pain and the time it takes to heal. I've been most impatient and yes, even angry, following this surgery on my left foot.

Browsing through my posts on the 2010 surgery, I realized there was not much difference in this recovery period except for my attitude which sucks. Ask my husband. He will verify that I have been quite the bitch, moody and impatient and whiny. I should be embarrassed to even admit this but..truth is truth. I am what I am.

Today is 8 days post cast which kept me immobilized for six weeks, hereby known as "the bitchy whiny moody weeks". The husband was quite wonderful, waiting on me. He cooked. He cleaned and he tried to stay out of my way.

This post is to record the 8 days it took for the pain to finally cease from putting weight on my left foot. Finally I don't cringe and whimper and I just want to record this in the event I grow a third foot that might need an Achilles tendon repair. Hopefully enduring two of these surgeries will carry me through to the end of my life.

I still have pain but nothing like the first seven days of trying to walk on this foot. Granted, I have pushed the recoup time to the limit. The first seven days were to be light weight bearing followed by the second week post cast to a little more weight and finally into the third week of walking with full weight bearing. I've scrunched that time up into 8 days. I'm wearing a boot as much as possible. The surgeon wanted that boot on whenever I was up and about. I haven't obeyed those orders entirely.

The swelling comes and goes. I do want to note the swelling. Ice packs are applied when I'm laying around...but swelling is to be expected since I'm 7weeks and 3 days post op and out of the cast only 8 days.
That's it..Just a blog for my memory. I'll forget these details so I want to record them before that happens.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Left Foot, Second time around

 For future reference, it started on August 8th, 2016. Surgery date.
I've whined and cried and cussed and whined some more. I have not coped well this time. March 19, 2010 I had a bone spur removed from my right heel and behind the Achilles tendon. Haglund's deformity meant the retrocalcaneous would be shaved down as well as the bone spur removed. To do this the Achilles tendon had to be detached and reattached using anchors.

Six years later and once again the familiar pain but this time on the left foot. A surgery, a s;ont for two weeks and then a cast for another 4 weeks, I rolled around on a knee scooter. One week ago I graduated to a "boot". Getting the cast off was a goal and one that I looked forward to with great glee
. It appears that I have forgotten the time it takes to heal. I actually thought, once in the boot, I would be walking around just as the rest of the world who enjoy full mobility. I forgot how painful it was to walk for the first time.
Today I went back to my March 2010 postings and read everything I had written about the first surgery. I noted the time, the pain and the frustration with this surgery. It helped. I can compare the first surgery experience to where I am with this recovery time. How could I have forgotten?

An ice pack graces my foot which is elevated. I've taken frequent breaks today and sat down to rest that foot. I've promised myself I will slow down a bit. I'm on target. It will heal. Eventually I will walk pain free. I've been pushing it too much. I wasn't supposed to be full weight bearing for another  two more weeks.
Patience. I'm working on that virtue.