Among Friends

[viva923]

hey all

thanks birdmama for your thoughts. I have both a knee rolator and wheeled walker in the house -have my outside walker too- i am assuming i will be in a cast or boot of somekind- large leaf bags and a ton of duct tape to tape off leg for showering- i do showers weather they like it or not. i tried crutches once did it one time fell and never again. if i have to get one of those simple metal walkers will see

did get morn walk in

hung out clothes today-no rain till tomorrow.

dh has to take car up north for oil change tomorrow-he could NOT get a appt today.

ok guys later.

[Bird mama]

@viva923  You are ahead of the game having the indoor and outdoor walkers and knee rollator thing.  That knee rollator thing was an accident waiting to happen for me personally which is why I avoided it   With age and/or life experience comes wisdom and I'm wise enough to know that I can be clumsy at times.  

I'm not a snob and I've thought about adding one of those 1970's old school walkers to my inventory.

They come with wheels too but I don't know.  When something has wheels I need brakes and these old school walkers with wheels don't have brakes. As I said before falling down ain't hard for me to do.

[Bird mama]

Saw the doctor today.  Had X-rays done of the foot.  He showed me the X-rays and I asked if I was a slow healer.  He said I am healing on schedule because I am a compliant patient. 

He threw me for a loop and said I want you to start walking while wearing the walking cast.  I blurted out - but I am afraid.  He said that I can pace myself to gain confidence and man was I happy when he said I could get rid of the heel wedge (felt like a brick) and could put my new Dr. Scholl's insole in my walking boot.

He told me that he wanted me to take a shower and stand on my foot.  I kinda let that go without comment cuz that ain't happening and I didn't want to cause a fight. 

It has nothing to do with the foot. Several years ago I was standing in the shower and after I turned the water off I shook my head to get the excess water out of my hair - kinda like a dog shakes after a bath.  I lost my balance, fell out of the tub on the toilet and nearly broke it.  I was bruised up and by the grace of God I didn't hit my head on the corner of the bathroom vanity. 

I go back in 3 weeks and he wants me to bring a shoe with me.  He wants me to flex my foot and rotate my foot and I'll give it a week to see if that helps with the swelling.  As it is now I can't get the right foot into any shoe I own.

When it comes to athletic shoes and winter/dress boots I am a 9M.  I don't know today what size of shoe I am going to need for this right foot.  I may be a 9 1/2 or 10 and I may be a wide.

[geezerette]

@Bird mama 

Your doctor specifically said to stand on your foot in the shower?!  Did he say why "in the shower"?  Why not just try the first standing attempts on a regular dry floor next to a wall or piece of furniture you can hold on to?  In the shower can be dangerous even when you have two healthy feet!🫨

I can relate to falling on the toilet.  When I was a teenager I got the wrong end of a thick needle stuck in the palm of my hand.  I went into the bathroom, pulled it out and it started pulsing blood.  A lot.  About ten seconds later down I go, in the tiled bathroom.  The next thing I remember is my mother looking down at me with concern.  She said she heard the crash when my head hit the toilet and had no idea what had happened.  Ouch.🤕 

[Bird mama]

@geezerette   At the previous visit 2 weeks ago when he was deciding a fresh cast or walking boot I brought up bathing.  I figured he's my doctor and as such might be interested in some mobility challenges that I was experiencing.  I mentioned that I had to get into the tub like I was mounting a horse and fidgeting around to keep the cast out of the tub.  At the time he said that he didn't need to know how I got in and out of the tub - I just needed to keep the cast dry and not put my full weight on it.  I said oh pardon me, didn't mean to bore you with the details of my daily life in the cast.

I think he brought up the shower because this time he remembered me from the bathtub story.  I think it was his way of telling me that he thought I was ready to stand up in the shower and didn't need to gumby my way into the tub.

Your guess is as good as mine.  They run the office like a production line and my doctor and I barely speak 5 minutes before he's out the door again.  After the surgery on June 21 I told my sister, I am going to recover and it's going to be in spite of the people involved in my care.

I saw him checking out my aircast boot today which is not the boot that came from his office.  He didn't say anything.

[mousiegirl]

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@Bird mama wrote:

@viva923  Now that you have the date, you have 3 full weeks to prepare.  Prepare questions for surgeon and prepare yourself mentally for the recovery period and prepare your environment for your recovery.

Some things I've learned since Memorial Day:

QUESTIONS FOR THE SURGEON:

1.  Does the surgery involve use of a tourniquet? 

I know this one sounds crazy but you would be surprised how many foot related surgeries involve a tourniquet.  They used a tourniquet on my thigh and didn't tell me about it before the surgery or in recovery.  The bruising afterwards and the pain was horrible.  Knowing ahead of time won't change the bruising and pain but at least you'll know why you are bruising.

PREPARE YOUR ENVIRONMENT:

I don't know the size and layout of your house.  I suspect that they are not going to want you to put weight on the foot after surgery.  Take it from me, crutches are a sonofapup to use and they throw off your center of gravity and balance.

I don't know if they are going to recommend something called a knee rollator.  Google pictures of those and decide for yourself.  Personally I wanted something that I could cop a squat on so I bought walkers/rollators that had a seat.

Measure your door openings between rooms.  Not all walkers are the same width.  If you need a more narrow walker Target seels McKesson walkers for under $100, free delivery.  It might not be a bad idea to have a walker ready before surgery.  I can tell you the style I bought if you are interested.

Practice now the economy of movement.  By that I mean make the most of each trip you make to a room in your house.  For example:  I go into my basement to throw a load of wash into my dryer.  Before I make the trip to the basement I ask myself is there anything else I need from the basement while I'm there?  If I know I am low on rolls of paper towels under the kitchen sink or low on spare toilet paper rolls then I say well, take those up with you Bernie so you don't need to make another trip.

Embrace plastic bags, fanny packs, your utility apron.  I'm constantly toting something in plastic bags.  The laundry going downstairs and clean folded clothes coming upstairs.  It's work for me to get around this house and baby I make the most of each trip.

THE CAST:

I don't know if you are going to come home in a cast - good question for the surgeon.  You can't get your cast wet.  I don't know how your bathroom is laid out.  Tub or shower or combination.  I have a combo and prefer baths.  If you go the bath route you will be bathing with one leg outta the tub.  If you go the shower route check out Amazon for cast covers.

There's so many things I've learned that are running through my mind.  If you have any questions float them my way.

PREPARE YOURSELF:

Losing use of a foot during surgery and recovery is upsetting.  We are accustomed to moving at will.  You're going to move slower and it's going to be aggravating.  Find joy that you are still moving, albeit like a snail. 

Oops gotta get dressed - foot doctor appointment today and X-rays.  I am so sick of seeing these people that I can't see straight 

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@Bird mama  I guess I am a pro on crutches having used them for a year as a child.  After the falls the past two years, I would not have made it without them, two, then one.  I use one crutch FOR balance, and it has kept me from falling many times outside.  I use it like a walker cane, hand on the top, think it is better than a walker cane as I can always switch to using under my arm if necessary.

[Bird mama]

@mousiegirl  I believe it Mousie.  As much as I would never wish an injury on a child I think a person does better if their first experience with crutches happens in childhood.  Kids are adaptable and they want to go, go, go. 

[mousiegirl]

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@Bird mama wrote:

@mousiegirl  I believe it Mousie.  As much as I would never wish an injury on a child I think a person does better if their first experience with crutches happens in childhood.  Kids are adaptable and they want to go, go, go. 

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@Bird mama   And I did go, go, go, lol.

Kids on my block would sit on a board on top of a roller skate and race down the sidewalk.  I would fly behind them on one foot, crutches flying in the air to the side, lol.  I am sure my Mother grew grey hair watching me.

[just bee]

[Snicks1]

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@Bird mama wrote:

Saw the doctor today.  Had X-rays done of the foot.  He showed me the X-rays and I asked if I was a slow healer.  He said I am healing on schedule because I am a compliant patient. 

He threw me for a loop and said I want you to start walking while wearing the walking cast.  I blurted out - but I am afraid.  He said that I can pace myself to gain confidence and man was I happy when he said I could get rid of the heel wedge (felt like a brick) and could put my new Dr. Scholl's insole in my walking boot.

He told me that he wanted me to take a shower and stand on my foot.  I kinda let that go without comment cuz that ain't happening and I didn't want to cause a fight. 

It has nothing to do with the foot. Several years ago I was standing in the shower and after I turned the water off I shook my head to get the excess water out of my hair - kinda like a dog shakes after a bath.  I lost my balance, fell out of the tub on the toilet and nearly broke it.  I was bruised up and by the grace of God I didn't hit my head on the corner of the bathroom vanity. 

I go back in 3 weeks and he wants me to bring a shoe with me.  He wants me to flex my foot and rotate my foot and I'll give it a week to see if that helps with the swelling.  As it is now I can't get the right foot into any shoe I own.

When it comes to athletic shoes and winter/dress boots I am a 9M.  I don't know today what size of shoe I am going to need for this right foot.  I may be a 9 1/2 or 10 and I may be a wide.

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@Bird mama, I wonder if he meant just to start walking a few steps at a time, then adding a bit more each day? That is what I would do, I surely wouldn't just start walking full-time on that foot. Maybe call his nurse and get a better explanation. Most times I find that talking to the nurse is more helpful than the doctor.

Same for the "shower" part, perhaps he just meant you could now shower instead of bathing? Maybe he thought you were wanting to be able to shower? I don't think I would do that, until you have better use of the foot, though. You know, better than he does how steady or unsteady you feel, and certainly not in what could be a slippery situation. 

I may have forgotten if this was mentioned, but has PT been discussed?