Living with MS in an empty nest and exploring uncharted territory in my 40's:)
Do you ever hear people telling you to focus on the positive and that there is something good in everything?
Sometimes I forget that. Sometimes I forget that tomorrow is another day, and this too shall pass. Sometimes I forget that there are other people in the world that “have it so much worse” than I do. Sometimes I forget to be grateful for all the good in my life. Sometimes I forget…..
Thank you all for helping me remember!
So many of you know that I had surgery on Tuesday, but I don’t know if I have ever explained the history to why I needed the surgery, or what the surgery was for.
Two years ago, I broke the first metatarsal in my right foot. I was in a walking boot for a total of 6 months off and on. During the treatment, I had cortisone shots, physical therapy, and was diagnosed with Osteopenia. I had custom orthotics made for my shoes etc. For the last two years, the pain has always been there, but it has been bearable. When I would over do it, the doc would advise me to wear the boot for a couple of weeks or use my wheelchair , do R.I.C.E. therapy, and take some drugs.
About a month? ago when I started walking on a daily basis, my pain got worse and worse. My foot began to be black and blue on a daily basis. I went to see the doctor and was advised that I had gout, I DIDN’T. I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. In the doctor’s defense, I WALKED into the office, granted I was limping from the pain, but I did walk. Maybe he thought, if I was in that much pain, I wouldn’t have been able to walk? Whatever the case, he sent me home with an order for RICE therapy again (REST, ICE, COMPRESSION, ELEVATION) and another RX to try.
The pain got so bad I ended up at immediate care where they finally did xrays and determined that not only had I broken my foot again, but I also had severe arthritis. I had surgery on Tuesday. The short story is that they cleaned up the arthritis, and have inserted a plate and screws to fuse the bones together. I was sent home bandaged and in a CAM boot to my knee.
Before surgery I was told that after surgery I would be placed in a non removable, non weight bearing cast until I followed up with the doctor to have the stitches removed. I planned for that. What I DIDN’T plan on was all the conflicting information.
I came home in a CAM (walking boot) with verbal instructions to stay in bed with my foot elevated above my heart for 3 days, applying ice 15 mins on 15 off for the same amount of time. After 3 days, I could spend some time out of bed, but was still supposed to stay off of it and keep it elevated as much as possible. The boot was not to come off until my first post op appointment next week.
The surgery center called the following day to see how I was doing and how often I was bearing light weight on my foot. Had I taken the boot off to do ankle circles etc?
HUH?!?!?!
I was told NOT to take it off?!??!?!?
My parents, who had stayed the night with me after surgery reiterated that the doctor said the boot does not come off under any circumstances and absolutely NO weight on it.
I found the written instructions from the surgery center which give me a third set of instructions and all of them are conflicting.
I’ve called the surgeons office and can only get a nurse on the phone. Her instructions are to bear weight on my foot as tolerated. ( walk to the bathroom with the CAM boot on, but don’t get the mail, cook dinner etc.)
Here’s another problem…. I can’t bear ANY weight on my foot. The pain is excruciating! How do you define as tolerated? Is MS making me feel pain that isn’t there?
After I got home from surgery, my father told me that the doctor said he could not believe that I was able to walk at all with such a bad break, or that I had been able to tolerate the pain for as long as I had. I don’t think I have a high pain tolerance, I think it has to do with just doing what you need to do, something I have had years of practice doing because of living with MS. I know that MS screws with the way my brain interprets pain.
I don’t want to do more damage, or screw up the surgery. I don’t know who to listen to. I don’t trust my own ability to make decisions because of the pain pills, and I’m very emotional……not to mention bored out of my mind.
I don’t expect anyone to give me answers or fix this for me, I just needed to get it off my chest, and did want to let everyone know that I did survive surgery and really appreciate all the thoughts, prayers, and well wishes.
I am going to go with the thought that even the doctors don’t know, after all they are just practicing. ARGH…..
And wait…
and then wait some more….
I’m not sure who I rubbed the wrong way, but I definitely got the short end of the stick as far as surgery times go.
2 pm!!!! That means nothing to eat or drink after midnight tonight?!?!?!? Heh um ok?
To be honest, I can and usually do go without eating until almost 2 pm everyday, but that’s only because I have 2 pots of coffee in that time frame. I know for a fact that tomorrow I will be hungrier and thirstier than I have ever been in my life though, just because I can’t have anything.
To make things “more fun” the surgery center will can not use my port o cath. I really really wish I had known when they told me I needed surgery, because I would have gone to the hospital instead, but I am not waiting another 2 weeks to get rescheduled….smh fingers crossed they can find a vein in less than a handful of sticks please?!?!?
I know that I have said that I have been through surgery a gazillion times, but there is one more NEW thing about this one….
Have you ever seen or used these cloths? I have never heard of, or used them before. First time for everything.
I always plan for the worst, but hope for the best. I am PLANNING to be sleeping for the next few days as much as possible, so please assume no news is good news. HOPEFULLY, I will be back to blogging by Wednesday…. Either way, I do know that It is NOT MY TIME, and I will be back. Looking forward to chatting with you all soon!
MS Graceful...NOT! 