journey's of a help meet: 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!