I made the trip over to Seattle and back yesterday for my six week post-op appointment at the hoof and ankle bone clinic. The surgeon came in, had a quick visual look at my hoof then studied the most recent x-rays and declared his work and my recovery a success! After nearly ten years of agony that had me crawling on my knees at times, I felt like doing a back flip and kissing the man! Those few, simple words brought me more joy and relief than I have experienced a VERY long time! An enormous weight has been lifted!
About two hours into the drive home I was overcome with a sudden wave of emotion that had me crying like a baby. I had to pull over because I couldn’t see! Finally, the years of pain, misery and putting my life on hold are nearly over! It was just more than I could ever allow myself to hope for, or even dream of. My reaction to the news caught me off guard as I’m not prone to outbursts like that.
I’ve still got 4-6 weeks of progressive weight bearing in a boot and then months of work to get back full range of motion and strength. I started very minimal weight bearing while I was at work last night! I’ve been walking improperly for so long that it will take time just to walk properly! As opposed to most other physical therapy, I have to discontinue it for 24 hours at the first sign of pain which means it will be a long and slow recovery. According to the surgeon, bone grafts like this do not enjoy being irritated.
I knew this time was different about 24 hours after the surgery. The pain, swelling and bruising have been minimal during the entire recovery and my range of motion has been very good. I swear I saw a wave of pride come over the surgeon yesterday as he was looking at the images and just before he gave me the news. How the hell do I express gratitude to this guy and his assistants?
On top of that, a person had to die in order to provide the slightly used bone/cartilage graft I received. That whole thing still freaks me out. I received a card in the mail encouraging me to write a letter to the family of the donor. It is an anonymous process. All I know about the donor is that it was an adult male from the west coast. If both the donor family and recipient agree, communication can be via mail or phone or even face to face meetings. Such a gift surely deserves an expression of gratitude. The best I can come up with is to live a full and decent life.
It’s been one hell of an experience and not one I wish to repeat! I keep picturing Gene Wilder from Young Frankenstein commanding me to “Rise and Walk”. A friend and co-worker said it best last night when he said that once I get back to walking, I’m going to be like a little boy who discovers his wiener for the first time!
IS and his doctor embrace.
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Do you ever wonder if the elites are organ donors or is just us lesser beings…..I was thinking of that the other day, this just reminded me of that.
IS
What you didn’t know is that your doctor’s assistant Eyegore was a practical joker. He fixed something else too.
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“Because I’m not prone to outbursts like that”
Really I cry like that evey time I read an article on TBP.
Seriously though, I feel for you man, congrats, good luck discovering your weiner for the first time, oh what a memory that was.
LOL admin, I’m afraid I beat Eyegore to it with all of the party favors of dubious legality consumed during my youth! He could only improve on what I have rolling around upstairs!
I think the donor may have been black or Austrian because my wiener schlort is turning into a schlong! They did say there might be side effects.
I_S
Congrats! Glad you are feeling better! Looking to see you in the next marathon, lol, but do not over do it, get healed first, seriously.
You need to write a letter to whatever CONgresscritters you think might listen, perhaps to some news outlets, saying how Obamacare is about to completely destroy the excellent medical care you have just received, because it will, no question.
In the meantime, rejoice!
Oh, and y’all need to sign your donor cards, just sayin’.
I feel the same way. Since 1998 my life has been mostly a living hell, and when anything good happens to me I break down. Since 1998 I had a stroke getting my mother’s dumb ass out of a lawsuit she could have easily avoided, lost my marriage, job, bank accounts, credit cards, medical, dental, unemployment, apartment, gone hungry, lost hope, done a Chapter 7, and spend three years in excruciating pain due to a severe dry eye condition. It got SO bad I could only sleep for 30-40 minutes at a time. If I was exhausted and slept longer my eyelid would stick to the eyeball and RIP the cells off the cornea. Imagine putting a piece of plastic on your eye with superglue, then ripping it off like a bandage. Yeah, like that. I also lost two close relatives. I keep wondering, with almost eight billion people on the planet, if God isn’t eventually going to get tired of this and ruin someone else’s life for a change.
Simply amazing the joy of one over something what so so many never give a 2nd thought too!
Many well wishes IS
“I think the donor may have been black or Austrian because my wiener schlort is turning into a schlong! ” ——– IndenturedServant
From my experience that’s DEFINATELY Austrian.
BTW … you do know you qualify for a Scooter at little or no cost to you?
Congrats, IS. Congrats!!!
KaD
I just read your story. I am now going to jump out the window. Bye.
But we’d miss you.
Thanks, dahling!
We live in a one story home.
In that case-send pictures!
IS – so glad the surgery was a success. That is such good news 🙂 🙂 🙂
KaD – sorry you have had such a rough time, hope things improve for you soon. You deserve it after going thru so much.
“spend (sic) three years in excruciating pain due to a severe dry eye condition …… my eyelid would stick to the eyeball and RIP the cells off the cornea.”
—-KaD
Yikes. 3 years? I cannot imagine what that was like.
It happened to me just once, and the pain was unbelievable. After a lifetime of living in fairly humid climates, I moved to Arizona, where the humidity can drop to below 5% frequently, in 1983 and started to get dry, itchy eyes. Got up one night to go to the bathroom, and when I opened my eyes, it hit my one eyeball like a searing, hot poker. My eyelid ripped a layer of cornea cells right off.
Went to the emergency room and got a prescription for a sterile eye ointment containing a mild local anesthetic. Blessed relief. Eventually my eyes started to produce more tears, and I got over it, but I still use Visine Tears for dry eyes every morning.
You must have one steely-ass persona to put up with that shit for 3 years.
Damnit. Forgot to mention. Congrats, I_S. Hope the recovery continues to show improvement.
I_S
Great news. You’ll get impatient and overdo it, but the learning curve will kick in.
Jesus H, I tell you, every time you feel like your life sucks, or it’s not fair, you don’t have to look far (or read about I_S and KaD) and you’ll find others in much worse shape and handling their suffering so much better.
My life changer was I had a broken leg and was feeling sorry for myself because it was hot and people kept bumping into me, then I saw the dad, who was a returning vet, both hands gone from the elbows pick up his four year old girl with his claws, he would never feel anyone with his hands again. I felt like jumping out a window.
Glad you are both recovering so well.
SSS-yup, that’s exactly what it’s like. Then your sinuses fill up and you head pounds, and if you did a good one your vision is blurry for a day or two in that eye. It got BAD when I moved from Cleveland to Denver. It was so bad one night I was pounding my head on marble from the pain. The ointment doesn’t work on everyone-it didn’t for me. The only thing that did was, believe it or not, acupuncture. Apparently the lady learned a technique from a military doctor; it’s the only one she does that requires TWO treatments, 24 hours apart. Something about circadian rhythm. Go figure.
Yeah, thanks Avalon. I (we) found out yesterday the SO made a ten thousand dollar screw up. He’s been paying his credit card online, only most of the payments didn’t come out of HIS account. I don’t understand how that’s even POSSIBLE, or how the bank (and he) missed this fact for so long. Here I thought we were going to be able to repair the leaking roof or something. DUH.
There are two things besides acupuncture that really help with the condition-Optive eyedrops; they’re the only ones I’ve seen that contain glycerine. And a rice baggy. (http://www.dryeyeshop.com/rebeccas-rice-baggy-p166.aspx) A little bag with rice grains in it. You heat it in the microwave for about 30 seconds, hold it against your eyes for 1-3 minutes, and then use a Q-tip and roll it from 1/2 inch above the eyelid to the edge of the upper lid; and from 1/2 inch below the eyelid to the lower edge. The heat opens the ‘pores’ that release the oils that keep your eyes from drying; and the ‘massage’ releases any blocks and speeds up the production. I do this once a week. Or else. If you’re in bad shape moisture goggles can help too. (http://www.dryeyeshop.com/tranquileyes-hydrating-goggle-kits-c99.aspx) I’m including the write since this tends to be more of a problem as people get older, and none of us are getting younger!
Yeah IS!!
So, very happy for you.
Going to be able to boogey down any day now!
IS back on the dance floor
my buddy says his wife ripped an acl tendon playing softball. the surgeon said he could fix that. he told my buddy he would spend a quite a bit of time harvesting acl tendons from cadavers, donors, for repair jobs. he was making a brisk business in that area of sports medicine.
old man zeretsky, our hs coach went in for surgery one day. a normally dour man, he came back all smiles, well, at least i saw him smile a bit as if to say thanks to the anonymous blood donors at school. i had the same idea, when i see someone i may not like, i think, that could be the person who gave blood for my sake back when i was in hospital. i know it was all white blood too because my schlong shrank and as far as i know, the african dick thieves reported a few years back have not been active in the usa.
@Hope, thank you. Glad to see you back here. I’ll be donating my well used carcass to The Body Farm upon expiration. I will write a letter to my CONgress-critters but I have very little expectation it will have any effect. Obamacare is not meant to help us. It’s meant to enrich Wall Street and our owners.
@KaD, you have my sympathy and respect. I’ve been blind in one eye most of my life. I cannot imagine enduring your pain. My story pales in comparison.
@Stucky, to hell with the scooter AND the narcotics that so many doctors offered as if they were candy. I even had a doctor offer me oxycontin after telling me about all the addiction problems that people have with that stuff. There are just some paths that are best not traveled lest one become too comfortable.
@T4C, it was just a spontaneous wave of relief that overwhelmed me. I don’t think I had any choice in the matter, it just “fell out”. Thanks for the song!
@Novista, no impatience here! I’m very content with a nice, slow recovery. I’ve got too much invested not to.
@card802, we all suffer our tribulations sooner or later. I had always heard talk of chronic pain, mostly in relation to FSA using it as an excuse to milk the system. I’m sure that many do but I’ve got enormous respect for it now. I am truly humbled forever.
@AWD, thank you sir for suggesting I look into a teaching hospital in my quest for a fix. I owe you a beer for sure! One of my future goals is to visit the USAF Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB. A detour on that trip may be in order to get you that beer!
@Everyone else……..many thanks for your well wishes. The (mostly) intelligent banter here on the TBP certainly helped knock the pain down a notch or two.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5TwT69i1lU
I_S
And my birthday’s in two weeks. Yeah.
Thanks everyone.
IS
I am happy for you!! Best of Luck with Da Rehab.
I hope the pain goes away but you manage to keep the crankiness! Would hate you going all kind and gentle!
Great news, IS.