well my foot has been acting up in the past couple weeks so it's off to the specialist again to see what is going on!! I'm sure we'll need to MRI the leg again and see what's happening.
I recently(about 6 weeks ago) was kicked by a horse in the knee and I'm wondering if that has anything to do with it. I know that the nerves run from the knee to the ankle and so maybe that is why my TTS seems to be flared up. Anyways, after the initial TTS from a blow from a hoof to my ankle, I'm not going to mess around with this or wait to get it checked out!
Anyways I will update this when I see the specialist. Fingers crossed I won't have to have surgery or anything.
Showing posts with label Specialist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Specialist. Show all posts
Monday, December 27, 2010
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Update Sept 24 2009
Well I've totally forgotten about this as so much had been going on for the past 4 weeks.
Let's see, I went to Vancouver Island to spend a week with my mom at the end of August because she had been in the hospital 2x's related to two small strokes.
I spent time with her while she recovered from that but while I was there I had my own drama to deal with! My pony Frosty ended up colicking very bad and we were making arrangements for her to be put to sleep. It looked like there was no hope for her but some how she managed to pull out of it and is doing grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeat! it's been 2.5 weeks since it happened and she is back to her happy, sassy and healthy self.........and might I add, she's 31 and in excellent shape and health. In all the years I've known her and even with her previous owners, she's been extremely healthy --most horses I know have had the vet out quite a few times for something but not her, she's been very hardy! LOL I LOVE IT and have been so lucky with her that way................but I guess even the healthiest beings can get sick once in a blue moon!
There was a combination of things that probably contributed to her colic episode, a lot of stress from a new horse, being moved into a new paddock(though not new to her as she used to live in it about 5yrs ago), was fed some corn which may not have digested well in her tummy causing a lot of gas. Anyways, it was a VERY stressful and emotional week to say the least and I don't want to ever feel that way again!
I came back from my visit and was very ill, I actually was so over stressed from my trip that I had a small break out of shingles on my nose. The unfortunate part of that is that my right eye was also affected and my previous herpetic ulcers flared back up and I had weird numbness in my eye and down my entire nose! Very bizarre but still had the severe pain at the very end of the nose where the blisters were. YOUCH is all I can say. that took about 1.5weeks to get over and then I was fine for about a week and then this past week I came down with something. I'm thinking the flu but hard to say, whatever it was......YUK, no FUN at all! Today I'm finally starting to feel like a human being!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyways that's enough about the mom, pony and shingles/flu!
As for the ankle I had an ankle specialist appointment on Sept 10th and was given the thumbs up to not return unless my ankle flared up again. So far so good, Dr Chi is very happy with the results of surgery. My ankle is pretty good, I need to keep up with my physio exercises and be careful with how much I do but other then that I'm back to most of my activities. I've been riding quite a bit(well when I'm not sick!) and it's great to be able to ride for an hour or two but I'm very careful with the ankle and don't put it in the stirrup all the time. The stirrup iron seems to really trigger the nerves on the bottom of my foot(like the ball of my foot) so I have to watch that one still. I need to get some wider riding boots, I can't wear my ariats anymore, they're too narrow for my left ankle. My foot still is puffy and that will last for a while, most of that is due to the blood clots I had. The damage to the valves in the vessels allows back flow of blood which ends up pooling in the foot due to gravity. I have to wear my compression stocking for another year or so.........though I hate it and sometimes forget to put it on(esp when the weather is hot and I want to wear shorts/capri pants).
My physiotherapist gave me the thumbs up to stop going(Sept 9th that was) and just keep up with my home routine. again unless my ankle flared up and I needed some therapy on it, I was good to be on my own! WOOHOOO!
Though I have to admit, I'm missing it like crazy -- it was hard work but I like having Chris there to help me, encourage me to push myself within the physical limits ---and ya, it was fun to go for the most part! haha!
My ankle is feeling a bit sore today but that is because I have been dog sitting and having lots of stairs to go up and down. oh ya, it's been a real treat while being sick too but I couldnt get out of the job because they had left already and well, no one else can do it.
I will update this once in a while but for the most part I think this blog is getting the thumbs up to not need updates so often!
Thank you for reading my blog and all the support ---it's been quite the journey and though it's not over yet, I'm very happy with the surgery and physio I had. It's up to me to keep up with the stretching/exercises and don't OVER DO IT! It's soooooooooooooo nice to not have the daily intense pain that I had prior to surgery.
take care and stay healthy!
Let's see, I went to Vancouver Island to spend a week with my mom at the end of August because she had been in the hospital 2x's related to two small strokes.
I spent time with her while she recovered from that but while I was there I had my own drama to deal with! My pony Frosty ended up colicking very bad and we were making arrangements for her to be put to sleep. It looked like there was no hope for her but some how she managed to pull out of it and is doing grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeat! it's been 2.5 weeks since it happened and she is back to her happy, sassy and healthy self.........and might I add, she's 31 and in excellent shape and health. In all the years I've known her and even with her previous owners, she's been extremely healthy --most horses I know have had the vet out quite a few times for something but not her, she's been very hardy! LOL I LOVE IT and have been so lucky with her that way................but I guess even the healthiest beings can get sick once in a blue moon!
There was a combination of things that probably contributed to her colic episode, a lot of stress from a new horse, being moved into a new paddock(though not new to her as she used to live in it about 5yrs ago), was fed some corn which may not have digested well in her tummy causing a lot of gas. Anyways, it was a VERY stressful and emotional week to say the least and I don't want to ever feel that way again!
I came back from my visit and was very ill, I actually was so over stressed from my trip that I had a small break out of shingles on my nose. The unfortunate part of that is that my right eye was also affected and my previous herpetic ulcers flared back up and I had weird numbness in my eye and down my entire nose! Very bizarre but still had the severe pain at the very end of the nose where the blisters were. YOUCH is all I can say. that took about 1.5weeks to get over and then I was fine for about a week and then this past week I came down with something. I'm thinking the flu but hard to say, whatever it was......YUK, no FUN at all! Today I'm finally starting to feel like a human being!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyways that's enough about the mom, pony and shingles/flu!
As for the ankle I had an ankle specialist appointment on Sept 10th and was given the thumbs up to not return unless my ankle flared up again. So far so good, Dr Chi is very happy with the results of surgery. My ankle is pretty good, I need to keep up with my physio exercises and be careful with how much I do but other then that I'm back to most of my activities. I've been riding quite a bit(well when I'm not sick!) and it's great to be able to ride for an hour or two but I'm very careful with the ankle and don't put it in the stirrup all the time. The stirrup iron seems to really trigger the nerves on the bottom of my foot(like the ball of my foot) so I have to watch that one still. I need to get some wider riding boots, I can't wear my ariats anymore, they're too narrow for my left ankle. My foot still is puffy and that will last for a while, most of that is due to the blood clots I had. The damage to the valves in the vessels allows back flow of blood which ends up pooling in the foot due to gravity. I have to wear my compression stocking for another year or so.........though I hate it and sometimes forget to put it on(esp when the weather is hot and I want to wear shorts/capri pants).
My physiotherapist gave me the thumbs up to stop going(Sept 9th that was) and just keep up with my home routine. again unless my ankle flared up and I needed some therapy on it, I was good to be on my own! WOOHOOO!
Though I have to admit, I'm missing it like crazy -- it was hard work but I like having Chris there to help me, encourage me to push myself within the physical limits ---and ya, it was fun to go for the most part! haha!
My ankle is feeling a bit sore today but that is because I have been dog sitting and having lots of stairs to go up and down. oh ya, it's been a real treat while being sick too but I couldnt get out of the job because they had left already and well, no one else can do it.
I will update this once in a while but for the most part I think this blog is getting the thumbs up to not need updates so often!
Thank you for reading my blog and all the support ---it's been quite the journey and though it's not over yet, I'm very happy with the surgery and physio I had. It's up to me to keep up with the stretching/exercises and don't OVER DO IT! It's soooooooooooooo nice to not have the daily intense pain that I had prior to surgery.
take care and stay healthy!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Post Op Days # 105 - 111 - Weekly Blog Updates
Ok so now that we're starting to trickle out of the craziness of multiple Dr's appointments etc... and I'm finding it harder to remember to do this daily --I've decided to do weekly updates in one post. If I happen to remember to update it daily, it will be in the weekly post so you can just check back throughout the week.
#105 - Monday I had physio and it was hard plus the fact the weather has gotten insanely HOT -- mid - high 90's and supposed to break over the 100F mark during the week. YUK!!!!!!!!!! That is too darn hot for this neck of the woods. ha ha! Chris added some new things to the routine so that was good but they sure make me work hard and sweeeeeeeeeat!
I had to go to Issaquah to pick up a key for a sitting job that I start this week --- YAY!
Hung out in the house for most of the day, though I did swing by the barn for a bit.
Took my 7.5mg of warfarin @ 8pm
I head over to the gym in the main building so I could watch the Bachelorette finale! HA HA! I barely pedalled the bike because I didn't want to overdo it since my physio was so tiring and the damn heat was making me sweat bullets. oh such an entertainig show! ROFLMAO
#106 - Tuesday I had a dentist appointment @ 11am --- teeth cleaning and of course they found a tiny cavity and a stupid CRACK in one of my molars..........ohhhhhhhhhhh no! So ya, I have 2 appointments next week to deal with those issues! Grrrrrr!!!!
I stopped by the ranch to see who was out there and it was a ghost town because the temperature had shot up to 98F! But I decided to give Karma a bath.......hehe, now that felt good for her and I! I spent about 2hrs there(thank goodness for the fans in the barn, otherwise I wouldnt have lasted very long) then head home.
Just hung out in the house for the remainder of the day to stay cool and sane! LOL
Took my 10mg of warfarin @ 8pm
#107 - Wednesday I had physio @ 11:30am --oh man it was hot out, we're talking up to 102F! Definitely short and tank top weather, otherwise my clothes were soaked in sweat from doing nothing. EW! Physio felt like torture because of the heat, even though the building has A/C my body wasn't happy and felt pretty stiff actually so we addressed that with a fair amount of massage etc... ah yes, that FELT goooooooooooood!
After that I drove to the barn and hosed off Mercury and Nikon because they needed it to cool down a bit. Poor horses were soaked in sweat from the heat!
I came home and hide in the house...........ugh, too hot out
Took my 7.5mg of warfarin @ 8pm
#108 - Thursday(Today) I had an appointment with Dr Chi at 11:30am --- that went well, he's happy with my progress and will see how things are in 6 weeks from now. He said I could ride but to not over do it!!!! I mentioned a few nerve sensations in my foot so we'll keep an eye on that as I worry we may have long term issues with pain. :-(
After that I head home for a bit before having my ultrasound at 3:45pm --- that went good, the clots have broken right now to hardly anything, just some small residual blood that has hardened along the wall of the vessels. The lady wanted me to make an appointment to see the vascular specialist about going off the warfarin! YAHOOOOOOO! I'll still have to do the blood tests in a week or so to see if I have any of the blood clotting disorders but if those are negative I'm warfarin FREE! YAY! oh that would be so nice! haha! Anyways I'll let you know how that goes tomorrrow.
I had to stop in and start my cat sitting job in Issaquah -- cats name is JB and he's super cute. I fed and filled up his water, cleaned his litter box, played with him for a few minutes then did the house plant and outside plant watering. Oh those poor plants are having a hard time with this heat. I gave them a good drink but no doubt tomorrow they'll need it again!
I decided to go down to the barn after that and gave Karma a groom then hopped on for a few minutes. Ugh ,it was soooooo hot out, like 102F! I had to hose her and myself off after that, we didn't do anything but sweat doing nothing. HA HA HA!
I left there and came home to get the heck out of the heat and shower!
Took my 10mg of warfarin @ 8pm.
#109 - Friday I went down to the ranch to go riding with Helene, we had a great ride --well minus Karma sinking in the water and going down on her knees. THank goodness that horse has such a great mind and doesn't panic! We sat there for a minute then I was able to rock her back out of the water and up on all 4's! HA HA! Wow, talk about bizarre! We tried again and made it through with no problem so that was great.
We finished up our ride and hung out for a bit with Julie.
I had an appointment with the vascular specialist at 2:45pm in Bellevue so I went to that and the Dr said I was fine to go OFF THE WARFARIN! YAHOOO!
I head back towards home but stopped off to do JB before coming home to relax as all the driving in Friday traffic is not my idea of fun! HA HA!
It felt really weird not having to take my warfarin @ 8pm! haha!
#110- Saturday we didn't do too much just relaxed and stayed out of the heat ---though the weather had cooled a bit, it's still too hot for my liking.
I stopped over in the afternoon to do JB and then we had a bite to eat in town.
#111 - Sunday(yesterday) I was supposed to meet up with Helene and Julie for a ride but missed them and so I ended up riding around the ranch with Pepper(the owner). We had a nice ride around the perimeter trail then did the waterfall trail(Karma was fine, no sinking LOL) and then we head up the access trail to where it opens up to all the old logging roads. We turned around and came back because I didn't want to ride too long as that was the longest I had been on horse for over 3months.
I came back and did the perimeter trail one more time to cool Karma out as she got sweaty from the climb up the access trail. I hosed her off, groomed her then put her away.
I decided to do some ground work with Nikon, a 2yr old Rocky Mountain gelding that Pepper owns. He's a lot of fun but still learning how to be a horse and respect humans so we spent time doing that. He was being so good I decided that Sunday would be the day I RODE HIM! haha! I was wearing my helmet of course, I got him to stand next to the mounting block so I could lean over him to see how he'd react(we'd done that before). He was fine so I swung my leg over and sat on him bareback and he could careless.
I decided to kick it up a notch and see if I could make him walk around the ring a bit with me on his back and YUP we did it! What a good boy, it was so much fun. He wasn't too sure about why I was squeezing his sides to make him walk but he didn't fuss, more like he didn't get IT! HA HA! we made our way around the ring without any problem so I was really happy about that. I was almost done when I heard the ladies coming back from their ride and so I waited so they could see me on Nikon. Julie was thrilled to see me on him and Helene rode Mercury into the ring to toodle around with us for a minute. Then I said "HEY you want to ride down the pathway to the Llama's and back?" haha, so I did it, I rode Nikon all the way down to the Llama's and back bareback with the halter and he was soooooooooooo good!
I was really impressed that he was so cool and calm about everything so we'll work on some more ground work and I'll keep sitting on him a bit so he knows that's what happens.
ANyways, we groomed the horses then put them back out in the field before heading home for the day.
I was tired but nothing too bad so I was happy about that. It's easy to forget and overdo things but I can't risk it with my ankle so have to do little bit everytime.
It's just nice to be able to work with the horses again, esp with the approval of the ankle and vascular specialist.
I went home, Adam and I head out to meet up with his friend John in Issaquah plus I had to stop in and check on JB so I did that while Adam stayed at the coffee shop.
#105 - Monday I had physio and it was hard plus the fact the weather has gotten insanely HOT -- mid - high 90's and supposed to break over the 100F mark during the week. YUK!!!!!!!!!! That is too darn hot for this neck of the woods. ha ha! Chris added some new things to the routine so that was good but they sure make me work hard and sweeeeeeeeeat!
I had to go to Issaquah to pick up a key for a sitting job that I start this week --- YAY!
Hung out in the house for most of the day, though I did swing by the barn for a bit.
Took my 7.5mg of warfarin @ 8pm
I head over to the gym in the main building so I could watch the Bachelorette finale! HA HA! I barely pedalled the bike because I didn't want to overdo it since my physio was so tiring and the damn heat was making me sweat bullets. oh such an entertainig show! ROFLMAO
#106 - Tuesday I had a dentist appointment @ 11am --- teeth cleaning and of course they found a tiny cavity and a stupid CRACK in one of my molars..........ohhhhhhhhhhh no! So ya, I have 2 appointments next week to deal with those issues! Grrrrrr!!!!
I stopped by the ranch to see who was out there and it was a ghost town because the temperature had shot up to 98F! But I decided to give Karma a bath.......hehe, now that felt good for her and I! I spent about 2hrs there(thank goodness for the fans in the barn, otherwise I wouldnt have lasted very long) then head home.
Just hung out in the house for the remainder of the day to stay cool and sane! LOL
Took my 10mg of warfarin @ 8pm
#107 - Wednesday I had physio @ 11:30am --oh man it was hot out, we're talking up to 102F! Definitely short and tank top weather, otherwise my clothes were soaked in sweat from doing nothing. EW! Physio felt like torture because of the heat, even though the building has A/C my body wasn't happy and felt pretty stiff actually so we addressed that with a fair amount of massage etc... ah yes, that FELT goooooooooooood!
After that I drove to the barn and hosed off Mercury and Nikon because they needed it to cool down a bit. Poor horses were soaked in sweat from the heat!
I came home and hide in the house...........ugh, too hot out
Took my 7.5mg of warfarin @ 8pm
#108 - Thursday(Today) I had an appointment with Dr Chi at 11:30am --- that went well, he's happy with my progress and will see how things are in 6 weeks from now. He said I could ride but to not over do it!!!! I mentioned a few nerve sensations in my foot so we'll keep an eye on that as I worry we may have long term issues with pain. :-(
After that I head home for a bit before having my ultrasound at 3:45pm --- that went good, the clots have broken right now to hardly anything, just some small residual blood that has hardened along the wall of the vessels. The lady wanted me to make an appointment to see the vascular specialist about going off the warfarin! YAHOOOOOOO! I'll still have to do the blood tests in a week or so to see if I have any of the blood clotting disorders but if those are negative I'm warfarin FREE! YAY! oh that would be so nice! haha! Anyways I'll let you know how that goes tomorrrow.
I had to stop in and start my cat sitting job in Issaquah -- cats name is JB and he's super cute. I fed and filled up his water, cleaned his litter box, played with him for a few minutes then did the house plant and outside plant watering. Oh those poor plants are having a hard time with this heat. I gave them a good drink but no doubt tomorrow they'll need it again!
I decided to go down to the barn after that and gave Karma a groom then hopped on for a few minutes. Ugh ,it was soooooo hot out, like 102F! I had to hose her and myself off after that, we didn't do anything but sweat doing nothing. HA HA HA!
I left there and came home to get the heck out of the heat and shower!
Took my 10mg of warfarin @ 8pm.
#109 - Friday I went down to the ranch to go riding with Helene, we had a great ride --well minus Karma sinking in the water and going down on her knees. THank goodness that horse has such a great mind and doesn't panic! We sat there for a minute then I was able to rock her back out of the water and up on all 4's! HA HA! Wow, talk about bizarre! We tried again and made it through with no problem so that was great.
We finished up our ride and hung out for a bit with Julie.
I had an appointment with the vascular specialist at 2:45pm in Bellevue so I went to that and the Dr said I was fine to go OFF THE WARFARIN! YAHOOO!
I head back towards home but stopped off to do JB before coming home to relax as all the driving in Friday traffic is not my idea of fun! HA HA!
It felt really weird not having to take my warfarin @ 8pm! haha!
#110- Saturday we didn't do too much just relaxed and stayed out of the heat ---though the weather had cooled a bit, it's still too hot for my liking.
I stopped over in the afternoon to do JB and then we had a bite to eat in town.
#111 - Sunday(yesterday) I was supposed to meet up with Helene and Julie for a ride but missed them and so I ended up riding around the ranch with Pepper(the owner). We had a nice ride around the perimeter trail then did the waterfall trail(Karma was fine, no sinking LOL) and then we head up the access trail to where it opens up to all the old logging roads. We turned around and came back because I didn't want to ride too long as that was the longest I had been on horse for over 3months.
I came back and did the perimeter trail one more time to cool Karma out as she got sweaty from the climb up the access trail. I hosed her off, groomed her then put her away.
I decided to do some ground work with Nikon, a 2yr old Rocky Mountain gelding that Pepper owns. He's a lot of fun but still learning how to be a horse and respect humans so we spent time doing that. He was being so good I decided that Sunday would be the day I RODE HIM! haha! I was wearing my helmet of course, I got him to stand next to the mounting block so I could lean over him to see how he'd react(we'd done that before). He was fine so I swung my leg over and sat on him bareback and he could careless.
I decided to kick it up a notch and see if I could make him walk around the ring a bit with me on his back and YUP we did it! What a good boy, it was so much fun. He wasn't too sure about why I was squeezing his sides to make him walk but he didn't fuss, more like he didn't get IT! HA HA! we made our way around the ring without any problem so I was really happy about that. I was almost done when I heard the ladies coming back from their ride and so I waited so they could see me on Nikon. Julie was thrilled to see me on him and Helene rode Mercury into the ring to toodle around with us for a minute. Then I said "HEY you want to ride down the pathway to the Llama's and back?" haha, so I did it, I rode Nikon all the way down to the Llama's and back bareback with the halter and he was soooooooooooo good!
I was really impressed that he was so cool and calm about everything so we'll work on some more ground work and I'll keep sitting on him a bit so he knows that's what happens.
ANyways, we groomed the horses then put them back out in the field before heading home for the day.
I was tired but nothing too bad so I was happy about that. It's easy to forget and overdo things but I can't risk it with my ankle so have to do little bit everytime.
It's just nice to be able to work with the horses again, esp with the approval of the ankle and vascular specialist.
I went home, Adam and I head out to meet up with his friend John in Issaquah plus I had to stop in and check on JB so I did that while Adam stayed at the coffee shop.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Post-Op Day # 74 - Walk This Way
Well yesterday was pretty awesome, I was able to WALK with my running shoes without MY CRUTCHES! Hallelujah haha!
I did all my exercises 3x's yesterday and that really help get the ankle moving and loosened up. I decided to drive to town to check out the thrift store because they always have a ton of purses and neat stuff in there.
I went and looked around for about 20 minutes, saw a couple items but I didn't have any cash on me or my check book so I had to pass on them. I figured if they're still there when I go back then it's meant to be! HA HA!
I left there and drove over to the outlet mall to look for some shoes -- I need new runners because the ones I have are "barn shoes" now. I have a brand new runner(just one) from my mom because she needed the other one but because at that time I was wearing my walking boot I only needed one! Now I need a pair so I can use them all the time and for physio.
I parked the car and took just ONE crutch with me so I could practice walking and I did really GOOD! I got tired quick and took sitting breaks but I did it, I walked around the one store and didn't see anything so moved on to the next store(Nike!).
I went in and tried on a bunch of shoes, it was fun and the guy was really helpful/patient with me.........haha, I tried on a LOT of shoes to find the right ones.
I finally found a pair and they were on sale(like $25 , so cheap) so I bought them. :-)
I walked back to the car with the bag--that was sort of entertaining because I forgot that I'd have to carry them back. haha! It wasn't pretty but I made it and put them in the trunk.
I thought about what other stores I wanted to check out while I was there and decided to go to the Dress Barn -- I love that store!
Plus, Im still on the fence about a dress for Tessa's wedding so I figured Id go see what they had in there.
oh man, they had so many nice dresses and the ladies were awesome, gosh I think I tried on like 25 dresses! HA HA HA! It was very fun and some of them were stunning!!!!!!
we narrowed it down to about 3 that I really liked, I had about 6 ladies there helping me decide. haha!
In the end it was the blue or the black n white dress -- I decided on the black n white one which is ironic because the other 2 that I bought at Ross are black n white. I like this dress better then those 2 so they're going back today to Ross! haha! Great thing was, the dress I got at the Dress Barn was on sale so it was the same price as the other ones--about $25, so really I couldn't go wrong!
I think I was there for 1.5hrs......haha, those ladies were so funny -- Id say "I guess I can't find the right one so I'll just go" and ofcourse they'd go looking for something else in the store and bring it back and I'd change my mind about leaving and start trying more dresses. haha!
So finally I pay for the dress, head to the car and sit there in a daze for a minute because I'm EXHAUSTED! oh my GOD I was zonked from all the moving around. I waited a few minutes and then head back home to REST --but ofcourse had to put the dress on so Adam could see. haha!
I had a nice nap to recharge......phew, boy I needed that! I got up, tidied up some stuff then made fajitas for dinner. MmmmmmmmmHmmmm!
I took my 10mg of Warfarin @ 8pm then watched a couple episodes of House while Adam went skating in Bellevue.
I was very happy to get to bed last night but wow, what a day! I couldn't believe it that I could walk without my boot and crutches like a NORMAL PERSON AGAIN!
Well thats it for yesterday, thanks for checking in
I did all my exercises 3x's yesterday and that really help get the ankle moving and loosened up. I decided to drive to town to check out the thrift store because they always have a ton of purses and neat stuff in there.
I went and looked around for about 20 minutes, saw a couple items but I didn't have any cash on me or my check book so I had to pass on them. I figured if they're still there when I go back then it's meant to be! HA HA!
I left there and drove over to the outlet mall to look for some shoes -- I need new runners because the ones I have are "barn shoes" now. I have a brand new runner(just one) from my mom because she needed the other one but because at that time I was wearing my walking boot I only needed one! Now I need a pair so I can use them all the time and for physio.
I parked the car and took just ONE crutch with me so I could practice walking and I did really GOOD! I got tired quick and took sitting breaks but I did it, I walked around the one store and didn't see anything so moved on to the next store(Nike!).
I went in and tried on a bunch of shoes, it was fun and the guy was really helpful/patient with me.........haha, I tried on a LOT of shoes to find the right ones.
I finally found a pair and they were on sale(like $25 , so cheap) so I bought them. :-)
I walked back to the car with the bag--that was sort of entertaining because I forgot that I'd have to carry them back. haha! It wasn't pretty but I made it and put them in the trunk.
I thought about what other stores I wanted to check out while I was there and decided to go to the Dress Barn -- I love that store!
Plus, Im still on the fence about a dress for Tessa's wedding so I figured Id go see what they had in there.
oh man, they had so many nice dresses and the ladies were awesome, gosh I think I tried on like 25 dresses! HA HA HA! It was very fun and some of them were stunning!!!!!!
we narrowed it down to about 3 that I really liked, I had about 6 ladies there helping me decide. haha!
In the end it was the blue or the black n white dress -- I decided on the black n white one which is ironic because the other 2 that I bought at Ross are black n white. I like this dress better then those 2 so they're going back today to Ross! haha! Great thing was, the dress I got at the Dress Barn was on sale so it was the same price as the other ones--about $25, so really I couldn't go wrong!
I think I was there for 1.5hrs......haha, those ladies were so funny -- Id say "I guess I can't find the right one so I'll just go" and ofcourse they'd go looking for something else in the store and bring it back and I'd change my mind about leaving and start trying more dresses. haha!
So finally I pay for the dress, head to the car and sit there in a daze for a minute because I'm EXHAUSTED! oh my GOD I was zonked from all the moving around. I waited a few minutes and then head back home to REST --but ofcourse had to put the dress on so Adam could see. haha!
I had a nice nap to recharge......phew, boy I needed that! I got up, tidied up some stuff then made fajitas for dinner. MmmmmmmmmHmmmm!
I took my 10mg of Warfarin @ 8pm then watched a couple episodes of House while Adam went skating in Bellevue.
I was very happy to get to bed last night but wow, what a day! I couldn't believe it that I could walk without my boot and crutches like a NORMAL PERSON AGAIN!
Well thats it for yesterday, thanks for checking in
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Post-Op Day # 55 - Fresh Air & Horses
Yesterday I went to the barn around 1pm and watched everyone ride! The weather was nice and cool, a nice break from the hot days earlier this week.
It was fun to watch the lessons and hang out with my barn friends.........I miss being there and riding but always nice to visit!
All the fresh air is great for me plus I do get to hobble around a bit so I get some exercise too.
I think I was there till about 6pm then head to North Bend to pick up a cold drink.......mmm iced chai latte, dang it was good!
I got home and elevated the foot for a bit while laying down -- I used to nap all the time when I first had my surgery but now my body has more energy so I don't need to nap as much while is nice. Don't get me wrong, naps are soooooooooo nice! :-)
I took my 7.5mg of Warfarin @ 8pm then we decided to go to the North Bend grill for a steak dinner. Mmmm hmmmm! It was so good, I've never had a bad meal there in the past 2.5yrs that we've lived in this area.
We came back home and I was zonked, most likely all the fresh air earlier in the day and then a big meal. haha! I should have went for a walk around the block in the wee-chair but was too tired.
Yesterday I was also having bad headaches which I rarely get so I was a bit worried about that plus my right eye was feeling sore. I have this feeling the ulcers(from previous case of shingles) in my eye might be flared up again........ack, got to get it checked out because I might need to take my medicated drops again. haha, just what I need, more things to deal with right now.
I'll keep you posted on that situation, fingers crossed its not that, maybe some allergies or something.
Thats about it for yesterday
Thanks for checking in
It was fun to watch the lessons and hang out with my barn friends.........I miss being there and riding but always nice to visit!
All the fresh air is great for me plus I do get to hobble around a bit so I get some exercise too.
I think I was there till about 6pm then head to North Bend to pick up a cold drink.......mmm iced chai latte, dang it was good!
I got home and elevated the foot for a bit while laying down -- I used to nap all the time when I first had my surgery but now my body has more energy so I don't need to nap as much while is nice. Don't get me wrong, naps are soooooooooo nice! :-)
I took my 7.5mg of Warfarin @ 8pm then we decided to go to the North Bend grill for a steak dinner. Mmmm hmmmm! It was so good, I've never had a bad meal there in the past 2.5yrs that we've lived in this area.
We came back home and I was zonked, most likely all the fresh air earlier in the day and then a big meal. haha! I should have went for a walk around the block in the wee-chair but was too tired.
Yesterday I was also having bad headaches which I rarely get so I was a bit worried about that plus my right eye was feeling sore. I have this feeling the ulcers(from previous case of shingles) in my eye might be flared up again........ack, got to get it checked out because I might need to take my medicated drops again. haha, just what I need, more things to deal with right now.
I'll keep you posted on that situation, fingers crossed its not that, maybe some allergies or something.
Thats about it for yesterday
Thanks for checking in
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Post-Op Day #40 - Sock It To Me
Well this morning my friend Helene was nice enough to take me to my ACC appointment and my INR was 3.4 -- on the high side so tonight I don't take my Warfarin and continue as normal tomorrow.
The nurse figures it was the progestin pills that made it high because it takes a bit for the system to get used to it. Hopefully by the time next Thursday comes it will be around 2.9-3.0. I have to keep an eye on bruising, any nose bleeds etc... if that happens, let them know asap!
After that we decided to go to the local feed/tack store -- hehe, fun lookng at all the goodies. We both bought a couple small items before heading out so she could show me her adorable farm house. We made a quick pit stop to a coffee shack(lol drive thru) and got a yummy Chai Latte --best one Ive tasted!
We went to her house for a little while and it was very nice and ofcourse we let the dogs out for a potty break. haha!
After chit chatting for a bit it was time to go so I can get to my ankle specialist appointment at 11:45am.
My appointment went well, Dr Chi thought the incision looked great and removed the last 2 steri strips(tape) from the lower part. I think it looks pretty darn good, I'll take some pictures and post them.
We talked about the DVT's and he even showed me the printouts that he got from Washington Vascular -- it was so cool, it showed grey shaded area on the places it was clotted.
There were 2 printouts, one from the inital ultrasound and the follow up one which showed a SMALLER CLOTTED AREA! YAY!
We spoke about recovery time, possible physio therapy(we'll see how it is in 4wks), getting more movement in the foot when its comfortable to do with/without the KAM walking boot and about wearing a compression stocking.
I told him I had a Rx for one but hadn't got it yet due to the ankle still being a bit tender.
He thought I was ok to get one and they had them at his office so I got fitted for one! YUK, I HATE IT! HA HA!
I call it the Ol Lady Stocking! HA HA! I guess I should be relieved that it's white and not ugly beige or black. hehe!
I have to wear it as much as possible because it will help with swelling and circulation as well so that is good.
It felt so bizarre to pull it one, my poor foot hasn't had anything tight on it since the morning of surgery.
It feels SOOOOOO TIGHT right now but I think once my foot swelling goes down a bit it won't feel so weird.
I asked about getting back to regular activities and how long that would be, esp RIDING --- I said 6 weeks and he thought possibly, could be less or more, just depends on how my ankle heals and how quickly the clots dissolve. Fingers crossed I could be riding by July, though that seems like FOREVER for me. Oh well, I'm not willing to risk it, I will ride when I'm 100% ready to.
Anyways, I go back to see him in 4 weeks unless I have any pain issues in my ankle/foot. Any other issues related to the clots I contact the vascular specialist/ACC.
Next week I have my one month ultrasound so fingers crossed it shows the clots are even smaller then last time. :-)
I'm just hanging out in the house, though the weather is amazing today but my foot needs to rest up a bit. It's adjusting to having the compression hose on it.
Thanks for checking the blog
The nurse figures it was the progestin pills that made it high because it takes a bit for the system to get used to it. Hopefully by the time next Thursday comes it will be around 2.9-3.0. I have to keep an eye on bruising, any nose bleeds etc... if that happens, let them know asap!
After that we decided to go to the local feed/tack store -- hehe, fun lookng at all the goodies. We both bought a couple small items before heading out so she could show me her adorable farm house. We made a quick pit stop to a coffee shack(lol drive thru) and got a yummy Chai Latte --best one Ive tasted!
We went to her house for a little while and it was very nice and ofcourse we let the dogs out for a potty break. haha!
After chit chatting for a bit it was time to go so I can get to my ankle specialist appointment at 11:45am.
My appointment went well, Dr Chi thought the incision looked great and removed the last 2 steri strips(tape) from the lower part. I think it looks pretty darn good, I'll take some pictures and post them.
We talked about the DVT's and he even showed me the printouts that he got from Washington Vascular -- it was so cool, it showed grey shaded area on the places it was clotted.
There were 2 printouts, one from the inital ultrasound and the follow up one which showed a SMALLER CLOTTED AREA! YAY!
We spoke about recovery time, possible physio therapy(we'll see how it is in 4wks), getting more movement in the foot when its comfortable to do with/without the KAM walking boot and about wearing a compression stocking.
I told him I had a Rx for one but hadn't got it yet due to the ankle still being a bit tender.
He thought I was ok to get one and they had them at his office so I got fitted for one! YUK, I HATE IT! HA HA!
I call it the Ol Lady Stocking! HA HA! I guess I should be relieved that it's white and not ugly beige or black. hehe!
I have to wear it as much as possible because it will help with swelling and circulation as well so that is good.
It felt so bizarre to pull it one, my poor foot hasn't had anything tight on it since the morning of surgery.
It feels SOOOOOO TIGHT right now but I think once my foot swelling goes down a bit it won't feel so weird.
I asked about getting back to regular activities and how long that would be, esp RIDING --- I said 6 weeks and he thought possibly, could be less or more, just depends on how my ankle heals and how quickly the clots dissolve. Fingers crossed I could be riding by July, though that seems like FOREVER for me. Oh well, I'm not willing to risk it, I will ride when I'm 100% ready to.
Anyways, I go back to see him in 4 weeks unless I have any pain issues in my ankle/foot. Any other issues related to the clots I contact the vascular specialist/ACC.
Next week I have my one month ultrasound so fingers crossed it shows the clots are even smaller then last time. :-)
I'm just hanging out in the house, though the weather is amazing today but my foot needs to rest up a bit. It's adjusting to having the compression hose on it.
Thanks for checking the blog
Friday, May 8, 2009
Post-Op Day #28 - Bye Bye Injections!
Today is May 8th so that means it's been exactly a MONTH since surgery -- wow time flies!
This morning I took my Lovenox before heading to my INR testing appointment at 8:45am in Bellevue.
I'm happy to report that my INR reached 2.0 WOOHOO, so I can stop the injections after tonight. hehe!
I have to take 7.5mg of Warfarin over the weekend and go Monday for testing to see if the INR is stabilized at 2.0 or hopefully a bit higher. I'm so relieved I'm at 2.0, 16 injections is enough for me -- my stomach is very happy, no more pin cushion treatment. haha!
This afternoon I had an appointment with my GP and we discussed birth control options as I had to stop my regular BC pills due to the estrogen in them.
I have a few options, get an IUD which will last for 5years or try a progestin only pill -- for right now I'm going to try the pill and see how that goes.
After my appointment I took the wee-chair out for a short roll to the store and back, the fresh air felt soooooooooooooooo good! It was actually NICE OUT! YAY!
My foot felt pretty good today, it was a bit puffy from too much walking around the grocery store yesterday. Plus I accidentally caught my KAM boot on the back of Adams heel(opps, poor Adam) and that jarred my foot really good!YOUUUUUUUUUCH!
I've noticed some muscle spasms in my foot, it doesn't happen that often, usually when I'm laying down in bed. LOL
My foot kind of jumps or the foot tries to bend at the ball of the foot which feels really odd. There's still odd sensations (tingling/numbness/mini shocks) throughout the foot since surgery, the nerves are still trying to figure out what to do.
I love how much I can move my toes, it's so nice to be able to exercise them a tiny bit --lifting them up and down to help the circulation.
I've also noticed that my leg from the knee down is looking very slack haha, oh the muscle tone is withering away on me. Oh well, I'll deal with "ol lady" leg for a bit, once I can walk it'll come back. HA HA!
Well that's it for today, I'm very pleased about the INR test today, I just hope it stays above 2!
Thanks for checking in
This morning I took my Lovenox before heading to my INR testing appointment at 8:45am in Bellevue.
I'm happy to report that my INR reached 2.0 WOOHOO, so I can stop the injections after tonight. hehe!
I have to take 7.5mg of Warfarin over the weekend and go Monday for testing to see if the INR is stabilized at 2.0 or hopefully a bit higher. I'm so relieved I'm at 2.0, 16 injections is enough for me -- my stomach is very happy, no more pin cushion treatment. haha!
This afternoon I had an appointment with my GP and we discussed birth control options as I had to stop my regular BC pills due to the estrogen in them.
I have a few options, get an IUD which will last for 5years or try a progestin only pill -- for right now I'm going to try the pill and see how that goes.
After my appointment I took the wee-chair out for a short roll to the store and back, the fresh air felt soooooooooooooooo good! It was actually NICE OUT! YAY!
My foot felt pretty good today, it was a bit puffy from too much walking around the grocery store yesterday. Plus I accidentally caught my KAM boot on the back of Adams heel(opps, poor Adam) and that jarred my foot really good!YOUUUUUUUUUCH!
I've noticed some muscle spasms in my foot, it doesn't happen that often, usually when I'm laying down in bed. LOL
My foot kind of jumps or the foot tries to bend at the ball of the foot which feels really odd. There's still odd sensations (tingling/numbness/mini shocks) throughout the foot since surgery, the nerves are still trying to figure out what to do.
I love how much I can move my toes, it's so nice to be able to exercise them a tiny bit --lifting them up and down to help the circulation.
I've also noticed that my leg from the knee down is looking very slack haha, oh the muscle tone is withering away on me. Oh well, I'll deal with "ol lady" leg for a bit, once I can walk it'll come back. HA HA!
Well that's it for today, I'm very pleased about the INR test today, I just hope it stays above 2!
Thanks for checking in
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Post-Op Day #27 - Follow Up Ultrasound
Today I had my follow up ultrasound and it showed the clot was the same size so that is good. They were checking to make sure it hadn't gotten any bigger since I was there last week.
I go back in 3 weeks for another one, they said that we might see a decrease in size but hard to say.
My foot feels pretty good, it still gets swollen/purple if I don't elevate it enough but I've noticed I can keep it down for longer periods of time. My toes move awesome, I can even move the ball of my foot a bit now. :-) Very good news, I think I'll be able to bear more weight over the next week or so --it'd be great if I could almost walk with my KAM boot by the time I go back to Dr. Chi on May 21st.
I took my Lovenox at 7pm and in a few minutes I'll take my 7.5mg of Warfarin. I have to do tomorrow mornings injection then go to the ACC in Bellevue for INR testing.
Guess we'll see what tomorrows results are.................fingers and toes crossed we're up to 2.0 INR!
I'm hoping to see if I can drive soon, now that I have more strength, less tenderness in the ankle it might be possible. Don't worry I won't push it, it's not worth getting my ankle aggravated.
I took some new pictures of my stomach........haha, 14 injection sites and almost all of them have bruising. haha!
Thanks for checking in on me :-)
I go back in 3 weeks for another one, they said that we might see a decrease in size but hard to say.
My foot feels pretty good, it still gets swollen/purple if I don't elevate it enough but I've noticed I can keep it down for longer periods of time. My toes move awesome, I can even move the ball of my foot a bit now. :-) Very good news, I think I'll be able to bear more weight over the next week or so --it'd be great if I could almost walk with my KAM boot by the time I go back to Dr. Chi on May 21st.
I took my Lovenox at 7pm and in a few minutes I'll take my 7.5mg of Warfarin. I have to do tomorrow mornings injection then go to the ACC in Bellevue for INR testing.
Guess we'll see what tomorrows results are.................fingers and toes crossed we're up to 2.0 INR!
I'm hoping to see if I can drive soon, now that I have more strength, less tenderness in the ankle it might be possible. Don't worry I won't push it, it's not worth getting my ankle aggravated.
I took some new pictures of my stomach........haha, 14 injection sites and almost all of them have bruising. haha!
Thanks for checking in on me :-)
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Post-Op Day #26 - ACC Appointment
Well today was my appointment at the Anti-coagulation Clinic (ACC) at 2:50pm in Bellevue.
It went well, the lady went over the information about the drugs I was on(Lovenox/Warfarin) and what exactly the ACC will do for me.
During the visit I had to get my finger pricked so she could see what my INR(International Normalized Ratio) was at -- normal INR(clotting time basically) is about 1.
Some info on INR - http://www.clotcare.com/clotcare/ptinr.aspx
After 6 days of Lovenox and Warfarin my INR is 1.5 and the ideal range(therapeutic to deal with my DVT) is between 2.0 - 3.0, maybe slightly higher depending on my body.
I was hoping she'd tell me I could stop the Lovenox injections but nope I have to continue them until my next appointment on Friday.
She wants me to up my Warfarin for the next 2 days....so take 10mg(2 - 5mg pills) tonight and tomorrow take 7.5mg(1.5 - 5mg pills) hoping that will get my INR range up for Fridays test.
Fingers crossed I'll be off the Lovenox after Friday and they can figure out how much Warfarin I need for the initial 3month treatment period.
I'll have to go back once or twice a week for INR testing to make sure it stays in the approperiate range. What a pain in the butt! Oh well, what can I do about it.
Anyways, tomorrow I have my ultrasound to check the DVT and make sure it's not any bigger..........fingers crossed it's a bit smaller! :-)
Thanks for checking in
It went well, the lady went over the information about the drugs I was on(Lovenox/Warfarin) and what exactly the ACC will do for me.
During the visit I had to get my finger pricked so she could see what my INR(International Normalized Ratio) was at -- normal INR(clotting time basically) is about 1.
Some info on INR - http://www.clotcare.com/clotcare/ptinr.aspx
After 6 days of Lovenox and Warfarin my INR is 1.5 and the ideal range(therapeutic to deal with my DVT) is between 2.0 - 3.0, maybe slightly higher depending on my body.
I was hoping she'd tell me I could stop the Lovenox injections but nope I have to continue them until my next appointment on Friday.
She wants me to up my Warfarin for the next 2 days....so take 10mg(2 - 5mg pills) tonight and tomorrow take 7.5mg(1.5 - 5mg pills) hoping that will get my INR range up for Fridays test.
Fingers crossed I'll be off the Lovenox after Friday and they can figure out how much Warfarin I need for the initial 3month treatment period.
I'll have to go back once or twice a week for INR testing to make sure it stays in the approperiate range. What a pain in the butt! Oh well, what can I do about it.
Anyways, tomorrow I have my ultrasound to check the DVT and make sure it's not any bigger..........fingers crossed it's a bit smaller! :-)
Thanks for checking in
Post-Op Day #25 - Precious Time
Well yesterday started off on a bumpy start with my Lovenox shot. I woke up around 6am and that was too early for my shot so I just laid in bed and fell back asleep..........grrrr and woke up at 10:30AM!
I totally freaked out because I had missed my 7am injection time.
I quickly called the Vascular specialist and they said to take it asap then bump my evening one back to 8pm(instead of 7). Ugh, totally sucked to start the day off so crappy! Not going to be doing that again!
I was tired most of the day so just laid around with the foot up......booooooooooring!
We went out for a bit to pick up some more injections because I was down to the last one -- we just bought one days worth because I wasn't sure if the people at the anti-coagulation clinic would tell me I could stop them --- buy pay $136 for 10 shots if I don't need them all!
I did my second shot at 8pm and took the warfarin too.
We'll see what the ACC people say at my appointment.
I totally freaked out because I had missed my 7am injection time.
I quickly called the Vascular specialist and they said to take it asap then bump my evening one back to 8pm(instead of 7). Ugh, totally sucked to start the day off so crappy! Not going to be doing that again!
I was tired most of the day so just laid around with the foot up......booooooooooring!
We went out for a bit to pick up some more injections because I was down to the last one -- we just bought one days worth because I wasn't sure if the people at the anti-coagulation clinic would tell me I could stop them --- buy pay $136 for 10 shots if I don't need them all!
I did my second shot at 8pm and took the warfarin too.
We'll see what the ACC people say at my appointment.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Post-Op Day #23 - Bruises
Well I did both the injections yesterday no problem and the one this morning went a little different. I think I was sitting at a bad angle or something when I did it this morning because only half the Lovenox wanted to come out of the syringe at first so I had to lift it up a tiny bit and push the rest out.
It didn't hurt anymore then the last 3 but it sure bruised more- --I think that is from when I lifted the syringe and some of the Lovenox got into the skin closer to the surface. I did it 7am(normal time) and its 4:43 and the bruising hasn't gotten any worse so I'm assuming things are good. I'll have to make sure to do it better at 7PM!
I'll add a picture of the bruise LOL
The foot feels not too bad today, been elevating it and had a brief ride in the wee-chair to get some sunshine before it goes away.
The Vascular clinic called this morning to check up on me, make sure everything was going ok and to make sure I stopped taking my BC pills as they can lead to clotting which I don't need any more risks to have further clotting issues. I'll have to talk to the GP about alternatives as we do not want kids LOL
That's about it for now unless something interesting/exciting happens before bed time.
Thanks for checking up on me
It didn't hurt anymore then the last 3 but it sure bruised more- --I think that is from when I lifted the syringe and some of the Lovenox got into the skin closer to the surface. I did it 7am(normal time) and its 4:43 and the bruising hasn't gotten any worse so I'm assuming things are good. I'll have to make sure to do it better at 7PM!
I'll add a picture of the bruise LOL
The foot feels not too bad today, been elevating it and had a brief ride in the wee-chair to get some sunshine before it goes away.
The Vascular clinic called this morning to check up on me, make sure everything was going ok and to make sure I stopped taking my BC pills as they can lead to clotting which I don't need any more risks to have further clotting issues. I'll have to talk to the GP about alternatives as we do not want kids LOL
That's about it for now unless something interesting/exciting happens before bed time.
Thanks for checking up on me
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Post-Op Day # 21 - Dr's Appointment X 2 or make that 3!
This morning I had my appointment with Dr Chi to see what he thought about the calf cramp/pain and just to ask a few questions(circulation? how much elevation should I be needing?).
He said it could be a couple things ----could very well be the nerves in my lower leg are all "angry" from surgery and are trying to sort themselves out during the healing process.
OR, it could be a clot.
So to be safe I have an appointment at 4:30Pm for an ultrasound on the left leg to see if there are any clots. If there is clotting then the next step of treatment would be to start taking blood thinners(eg; warfarin).
Anyways fingers crossed, its nothing at all but the nerves trying to heal.
Today my ankle feels good but again, the calf feels tight/sore and the circulation in my foot isnt good. BLA!
Adam took me for a nice walk around the block this morning, the weather is GORGEOUS! ah yes, could it be SPRING?!
I'll come back later to let you know how the DVT ultrasound goes.
OK -- UPDATE as of 10pm
well I swear I just cant get a break, I had a bad feeling about it but yes, there is a fairly big clot in my left calf and now I'm on a course of blood thinners.
We had to drive to the Overlake Hospital in Bellevue(we were Issaquah for the ultrasound) for the consultation(vascular specialist) in regards to the blood thinners, getting the prescriptions etc..
Its so scary to think about all of this
the worst part(for today LOL) was that I'm going to have to give myself injections(Lovenox) for 5 days and I'm a total NEEDLE WUSS!
I thought she was joking at first but nope, she was serious and boy, my tummy started to do flip flops just thinking about it.
I had to give myself an injection while I was there so she knew I could do it ---ugh! I DID IT, I couldn't believe I did it!
I did like she said, pinch some skin(in the belly), wipe it with an alcohol swab, let go, take the safety cap off the syringe then grab the spot that I disinfected and POKE the needle in like a dart!
Then you have to push the plunger all the way down till its empty, pull it out and push it hard so the safety cap pops up. OMG, what an ordeal for me but I was proud of myself for doing it and NOT getting QUEEZY OR PASSING OUT! WOOHOO!
Its Sub-Q but still, it burns so bad, felt like a huge bee sting and you can't touch it the area afterward -- no rubbing to make the pain go away!
I have to alternate which side I poke(morning and night) till I'm done.
I have a nice bruise coming too, she said that would happen. Im going to look like a drug addict! ROFLMAO
The stuff is call Lovenox, 60mgs, I guess its quick to get into your system, that way my body has something to help thin out the blood asap. I'm also on Warfarin 5mg once a day.
this coming week I have to go for a bunch of tests(anticoagulant levels or something) till they know how much I need. Next week I have another ultrasound to see if there's any change in the clot after a weeks worth of the thinners.
there will be lots of follow up appointments and more ultrasounds in a month, then 3months etc...
I had been doing some research on the calf aches/cramps post-op and read about clots, of course I PRAYED that I didn't have them but not such the case.
Thats why I was so concerned and went to the Dr Asap....
Anyways, I'm hoping I will be OK, I will be on this stuff for at least 3-6 months, maybe more depending on what happens with the clot and how my blood is -- they're going to do some other blood work so we can prevent any other clots!!
Wow, I'm exhausted, it was a long day and it's time for bed.
I'm adding a couple pictures of my injection site(bruising) and what the syringes look like. LOL
Thanks for checking up on me
He said it could be a couple things ----could very well be the nerves in my lower leg are all "angry" from surgery and are trying to sort themselves out during the healing process.
OR, it could be a clot.
So to be safe I have an appointment at 4:30Pm for an ultrasound on the left leg to see if there are any clots. If there is clotting then the next step of treatment would be to start taking blood thinners(eg; warfarin).
Anyways fingers crossed, its nothing at all but the nerves trying to heal.
Today my ankle feels good but again, the calf feels tight/sore and the circulation in my foot isnt good. BLA!
Adam took me for a nice walk around the block this morning, the weather is GORGEOUS! ah yes, could it be SPRING?!
I'll come back later to let you know how the DVT ultrasound goes.
OK -- UPDATE as of 10pm
well I swear I just cant get a break, I had a bad feeling about it but yes, there is a fairly big clot in my left calf and now I'm on a course of blood thinners.
We had to drive to the Overlake Hospital in Bellevue(we were Issaquah for the ultrasound) for the consultation(vascular specialist) in regards to the blood thinners, getting the prescriptions etc..
Its so scary to think about all of this
the worst part(for today LOL) was that I'm going to have to give myself injections(Lovenox) for 5 days and I'm a total NEEDLE WUSS!
I thought she was joking at first but nope, she was serious and boy, my tummy started to do flip flops just thinking about it.
I had to give myself an injection while I was there so she knew I could do it ---ugh! I DID IT, I couldn't believe I did it!
I did like she said, pinch some skin(in the belly), wipe it with an alcohol swab, let go, take the safety cap off the syringe then grab the spot that I disinfected and POKE the needle in like a dart!
Then you have to push the plunger all the way down till its empty, pull it out and push it hard so the safety cap pops up. OMG, what an ordeal for me but I was proud of myself for doing it and NOT getting QUEEZY OR PASSING OUT! WOOHOO!
Its Sub-Q but still, it burns so bad, felt like a huge bee sting and you can't touch it the area afterward -- no rubbing to make the pain go away!
I have to alternate which side I poke(morning and night) till I'm done.
I have a nice bruise coming too, she said that would happen. Im going to look like a drug addict! ROFLMAO
The stuff is call Lovenox, 60mgs, I guess its quick to get into your system, that way my body has something to help thin out the blood asap. I'm also on Warfarin 5mg once a day.
this coming week I have to go for a bunch of tests(anticoagulant levels or something) till they know how much I need. Next week I have another ultrasound to see if there's any change in the clot after a weeks worth of the thinners.
there will be lots of follow up appointments and more ultrasounds in a month, then 3months etc...
I had been doing some research on the calf aches/cramps post-op and read about clots, of course I PRAYED that I didn't have them but not such the case.
Thats why I was so concerned and went to the Dr Asap....
Anyways, I'm hoping I will be OK, I will be on this stuff for at least 3-6 months, maybe more depending on what happens with the clot and how my blood is -- they're going to do some other blood work so we can prevent any other clots!!
Wow, I'm exhausted, it was a long day and it's time for bed.
I'm adding a couple pictures of my injection site(bruising) and what the syringes look like. LOL
Thanks for checking up on me
Post-Op Day #20 - Where Did Wednesday Go?
Once again I'm slacking on my updates but in all honesty yesterday was a bit of a waste, it whizzed by while I was in La La Land! I spent most of it in bed because my calf was bugging me and I was really tired.
I pretty much was up long enough to eat and have a shower ---oh and I almost forgot a quick ride around the block in the wee-chair with Adam!
Anyways, I was looking forward to my Dr appointment in the morning(today).
Thanks for checking my blog
I pretty much was up long enough to eat and have a shower ---oh and I almost forgot a quick ride around the block in the wee-chair with Adam!
Anyways, I was looking forward to my Dr appointment in the morning(today).
Thanks for checking my blog
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Post-Op Day #18 - Mellow Monday
I forgot to update this yesterday so I'll do that now.
Yesterday was pretty boring, the weather sucked and I was inside almost all day -- well except to go check the mail, WHOOPTY-DO! LOL
I called Dr. Chi's office to make an appointment to get the ankle/calf checked out--better safe then sorry so I have to be there Thursday morning.
My ankle felt pretty good, same with the calf muscle during the day(Phew!) but around 7pm it started to ache a bit. I had a bath then took an Advil and elevated it for the rest of the night-it was good after that.
I have noticed that if I sleep with the leg straight out instead of bending it a bit it feels slightly better.
That's it for yesterday, thanks for checking up on me :-)
Yesterday was pretty boring, the weather sucked and I was inside almost all day -- well except to go check the mail, WHOOPTY-DO! LOL
I called Dr. Chi's office to make an appointment to get the ankle/calf checked out--better safe then sorry so I have to be there Thursday morning.
My ankle felt pretty good, same with the calf muscle during the day(Phew!) but around 7pm it started to ache a bit. I had a bath then took an Advil and elevated it for the rest of the night-it was good after that.
I have noticed that if I sleep with the leg straight out instead of bending it a bit it feels slightly better.
That's it for yesterday, thanks for checking up on me :-)
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Post-Op Day #14 - Two Weeks
Well its been exactly 2 weeks since my surgery and I am very happy with how things are going.
My ankle feels good, I like having the stitches out and being to wash some of the area closer to the incision area. Maybe next week I can wash the whole foot! YAY!
My calf is still bothering me, very sore and a cramped up feeling.
I'm going to wait it on another day or so but by Friday I think I will call the Dr's office to make an appointment.
Fingers crossed its just bruised from all the time it has spent laying over my right leg plus the KAM boot is heavy, that could be part of the strain on it.
I don't even want to think about other causes, I've heard about blood clots post surgery and that just gives me the willies! Anyways, not going to work myself into a frenzy over it ---got to stay sane, wait another day or so and if I have to go to the Dr so be it...better safe then sorry.
I think they can do a blood test to see if there is a clot. Anyways, on to more pleasant thoughts LOL
I sat on my booty pretty much all day ROFLMAO! It was raining which really made me mad, I can't really go out in it because it's too slippery(crutches plus wet surface = accidents LOL)
I just lounged around on the couch all day, foot up, watching movies! HA HA! Very very productive day.
Adam and I went out for dinner at the North Bend Grill so that was nice.......I had a very tasty Chicken Caesar Wrap, Adam had a nice big bowl of their homemade Chicken Rice Soup(its so good, I had it last time).
We had to make a quick run to Safeway afterward so we wandered over to the bakery section and found a lovely piece of Cheesecake to share mmmmmmmmmmm so good -- tomorrow I better go outside for a wee-chair ride to work off some of this food HA HA!
Well thats it for today..........BORRRRRRRRRRRRRING! haha!
Thanks for checking in on me :-)
My ankle feels good, I like having the stitches out and being to wash some of the area closer to the incision area. Maybe next week I can wash the whole foot! YAY!
My calf is still bothering me, very sore and a cramped up feeling.
I'm going to wait it on another day or so but by Friday I think I will call the Dr's office to make an appointment.
Fingers crossed its just bruised from all the time it has spent laying over my right leg plus the KAM boot is heavy, that could be part of the strain on it.
I don't even want to think about other causes, I've heard about blood clots post surgery and that just gives me the willies! Anyways, not going to work myself into a frenzy over it ---got to stay sane, wait another day or so and if I have to go to the Dr so be it...better safe then sorry.
I think they can do a blood test to see if there is a clot. Anyways, on to more pleasant thoughts LOL
I sat on my booty pretty much all day ROFLMAO! It was raining which really made me mad, I can't really go out in it because it's too slippery(crutches plus wet surface = accidents LOL)
I just lounged around on the couch all day, foot up, watching movies! HA HA! Very very productive day.
Adam and I went out for dinner at the North Bend Grill so that was nice.......I had a very tasty Chicken Caesar Wrap, Adam had a nice big bowl of their homemade Chicken Rice Soup(its so good, I had it last time).
We had to make a quick run to Safeway afterward so we wandered over to the bakery section and found a lovely piece of Cheesecake to share mmmmmmmmmmm so good -- tomorrow I better go outside for a wee-chair ride to work off some of this food HA HA!
Well thats it for today..........BORRRRRRRRRRRRRING! haha!
Thanks for checking in on me :-)
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Post-Op Day # 13 - Post Op Appointment
Well today was my Post-Op appointment with Dr Chi -- I was excited to see what he found during surgery and if everything was healing up properly. He said my ankle looked really good, right on track for 1 day short of 2 weeks post-op.
He did find some compression/narrowing on the tibial nerve so he released the tendons which run over the nerve. Now it's basically a waiting game, everything needs to heal and nerves can take a while to recover from the trauma(TTS & surgery).
The stitches were removed by his medical assistant, it was quick and painless, just the way I LIKE IT! What a relief, I was a bit worried about going today, I'm a bit of a wuss and faint with things like this. haha! But no fainting due to the fact I was talking to Dr Chi while it was going on.
He cleaned up the area and put some more surgical tape over the incision area(will last a few days) then a bandage over it.
I put my KAM boot back on, ugh I hate that thing. Can't you just feel the love I have for the stupid thing. haha!
I should be able to wash over the incision site very soon, YAHOO! I'm really looking forward to it. The skin on my foot is starting to really peel, EWWWWWW!
Nothing a good soak, soap and pomace can't fix.
Dr Chi said I can bear as much weight on it as I feel comfortable with and to use the KAM walking boot and crutches for support(will wear the boot 4 weeks, maybe a bit longer) but as time goes by I should be able to use the crutches less.
I'll stick to what I've been doing up to this point because the ankle is a bit tender. Soon I should be able to do more but I have to keep reminding myself it's only been 13 days since my surgery -- it's a healing process that takes time..........taking it easy and patience, lots of patience needed!
I'm really looking forward to being able to drive again, one downside of having a standard is being to push the clutch in and my foot isn't strong enough yet(KEY WORD......YET! haha)
I'm not quite ready to try but it shouldn't be too much longer.
And yes, don't worry I will have Adam with me and will practice right out front our building to make sure I'm good before venturing out. It's not worth risking the safety of those on the road or myself if my body isn't ready yet.
It's funny how dependent we become on vehicles, they really do give us a lot of freedom! We tend to take it for granted till it's taken away for a while.
I go back to Dr. Chi in a 4 weeks unless something comes up before that time. :-)
OH and I'm such an idiot, grrrrrrrrrr I totally forgot to mention my calf muscle aches to Dr Chi but was able to let his assistant know.
He said to call to set up an appointment if it doesn't go away in the next few days.
For the rest of the day I'm going to enjoy the lovely sun and breeze while sitting on the patio! Today is a day to relax and let my ankle recover from having the stitches taken out.
I took some new pictures of my ankle, you can see it's starting to bruise up but overall it looks grrrrrreat.
Thanks for checking up on me :-)
He did find some compression/narrowing on the tibial nerve so he released the tendons which run over the nerve. Now it's basically a waiting game, everything needs to heal and nerves can take a while to recover from the trauma(TTS & surgery).
The stitches were removed by his medical assistant, it was quick and painless, just the way I LIKE IT! What a relief, I was a bit worried about going today, I'm a bit of a wuss and faint with things like this. haha! But no fainting due to the fact I was talking to Dr Chi while it was going on.
He cleaned up the area and put some more surgical tape over the incision area(will last a few days) then a bandage over it.
I put my KAM boot back on, ugh I hate that thing. Can't you just feel the love I have for the stupid thing. haha!
I should be able to wash over the incision site very soon, YAHOO! I'm really looking forward to it. The skin on my foot is starting to really peel, EWWWWWW!
Nothing a good soak, soap and pomace can't fix.
Dr Chi said I can bear as much weight on it as I feel comfortable with and to use the KAM walking boot and crutches for support(will wear the boot 4 weeks, maybe a bit longer) but as time goes by I should be able to use the crutches less.
I'll stick to what I've been doing up to this point because the ankle is a bit tender. Soon I should be able to do more but I have to keep reminding myself it's only been 13 days since my surgery -- it's a healing process that takes time..........taking it easy and patience, lots of patience needed!
I'm really looking forward to being able to drive again, one downside of having a standard is being to push the clutch in and my foot isn't strong enough yet(KEY WORD......YET! haha)
I'm not quite ready to try but it shouldn't be too much longer.
And yes, don't worry I will have Adam with me and will practice right out front our building to make sure I'm good before venturing out. It's not worth risking the safety of those on the road or myself if my body isn't ready yet.
It's funny how dependent we become on vehicles, they really do give us a lot of freedom! We tend to take it for granted till it's taken away for a while.
I go back to Dr. Chi in a 4 weeks unless something comes up before that time. :-)
OH and I'm such an idiot, grrrrrrrrrr I totally forgot to mention my calf muscle aches to Dr Chi but was able to let his assistant know.
He said to call to set up an appointment if it doesn't go away in the next few days.
For the rest of the day I'm going to enjoy the lovely sun and breeze while sitting on the patio! Today is a day to relax and let my ankle recover from having the stitches taken out.
I took some new pictures of my ankle, you can see it's starting to bruise up but overall it looks grrrrrreat.
Thanks for checking up on me :-)
Monday, April 20, 2009
Post-Op Day # 12 - Charley Horse
Ugh, forgot to update this last night, oh well.
Yesterday was interesting, my left calf was still bothering me(I mentioned it in my last entry) --quite painful actually. Felt like a combination of a Charlie Horse and a bruised calf muscle.
I'm wondering if its from the weight of the KAM boot or from all the weight my left calf bears when I rest it on my right leg to change the dressing/bandage etc...
Though thinking about it, I probably aggravated it on Sunday during our lovely walk in Issaquah. An hour is a long time to have to hold my leg up and rest it on the right leg(my left calf muscle would have been on my right shin bone). The wee-chair doesn't have the leg supports on it, so anytime I want to go for a ride I have to lift the leg up.
I don't know but I hope it goes away, it's annoying because every time I move it aches a bit. I'll have to mention it to Dr. Chi at my appointment.
The weather was very warm yesterday, I'm not complaining but it's such a big change from the long cold winter LOL
My friend Helene had mentioned she might go to the ranch for a bit and asked if I'd like to go........HECK YA! :-)
She's so super , she picked me up at home so I could go down to watch her ride plus I was able to give Karma a good groom!
I had fun grooming Karma, she was very patient with me(haha), though she was being a bit of a wiggle worm in the crossties so that didn't help. At least she's not afraid of my crutches so I could move around her no problem. I thought I did a pretty good job grooming her, all things considered but I had to laugh at how tired I was afterward.
I just don't have the stamina right now for much of anything.
I finished up and thought about taking her out for some hand grazing but opted not to--that might be pushing it a bit! I mean what happens if she decides to pull on the leadrope, I don't need to fall nor do I need her running around loose around the ranch! LOL
Helene helped me put her back in the stall, I said "let me try to lead her back there", so I clipped the leadrope on and started down the alleyway.
Karma's stall was the 2nd on the right, I stopped in front of it and directed her towards the opening but she decided to go around the backside of me instead so she could continue down the alleyway! HA HA! Cheeky pony!
Helene grabbed her and redirected her to the stall and then I flung the leadrope over her back just as she went in.
Helene laughed and went into the stall to take off the halter for me.
Karma was definitely acting a bit more cheeky then normal, I think that she's missing the exercise, eating too well(haha, OINK OINK) and in heat -- oh the fun of having mares, her brain wasn't thinking about work, she's dreaming of romantic rendez-vous's with sporty stallions. ROFLMAO!
Julie(the barn manager) came back to the ranch to ride for a bit(she was there earlier) so that was nice to see her. I hadn't seen her since my first visit to the ranch after surgery.
Anyways, we finished up and head home.........I was very tired by the time I got home but still it was great to go to the ranch.
My ankle felt great all day.........again, the calf muscle was more painful and frustrating! I hope it feels better soon.
I head to bed pretty early, I was whipped plus I knew I had my Dr's appointment in the morning.
Well that's it for yesterday, thanks for checking up on me :-)
Yesterday was interesting, my left calf was still bothering me(I mentioned it in my last entry) --quite painful actually. Felt like a combination of a Charlie Horse and a bruised calf muscle.
I'm wondering if its from the weight of the KAM boot or from all the weight my left calf bears when I rest it on my right leg to change the dressing/bandage etc...
Though thinking about it, I probably aggravated it on Sunday during our lovely walk in Issaquah. An hour is a long time to have to hold my leg up and rest it on the right leg(my left calf muscle would have been on my right shin bone). The wee-chair doesn't have the leg supports on it, so anytime I want to go for a ride I have to lift the leg up.
I don't know but I hope it goes away, it's annoying because every time I move it aches a bit. I'll have to mention it to Dr. Chi at my appointment.
The weather was very warm yesterday, I'm not complaining but it's such a big change from the long cold winter LOL
My friend Helene had mentioned she might go to the ranch for a bit and asked if I'd like to go........HECK YA! :-)
She's so super , she picked me up at home so I could go down to watch her ride plus I was able to give Karma a good groom!
I had fun grooming Karma, she was very patient with me(haha), though she was being a bit of a wiggle worm in the crossties so that didn't help. At least she's not afraid of my crutches so I could move around her no problem. I thought I did a pretty good job grooming her, all things considered but I had to laugh at how tired I was afterward.
I just don't have the stamina right now for much of anything.
I finished up and thought about taking her out for some hand grazing but opted not to--that might be pushing it a bit! I mean what happens if she decides to pull on the leadrope, I don't need to fall nor do I need her running around loose around the ranch! LOL
Helene helped me put her back in the stall, I said "let me try to lead her back there", so I clipped the leadrope on and started down the alleyway.
Karma's stall was the 2nd on the right, I stopped in front of it and directed her towards the opening but she decided to go around the backside of me instead so she could continue down the alleyway! HA HA! Cheeky pony!
Helene grabbed her and redirected her to the stall and then I flung the leadrope over her back just as she went in.
Helene laughed and went into the stall to take off the halter for me.
Karma was definitely acting a bit more cheeky then normal, I think that she's missing the exercise, eating too well(haha, OINK OINK) and in heat -- oh the fun of having mares, her brain wasn't thinking about work, she's dreaming of romantic rendez-vous's with sporty stallions. ROFLMAO!
Julie(the barn manager) came back to the ranch to ride for a bit(she was there earlier) so that was nice to see her. I hadn't seen her since my first visit to the ranch after surgery.
Anyways, we finished up and head home.........I was very tired by the time I got home but still it was great to go to the ranch.
My ankle felt great all day.........again, the calf muscle was more painful and frustrating! I hope it feels better soon.
I head to bed pretty early, I was whipped plus I knew I had my Dr's appointment in the morning.
Well that's it for yesterday, thanks for checking up on me :-)
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Post-Op Day #10 - Dehydrated Fool
Well today was ROUGH, not with my ankle but with recovering from a NOT SO NICE late night, early morning session where my stomach decided lastnights dinner(Fish N Chips-which at the time was very YUMMY) was the enemy and would start a war! LOL
I thought I was going to faint because I got so weak but I used a cold cloth to stay awake and freshen up my face/neck. ugh! I know Adam was worried because I was looking very pale(the term Vampire or corpse sums it up well), just like when I had to go to the hospital before for dehydration and needed 3.5hrs of IV fluids.
I kept thinking "hmmm wish I had an IV drip right now to get some fluids back"!
I tried to drink as much water as I could but even that was upsetting my stomach. Blah!
I was up till 3am having my last "battle" then managed to convince my body to STOP and let me get some damn sleep! I slept till noon and when I woke up I felt like a dried out prune! HA HA!
All day I was feeling like S**T! I managed to get through the day without further issues - PHEW!
I had some soup and bread, I figured that would be the mildest thing I could put in my stomach and it'd agreed! YAY! I drank as much water as I could handle and even had a little bit of Gatorade -- mmmm electrolytes! ROFLMAO!
My ankle was great today, it was the least of my worries. :-) I took the bandage and dressing off to see how things looked(make sure there was no new blood etc..) and it was very good.
Though its really starting to bruise, it's going to be a rainbow of color in the next week I'm sure! :-)
Adam took me for a quick ride around the block today, the temperature was perfect -- not much sun out and a refreshing hint of cool. :-) That was the highlight of my day, the ride in the wee-chair! LOL oh ya, life is super exciting right now.
Well hopefully tomorrow will be more interesting for you.
Thanks for checking my blog
I thought I was going to faint because I got so weak but I used a cold cloth to stay awake and freshen up my face/neck. ugh! I know Adam was worried because I was looking very pale(the term Vampire or corpse sums it up well), just like when I had to go to the hospital before for dehydration and needed 3.5hrs of IV fluids.
I kept thinking "hmmm wish I had an IV drip right now to get some fluids back"!
I tried to drink as much water as I could but even that was upsetting my stomach. Blah!
I was up till 3am having my last "battle" then managed to convince my body to STOP and let me get some damn sleep! I slept till noon and when I woke up I felt like a dried out prune! HA HA!
All day I was feeling like S**T! I managed to get through the day without further issues - PHEW!
I had some soup and bread, I figured that would be the mildest thing I could put in my stomach and it'd agreed! YAY! I drank as much water as I could handle and even had a little bit of Gatorade -- mmmm electrolytes! ROFLMAO!
My ankle was great today, it was the least of my worries. :-) I took the bandage and dressing off to see how things looked(make sure there was no new blood etc..) and it was very good.
Though its really starting to bruise, it's going to be a rainbow of color in the next week I'm sure! :-)
Adam took me for a quick ride around the block today, the temperature was perfect -- not much sun out and a refreshing hint of cool. :-) That was the highlight of my day, the ride in the wee-chair! LOL oh ya, life is super exciting right now.
Well hopefully tomorrow will be more interesting for you.
Thanks for checking my blog
Post-Op Day #9 - An Outting To Lift Spirits
I forgot to post about yesterday so I'll do that now.
Yesterday my friend Helene was going to the ranch to ride Godiva, she had texted me to see if I was going to go but I felt too tired(well at that exact moment, about 11am LOL).
I looked outside and saw the sun shining which made me feel like I better get my arse out of the house for a bit! HA HA! I asked Adam to give me a ride to RRR so I could go visit for a bit and he did. :-)
I had a nice visit with Helene, watched her ride Godiva for a bit then helped her tidy up before we left(she gave me a ride home :-) )
My ankle was feeling pretty good yesterday, I was just tired in general but the good weather and visiting with Helene helped make me feel a bit better. :-) The fresh air and laughter does wonders.
Later in the evening I gave my foot a bit of a bath, it was a bit tricky because I cant get the incision/stitches wet so thankfully the handheld showerhead made things a bit easier. It felt soooooooo good to wash my foot, OMG ---there's nothing worse then stinky feet! HA HA HA HA! Seriously though, its so common to have a not so nice smell happening when you have any type of bandage/cast anywhere on your body-- GAG!
I noticed that the skin on my foot is starting to peel from the swelling ---ew, I have a feeling my whole foot is going to "shed" --just like my hand did when I had surgery on it. Not looking forward to it, thats for sure.
I don't consider what i have with my ankle "pain" anymore, its just a tenderness -- only time I feel any real discomfort is if I go to put my Kam walking boot on and push my weight into my foot too much. Or of course am clumsy and hit my toes or foot on something! YOUUUUUUUUCH!
Well that's it for yesterday, other then the general tiredness I'm doing really well. I'm anxious for my Dr's appointment on Tuesday.
Thanks for checking up on me
Yesterday my friend Helene was going to the ranch to ride Godiva, she had texted me to see if I was going to go but I felt too tired(well at that exact moment, about 11am LOL).
I looked outside and saw the sun shining which made me feel like I better get my arse out of the house for a bit! HA HA! I asked Adam to give me a ride to RRR so I could go visit for a bit and he did. :-)
I had a nice visit with Helene, watched her ride Godiva for a bit then helped her tidy up before we left(she gave me a ride home :-) )
My ankle was feeling pretty good yesterday, I was just tired in general but the good weather and visiting with Helene helped make me feel a bit better. :-) The fresh air and laughter does wonders.
Later in the evening I gave my foot a bit of a bath, it was a bit tricky because I cant get the incision/stitches wet so thankfully the handheld showerhead made things a bit easier. It felt soooooooo good to wash my foot, OMG ---there's nothing worse then stinky feet! HA HA HA HA! Seriously though, its so common to have a not so nice smell happening when you have any type of bandage/cast anywhere on your body-- GAG!
I noticed that the skin on my foot is starting to peel from the swelling ---ew, I have a feeling my whole foot is going to "shed" --just like my hand did when I had surgery on it. Not looking forward to it, thats for sure.
I don't consider what i have with my ankle "pain" anymore, its just a tenderness -- only time I feel any real discomfort is if I go to put my Kam walking boot on and push my weight into my foot too much. Or of course am clumsy and hit my toes or foot on something! YOUUUUUUUUCH!
Well that's it for yesterday, other then the general tiredness I'm doing really well. I'm anxious for my Dr's appointment on Tuesday.
Thanks for checking up on me
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Surgery Day
I had my ankle surgery this morning, we had to be there for 6:30am check in YUK! I had to fill out a few forms, got my id bracelets then we went into the smaller rooms so I could put my gown on etc...
Everything was going smoothly until the nurse put the IV line in. haha! I was feeling just fine while she found the vein and put it in but then all of a sudden I felt flushed and fainty! I told her I thought I was going to pass out and sure enough, BAM out I went on the chair. It was weird because I felt like I was dreaming while I was out(which Adam figures was about a minute) and when I finally came to I saw 4 people staring at me with concerned looks on their faces! I was completed soaked with sweat, felt so weak and clamy! EWWWW, not a nice feeling at all. They had put monitors back on me to watch my heart rate and breathing plus put an oxygen line in my nose.
We had to wait for a bit for my vitals to return to normal range(which didnt take long) so they could decide if I was ok for surgery(esp the anesthesia).
THumbs up and so off we went down the hall in the chair to the OR and transfered to the table there. They secured me with a seat belt(remember kids, safety first! HA HA) and then the Anesthesiologist adminsitered me some SLEEPY JUICE! HA HA! I remember breathing in some oxygen from the mask and then drifted off into LA LA LAND!
I think surgery was at approx 7:20am and I woke up in the recovery ward around 8:05. I didnt feel too bad at that point, just really sleepy/groggy but no real pain, just numbness in the foot. Adam came back and sat with me while I was having some saltine crackers and apple juice. The nurse came in to check on me and said I could start to get dressed if I felt ok --- thankfully Adam was there to help me get organized.
We sat there for a little bit then they brought a wheel chair for me and Adam went to bring the car up to the front. I think we were back home around 9:45am.
We picked up my prescriptions and I took some then crashed out on the couch for most of the day with my foot elevated with an ice pack.
My pain level throughout the day wasn't too bad because of the nerve block Dr Chi did during surgery. He figured it would last about 8-12hrs, o of course as the day went on I could feel a bit more pain(took pain killers since I left the surgery center this morning, they said to do the least amount then increase with pain level).
Anyways, thats it for today, hopefully I'll get a decent sleep tonight and tomorrow my ankle wont be really sore.
I'll try to update this blog each day
Thanks for all the wishes for a successful surgery and speedy recovery.
jessi :-)
Everything was going smoothly until the nurse put the IV line in. haha! I was feeling just fine while she found the vein and put it in but then all of a sudden I felt flushed and fainty! I told her I thought I was going to pass out and sure enough, BAM out I went on the chair. It was weird because I felt like I was dreaming while I was out(which Adam figures was about a minute) and when I finally came to I saw 4 people staring at me with concerned looks on their faces! I was completed soaked with sweat, felt so weak and clamy! EWWWW, not a nice feeling at all. They had put monitors back on me to watch my heart rate and breathing plus put an oxygen line in my nose.
We had to wait for a bit for my vitals to return to normal range(which didnt take long) so they could decide if I was ok for surgery(esp the anesthesia).
THumbs up and so off we went down the hall in the chair to the OR and transfered to the table there. They secured me with a seat belt(remember kids, safety first! HA HA) and then the Anesthesiologist adminsitered me some SLEEPY JUICE! HA HA! I remember breathing in some oxygen from the mask and then drifted off into LA LA LAND!
I think surgery was at approx 7:20am and I woke up in the recovery ward around 8:05. I didnt feel too bad at that point, just really sleepy/groggy but no real pain, just numbness in the foot. Adam came back and sat with me while I was having some saltine crackers and apple juice. The nurse came in to check on me and said I could start to get dressed if I felt ok --- thankfully Adam was there to help me get organized.
We sat there for a little bit then they brought a wheel chair for me and Adam went to bring the car up to the front. I think we were back home around 9:45am.
We picked up my prescriptions and I took some then crashed out on the couch for most of the day with my foot elevated with an ice pack.
My pain level throughout the day wasn't too bad because of the nerve block Dr Chi did during surgery. He figured it would last about 8-12hrs, o of course as the day went on I could feel a bit more pain(took pain killers since I left the surgery center this morning, they said to do the least amount then increase with pain level).
Anyways, thats it for today, hopefully I'll get a decent sleep tonight and tomorrow my ankle wont be really sore.
I'll try to update this blog each day
Thanks for all the wishes for a successful surgery and speedy recovery.
jessi :-)
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