Foot Surgery

see that yellow ball?  

not comfortable!

I've been dealing with pain in my left foot for several years.  It's something called Morton's Neuroma.  It is an injury where the nerve gets damaged.  The body's response to the injury is to lay down another layer of tissue.  This leads to the nerve being more prone to injury because it's bigger and it becomes a vicious cycle of injury and the body trying to protect itself.  Because the nerve becomes too big, it rubs between the bones of the foot. When it does that, it burns and stings.   Sometimes, I even get what feel like electric shocks in my toes and on the ball of my foot.  Not fun!  It'd gotten so bad sometimes that I could hardly walk for days.  I went to a podiatrist to try to solve the problem.

The first treatment option we tried were special inserts in my shoes.  I had to get rid of all my "cute" shoes and could only wear shoes with a wide toe box.  It didn't help.  Next we did corticosteroid injections.  Over the past four years, I've had four injections.  For a long while, I could feel the nerve "popping" back and forth while I was walking but didn't have any pain.  In December, I started getting a lot of pain again.  I was working on my running and had made it up to 14 miles a week with one six mile run and two shorter runs.  Once I'd reached that milestone, my foot pain flared up and I couldn't do more than two miles without limping.  There is a limit to how many cortisone injections you can have in a joint because the cortisone can soften the tendons and cartilage in the joint.  I went back to the doctor and we decided it was time to surgically remove the pesky nerve.

I had my surgery at the same place Isaac had his broken arm fixed, an outpatient surgery center.  Dode must have been worried about me because he had vivid dreams with lots of moving around all night.  Then to add to my difficulties, Miriam came in to sleep with us because she had a tummy ache.  Three people in a double bed did not make for a restful night.  One of the times when Dode was awake because I'd (gently) kicked him to get him to stop moving, he reassured me that I'd get to sleep the next day.  Thanks!

Ready to go.  I always have a hard time getting my IV's started and that was the part I was dreading more than anything.  I told the nurse about my history and she said, "Why even mess around with the hand, let's go for the arm."  Sounds good to me!  She put the IV in a big vein on the inside of my arm and got it in on the first try.  She said she'd write in my chart, "Patient refused IV in hand."  I didn't know I had the choice but I'll know if I ever need another one.  Dode is always sure that I have a red allergy band and that everyone is aware of what's on it.  I have a severe allergy to a drug called "inapsine". 

It's an anti-nausea drug that I was given as on "off label" use when I was having pre-term labor with Isaac.  The doctor had tried the traditional ways of stopping contractions and I was on so much magnesium sulfate that I couldn't focus my eyes and had lost all the reflexes in my legs, but still the contractions continued.  In desperation, we tried inapsine and it worked.  Four hours later I was given another dose.  I felt funny right away and told the nurse.  She told me not to worry and left.  It was the middle of the night and Dode was sleeping.  Before long, feeling funny turned in to "can't breathe".  I managed to wake Dode up and my hospital room was soon filled with various medical authorities trying to stop my reaction.  I was told, "No more inapsine, the next one could be your last."  Since it could be given when I'm asleep, Dode is vigilant that all doctors and anesthesiologists know not to give it to me.

The surgery took about 30 minutes.  Once I was awake, the first thing I wanted to know was , "Did you find a neuroma?"  Whenever something is going wrong for me health wise, I always have a huge worry in the back of my mind that I'm just a big baby and everything is fine.  Having the doctor tell me that there was truly something wrong with my foot was reassuring.  We spent some time in the recovery area before we were cleared to go home.  When Isaac was there, he got a little package of Nutter Butter cookies to munch on and I was really looking forward to that little treat.  Unfortunately, I was sick to my stomach so I didn't get offer any cookies.   I was surprisingly disappointed!    But, if I balance out the getting the IV in on the first time with not getting any post-op cookies, I know I came in way ahead!  We were in the middle of first snow event of the year but our little mini van does great in the snow and I was soon installed on the couch with every kid gathered around making sure I was OK, even Jacob!

I have to stay off my foot as much as possible for five days.  I have an ace bandage over the incision that stays in place for two weeks.  I've got a cute black medical sandal to wear.  The doctor told me I would need to rest my foot and not do any exercise for a month and then only elliptical for another 2-3 weeks.  My poor elliptical is going to feel very neglected.  I use it 5-6 times a week normally.  It wonder how buried it will be in clothes by the time I can use it again!

hanging out on the couch.  Using my new computer to watch movies.  Miriam thought it would be fun to use mom as a cushion!  I just have to say that I made the best purchase when I got that couch when we moved here seven years ago.  It is so comfortable to sit on, has lots of room for kids to join me, and is in a perfect location for watching the kids play outside.

I have to keep my foot above my heart as much as possible for two days.  Blogging at the computer with my foot on up on the printer and Isaac's algebra book.

Now that my foot is fixed, it's tempting to get some cute shoes that have a rounded front instead of the boxy shoes I've been wearing for four years. For some reason, I don't think the doctor would be thrilled with that goal. I've had a little pain in my right foot and I'm sure tight footwear would send me on the fast track to another surgery! He said that the nerve they removed is only responsible for 20% of the sensation in two toes. Some numbness to start with is normal but over time, the other nerves will take over the job of the missing nerve. Even if it doesn't, numb toes are much better than stinging ones!