the journey of just one day

WOW, what a difference a day makes.  I feel so good this morning. My feet are not swollen much as all when I first get up so it makes them feel so much better.  My husband made me some wooden shower shoes to wear in the shower and get wet so I was able to take my whole shower all by myself this morning.
Thought you might like to see his invention!  Simple but works so good.  Looking so forward to being healed up and getting back to the sewing machine.  A day without sewing is like a day without sunshine!  Hahahaha!

Well, maybe they are a little more swollen than I thought!

the journey of bunion surgery continues....day 12

What a great use for my least favorite vegetable!  Bags of frozen peas make the best ice bags of which I have been very fond of the past couple of weeks.  Got up several times yesterday but by the afternoon I was ready to stay in the recliner with my feet up again.  Amazing how you can just feel the feet swell as you are up and around.  I was able to also go up the stairs a couple of times yesterday.  Won't be doing a lot of that in the next few days but at least I can if I have to.  My right foot has almost gone back down to normal size.  They are both black and blue but the swelling is going down with each passing day.  That is, if I stay off them.  LOL  I just wonder what it is going to feel like the first time I put on those shoes.  YIKES!!!  About ten days from now and the doctor says we are putting on shoes.  I am sure it will feel kind of weird.  Anyway, so thankful for the couple of meals that were sent home for us on Wednesday evening.  What a blessing.  I have also received a few real life get well cards in the mail.  Many people don't send those anymore because they have access to e-mail and other social media but I will have to say, it was nice to get them.  Just another blessing from some very kind folks.  Looking forward to being up and around and back to the sewing machine!

journey to pain free walking ~ day 8 after bunion surgery

Well, today was the day to see the doctor and get the bandages off so I could see my feet for the first time since surgery.  I was feeling pretty good this morning as I got ready to go.  It is slow going but not real bad consistent pain, so not too bad.  I was up for a while by the time I got to the doctors office, much longer than I have been up, so my feet were beginning to swell.  Then the unveiling came.  The removal of the bandages.  Wow, how good it felt to have all that dressing removed and let air hit my feet.  Still not too bad.  I had expected that it would not feel too bad when they removed the bandages and all the dressing and allowed all that blood flow in.  Really, it was a little pain but not too much. The doctor came in and said my feet looked great and we could take the stitches out (thought that was next week)  (YEAH).  Anyway, he said they look great, still swollen but really great. I would have to agree.  I wish I had taken a before photo for you to see.  You have to realize that my feet looked like they had a giant gumball on them where the bunions were.  They look so normal now and this photo is with the stitches still in and they are still so swollen. 

Then came the suture removal.  Now we are talking about pain.  LOL  As she pulled the sutures out it felt like my feet were burning up.  Trying to walk without all that padding, ouch!  This will be an experience!  The stitched area began to flatten out as she was taking the stitches out.  The doctors orders are to keep them up as much as possible but to start moving around too.  Have to wear the wooden shoes for another couple of week but he did say I could go out to eat if I wanted.  Don't have any desire to do that right now but maybe in a few days. Lots of ice.   Hahaha, should have seen the husband and son trying to get me from the van to the house.  Long sidewalk and then I crawled down the steps to the bottom to get to my chair.  Whew...so good to be home and back in my chair.  

Good thing they ask you your pain level when you first get to the doctor and not when they get done with you!  Definitely changes!  Thank you so much to those of you who have prayed for me.  I definitely see God's hand in my healing.  To those of you who have brought meals, thank you also.  The food has been wonderful.  We so appreciate it.  Please keep praying for a speedy recovery.  Things are waiting for me to pick up where I left off and get to work.

Get to shower tomorrow!  All that yellow will be gone!

the journey to pain free walking continues...day 5

Day 5 after bunion surgery. I am still in the recliner for my days as well as nights.  I tried to lay in the bed yesterday but that did not go so well.  I think I will stay here a couple more days. Yesterday was a pretty hard day with pretty much pain.  Today, however seems to be a "world" of difference. Excited to wake up and feel so much better.  What a blessing the meals were yesterday that were brought to us.  I am not sure people really realize that even though people like me prepare ahead of time and cook things for the freezer, that someone still has to get it out and get it ready.  Hummm...... no more comments on that one.  LOL  I am very grateful for the meals that have been provided, to say the least.  Monday will bring my first doctor appointment since surgery and I can see the incision.  I am looking forward to seeing how well I am doing and having that first week down.

Much time has been spent doing things that I don't usually seem to have time to do, things such as searching Pinterest.  I will have to admit that it has been fun, but don't really think it is something I will make time for when recovered.  Huge waste of time when in all reality, I mean how many of those pins do I really think I will do.  It is always interesting to me how many wives and mothers say they don't have time for more important things but always seem to upload the latest on FB or Pinterest.  Just some mixed up priorities I think. Oh well, my own personal opinion.

my journey through bunion surgery day 3

For many years, I have had pretty bad bunions on both feet.  For years, all I have heard is nightmare stories of surgeries preformed only to hear that the bunions come back after a few years.  Why in the world have surgery to correct something and then it come back in just a few years!  I never did understand that so I just chose not to have the surgery.  Within the last several months, I have met several ladies who have had successful bunion surgery by the very same doctor.  So I decided to check his record out and went in for a visit.  So here I sit, day three post-op.  I am set up with my own little world around the recliner.  I have a little table that David made me beside the chair with a lamp and all the things I can do to keep me busy all day while I recline and keep my feet above my heart.  

The surgery was scheduled for last Monday when we had the worst storm Illinois has seen in many years.  They closed the surgery center down that day and re-scheduled me for this week.  It was a beautiful sunny day and 51 degrees when I went in.  A far cry from last weeks below zero temperature and -43 wind chill.  

As I entered the prep room the first stop was to get my little hospital gown on and then get an iv. After 3 attempts by a nurse that said she was the best I finally received an iv from the
anesthesiologist.  Not too bad, just a few extra holes.  LOL  From there came all the questions that have to be answered just one more time.  Imagine the look on the nurses face when I ask her how she knew that I was really me. I mean they never did ask me for identification or anything.  All they ask me was my birth date.  Anyone could know that.  Interesting, I would think they would have some sort of protection in place for that type of thing.  She said she had a photo of me but then when she pulled my chart..oops...no photo.  So I guess in all reality, anyone could have had bunion surgery yesterday.  

I walked to the surgery room where I mounted a nice warm table with lots of warm blankets.  I heard lots of talking for just a few minutes and then, wa-la, I was waking up in recovery.  All so fast, or so it seemed.  The surgeon told my husband that all went well and I was on my way home complete with my new wooden shoes that will stay on for the next two weeks until the stitches get taken out.  I got home and settled into the recliner where I will spend most of my next two or three weeks.  It wasn't long before we were met with a nice warm meal provided by a church family that lives in our same town. What a blessing. 

An awesome chicken dish, steamed broccoli and a chocolate pie...yummy!

The pain medication that is meant to make you a little sleepy has the opposite effect on me so it was a very long night watching the clock and looking at Pinterest.  It is kind of a fun thing though to get to look through Pinterest as I do not usually have any time at all for such things.  There are so many fun things and ideas on there.  By the time this surgery heals, I am sure to have lots of items saved to use in the house upstairs.

Back to the bunion surgery. It has been up and down the past couple of days with the worst beginning last night and continuing today as the pain medication they put in my foot to get me home has now worn off.  If you have ever had a foot fall asleep and when you step down it feels like pins are poking you.  Magnify that feeling about twenty times and that is kind of what it feels like.  When I get up to try to step down on my feet, then I feel the bones that were broken and put back together.  Oh, I forgot to tell you how he did my surgery which is different than that of those nightmare stories I heard before.  He moved the tendents out of the way and then cut the bone in half, moved it back over and realigned it with my toe and then put a small screw in to put the bone back together.  That is why is usually does not come back.  When they are shaved off, they tend to keep pushing out thus causing them to come back, but the way mine was done should cause the true fix and therefore no more pain after the healing process.  They tell me that could take as long as 6 months or so.  It will be a short time compared to all the pain it has been.  I am looking so forward to taking the girls shopping which I very rarely do because of the pain in my feet.  

I did sleep fairly well last night.  Every time I woke up, I was able to go right back to sleep.  I am feeling the feet today though much more than yesterday.  I think I will just stay in my chair a while!

They say wooden shoes when in all reality, the bottom is wooden so your foot won't bend at all.