USE it or LOSE it...

 

     Good evening, Family...  I know, I know, I have been missing in action.  Truthfully, I have been spending my time trying to heal and rehab my foot.  As some of you may know I had surgery on my foot about 6 weeks ago.  Yup, had the old bunion repaired.  I went from exercising at least 4 days a week to nothing.  I tried to do exercises during the day, but my mind-set was zonked.  I had no desire.  Not to mention, I didn't realize until after my surgery was complete how dependent I was on this ONE big toe/foot.
      I spent about 1 week taking pain meds, putting ice on my foot, and keeping the foot elevated.  I walked around totally dependent on crutches for two weeks, because I was not allowed to put any weight on the foot.  Week 3, I went for an xray and a follow-up visit.  At the end of week 4, I started physical therapy...That is where the story starts to get tough.  
     That old saying "use it or lose it" actually is true.  The physical therapist did an evaluation and made a plan of care for my therapy sessions.  Each session started with a warm up on the recumbant stationary bike and ended with a 10 minute ice bath for my foot.  The ice bath was the best part.  So, during the 1st session the therapist started by massaging my foot.  Oh my, that felt sooooooo good, UNTIL she started stroking my arch.  Because I had not been using my arch in any way, shape, or form, the tendons basically had seized up and where tight.  By the end of the that day, my arch felt like it had a BAD BRUISE.  The various exercises I had to do during the course of my therapy included strengthening my ankle because, once again, I had not used it appropriately, for almost 4 weeks.  Then there was manipulation of my toe with toe raises, taking natural walking strides while someone held down my toe, literally pulling and bending my toe while holding the bunion joint........ OUCH, OUCH, OUCH......  Yes, WE had to do all this to help the tendons and joint get back to what WILL be normal. 
     Well it is week 6, my Podiatrist showed me the xrays and everything looks great.  I can't see the cut that he made in the bone, the screw that was placed in the joint has dissolved, the arthritic calcifications have been cleaned out, and I have "good" range of motion in the toe.  So, he says I can NOW go back to my regular activities at  a level that is not painful.  Yes, I can finally get a pedicure....  Dr. D. tells me there are NO gaurantees and it could take 6-9 months before my toe will totally heal and be the best it's going to be--good, bad, or indifferent. 
      I had the surgery because I had gone through over 2 years of suffering with pain in my toe, lying in bed at night and feeling the pains shoot up my entire foot, wearing my heels on the weekend and needing the rest of the week in sneakers to keep the pains at bay.  I did the icing my foot after exercise, non-steroidal medications, the orthodotics, the steroid injections.  It was time.  I WILL keep you posted on my progress.  Here are a few pixs (week 1, week 3, week 5... Stillettos by April???  SMOOCHES...