CREEPY RECOVERY

I never thought I would blog about my foot surgery.

Bunions are sort of a personal thing for people until it happens to you.

After I decided to blog it, there were several people that contacted me about their bunions.

I was surprised and especially honored to help others not be afraid.

I have always known I do not have pretty feet.

Dainty feet like some gals have has never been the case for me.

They are wide and sometimes pudgy.

But I have feet...

The bunion became evident about a year ago, it was not hurting, it was visible.

Six months later it started bothering me while wearing shoes or not, walking up hills, down hills, sleeping in bed, and even swimming,  then just around the inside of my home. 

I pondered a long time about doing something about it.

It would get all red like the photo above, and rub on my shoes horribly.

I soon learned it would not go away with anything but surgery.

I talked to a couple of people who had the surgery, and did the research.

My theory was I didn't want to wait ten years to be sorry I waited too long to correct it.

My mother had bunions, but they never hurt her.

Thanks mom.

Above are my X-rays of before and after the surgery.

Right side is before, left is after.

Notice the nifty screw my surgeon put in my big toe.

They do actually break the big toe bone, move it over, shave sides off.

I had some removed from the topside of this bunion too.

Then the trusty side view of this amazing screw that will remain in my foot.

This is what I am told, but sometimes they do have to remove them if there is a problem.

Kaiser Equipment Room

Personally I have never had any problems with Kaiser.

They have a new hospital and a in patient hospital not far from my home.

I have been lucky to have top of the line doctors that I trust.

It is a system you do need to learn.

I am grateful I have health care.

I had crutches for the first two weeks.

There was no way I could put any weight on it.

I felt disappointed in myself for not being able to walk.

The first few days were touchy with swelling and some pain.

Some people will say the pain is way worse than anything, horrid.

I do not think this is the case.
Everyone has their own threshold of pain, we are all different.

My pain medication was taken around the clock for the first four days, then I tapered down.

When I turned in my crutches in at the stitch removal appointment, I found out that Kaiser donates used equipment to unfortunate people in Africa.

I was glad to donate those sticks.

 Wheelchairs, boots and many  items they can sanitize all go.

The biggest surprise was they give away the outdated medications for Africa needy too.

So necessary, and waste is not my style.

The nurse removed my dressings after two weeks.

BEWARE OF BIG YELLOW ORANGE FOOT

Swelling indeed, and yellow because of the medication prior to surgery.

Can't believe I am sharing my foot!

This foot photo was taken after I got home that day after the stitches were removed.

After I soaked my feet to remove most of the dye from medications.

The area they work on is not really that big.

Purple marks were drawn on my foot by my doctor.

My toe next to big toe was pretty bruised.

I had a local during this surgery, never heard a thing, woke up fast.

The surgery took an hour.

My husband drove me home after I was released.

Did I tell you that I can't drive for two months?!

Only because it is my right foot.

Trust me, I do not want to drive until I am totally healed.

I lug around with a blue boot on my foot, walking on my heel part as not to bend the toe.

So now I have to do big toe exercises twice a day so it doesn't freeze up on me.

I love gory things, the science, the technology of medicine today, parts some people hate seeing.

Frankly moving this toe twice a day really freaks me out.
The doctor showed me how to do it, and mentioned doing it improperly could crack that bone again!
I don't want my toe to not move right, so the beat goes on, I follow all directions for this one.
Whew...